Apocalypse Z by Manel Loureiro

Title: Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End

Author: Manel Loureiro

Publisher: Amazon Crossing 2012 (original text in Spanish 2007)

Genre: Zombies

Pages: 324

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Zombies; TBR Pile

How I Got It: Library Loan

The dead rise…
A mysterious incident in Russia, a blip buried in the news—it’s the only warning humanity receives that civilization will soon be destroyed by a single, voracious virus that creates monsters of men.
Humanity falls…
A lawyer, still grieving over the death of his young wife, begins to write as a form of therapy. Bur he never expected that his anonymous blog would ultimately record humanity’s last days.
The end of the world has begun…
Governments scramble to stop the zombie virus, people panic, so-called “Safe Havens” are established, the world erupts into chaos; soon it’s every man, woman, and child for themselves. Armed only with makeshift weapons and the will to live, a lone survivor will give mankind one last chance against…

A random find from the library, but it turns out that I had originally had this book on my Goodreads TBR shelf. Imagine that! This is a bit of a run-of-the-mill zombie survival book. Nothing too new or exciting, but it did keep my attention for a day. The book started as a blog published in Spain in 2007. It was translated into English and published as a novel in 2012. While the action scenes are nice, some of the writing seems very detached. I don't know if this is due to the translation or just how the passages were written in the first place. I was not super impressed.

Apocalypse Z

#1 The Beginning of the End
#2 Dark Days
#3 The Wrath of the Just

The Sandman Vol. 8: Worlds' End, Vol. 9 The Kindly Ones, Vol. 10 The Wake by Neil Gaiman

Title: The Sandman Vol. 8: Worlds' End, Vol. 9 The Kindly Ones, Vol. 10 The Wake

Author: Neil Gaiman

Publisher: Vertigo 1995, 1996, 1997

Genre: Graphic Novel; Fantasy

Pages: 168, 320, 192

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Neil Gaiman; Seriously Series; 52 Books - W35; TBR Pile

How I Got It: Library Loan

Reminiscent of the legendary Canterbury Tales, THE SANDMAN: WORLDS' END is a wonderful potpourri of engrossing tales and masterly storytelling. Improbably caught in a June blizzard, two wayward compatriots stumble upon a mysterious inn and learn that they are in the middle of a "reality storm." Now surrounded by a menagerie of people and creatures from different times and realities, the two stranded travelers are entertained by mesmerizing myths of infamous sea creatures, dreaming cities, ancient kings, astonishing funeral rituals and moralistic hangmen.
A new edition of the classic title reprinting issues #57-69 of THE SANDMAN and "The Castle" from VERTIGO JAM, with pivotal events that laid the groundwork for the finale of THE SANDMAN.
In the final Sandman tale, Morpheus made the ultimate decision between change and death. As one journey for the Endless ends another begins for the Lord of Dreams and his family. All the final pieces come together for the final moments of the Sandman.

Three more wonderful Sandman volumes. I am consistently surprised by the quality of text and illustrations. For every volume, I don't have much to say other than I seriously enjoy my time.

Sandman

1. Preludes and Nocturnes
2. The Doll's House
3. Dream Country
4. Season of Mists
5. A Game of You
6. Fables and Reflections
7. The Brief Lives
8. World's End
9. The Kindly Ones
10. The Wake
11. The Dream Hunters
12. Endless Nights

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Title: The Host

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Publisher: Back Bay Books 2008

Genre: Paranormal

Pages: 620

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Paranormal -- Aliens; TBR Pile; Book to Movie; Bingo -- 3 rereads

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, didn't expect to find its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.
As Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who still lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she's never met. Reluctant allies, Wanderer and Melanie set off to search for the man they both love.

A reread for me. With the release of the movie this year, I wanted to reread the book and do a bit of comparison. I remember that I enjoyed The Host more than the Twilight series, but I wanted to see if my memories lived up. They do live up to my memories. I really enjoyed this book. The story of the aliens taking over Earth through body snatching isn't anything new. But Melanie/Wanderer's story of understanding and identity is nice and unique. I loved following their slow realization that neither of them are the enemy. And watching the love triangle (or is it a square?) develop did not annoy me like in the Twilight series. This one felt genuine. I loved rereading this book. And I'll even admit to ugly crying in parts.

Movie:

Overall, I quite enjoyed this adaptation. I'll admit that the voiceovers for Melanie and Wanderer's internal conversations were awkward, but the movie kept them to a minimum. The actors actually portray their characters well. The movie spent a lot of time following the searcher, but it added to the heightened fear of capture. My favorite character was Jeb played by William Hurt. He captured that exact mix of crazy and genius that I loved from the book. I went into the viewing thinking I would hate the movie, but it turns out that I really enjoyed it.

The New Deadwardians by Dan Abnett and I.N.J. Culbard

Title: The New Deadwardians

Author: Dan Abnett and I.N.J. Culbard

Publisher: Vertigo 2012

Genre: Graphic Novel; Horror

Pages: 176

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Zombies; TBR Pile

How I Got It: Library Loan

In post-Victorian England, nearly everyone of the upper classes has voluntarily become a vampire in order to escape the lower classes who are all zombies. Into this simmering cauldron is thrust Chief Inspector George Suttle, a lonely detective who's got the slowest beat in London: investigating murders in a world where everyone is already dead! When the body of a young aristocrat washes up on the banks of the Thames, Suttle's quest for the truth will take him from the darkest sewers to the gleaming halls of power, and reveal the rotten heart at the center of this strange world.

Oh my! I grabbed this on a whim and I have been rewarded with an amazing little comic. I love the idea of vamlpirism as a "cure" to a zombie apocalypse. But this one has the added twist of class warfare and a secret bigger than everyone. I loved the twists and turns of the story; not sure where it was all leading until the end. And we are treated to some very interesting characters. Loved Suttle and Sapphire was a real treat. Definitely an interesting read for an afternoon.

The Sandman Vol 6: Fables and Reflections and Vol. 7 Brief Lives

Title: The Sandman Vol 6: Fables and Reflections and Vol 7: Brief Lives

Author: Neil Gaiman

Publisher: Vertigo

Genre: Graphic Novel 1993

Pages: 168/168

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Neil Gaiman; Seriously Series; TBR Pile

How I Got It: Library Loan

Written by NEIL GAIMAN Art by P. CRAIG RUSSELL, JILL THOMPSON and others Cover by DAVE McKEAN A new edition of this title collecting issues #29-31 and SANDMAN SPECIAL #1, in which Morpheus delves into the dreams of Augustus Caesar, Cain and Abel, Marco Polo, Orpheus and more. Written by NEIL GAIMAN Art by JILL THOMPSON and VINCE LOCKE Cover by DAVE MCKEAN Dream's loopy sister, Delirium, convinces him to go on a quest for their missing brother, Destruction, in this new edition of the classic title collecting THE SANDMAN # 41-49.

Two more Sandman volumes completed. I thoroughly enjoy this series, but I'm always struck by how cerebral it is. I go into each volume thinking I can dive in and polish it off quickly. Very soon, I realize the dialogue and plot movements force me to take it slow and savor the volume. Of course, this is the genius of Neil Gaiman and I wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world. I'll have to put Volumes 8 and 9 on hold at the library.

Wedding of the Century by Balogh, James, Featherstone

Title: Wedding of the Century

Author: Mary Balogh, Kristin James, Charlotte Featherstone

Publisher: HQN 2011

Genre: Historical romance

Pages: 384

Rating: Putney 4/5 stars; James 4/5 stars; Featherston 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: T4MC -- Flowers on cover; Romance; TBR Pile; 52 Books -- W33

How I Got It: I own it

The Wedding of the Century by MARY JO PUTNEY
Stunningly beautiful and extraordinarily wealthy, Sarah Vangelder had always wanted more for herself than to be sold into marriage for the price of a dukedom. But marriage to Justin Aubrey might be the adventure she's always dreamed of….

Overall I enjoyed this song. I liked the main characters. Sarah and Justin are likable if a bit melodramatic. But this is a romance short story, so I forgive it. The story is predictable, yet I'm okay with it. However, I knocked the story down a star for the turning point of the story. It's a bit uncomfortable and I'm still not sure where I stand on the ethics behind it.

Jesse's Wife by KRISTIN JAMES
When a late-night walk on her father's ranch inadvertently destroys her reputation, Amy McCallister finds herself married off to Jesse, a sinfully handsome farmhand. But can he convince her to give him her heart, despite their rocky beginning?

Loved this story. It reminded me of all the western themed romances I've read in the past. Very light, very fluffy, very predictable, but still a lot fo fun to read.

Seduced by Starlight by CHARLOTTE FEATHERSTONE
Jase Markham, London's most dashing—and notorious—rake, has loved his brother's fiancée for as long as he can remember. When his brother casts Blossom aside, Jase is determined to finally make her his—if she's willing to overlook his scandalous reputation!

Most definitely my favorite story of the book. I loved the set up between Blossom and Jase. And we get to see the story from Jase's perspective. Very unexpected. I couldn't wait to get to the end of the story. I sped through the pages even with a horrendous headache. Very enjoyable.

2013 TBR Pile Reading Challenge

From Fikshun:

Welcome to 2013 TBR PILE Reading Challenge!!!
6 BLOGGERS, 12 MINI-CHALLENGES, 24 BOOKS TO WIN!!!
We all have those books. We buy them, win them, they’re gifted to us. Then we put them up on a bookshelf and there they stay, collecting dust, waiting for the time when we’ll finally decide to pick them up.
Join us on a quest to dust off your TBR Pile and read all the books you’ve been telling yourself you’ll read next time you’ll get a chance. This is your chance! And we’ve got PRIZES!!!
Challenge Guidelines…

This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2013 – Dec 31, 2013***
Anyone can enter! You don’t have to be a blogger, as long as you review the book you’ve read! (On your blog, Amazon, Goodreads or Shelfari!)
Any genre, length or format of book counts, as long as it is a book that’s been sitting on your shelf for some time now. Only books released in 2012 or earlier! NO 2013 ARCs or 2013 fresh-off-the-press releases allowed!
You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap-up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood suits you.
When you sign up in the linky, put the direct link to your post about joining the 2013 TBR PILE Reading Challenge.
You can move up levels, but no moving down.
Sign-ups will be open until Dec 15, 2013, so feel free to join at any time throughout the year.
On the 20th of each month one of the hosts will post a wrap-up. Every wrap-up will be a unique theme, and include a mini-challenge, a giveaway and place for you to link up your reviews from that month. For each review you link up, you will get one entry in a drawing of one book of your choice from The Book Depository. It’s open to INTERNATIONALS. The giveaway will be open until the next wrap up post goes up! (i.e., the entire year).
If you miss a wrap-up post + giveaway, you can link up your reviews next month. Do not, however, try to link up one review twice - we will be checking.
December is a wrap-up for the whole year. All the book reviews you linked up January-November + the ones you’ll link up in December will be entered into a HUGE giveaway for a box of books.
Levels…

1-10 – A Firm Handshake
11-20 – A Friendly Hug
21-30 – A Sweet Kiss
31-40 – Love At First Sight
41-50 – Married With Children
Wrap-up Post Schedule…

Jan. 20th: Evie @Bookish (www.evie-bookish.blogspot.com) Feb. 20th: Rachel @Fiktshun (www.fiktshun.com) Mar. 20th: Justin @Justin’s Book Blog (www.justinsbookblog.com) Apr. 20th: Tiffany @Escaping…One Book At A Time (escapingonebookatatime.blogspot.com) May 20th: Bonnie @Words At Home (www.wordsathome.ca) Jun. 20th: Justin @Justin’s Book Blog (www.justinsbookblog.com) Jul. 20th: Emily @Doodle’s Book Blog (doodlesbookblog.blogspot.com) Aug. 20th: Tiffany @Escaping…One Book At A Time (escapingonebookatatime.blogspot.com) Sept. 20th: Rachel @Fiktshun (www.fiktshun.com) Oct. 20th: Emily @Doodle’s Book Blog (doodlesbookblog.blogspot.com) Nov. 20th: Bonnie @Words At Home (www.wordsathome.ca) Dec. 20th: This one will be posted on all the blogs. There will also be a huge BOX OF BOOKS giveaway and this time you can link up ALL YOUR TBR Pile REVIEWS you wrote for the entire month!

I'm going with the A sweet kiss level of 30 books.

My TBR List:

Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
Child of Darkness by Jennifer Armintrout
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Emma by Jane Austen
Matched by Ally Condie
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
The Passage by Justin Cronin
The Kingdom of Ohio by Matthew Flaming
Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond
Veil of Shadows by Jennifer Armintrout
Queene of Light by Jennifer Armintrout
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
Crossed by Ally Condie
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry
Whisper Cape by Regan Walsh
Foreign Affair by Caro Peacock
Rococo by Adriana Trigiani
Switched by Amanda Hocking
Sundial in a Grave by Mary Gentle
Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir
Thomas Paine by Craig Nelson
Terror by Night by Ambrose Bierce
The Private World of Georgette Heyer by Jane Aiken Hodge
The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir
The Host by Stephenie Meyer

2013 Double Dog Dare Challenge

From Ready When You Are, C.B.:

The TBR Dare is back again for a third year; except this time it's much more intense. It's not just a dare, it's a double dog dare. Dakota and I double dog dare you to join in the fun.

But, remember, especailly those of you who do not participate in reading challenges, the TBR Double Dare is not a "reading challenge;" it's a dare.

We dare you, no we double dog dare you to join in the fun.

The rules are extreme, but you can change them to fit your needs. The TBR Double Dog Dare is meant to be fun, so rule number one is--have fun.

The goal of the TBR Double Dog Dare is to reduce the size of your TBR stack, to read those books you've had for years and always meant to get around to reading one day. January 1, 2013 just might be the day.

If you agree to the full Double Dog Dare, then you pledge to read only books in your TBR stack as of January 1, 2013 from the start of the new year until April Fool's Day. Your TBR stack is officially defined as the books you have purchased or have requested from the library as of January 1, 2013. This includes books that have not arrived in the mail or at the store yet. Dakota and I will be making exceptions only for books selelcted by my book club, and possibly not even those depending on what my book club selects. If you're a member of a book club, then you know how that works. You can make whatever exceptions you would like to or need to make.

We understand.

If you don't want to sign up for the full four months, you can sign up for whatever period of time you'd like. We think it's more fun if people spell out the details of their personal Double Dog Dare in a post on their blogs, but you may do as you like.

We've posted a button for the TBR Double Dog Dare and hope that you'll use it on your own blog to help us get the word out. And, if you'd like to post a link to this page or any page at Ready When You Are, C.B. featuring the Double Dog Dare, Dakota will make a special visit to your home to deliver a wonderful thank you gift. Not really. But she will let you pet her if you're ever in Vallejo, California and I can make some coffee and maybe some sandwiches.

I attempted to read from my owned books last year and failed miserably. I am recommitting myself to read from my shelves. And so I am joining this challenge. It will be hard, but I have to try. The only exceptions that I am going to make are book club selections (we choose monthly so no yearly schedule) and any books needed to complete series already started (e.g. Reached by Ally Condie).

Signature

Top Ten Tuesday -- I Resolve to Read...

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join. If you can’t come up with ten, don’t worry about it—post as many as you can!

These are books that have been sitting on my shelves for awhile. They are my top picks for January. I want to knock some of these out and get a great start on the New Year.

1. Emma and Mansfield Park by Jane Austen -- Rereads, but I haven't gotten to them in a few years.

2. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman -- I am determined to read more Gaiman this year. I'm even devoting a whole reading challenge to him.

3. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

4. Matched, Crossed, and Reached by Ally Condie -- I won the first book last year, but never read it. Then at a book swap in October, I grabbed Crossed. I should really read these now.

5. Lightworld/Darkworld trilogy by Jennifer Armintrout -- Sitting on my shelf for at least two years, I will finish this trilogy.

6. The Passage by Justin Cronin -- Another long time shelf occupant. I heard such good things, but never started. Bad me!

7. The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon -- Adored The Shadow of the Wind, really want to read the rest of his books.

8. Garden Spells and The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen -- Been meaning to get around to these.

9. Never Let Me Go by Ishiguro -- Acquired at that October book swap. Really want to dive into this one.

10. The Kingdom of Ohio by Matthew Flaming -- Long time shelf resident, needs to be read.