Winter Reading Post

The Duckett household has been invaded... (duhm-duhm-duhm) by zombies!  Maybe because they're so darn trendy, or maybe because we kept catching Zombieland on Starz, but we couldn't get enough of them!  We watched the AMC channel's The Walking Dead, and then found out it was a whole series of graphic novels!  So, that was a must-read Christmas present (thanks Claire and the dogs for pooling your allowances and buying this for Mommy and Daddy!)
The Walking Dead: Compendium One

You can purchase these in each individual books (there are 48 in this compendium--and the second half in the second compendium that we hijacked to read on the computer, so if you purchase separately, it becomes an investment equivalent to a bronze tiger on your college campus).  You can also purchase books with several in them.  But this is the monster anthology, so this is what I wanted. I only found out about this from a geek at Barnes and Noble who had the last (tattered) copy to purchase.  I was thankful I was baby wearing, or "shit would have got real" and I'd have had that book.  But I ordered it on Amazon for a lot cheaper. 
Anyway--my review?  I LOVE love love the AMC series.  I have freakishly bad nightmares, but since this whole zombie-revolution started, I've realized I'm kind of immune to them.  This is definitely an eye-opening view of the Zombie Apocalypse.  I do enjoy an occasional graphic novel, so it didn't bother me, but some of the story lines get old, and people keep losing body parts, and there is some serious sexual content... but the freakishness of good ol' zombies won me over.  I must say I didn't rush right into reading the second compendium (haven't even started), but I think it's just a little overload at this point.  I'm still processing.  But basically the premise is that this band of people get together outside of Atlanta (which is overtaken by zombies) and they're fighting for survival--from the zombies and other alive folk who go a might bit insane. 

But we're not finished yet...


Dead City and Apocalypse of the Dead

Joe McKinney's day job is actual police work, so this book, narrated by a cop, has a lot of great cop-ish details.  I enjoyed the technical ideas of what would go down.  This was actually a pretty pleasant read, I imagine it to be the equivalent of a romance novel for guys (no sex, just lots of gore).  It had some tangents, and lots of redundant shooting scenes that I found myself skimming through a little by the end, but that's more my issue than an issue with the book.  I get bored pretty easily.  I haven't read the second book yet, but the premise in both is that from severe flooding in Texas causes an outbreak of a virus that creates, what else, zombies!  Then it starts spreading, and invades this town, and (as Matt says) "shit got real".  The main character is a cop who is trying to help a few buddies and get home to his wife and young son.  Lots of zombie shooting, car wrecks, and crazy running around. 

And for good measure...
Married with Zombies

Now, to be honest, I didn't actually purchase this... or completely finish it.  A good afternoon at Barnes and Noble sipping coffee got me through about half of this, and I really enjoyed it.  I'm sure if I can get a little more B&N time this weekend, I'll just finish it.  How terrible of me.  It's pretty cute and lighthearted, as seems to be the author's style (there's another one called Flip this Zombie).  Basically the couple is really pissed at each other, they go to counseling, just to find their counselor feasting on the couple who had the session before them.  And cue the zombies.

I've read zombie books--World War Z was an entertaining summer pool read, although some of it was so technical and boring I'll admit, I lost steam 3/4 of the way through. 

I've only had ONE zombie dream since this whole escapade began, and it was severely entertaining (not scary at all!).  I raided houses and stole make-up and canned goods (why make up?  I guess because you gotta look good when "shit gets real").  I also watched my ex have his legs eaten off by zombies, after becoming infected himself.  Oh... that was entertaining.  And I survived!  I've also beat Resident Evil's 4 & 5 (which include zombie-like people) and I briefly played the zombie level on Call of Duty: Black Ops (but I, or it, sucked).  I'm kind of zombied out now, unfortunately.  I'm sure it'll come back around.  The classics always do!