Book Review: The Shining Girls

Title: The Shining Girls
Author: Lauren Beukes
Genre: Horror, SciFi (time travel)
Rating: 5/5
Page Count: 375
Publication Date: June 4th, 2013

Plot (from Goodreads):
THE GIRL WHO WOULDN'T DIE HUNTS THE KILLER WHO SHOULDN'T EXIST.

The future is not as loud as war, but it is relentless. It has a terrible fury all its own."

Harper Curtis is a killer who stepped out of the past. Kirby Mazrachi is the girl who was never meant to have a future.

Kirby is the last shining girl, one of the bright young women, burning with potential, whose lives Harper is destined to snuff out after he stumbles on a House in Depression-era Chicago that opens on to other times.

At the urging of the House, Harper inserts himself into the lives of the shining girls, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. He's the ultimate hunter, vanishing into another time after each murder, untraceable-until one of his victims survives.

Determined to bring her would-be killer to justice, Kirby joins the Chicago Sun-Times to work with the ex-homicide reporter, Dan Velasquez, who covered her case. Soon Kirby finds herself closing in on the impossible truth . . .

THE SHINING GIRLS is a masterful twist on the serial killer tale: a violent quantum leap featuring a memorable and appealing heroine in pursuit of a deadly criminal.

Review:
I really loved this book and I'm not entirely sure why, but we are going to find out. I first heard about this book sitting in a room full of book bloggers at BEA and 'time traveling serial killer' made me perk up a little. I'm a sucker for both of those things - in the same book? I will buy that immediately.

The funny this is - is that I did. And then preceded not to read it for over a year. Why? Who the hell knows, honestly, it's just sometimes how these things work out.

Now let me preface the rest of this review with this: since I'm a sucker for these two plot devices, I feel like my opinion is definitely biased. If you don't like time travel or serial killers (POV chapters from his perspective) or if you're not a fan of gore or random character studies or random, heavily researched historical things - this might not be the book for you. However, if that sounds interesting to you - continue on.

This book is a little confusing at first. The chapters have a name and a date, which is the perfect way to do it, but for the first 100 pages or so I was more trying to figure out who was who, who was still alive, and what the hell year they were in. Saying that - it was a lot of fun, figuring it out. And after about 100/150 pages, I had it straight enough in my head that I could plow through the rest of the book in one sitting (which I did).

There's so many POV chapters and so many different people, it's weird to think of this in classic terms as whose the main character? and I did not think of it in those terms until the very end, but by then it's obvious. Kirby is a strange main character to have, but also maybe the perfect one - she was attacked by Harper (our killer) and is now trying to figure out what happened, who he is, and if he's attacked anyone else. And all of her chapters tend to have a dark quirk of humor - that her and Dan have, that I really enjoyed.

Before I go off on another rambling tangent, I'm going to reign it in. This book is weird and is definitely not going to be everyones cup of tea. And, looking back, I had more small problems then I thought. However - I really, really loved it, in all, it was a very enjoyable book. And I was honestly surprised at the obvious research that had to go into some parts, and impressed.

Overall, I'd probably only recommend this to people who like serial killer books and who don't mind, or enjoy, getting tossed around in time by a slightly magical (?) house. I've always found serial killer things fascinating - and there's something that's strange to say - but the psychology behind it is interesting and that is probably very high on the list of why I liked this book so much.

Movie Recommendations: Halloween Movies to Watch During October (Horror and not so scary included)

A lot of my personal favorite Halloween movies are the ones that aren't, actually, scary. Though, I do love a movie that can make me jump out of my skin. These are all, obviously, only movies I've actually seen

Not Really Scary / Childhood favorites
HalloweenTown Series
Don't pretend you don't like these movies, if you grew up watching them, like I do, I have no doubt you do. they're fantastic and amazing and I kind of love them (just ignore the actress switch in the last one).  Disney original movies and feel good, cheesey, family fun.

Twitches (& Twitches Too)
I rewatched these recently and was surprised how much they held up. Mostly, the first one. And the CGI doesn't hold up, of course, but still - it's good fun, also Disney.

Harry Potter
I think mostly Azkaban, which is a little strange because the dementors are slightly terrifying, but it makes me think of fall. All of them, kind of do, fall/winter. Also Harry Potter is good at any time of year - books, movies, conventions...

Hocus Pocus
Need I say more? You know.

A Nightmare Before Christmas & Corpse Bride
I really love both of these - Burton, creepy but in a fun, musical way. And I think A Nightmare Before Christmas is appropriate for both holidays, or all year round really.

Beetlejoice
I wouldn't consider this movie scary, but I also might not show it to young children (judge by maturity). But I love this movie, it's just - so good.

Horror/Scary/Creepy/Weird (probably mostly rated R)
Let's get the obvious ones out of the way: Scream - I hadn't watched any of the scream movies until recently and I was surprised how much I liked them. The fourth might be my favorite, love that ending, and I'm sure a lot of people will just roll their eyes at the premise - but I, weirdly, think it's just a lot of fun. It's not taking itself too serious, anyway.

A Haunting in Connecticut
I don't know why, but I loved this movie. I'm sure a lot of people wouldn't like it, but I still highly recommend it.

I discovered a new favorite, I think just this past year. There's a story here - you see, basically there are what my mom and I call the "Grindhouse movies." It's what they were released under, just - Grindhouse. It's a double-feature of Planet Terror and Death Proof. They're co-everything by Robert Rodriquez and Quentin Tarantino. They're both pretty gore-y, but also fantastic. It seemed like each one had a film and my personal favorite is Tarantino's - it's Death Proof it's fantastic, a little slow of a start, but it builds so well, and the ending is so worth it, it's fantastic. And Planet Terror is just - fucking insane, I don't know how else to put it.

The Cabin in the Woods
I loved this movie - its very... meta, I guess (kind of how the Scream movies get, with the Stab movies being part of the world), but I loved this movie and the realization of whats going on. And then seeing all the monsters, so fantastic.

One Missed Call
These people keep getting calls and then they die - but the creepiest thing is the things they see before hand, and the ringtone, the suspense of that. I don't know if I've ever heard anyone talk about this one - but this movie honestly freaked me out (and I was able to freak out some of my friends later by setting my ringtone as that). I really love this movie. I haven't watched it in a long time, but I'm planning to soon.

Repo! The Generic Opera
I really don't think of this as horror, but it isn't exactly warm and fluffy, either. I love this movie and it's definitely strange and twisted. And has some great people in it/who created it. Also - Anthony Stewart Head (Buffy, Merlin) sings and it's fantastic, the whole cast is fantastic (yes, that's really Paris Hilton). Also, The Devil's Carnival by the same people is also fantastic and also musical.

The Stand
Alright, maybe with the recent outbreak happening (mostly outbreak threat for most people) this is obviously the best mini-series to watch. It's fantastically done. I haven't read the book yet, but I've watched this a few times through because I love the characters, the feeling, the whole thing is incredible.

Dreamcatcher
This is one of those books I read as a child and then immediately searched out the film - I adore this story, in both forms, actually. (Obviously I prefer the book). This movie is fantastic in it's own right, though, and the book has some kind of easter eggs if you've read IT.

Children of the Corn
This movie is fucking ridiculous and that' wy I love it. Recently there was a remake - watch the original, the original is where it is at. The main kind of villian has such a - you've just got to watch it, it's... hilarious. And mildly terrifying, I've not trusted fields of corn ever since.

Even more: The Unborn, Sweeney Todd (highly recommended, '07), When a Stranger Calls, Paranormal Activity, Psycho, The Birds ('60's), , LegionDrag Me to Hell (alright)

Based on Stephen King's Work (I mentioned some in my book recommendation posts (links below, so I thought I'd just list them): 1408, The Mist, Christine, Dolores Claiborne, IT, The Shinning, Carrie, Thinner, Cujo, Misery

I'm sure I've forgotten some, I know I've forgotten at least one, but besides that I hope you enjoy this variety of recommendations. What is your favorite halloween or horror movie? Or what's one you're looking forward to watching?

Scary Books for Beginners
Horror/Scary Books for Halloween

Book Recommendations: Horror/Scary Books for Halloween

These are the books don't play as well with others, or will definitely, at least, creep you out. It takes a lot for a book to unsettle, scary, or creep me out. It takes even more for a book to disgust me in some ways.

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (standalone)
I read this book over the course of a few months (February to April). It's a hard book to get to - the design is strange, it's slow and the tension builds very slowly and it's confusing. This book doesn't take you into account, it just goes with it. It's very visual, at points the words mimic what they're saying is happening.

It honestly creeped me out, had my heart pounding. It made me claustrophobic at points. It's differently not for everyone - it's a huge, strange, confusing, creepy book. But it's very, very good if you think it's for you, I highly recommend it.

It by Stephen King (standalone)
This book is long, alright? And it's strange and fucked up and I completely adore it. I'm completely biased on this book, first off. I first read this book at the same age the kids are, 11, and I read it over and over. I've reread this book possibly more then a Harry Potter book.

It's about a group of seven people - going between when they were 11 and then them over 20 years later, having forgotten about their childhood. It's about the characters, at least in my opinion, more then anything. About these seven kids and them being friends and together against all odd and - and also about a lot of fucked up, creepy things. It's why I liked this book so much at first, it's scary, creepy, and a bit gross at points. I'd highly, highly recommend this one.

Also - the movie that was made for this was made in 1990 and is 4 hours long and is actually pretty good. They're planning remakes, but that one was only missing a few things I wanted (and the affects weren't the best, but only laughable at one scene towards the end, the end is where I have most of my problems with it).

Duma Key by Stephen King (standalone)
I've reread this on a fair number of times, I also think I first read this when I was 11 (listen, some kids read Nancy Drew or whatever, I went from Harry Potter to Stephen King and I liked that). This was written after King's own accident that he had and so it's about a guy who pretty much gets crushed by a machine on a job site, much more extreme then King's accident.

And him moving to Florida for a change of pace and starting to paint - and everything that happens there. Learning about where he is, the history, and that maybe he should be more careful about what he's painting. It made my skin crawl at points, it's creepy and strange but also lovely and fantastic. The characters will dig into your heart and the story will intrigue you. Definitely up there for a favorite King book and not one that's talked about much. Also, not as scary as I think others are, or as long - if you're looking for a place to start with his full length stuff.

The Storm of the Century: An Original Screenplay by Stephen King
The movie is fine, even good, but I love, love this screenplay. I'd totally forgotten about it, but there was a time when I sang it's praises. It's creepy, taking place on an island off the coast of Maine during the storm of the century, a huge storm that causes all kinds of problem while something else is going on. It's strange and creepy and really good.

Dreamcatch by Stephen King (standalone)
This was, also, an early read for me. I think I saw part of the movie first (also good and I have a whole movies post coming up), but it made me interested so I read the book. And holy crap - I loved it. I loved it a lot. With King's books - it's always about the characters, for me at least and I think it just is, there's a lot happening and that's also very important but all of his characters - you get attached to them so completely. These four, five, I love. And the little It easter egg.

Bag of Bones by Stephen King (standalone)
I promise this is my last King recommendation (for now). This I also read when I was 11 (I read a lot at that age. I had a deal with my math teacher if I got 95+ on everything, I could read in class. Where did those math talents go, though?). Anyway - this is definitely scarier then the other two, in my opinion, there's no build up to the creepy, scary stuff. It's there quickly and it stays there.

There was a two episode mini series done in 2011 of it - that is no where close to the book, but I thought it was alright, interesting at least, if you want to watch it after the book. (Don't want it first, it's not worth it).

The Preacher, Vol 1 by Garth Ennis, Steve Dillion (graphic novel series)
I've only read Volume 1 so far - but it was gorey, a tad ridiculous, strange, creepy - and a freaking ton of fun. The art work is fantastic, but it does get very bloody and a bit gross at parts, so I'd steer clear if you're not alright with that.

The Expanse Series by James S.A. Corey
This is primarily space opera - but it's also horror. This is the first space book that made me feel claustrophobic and panicy from them just being in a spaceship, at one point. There are also vomit zombies, as they are so lovingly termed (I don't even remember if that's an actual term used, but one of the authors used it, I think, and I like it). I've only read book one and two in this series, but I've loved them both - they were fast paced, character-centric, with definite horror elements.  And this is being made into a series that's going to be on SyFy, which I'm super excited for.

World War Z by Max Brooks
I didn't put this on my initial list, because I forgot it was horror, as I do apparently. This book was fantastic and incredible. I don't want to give you any real information besides it's written like interviews and it's incredible and don't watch the movie (the movie is based on the book, technically, but from what I saw of it before I rage quit it had nothing to do with the book besides zombies). If you like audiobooks, I'd highly recommend getting the full version of this - it's awesome to hear the different voices and completely incredible.

Something from the Nightside (Nightside #1) by Simon R. Green
This isn't in the same vein as the others, I only gave it 3/5 stars, but I still really liked it and it was gritty and strange and very dark. I'm going to continue on with the series, eventually, but I do recommend it. It's like pulp horror, I guess, is a good way to put it. It isn't fantastic, but it's a ton of fun and definitely creepy and weird/strange.

Making this post has made me realize how few horror books I've actual read. I felt like I'd read a lot, but apparently not. I mean I've read quite a few and some other people consider horror, that I havne't put on here, and this isn't all of my recommendations (I have more King up my sleeve, always).

More:
Dolores Claiborne by Stephen King (highly recommended)
The Long Walk by Stephen King
Everything's Eventual: 14 Dark Tales by Stephen King (these last two I haven't read in a long time, but I remember really enjoying both of them).
Pet Sematary by Stephen King (don't read if you don't want to continually eye your pets with suspicious afterwards)

Books I guess are kind of horror (that others have classed as it, but I wouldn't):
Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris (after rereading book one - it's an alright series, definitely gorey and has a lot of sex, for more mature audiences)
Anita Blake Series by Laurell K. Hamilton (I can see the horror elements in some of them, especially as Anita gets more terrifying, Obsidian Butterfly was the last I read and probably creeped me out the most, I haven't read on because I know it becomes all sex for a while).
In Death series by J.D. Robb (this is a series following Detective Eve Dallas and is more character centric, with all that as the backdrop, but some of the cases are creepy, weird, sad, horrifying, and/or gross, so I guess it does probably fall under it. Imitation in Death was probably the closest to horror, at least that I remember. Even so - much more character centric, still highly recommended).
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

I only recommended books I've read, but there's a ton I haven't (a few obvious classics are missing), but if you're curious.... I made a horror shelf on Goodreads (that really horror/thriller), but if you want to know what I want to read that horror, check if out. And if you have any recommendations of your own, even if they're already on my TBR, let me know and it might make me bump it up the list - I'm always for talking about books!

Book Review: The Merciless

Title: The Merciless
Author: Danielle Vega
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Rating: 4/5
Page Count: 279 pages (hardcover)
Publication Date: June 12th, 2014

Plot (goodreads):
Forgive us, Father, for we have sinned

Brooklyn Stevens sits in a pool of her own blood, tied up and gagged. No one outside of these dank basement walls knows she’s here. No one can hear her scream.

Sofia Flores knows she shouldn’t have gotten involved. When she befriended Riley, Grace, and Alexis on her first day at school, she admired them, with their perfect hair and their good-girl ways. They said they wanted to save Brooklyn. They wanted to help her. Sofia didn’t realize they believed Brooklyn was possessed.

Now, Riley and the girls are performing an exorcism on Brooklyn—but their idea of an exorcism is closer to torture than salvation. All Sofia wants is to get out of this house. But there is no way out. Sofia can’t go against the other girls . . . unless she wants to be next. . . .

In this chilling debut, Danielle Vega delivers blood-curdling suspense and terror on every page. By the shockingly twisted end, readers will be faced with the most haunting question of all: Is there evil in all of us?

Review:
The first thing I need to mention about this book - is it's fantastic design. I'm not the biggest pink fan, but as soon as I saw the whole thing, I knew I needed it, because it's just so... ridiculous, I guess? Not in a bad way, because I love it, but it's bright, florescent pink and you have to, at least, pick it up and check out the design when you see it in the store.

Besides that, though, I really enjoyed this book. I know some people didn't care much for it and I was a little iffy through about 3/4ths of it - it as interesting and strange, but it wasn't anything special. But I ended up loving it for the ending, the implications of the ending. Not everyone will, I know, it's probably just my weird, twisted brain - but I adored this.

This books gets a little gross at points, not extremely gore-y or anything, but there is some torture involved. I like horror books and, overall, this felt a little less then it could of been, but it was overall just a ton of fun. Yes, fun, you read that right, that's the word that keeps coming to mind with this book - fun.

A great read for a stormy night, curled up in bed. It's a fast read, too, pretty short and as soon as it picks up, it doesn't stop.

Book Recommendations: Scary Books for Beginners

Book recommendations! I've never done a post like this before, but I'm planning quite a few at the moment, we'll see how many work out. This is, obviously, because it's officially October (though, I start thinking about Halloween in, like, the last week of August). Soon bad horror movies will be on TV (maybe I'll do a post recommending those, I've got some favorites).

To explain the title - these are scary/horror/such books for people who don't normally read in the horror genre but are looking to maybe give it a try. Or if you scare easily, these are also good books for you. I'm going to do another post, that when it goes up will be linked here, about more serious horror books, that maybe you don't want to start with, but you should work your way up to. I also might do a post recommending plain paranormal book, those always scream fall to me, lurking down dark alleys and around graveyards and such.

Personally, it's rare a book honestly scares me. I started reading King young, probably too young, so keep that in mind for these books - but, overall, I think others would agrees these are a good kickoff into horror/scary stuff.

The Merciless by Danielle Vega
I've read a fair number of horror books and so I wasn't expecting anything from this. So was surprised that I actually kind of enjoyed it. It's a bit gore-y at points, but it's fun (at least I thought it was a lot of fun), and the ending surprised me. Definitely a good way to get a taste of horror, if you've never ready it before, at least I think so. (Full review going up on the 7th, but this is all you need to know).

Say Her Name by James Dawson
I only gave this book a 3/5, but I think because I was just expecting so much from it. Don't get me wrong, though, I did really enjoy it. It's a little cliche for most of it, but when it starts to pick up it definitely veers off that set path. And I really enjoyed it. I'm a sucker for anything Bloody Mary, and this was a lot of fun. (Maybe read it with the lights off and a flashlight, maybe a candle or two around).

Coraline by Neil Gaiman
This is, technically, a middle grade book - but it's very, very creepy. Gaiman is always good at creating a certain atmosphere in books and this is no different. It's creepy and strange and has scattered illustrations that are mildly terrifying, in all honestly. Fantastic, highly recommended book. It's scary, but I still think it's a good jumping off point, more creepy then anything.

Coffin Hill, Vol 1: Forest of the Night by Caitlin Kittredge
This is very, very good. It's a bit more gore-y then anything else here, bloody, and a graphic novel. It's set in New England, in my home state, and it's - eerie and mysterious and I really, really loved it. The art is really good, too.

The Breathing Method by Stephen King
This is only a short story, but it definitely gives you a taste of what King is like. The writing, the building tension, the horrifying ending. It was fantastic - personally, when I read this, I listened to the audiobook, but you can find it in print. (I believe it's in Different Seasons, a short story collection).

Sandman by Neil Gaiman
Comic book series. I've only really read the first volume, about half of the second, but I really loved what I read. Now - I've heard the second volume is really bad and they're pretty creepy, scary, so these aren't the best place to start, in my opinion, but if you're looking for something in the middle - start with first volume and move forward with caution.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
I wasn't going to include this one because I forgot it's horror. I'm not sure how I feel about that label, because it's definitely weird and strange at parts, but no part really scared me, or even creeped me out. I really loved this book, though and it is odd, but I know it's not for everyone.

Graphic Novel Review: The Preacher: Book One

Title: The Preacher: Book One
Author: Garth Ennis
Genre: Comic/Graphic Novel, Horror, Supernatural/Paranormal
Rating: 5/5
Page Count: 352 (Paperback)
Publication Date: June 18th, 2013 (this redone edition)
Original Pub Date: March 1st, 1996

Plot: (from Goodreads)
One of the most celebrated comics titles of the late 1990s, PREACHER is a modern American epic of life, death, love and redemption also packed with sex, booze, blood and bullets - not to mention angels, demons, God, vampires and deviants of all stripes.

At first glance, the Reverend Jesse Custer doesn't look like anyone special-just another small-town minister slowly losing his flock and his faith. But he's about to come face-to-face with proof that God does indeed exist. Merging with a bizarre spiritual force called Genesis, Jesse now possesses the power of "the Word," an ability to make people do whatever he utters. He begins a violent and riotous journey across the country in search of answers from the elusive deity.

Review:
Okay, first off, there's a few things you should probably know about this book. I saw someone comment that the reasons people hated and loved these books were the same, and I actually agree with that. Basically, if you can't read about, or just don't like, violence, gore, and are offended by religious things being twisted and turned then this isn't for you.

However, if that sounds awesome to you, like it did to me, then you're going to love this book. This book is full of those things and it is honestly pretty graphic at points, there's quite a bit of blood. And there were plot twists I just plainly didn't see coming. I didn't actually really know what to expect going into this book, except basically what I've told you (I didn't, actually, even read the plot synopsis), I just knew that it sounded like a lot of fun. If a very weird, bloody ride.

And it was.

This book has some great characters. There's a preacher from Texas, a kickass women from his past, and a vampire called Cassidy. Odd reading about someone with a same name, even though it wasn't my first, and I liked him - he was awesome (also, it's said he's Irish, so we'd be related somehow, if he wasn't, you know, fictional).

This graphic novel had twists and turns that I never saw coming, like I said. And it did really kept me on my toes, and that's something I really enjoyed, being so surprised. The plot to this is much more interesting then I expected and I'm sure it just gets more crazy as the books progress, and I can't wait to continue on with this series. (I hope it gets more crazy).

And, on how it looked, it looked really good, I enjoyed the art and the colors. It was pretty straight forward and the colors felt dark, it really fit the whole plot, at least in my opinion. As you can tell, I didn't really have really any problems with this book, but I do feel like at points it was a little pointlessly offensive and that one of the twists literally came out of nowhere. And I guess we weren't learning a lot until then to begin in, but it still felt like a very sudden full one eighty to what'd been going on.

I'd recommend this, specifically, to people who like Supernatural (though it twists angels and god even more then that did, which was so interesting), or just people who find angels and lore like that interesting. Or, plainly, if you like violence and gore, there's quite a bit of that like I've said already.

Book Review: The Regulators

Title: The Regulators
Author: Stephen King
Rating: 5/5
Genre: Horror, Fantasy (Supernatural)
Publication Date: 1996

Story Notion: What the hell...? But - ew. and - what?

Plot: (from GoodReads) I'd suggest NOT reading this!!
An evil creature called Tak uses the imagination of an autistic boy to shift a residential street in small-town Ohio into a world so bizarre and brutal that only a child could think it up. It's as two-dimensional and gaudy as a kid's comic book, but for this reviewer, The Regulators is a gripping adventure tale about what happens when a mind fixated on TV (especially old Westerns and a cartoon called MotoKops 2200) runs amok.




Review:
This book. I don't even remember what made me start reading this book, I was just craving something to read and it was on my iPad and... I started reading it. And had my mind thoroughly screwed by the end of it. This was far from my first King book, but they still tend to leave me going 'what the hell just happened?' This one, of course, was no different.

It starts off on this nice street, friendly neighbors, hot summer day, fun all around. And there's this kind of sense of dread you feel, because you know it's not going to stay like that for long. Something's going to happen. And you can also assume, being a King book, a lot of those people aren't what they seem. I, personally, didn't read the plot before starting it - and so this was an adventure. And I like doing that, with certain books but especially by King, not reading the synposis, just diving in.

This book was amazing. It jumped perspectives, off course, and I always love finally starting to figure out what the hell is happening. However, I can't even look at Spagetti-O's or chocolate milk without gagging, not that that's really a bad thing as I cared for both little before, but - whew, some of those descriptions. Anyway, the writing and description is fantastic, as I always find with his writing. I know a lot of people think he's too wordy, but I love it, it sucks me in and I can picture it perfectly.

Overall, it's... a Stephen King book. Fantastic, horror, suspense, thriller. Awesome characters that are all well fleshed out and three dimensional and have back stories and you feel like they could of been living there ever day for years and years before this book took place. I love the plots of King's books, of course, but my favorite will always be the characters and how in-depth they are and how they just feel like people.

A really great read. I'd recommend it to anyone that likes horror books with some fantastic characters, great descriptive writing, and some supernatural elements.

Book and Audio Review: World War Z

Title: World War Z
Author: Max Brooks
Genre: Horror, SciFi/Fantasy, Post/Apocalyptic. War
Rating: 5/5
Favorite Character: Probably the guy that is bringing us the story, our main narrator. Though, I did really enjoy some of the people he talked to, too.
Publication Date: October 16th, 2007

Plot Synopsis: (From Goodreads)

The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time. "World War Z" is the result. Never before have we had access to a document that so powerfully conveys the depth of fear and horror, and also the ineradicable spirit of resistance, that gripped human society through the plague years.
Ranging from the now infamous village of New Dachang in the United Federation of China, where the epidemiological trail began with the twelve-year-old Patient Zero, to the unnamed northern forests where untold numbers sought a terrible and temporary refuge in the cold, to the United States of Southern Africa, where the Redeker Plan provided hope for humanity at an unspeakable price, to the west-of-the-Rockies redoubt where the North American tide finally started to turn, this invaluable chronicle reflects the full scope and duration of the Zombie War.

Most of all, the book captures with haunting immediacy the human dimension of this epochal event. Facing the often raw and vivid nature of these personal accounts requires a degree of courage on the part of the reader, but the effort is invaluable because, as Mr. Brooks says in his introduction, "By excluding the human factor, aren't we risking the kind of personal detachment from history that may, heaven forbid, lead us one day to repeat it? And in the end, isn't the human factor the only true difference between us and the enemy we now refer to as 'the living dead'?"

Review: 
I really, really liked this book. I think that since normally dystopian and apocalyptic books, this is only the ones I've read, tend to just focus on one people, but I just feel like it tends to zero in on one person (or just the US). I don't know why, because it was so much more interesting to read it from all these different perspectives, all these different people who lived around the world and their different experiences

I think the best part was defnitely that it wasn't America-centric. It's pretty well divided, I think, between a bunch of countries. And I really enjoyed that, I also really enjoyed that it wasn't just what happened after everyone excepted it. I also really liked these zombies and how they worked and that was heavily investigated as people just really needed to know, to survive. And it's interesting how much you don't think about all the problems if something can only be killed with destroying the brain.

The way it was written was also, surprising, when I first started it. In the form of interviews, but I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. The different voices are very distinct, even just in writing, and the interviews are separated, so it was so interesting to learn about these specific people, what they faced, and then the overall outbreak. This book is, truly, incredible, and I'd highly, highly recommend it. (Also get the unabridged audiobook, the full thing, because it's incredible).

Audiobook specific:
I actually reading physically more. This has nothing to do audiobooks, it's just how I am. However - this audiobook was incredible - the way it was done, with different people, and how it wasn't dramatized (that can be annoying), it just had different people as the different voices. It was incredibly fantastic to listen to and I highly, highly recommend you check it out. If you're an audiobook fan or not, and I don't listen to a lot of them (my attention tends to wander), but this one had my attention.

Book Review: The Gunslinger

Book: The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower #1)
Author: Stephen King
Genre: Fantasy, Horror, SciFi, Western
Rating: 5/5
Page Count: 300 (Mass Market Paper back - revised and expanded)
Favorite Character: Definitely Roland.


Plot: (from Goodreads)
In The Gunslinger (originally published in 1982), King introduces his most enigmatic hero, Roland Deschain of Gilead, the Last Gunslinger. He is a haunting, solitary figure at first, on a mysterious quest through a desolate world that eerily mirrors our own. Pursuing the man in black, an evil being who can bring the dead back to life, Roland is a good man who seems to leave nothing but death in his wake.



Review:
I just started this series, so I have not been waiting decades for this story to be finished (I haven't even started the second one yet and, actually, I wasn't born when this came out), but I would of waited. This book is just so different then other things I have read. Between the world and the characters, the history behind it, and the plot, it's just completely seperate. I don't even know what to call this at all. As you can see from what I classified it under the 'genre' it's a very different novel.

And I think this is one of those few books where you really have to read the series in it's entirety to understand what the hell is going on. But I loved it, truly, I did. It was quite the adventure and the writing was as good as ever and the plot was good and the characters were amazing. Everything about this book was very good, very interesting, and very confusing. I don't think really anything, at least anything big, is really uncovered in this book.

I'm not going to say anything else, though, you should check this one out for yourself. Unless you don't like horror or Stephen King, then this one probably isn't for you.

(The funny thing is that this cover, the crow, reminds me of The Stand. I guess 'funny' isn't the right word, but maybe it is).

Book Review: Interview with the Vampire

Book: Interview with the Vampire (Vampire Chronicles #1)
Author: Anne Rice
Genre: Horror (Adult)
Rating: 5/5
Page Count: 342 (Mass Market Paperback)
Favorite Character: Claudia.

Plot: (From Goodreads)
The time is now.

We are in a small room with the vampire, face to face, as he speaks, as he pours out the hypnotic, shocking, moving, and erotically charged confessions of his first two hundred years as one of the living dead. . .

He speaks quietly, plainly, even gently . . . carrying us back to the night when he departed human existence as heir--young, romantic, cultivated--to a great Louisiana plantation, and was inducted by the radiant and sinister Lestat into the other, the "endless," life . . . learning first to sustain himself on the blood of cocks and rats caught in the raffish streets of New Orleans, then on the blood of human beings . . . to the years when, moving away from his final human ties under the tutelage of the hated yet necessary Lestat, he gradually embraces the habits, hungers, feelings of vampirism: the detachment, the hardened will, the "superior" sensual pleasures.

He carries us back to the crucial moment in a dark New Orleans street when he finds the exquisite lost young child Claudia, wanting not to hurt but to comfort her, struggling against the last residue of human feeling within him . . .

Review:

This wasn't what I expected. I've started this book before, twice, and I just couldn't continue. I had to be in a certain mind set for it and needed the physical book, I think. It's just such a wonderful story, well, it is if you don't mind all the killing and such. I love vampires, really, I love learning about their worlds' mythology of them, so to read about some "old school" vampires was nice. These aren't the vampires that the loner girl falls in love with, these are the vampires that will rip that girls throat out and it's refreshing. (But I love those vampires, too. Shh don't tell Louise!)

This is, of course, an interview with a vampire. Louise. And that's, I think, what had me worried going into this book, but it doesn't make the story any less then it would of been, it might even make it better, because the person who is interviewing him rarely interrupts. This, of course, isn't a book for everyone. It's very dark, especially when Claudia comes into the picture, but it is an amazing story. So if you don't mind of blood, a lot of blood, and killing, then, I'd suggest you pick up this book.

Book Review: Soulless

Book: Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate: Book 1)
Author: Gail Carriger
Genre: Romance (Paranormal Romance, Alternate History, Steampunk)
Rating: 5/5
Page count: 384 (Mass Market Paperback)
Favorite Character: Don't tell Conall but it's his Beta, Professor Lyall. He continues to be one of my favorite characters. (Besides Alexia and Conall who I love).

Plot: (From Goodreads)

Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

SOULLESS is a comedy of manners set in Victorian London: full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking.


Review:
This idea of Alexia having no soul and with a touch turns the Supernaturals mortal, just for the time she touches them, is amazing to me. I don't know why, but I really enjoyed reading about it and how this book progressed. Also, I'm a bit of a werewolf fan and I love anything set in London is this era, in any era really, but this time period in particular.

The characters are relatable and hilarious to read about at times. And the romance that is brewing can be seen and, personally, watching it form was hilarious. My favorite character is this book isn't Alexia, though she's second, it's the pack's Beta: Professor Lyall. I'm not sure why, but his dialogue throughout the book is just perfect.

This isn't a Young Adult book, though, so if you're going to read it, just keep that in mind.

Anna Dressed in Blood

Book: Anna Dressed in Blood
Author: Kendra Blake
Genre: Horror, Fantasy, Romance (YA)
Rating: 5/5
Page count: 316 (Hardcover)
Favorite Character: Anna.

Plot: (From Goodreads)

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.


Review:
I really liked this book. I thought it was just going to be normal ghost-hunter thing, but it was really so much more then that. The characters had depth and there was an amazing plot. And the writing in this book just took my breathe away at times, it was amazing how this story was written, I think. I loved the way things were explained and how the people were written.

I really enjoyed Kendare Blake's writing style, nothing particularly stuck out to me, but it also didn't get in the way of the story. I just enjoyed the way that some thing were described or said. Really, I just loved this book.

I'd suggest checking this one out if it sounds like something you might you like. (And that cover is gorgeous, on the hardcover copy, the letters are raised in the title and it's like they have a halo of blood. It's amazing)

Full Dark, No Stars

Book: Full Dark, No Stars
Author: Stephen King
Genre: Horror
Rating: 5/5
Page count: 386 (Paperback)
Favorite character: Out of all four, it might of been Darcy. Or Harry.

Plot: (From Goodreads)

A new collection of four never-before-published stories from Stephen King.

1922
The story opens with the confession of Wilfred James to the murder of his wife, Arlette, following their move to Hemingford, Nebraska onto land willed to Arlette by her father.

Big Driver
Mystery writer, Tess, has been supplementing her writing income for years by doing speaking engagements with no problems. But following a last-minute invitation to a book club 60 miles away, she takes a shortcut home with dire consequences.

Fair Extension
Harry Streeter, who is suffering from cancer, decides to make a deal with the devil but, as always, there is a price to pay.

A Good Marriage
Darcy Anderson learns more about her husband of over twenty years than she would have liked to know when she stumbles literally upon a box under a worktable in their garage.

Review(s):

1922 was quite, well, gross. It was a really good story, but it really reminded me of Dolores Claiborne, another of his books. I loved that book, but, for some reason, I found myself thinking about that one a lot while reading this one even though they don't really have that much in common.

Big Driver was well written and creepy as hell, but in a good way. It was such a weird book to read and she didn't react in some ways how I thought she would. Tess is a very, very strong women and it shows through her actions in this novella.

Fair Extension was very good. I love it. Deals with various evil creatures are always, not quite fun, interesting to read about. It's always interesting to see how they must pay. This book was really good, it was, if I ordered them, my second favorite out of the four.

A Good Marriage. It was good. It was even great. I liked the way it happened, and that the wife is the last to know. Isn't she always, though? It was an interesting plot, I was intrigued to figure out what was going on. Darcy is a very strong character and I don't know how she keeps it together for so long. This is definitely my favorite novella in this collection.

This collection, as a whole, is definitely not for the faint hearted, but if you're not that and like horror or Stephen Kings book, then I'd suggest picking this one up.