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Fighting to Survive by Rhiannon Frater

Title: Fighting to Survive (As the World Dies #2)

Author: Rhiannon Frater

Publisher: Tor Books 2011

Genre: Zombie

Pages: 368

Rating:  5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Zombie; Mount TBR; Fall into Reading

How I Got It: I won it

Picking up where The First Days ends, Fighting to Survive features the further zombie-killing, civilization-saving adventures of a pair of sexy, kick butt heroines and the men who love them. A hundred or so survivors of the zombie plague have found tenuous safety in the walled off center of a small Texas town. Now the hard work of survival begins—finding enough food; creating safe, weather-resistant shelter; establishing laws; and fighting off both the undead who want to eat them and the living bandits who want to rob and kill them.

And the saga continues.  Oh my this one was a roller coaster.  I still absolutely love the characters in this series.  Katie is amazing and full of heart.  Jenni is growing on me.  She isn't as annoying as in the first book.  Nerit is just awesome and stoic and a sniper!  Travis is a great addition for the women heavy cast list.  Juan also grew on me throughout the book.  The plot is full of twists and turns.  Every time things seemed to calm down in the fort, another threat popped up.  I loved the crazy action scenes.  But I also got very connected to the quiet moments.  The deaths of the likable characters really hit me.  Overall this volume was amazing.  Can't wait to dive into the conclusion.

As the World Dies

  • #1 The First Days
  • #2 Fighting to Survive
  • #3 Siege
  • #4 Untold Tales Volume 1
  • #5 Untold Tales Volume 2
  • #6 Untold Tales Volume 3
  • #6.5 Deadly Night: Jenni and Katie's Untold Tale
tags: 5 stars, FrightFall Readathon, Rhiannon Frater, zombies
categories: Book Reviews, Readathon
Friday 10.05.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 2
 

The First Days by Rhiannon Frater

Title: The First Days (As the World Dies #1)

Author: Rhiannon Frater

Publisher: Tor Books 2011

Genre: Zombie

Pages: 335

Rating:   5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Zombie; Mount TBR; Fall into Reading

How I Got It: I won it

The morning that the world ends, Katie is getting ready for court and housewife Jenni is taking care of her family. Less than two hours later, they are fleeing for their lives from a zombie horde.Thrown together by circumstance, Jenni and Katie become a powerful zombie-killing partnership, mowing down zombies as they rescue Jenni’s stepson, Jason, from an infected campground.They find sanctuary in a tiny, roughly fortified Texas town.  There Jenni and Katie find they are both attracted to Travis, leader of the survivors; and the refugees must slaughter people they know, who have returned in zombie form.

Oh My!  What a zombie novel!  We are immediately thrown into the action.  The first scene is utterly horrifying.  I was terrified at what would come next.  The book starts in action and just never stops.  Right away I latched onto Katie as my identifiable character.  She is strong and yet has a vulnerable spot.  I loved the chapters told from her perspective.  Jenni was a bit crazy or as Juan would say loca.  I just never completely came around to her.  But I understand that her background as a battered woman defines her current relationships with others in the fort.  The other inhabitants are just as interesting and engaging.  The novel has just the right amount of gore and suspense and then quiet moments between survivors.  I am so glad that Rhiannon Frater was encouraged to publish the book.  I can't wait to dive right into the next installment...

As the World Dies

  • #1 The First Days
  • #2 Fighting to Survive
  • #3 Siege
  • #4 Untold Tales Volume 1
  • #5 Untold Tales Volume 2
  • #6 Untold Tales Volume 3
  • #6.5 Deadly Night: Jenni and Katie's Untold Tale
tags: 5 stars, FrightFall Readathon, Rhiannon Frater, zombies
categories: Book Reviews
Thursday 10.04.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 3
 

Sadie Walker is Stranded by Madeleine Roux

Title: Sadie Walker is Stranded

Author: Madeleine Roux

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin 2012

Genre: Zombie

Pages: 335

Rating:   5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Zombie; Mount TBR; Fall into Reading

How I Got It: I own it!

Sadie Walker is one of the survivors in this new world. Living in north Seattle behind barrier that keep the living in and the dead out, she trying to get back to a normal life, while raising her eight-year-old nephew, if anyone even knows what “normal” is anymore.  Then everything goes sideways when Shane is kidnapped by a group of black market thieves and they bring down a crucial barrier in the city while trying to escape, and flood the city with the walking dead. After rescuing her nephew, Sadie and Shane escape Seattle on the last remaining boat, along with other survivors. However, now they must face the complete chaos of a world filled with flesh eating zombies and humans who are playing with a whole new rule book when it comes to survival in their journey to find a new place that they can call home.

Oh!  Such ambiance.  Such suspense.  Such horror.  I was concerned that a continuation of Allison Hewitt's story would disappoint.  That book had such vibrant characters that I worried.  Thankfully I was wrong in my concerns.  This story jumps right into the action and never stops.  We follow Sadie and a ragtag band of misfits as they try to survive after The Outbreak.  I loved the setting of the Pacific Northwest.  I could almost hear the seagulls and smell the brisk salt air wind.  This zombie novel doesn't have much gore, but it sure has enough terror and gotcha moments.  I loved this book so much that I plowed right through it in one sitting.  Great novel!

tags: 5 stars, FrightFall Readathon, Madeliene Roux, zombies
categories: Book Reviews
Wednesday 10.03.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 2
 

Them or Us by David Moody

Title: Them or Us (Hater #3)

Author: David Moody

Publisher: Thomas Dunne 2011

Genre: Zombie

Pages: 368

Rating: 4 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Zombie

How I Got It: Library Loan

The war that has torn the human race apart is finally nearing its end. With most towns and cities now uninhabitable, and with the country in the grip of a savage nuclear winter, both Hater and Unchanged alike struggle to survive.

Hundreds of Hater fighters have settled on the East Coast in the abandoned remains of a relatively undamaged town under the command of Hinchcliffe---who’ll stop at nothing to eradicate the last few Unchanged and consolidate his position at the top of this new world order. This fledgling society is harsh and unforgiving---your place in the ranks is decided by how long and how hard you’re prepared to fight.

Danny McCoyne is the exception to the rule. His ability to hold the Hate and to use it to hunt out the remaining Unchanged has given him a unique position in Hinchcliffe’s army of fighters. As the enemy’s numbers reduce, so the pressure on McCoyne increases, until he finds himself at the very center of a pivotal confrontation, the outcome of which will have repercussions on the future of everyone who is left alive.

Great ending, but to be honest, I was pretty bored in the middle.  How many times can I say that this series just isn't as good as Autumn?  It just isn't.  I was so confused for most of the book.  Should I connect with Danny or with the scattered unchanged or with no one.  I was horrified with most of the actions of the people in the book.      It's definitely a scary possible future.  One I really don't want to live at all.

Hater trilogy

  • #1 Hater
  • #2 Dog Blood
  • #3 Them or Us
tags: 4 stars, David Moody, zombies
categories: Book Reviews
Saturday 07.28.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 3
 

Dog Blood by David Moody

Title: Dog Blood (Hater #2)

Author: David Moody

Publisher: Thomas Dunne 2010

Genre: Zombie

Pages: 336

Rating: 4 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Zombie

How I Got It: Library Loan

The Earth has been torn into two parts by an irreversible division. Whether due to nature, or the unknown depths of the mind itself, everyone is now either Human or Hater. Victim or killer. Governments have fallen, command structures have collapsed, and relationships have crumbled. Major cities have become refugee camps where human survivors cower together in fear. Amidst this indiscriminate carnage, Danny McCoyne is on a mission to find his daughter Ellis, convinced that her shared Hater condition means her allegiance is to people like him. Free of inhibitions, unrestricted by memories of peace, and driven by instinct, children are pure Haters, and may well define the future of the Hater race. But, as McCoyne makes his way into the heart of human territory, an incident on the battlefield sets in place an unexpected chain of events, forcing him to question everything he believes he knows about the new order that has arisen, and the dynamic of the Hate itself.

The second book in the Hater trilogy leaves us on a horrid cliffhanger.  To be honest, I started to lose interest about halfway through, but kept at it.  And thank good I did.  It really got moving with twists and turns and huge actions.  Moody definitely knows how to write horror.  I was terrified throughout most of the book.  But I must say that I still don't like this series as much as the Autumn series.  This is more disjointed.  I found myself connecting with the Haters, but then I had to take a step back and reevaluate.  Should I empathize with the Haters or the Unchanged?  I felt conflicted through most of the book.  I still don't know.  And maybe that's the genius of this series.  I grabbed Them or Us from the library so I can finish this series.

Hater trilogy 

  • #1 Hater
  • #2 Dog Blood
  • #3 Them or Us
tags: 4 stars, David Moody, zombies
categories: Book Reviews
Thursday 07.26.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 3
 

Hater by David Moody

Title: Hater (Hater #1)

Author: David Moody

Publisher: St. Martin's Press 2006

Genre: Zombie

Pages: 281

Rating: 4 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Zombie

How I Got It: Library Loan

REMAIN CALM DO NOT PANIC TAKE SHELTER WAIT FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS THE SITUATION IS UNDER CONTROL Society is rocked by a sudden increase in the number of violent assaults on individuals. Christened 'Haters' by the media, the attackers strike without warning, killing all who cross their path. The assaults are brutal, remorseless and extreme: within seconds, normally rational, self-controlled people become frenzied, vicious killers. There are no apparent links as a hundred random attacks become a thousand, then hundreds of thousands. Everyone, irrespective of gender, age, race or any other difference, has the potential to become a victim - or a Hater. People are afraid to go to work, afraid to leave their homes and, increasingly, afraid that at any moment their friends, even their closest family, could turn on them with ultra violent intent.  Waking up each morning, no matter how well defended, everyone must now consider the fact that by the end of the day, they might be dead.  Or perhaps worse, become a killer themselves.  As the status quo shifts, ATTACK FIRST, ASK QUESTIONS LATER becomes the order of the day...  only, the answers might be much different than what you expect....

I previously read Moody's Autumn  series and adored it.  I had wanted to check out the Hater trilogy for awhile.  Thankfully, I grabbed the first two books up from the library.  While this one doesn't live up to Autumn, I did enjoy this unconventional zombie novel.  I was unsure of where this was going at first, but I definitely loved the turn of events.  I loved the interspersed vignettes of other "Haters."  It added to the story beyond Danny's own journey.  And what a cliffhanger...  My goodness I am on the edge of my seat wanting to know.  Thank goodness I have the second book, Dog Blood.

Hater trilogy

  • #1 Hater
  • #2 Dog Blood
  • #3 Them or Us
tags: 4 stars, David Moody, zombies
categories: Book Reviews
Friday 07.20.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 3
 

Allison Hewitt is Trapped by Madeleine Roux

Title: Allison Hewitt is Trapped

Author: Madeleine Roux

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Genre: Zombie

Pages: 352

Rating:  5  / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Zombie; Mount TBR

How I Got It: I own it!

One woman's story as she blogs - and fights back - the zombie apocalypse

Allison Hewitt and her five colleagues at the Brooks and Peabody Bookstore are trapped together when the zombie outbreak hits. Allison reaches out for help through her blog, writing on her laptop and utilizing the military's emergency wireless network (SNET).  It may also be her only chance to reach her mother. But as the reality of their situation sinks in, Allison’s blog becomes a harrowing account of her edge-of-the-seat adventures (with some witty sarcasm thrown in) as she and her companions fight their way through ravenous zombies and sometimes even more dangerous humans.

I do love me some zombie stories.  I heard such great things about this book.  I finally got around to reading it for the Spring into Horror Readathon hosted by Castle Macabre.  Wait a minute you say... wasn't that last week.  Why yes it was...  However I was driving across country all last week and I've finally gotten settled in enough to actually catch up on my reviews.  SO, here we go.

I have really come to love first person zombie stories.  There's something about fighting right alongside someone that just puts me in a good reading mood. Allison is such a great character.  She has her faults, but they make the reader like her more.  She seems very real.  I particularly liked the fact that she starts her zombie apocalypse as a clerk in a bookstore.  As part of the first big encounter with the zeds, she almost gets turned into kibble because she pauses to grab a few books.  Yeah, that would be me...  From there we go on a whirlwind adventure of survival.  We meet the usual zombie threats.  But we also encounter the human threats.  I really think they're worse than the zombies.  I sped through this novel, on the edge of my seat, holding my breath, to see if Allison makes it.  I won't tell you the ending, but I will say that I can't wait to read the not a sequel-but set in the same world, Sadie Walker is Stranded...

tags: 5 stars, Madeleine Roux, zombies
categories: Book Reviews
Friday 05.04.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 2
 

The Walking Dead: Book 4

Title: The Walking Dead: Book 4

Author: Robert Kirkman

Publisher: Image Comics 2008

Genre: Graphic Novel; Zombies

Pages: 304

Rating:  5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novels; Support Your Local Library

The hardcover features another 12 issues of the hit series along with the covers for the issues all in one oversized hardcover volume. Perfect for long-time fans, new readers, and anyone interested in reading a zombie movie on paper that never ends.

Every time I think this series has reached the limit, the next chapter just flies right past the previous limit.  It is crazy!  I cannot even begin to imagine where the series is going.  Yet I want to continue reading it until the end.  I like how this book focused more on the threat from fellow survivors than the zombies.  We get a real feeling of what the survivors we follow are up against.  It makes for a suspenseful read.  I'm also interested to see how the television series departs from the comic storyline.  Should be an interesting read.  And you know I always love my zombies!

tags: 5 stars, graphic novel, Robert Kirkman, zombies
categories: Book Reviews
Sunday 04.22.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 1
 

Aftertime by Sophie Littlefield

Title: Aftertime (Aftertime #1)

Author: Sophie Littlefield

Publisher: Luna 2011

Genre: Dystopian, Zombie

Pages: 384

Rating:  5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:  Zombies; Support Your Local Library

How I Got It: Library Loan

Awakening in a bleak landscape as scarred as her body, Cass Dollar vaguely recalls surviving something terrible. Having no idea how many weeks have passed, she slowly realizes the horrifying truth: Ruthie has vanished.And with her, nearly all of civilization.Where once-lush hills carried cars and commerce, the roads today see only cannibalistic Beaters—people turned hungry for human flesh by a government experiment gone wrong.

In a broken, barren California, Cass will undergo a harrowing quest to get Ruthie back. Few people trust an outsider, let alone a woman who became a zombie and somehow turned back, but she finds help from an enigmatic outlaw, Smoke. Smoke is her savior, and her safety.

For the Beaters are out there.

And the humans grip at survival with their trigger fingers. Especially when they learn that she and Ruthie have become the most feared, and desired, of weapons in a brave new world….

A dystopian world inhabited by Beaters and survivors.  I loved the bleak feel of this novel.  It didn't try to glamorize the end of the world as we know it.  The book showed the stark reality of surviving in this new and desolate world.  The graphic description of desolation is haunting.  We really get a feel for the nothingness that is left.  I appreciate this departure from the fancy dystopian novels I've read in the past.

The characters are memorable.  No one is a clear likable character.  Instead each one has good and bad qualities; much like you find in real people.  Sometimes I wanted to hug Cass and others I wanted to smack her.  She's real.  She has problems.  She has past issues.  She has insecurities.  But she also has a drive to survive and reclaim her daughter.  Smoke is an enigma.  We don't get a huge amount of information from or about him, but we understand that Cass must rely on someone.  I predict that he becomes a white knight in the end.  Hopefully we get more from him in future books.  There's too many other minor characters to list, but they all made an impression.  I can't wait to read the next book.

Aftertime

  • #1 Aftertime
  • #1.5 Survivors
  • #2 Rebirth
  • #3 Horizon
tags: 5 stars, dystopian, Sophie Littlefield, zombies
categories: Book Reviews
Monday 04.09.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 1
 

Eat Slay Love by Jesse Petersen

Title: Eat Slay Love (Living with the Dead #3)

Author: Jesse Petersen

Publisher: Orbit 2011

Genre: Zombies

Pages: 288

Rating:  5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Zombies; Support Your Local Library; Read Your Name -- E

How I Got It: Library Loan

Sarah and David have survived the zombie apocalypse. They stood side by side and fought the undead, mad scientists, and even bionic monsters until the unthinkable happened. A zombie bite. But not even that could stop them. Now, with a possible cure in hand, they're headed east, looking for a safe zone behind the rumored "Wall." They're feeling pretty optimistic.That is until Dave stops sleeping and starts lifting huge objects.

Eat. Slay. Love.

Because they haven't got a prayer.

The conclusion to the trilogy.  I fell in love with David and Sarah with the first book.  I really hoped their story would end happily, but with zombie books you just never know.  I love how these books are romantic comedies with zombies.  Love it!  This series has been my go-to books when I am in the mood for light zombie books.  I started to get a little concerned about halfway through the books with the inclusion of a new character that I really didn't like.  But the dymanic evolved well.  By the end of the book I was racing through the pages to find out what happened.  Thank goodness I had a two-hour plane ride to use.

Living with the Dead

  • #1 Married with Zombies
  • #2 Flip This Zombie
  • #3 Eat, Slay, Love
  • #3.5 Shambling with the Stars
  • #4 The Zombie Whisperer
tags: 5 stars, Jesse Petersen, zombies
categories: Book Reviews
Monday 03.19.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 2
 

Rise Again by Ben Tripp

Title: Rise Again (Rise Again #1)

Author: Ben Tripp

Publisher: Gallery Books 2010

Genre: Zombie

Pages: 384

Rating:  5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Zombie; Support Your Local Library; Read Your Name -- T

How I Got It: Library loan

Forest Peak, California. Fourth of July. Sheriff Danielle Adelman, a troubled war veteran, thinks she has all the problems she can handle in this all-American town after her kid sister runs away from home. But when a disease-stricken horde of panicked refugees fleeing the fall of Los Angeles swarms her small mountain community, Danny realizes her problems have only just begun—starting with what might very well be the end of the world. Danny thought she had seen humanity at its worst in war-torn Iraq, but nothing could prepare her for the remorseless struggle to survive in a dying world being overrun by the reanimated dead and men turned monster. Obsessed with finding her missing sister against all odds, Danny’s epic and dangerous journey across the California desert will challenge her spirit . . . and bring her to the precipice of sanity itself. . . .

This is a story of survival, plain and simple.  In my opinion, it's the best kind of zombie story out there.  We're not trying to do anything clever with the story or with the zombies.  It's dirty.  It's gross.  It's heartbreaking.  It's angering.  And it's even a bit of hopeful.  I loved this book.

It took me a bit of time to really get into but that was because of the main character, Danny.  Initially I couldn't connect with her.  I hated her for how she treated her sister.  But then I started to understand her.  Her history, her lack of future, her sheer determination to survive.  And I really started to love Danny and root for her.  I didn't want to see her die.  Of course, there are some other great characters, but Danny is the one I really got into.  Her story keep me reading.  The action was great.  The creep out factor was great.  The gross out factor was great.  I whole heartedly recommend this book to all the zombie lovers out there.

Rise Again

  • #1 Rise Again
  • #2 Rise Again: Below Zero
tags: 5 stars, Ben Tripp, zombies
categories: Book Reviews
Thursday 03.15.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 1
 

Undead Much? by Stacey Jay

Title: Undead Much? (Megan Berry #2)

Author: Stacey Jay

Publisher: Razorbill 2010

Genre: Zombie

Pages: 304

Rating:  4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Zombie; Support Your Local Library; Read Your Name - U

How I Got It: Library Loan

Megan Berry - Zombie Settler extraordinaire - just wants Pom Squad to trounce Cheer Team in this freakishly funny follow-up to You Are So Undead to Me. But someone's turning coma victims into settler-resistant uber-zombies - and everyone thinks it's Megan's fault! Well, except for super-creepy male cheerleader Aaron. (Ew!)Meg's also being stalked by a hot - albeit undead - seer named Cliff. Can Cliff's premonitions help Megan stop a zombies-on-ice deathscapade and discover who's really behind the coma-killer crusade before an entire army of undead rise up? And when Megan's boyfriend Ethan grows jealous of Cliff, will it end their intra-settler romance?

Another surprise.  I really didn't think I was going to like this one, and I was wrong.  It was a fun zombie book with enough gore and creep out factor to keep me reading.  I don't think I liked it quite as much as the first one.  Really the first one could have been a stand alone.  This one continues her story and adds lots of conspiracy layers.  I still liked tha Megan actually acted like a 16-year-old.  Even though I wanted to smack her a few times for her immaturity.  It was fun.  Not overly amazing.  It's not going to appear on my Top 10 list for the year, but it was a great two day read.

Megan Berry, Zombie Settler (DNFed series)

  • #1 You are So Undead to Me
  • #2 Undead Much?
  • #2.5 Valentine's Day of the Undead
tags: 4 stars, Stacey Jay, young adult, zombies
categories: Book Reviews
Wednesday 02.29.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 2
 

You are So Undead to Me by Stacey Jay

Title: You are So Undead to Me  (Megan Berry #1)

Author: Stacey Jay

Publisher: Razorbill 2009

Genre: Zombie

Pages: 272

Rating:   4 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Zombie; What's in a Name - Creepy Crawly; Support Your Local Library; States Challenge - Arkansas

How I Got It: Library Loan

Fifteen-year-old Megan Berry is a Zombie Settler by birth, which means she's part-time shrink to a bunch of dead people with a whole lot of issues.All Megan wants is to be normal - and go to homecoming, of course. Unfortunately, it's a little difficult when your dates keep getting interrupted by a bunch of slobbering Undead.

Things are about to get even more complicated for Megan. Someone in school is using black magic to turn average, angsty Undead into flesh-eating Zombies, and it's looking like homecoming will turn out to be a very different kind of party - the bloody kind.

Megan must stop the Zombie apocalypse descending on Carol, Arkansas. Her life - and more importantly, homecoming - depends on it.

I have a confession: I thought this was going to be an uber-stupid teenage novel about the right hair or getting the cute boy. I thought was going to make fun of this novel and wonder how it even was published.   But I was wrong (mostly).  Megan is a teenager.  She does care about making the dance team and getting a date for the Homecoming Dance.  But she's also a settler with a lot more power than she thinks.  She make act immature at times, but she is fifteen.  It's refreshing to see a young adult novel where the young adult actually acts like a young adult, not an adult stuck in a teenage body.  I think I would have been over the moon with this book if I was fifteen.  Megan Berry would have been my hero.  Even as an almost-30-year-old, I really enjoyed this book.  I enjoyed it so much that I picked up the sequel to read next.

Megan Berry, Zombie Settler

  • #1 You are So Undead to Me
  • #2 Undead Much?
  • #2.5 Valentine's Day of the Undead
tags: 4 stars, Stacey Jay, young adult, zombies
categories: Book Reviews
Monday 02.27.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 2
 

The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore

Title: The Stupidest Angel

Author: Christopher Moore

Publisher:  William Morrow 2005

Genre: Zombie

Pages: 320

Rating:  5  / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Zombie; Support Your Local Library; A to Z - M

How I Got It: Library loan

'Twas the night (okay, more like the week) before Christmas, and all through the tiny community of Pine Cove, California, people are busy buying, wrapping, packing, and generally getting into the holiday spirit.

But not everybody is feeling the joy. Little Joshua Barker is in desperate need of a holiday miracle. No, he's not on his deathbed; no, his dog hasn't run away from home. But Josh is sure that he saw Santa take a shovel to the head, and now the seven-year-old has only one prayer: Please, Santa, come back from the dead.

But hold on! There's an angel waiting in the wings. (Wings, get it?) It's none other than the Archangel Raziel come to Earth seeking a small child with a wish that needs granting. Unfortunately, our angel's not sporting the brightest halo in the bunch, and before you can say "Kris Kringle," he's botched his sacred mission and sent the residents of Pine Cove headlong into Christmas chaos, culminating in the most hilarious and horrifying holiday party the town has ever seen.

Okay, this is my kind of Christmas novel (albeit one read in February).  We have murder, mayhem, homicidal Santas, angels on miracle missions, sword-wielding schizophrenics, stoners, rats, dogs, sex, and bats.  I think I covered it all.  And it's all topped off with Moore snarky writing.  I love it!  His vampire trilogy started to wear on me after while.  This one definitely does not.  I loved it from start to finish.  The characters are incredibly fun.  I especially liked the Tucker Case and his bat, Roberto.  The story is fast-paced and yet filled with character development.  The horror is there wrapped up in a glowing angel and talking zombies.  And the writing is superb.  Supposedly the characters appear in other books.  Now I must go to the library and pick those up as wel..

Pine Cove

  • #1 Practical Demonkeeping
  • #2 The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove
  • #3 The Stupidest Angel
tags: 5 stars, Christopher Moore, comedy, zombies
categories: Book Reviews
Saturday 02.11.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 1
 

Zombie Blondes by Brian James

Title: Zombie Blondes

Author: Brian James

Publisher: Square Fish 2009

Genre: Zombie

Pages: 256

Rating:   3 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Zombie; A to Z - Z; Mount TBR

How I Got It: I own it!

From the moment Hannah Sanders arrived in town, she felt there was something wrong. A lot of houses were for sale, and the town seemed infected by an unearthly quiet. And then, on Hannah’s first day of classes, she ran into a group of cheerleaders—the most popular girls in school. The odd thing was that they were nearly identical in appearance: blonde, beautiful, and deathly pale. But Hannah wants desperately to fit in—regardless of what her friend Lukas is telling her: If she doesn’t watch her back, she’s going to be blonde and popular and dead—just like all the other zombies in this town. . . .

I'm describing this one as a Stepford Wives meets Heathers.  I enjoyed it, it had some great little parts here and there, but mostly I just wanted to smack Hannah.  If she didn't want to believe Lukas that the blondes were zombies, fine, but did she have to be so desperate for popularity.  Parts of the book just seemed fake.  And then having the book written in first person was a bit much.  I just had trouble sympathizing with Hannah until the last 15 pages.  I guess okay, but this book was definitely aimed at a younger audience than me.  It just fell a bit flat for me.

tags: 3 stars, Brian James, zombies
categories: Book Reviews
Saturday 02.04.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 2
 

Night of the Necromancer by Kyle West and Jelani Sims

Title: Zombie Blondes

Author: Kyle West and Jelani Sims

Publisher: CreateSpace 2011

Genre: Zombie

Pages: 400

Rating:   4 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Zombie; Read Your Name - N; Mount TBR; Random Reads - February

How I Got It: I own it!

Just hours ago, you were a student trying to survive college. Now, as zombies attempt to knock down your apartment door and eat you alive, you must ask yourself if you will survive the night. And, in order to get through this nightmare, you have to make all the right decisions. Will you save your overbearing girlfriend, who just broke up with you hours before the zombies arrived? Will you trust the survivors you meet along the way? Will you retreat to the forest in an attempt to escape the undead hordes, or will you face your fear head- on and fight your way through the city? If you are quick on your feet, you just might see another day. One wrong decision, and you’ll end up as a zombie food, or worse, a member of the undead.

Another choose your own adventure type book.  Fun, but fairly preditictable.  I think I watch way too many zombie movies and read too many zombie books to be completely taken by surprise by this book.  That being said, it really is entertaining.  I read most of this on my lunch break today.  Somehow zombie gore doesn't spoil my appetite (probably says something about me).  I enjoyed the "twists and turns."  The characters acted just like characters in zombie movies do.  The book had all the classic archetypes and they stayed true to their personailities.  The story was fun and engaging.  Recommend for fans for CYOA books or zombie books. 

tags: 4 stars, Jelani Sims, Kyle West, zombies
categories: Book Reviews
Friday 02.03.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 1
 

Autumn: Disintegration by David Moody

Title: Autumn: Disintegration (#4)

Author: David Moody

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin 2011

Genre: Zombie

Pages: 342

Rating:  5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Zombie; Read Your Name - A; Support Your Local Library

How I Got It: Library loan

Forty days have passed since the world died. Billions of corpses walk the Earth. Everything is disintegrating. . . .

A group of eleven men and women have survived against the odds. On an almost daily basis, they attack the dead with brutal ferocity, tearing through them with utter contempt.

Somewhere nearby, out of sight and out of earshot, is another group that has adopted a completely different survival strategy. Where the others have used brutality and strength, these people have demonstrated subtlety, planning, and tactics.

A series of horrific events force the two groups together. Backed into a corner and surrounded by hundreds of thousands of corpses, they all know that their final battle with the dead is about to begin.

I was on the edge of my seat for this entire book...  I just couldn't wait to find out what happens to the survivors.  After Purification, I was unsure of where Moody was going to take the story.  The way the book ended, it didn't leave much room for continuation on the same frantic level as previously.  Thankfully Moody found a great way to continue the main storyline by introducing some new groups.  I didn't love these characters as much as the first ones, but they were interesting.  I sped through the book, reading straight through lunch times to finish the story.  And now I hear there's a rumored 5th book out there somewhere.  I must find and devour!

Autumn:

  1. Autumn
  2. The City
  3. Purification
  4. The Human Condition
  5. Disintegration
  6. Aftermath
tags: 5 stars, David Moody, Winter's Respite Readathon, zombies
categories: Book Reviews
Friday 01.27.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 3
 

Brains: A Zombie Memoir by Robin Becker

Title: Brains: A Zombie Memoir

Author: Robin Becker

Publisher: Harper Voyager 2010

Genre: Zombie

Pages: 182

Rating:   5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Zombie; Support Your Local Library; RYN - B

How I Got It: Library Loan

College-professor-cum-zombie Jack Barnes is a different breed of undead—he can think. In fact, he can even write. And the story he has to tell is a truly disturbing—yet strangely heartwarming—one.

Convinced he'll bring about a peaceful coexistence between zombies and humans if he can demonstrate his unique condition to Howard Stein, the man responsible for the zombie virus, Barnes sets off on a grueling cross-country journey to meet his maker. Along the way he recruits a small army of "super" zombies that will stop at nothing to reach their goal. There's Guts, the dreadlocked boy who can run like the wind; Joan, the matronly nurse adept at reattaching decaying appendages; Annie, the young girl with a fierce quick-draw; and Ros, who can actually speak. United they embark on an epic quest to attain what all men, women—and, apparently, zombies—yearn for: equality.

This novel is sweet.  I didn't think I would ever say that about a zombie novel, but it's true.  You meet Jack Barnes.  Sure, he's an asshole in his human life and now he lusts for brains.  But yet, you want him to find happiness.  You root for his rag tag band of super zombies.  They might be zombies, but each one has a distinct personality.  I love Becker's interpretation of a zombie apocalypse.  My favorite is definitely Annie, the gunslinger.  She doesn't appear until halfway through the book, but she makes quite an appearance.  I love her back story, well the little we get, and her after story even better.  Definitely a must read for zombie fans.

tags: 5 stars, Bout of Books Readathon, Robin Becker, zombies
categories: Book Reviews
Monday 01.09.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 1
 

The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan

Title: The Dark and Hollow Places (The Forest of Hands and Teeth #3)

Author: Carrie Ryan

Publisher: Delacorte 2011

Genre: Zombies

Pages: 384

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Zombies; Read My Name - R; Support Your Local Library

There are many things that Annah would like to forget: the look on her sister's face when she and Elias left her behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, her first glimpse of the horde as they found their way to the Dark City, the sear of the barbed wire that would scar her for life. But most of all, Annah would like to forget the morning Elias left her for the Recruiters. Annah's world stopped that day and she's been waiting for him to come home ever since. Without him, her life doesn't feel much different from that of the dead that roam the wasted city around her. Then she meets Catcher and everything feels alive again.Except, Catcher has his own secrets -- dark, terrifying truths that link him to a past Annah's longed to forget, and to a future too deadly to consider. And now it's up to Annah -- can she continue to live in a world drenched in the blood of the living? Or is death the only escape from the Return's destruction?

A great end to The Forest of Hands and Teeth trilogy.  This one continued the story well, focusing on Annah and her fight for survival in the Dark City.  The plot line was great.  The characters were entertaining.  The villains (not the Unconsecrated) were sufficiently villainous.  The only difference was the style.  This book felt more like a discussion on the meaning of life rather than an eventful story.  Sure, there were action sequences.  Things happened.  But the entire book feels more like a philosophical text.  And I appreciate this change.  We get to really see what The Return means to the future of the human race.  We get discussions about the meaning of life.  Characters must decided whether the life they have is enough to truly live.  And I must say, Annah is a much more likable character than Gabry (Abigail).  I enjoyed the conclusion to the trilogy.  I will definitely be reading anything that Carrie Ryan writes in the future.

Forest of Hands and Teeth

  • #0.4 What We Once Feared
  • #0.5 Hare Moon
  • #1 The Forest of Hands and Teeth
  • #2 The Dead-Tossed Waves
  • #3 The Dark and Hollow Places
  • #3.5 The Dead and Empty World
tags: 5 stars, Carrie Ryan, zombies
categories: Book Reviews
Sunday 01.08.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 3
 

The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks by Max Brooks

Title: The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks

Author: Max Brooks

Publisher: Three Rivers Press 2009

Genre: Zombie

Pages: 144

Rating:   5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Zombie; Read Your Name - B; My Years 2009; Support Your Local Library

How I Got It: Library Loan

Those who don’t learn from history are condemned to repeat it.

From the Stone Age to the information age, the undead have threatened to engulf the human race. They’re coming. They’re hungry.

Don’t wait for them to come to you!

This is the graphic novel the fans demanded: major zombie attacks from the dawn of humanity. On the African savannas, against the legions of ancient Rome, on the high seas with Francis Drake . . . every civilization has faced them. Here are the grisly and heroic stories–complete with eye-popping artwork that pulsates with the hideous faces of the undead.

Organize before they rise!

Brought to you by the man who wrote World War Z and The Zombie Survival Guide, both of which I absolutely loved! The stark black and white drawings of zombie attacks through history were beautiful.  I loved little to know writing.  The pictures speak for themselves. We start in prehistoric times.  And move through the ages to the near present.  This is a perfect companion to both of the other books.

tags: 5 stars, Max Brooks, zombies
categories: Book Reviews
Saturday 01.07.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 1
 
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