Generation Dead, because if it's not about Vampires than it's about Zombies

First off, I love Zombies.  I can't wait until they start popping up out of the graves.  We've got guns and a good water supply, so the Hubs and I are all set.  It's sad that I am more prepared for a zombie invasion than a real emergency situation.

For me Generation Dead by Daniel Waters is a bit Zombie light. But it's an intriguing book.  The cover alone is reason enough to give the book a try.  The zombies in question are all American teenagers, and only some teenagers that die come back to life, or non-life.  The main character is Phoebe who is (caution, shocker coming up!) a goth girl.  Because in recent years most YA books feature either rich, brand name wearing Upper East Sider girls or goth girls or both.  Phoebe gets a bit of a crush on a dead boy who goes to her school  Her best friends, another goth girl who is icked out by zombies and a hot football player harboring a secret crush of Phoebe, are of course surprised.

The zombies in Waters's world are as different as any human, some have barely functioning speech and motor skills, while others could almost pass for living.  Zombies have no real recognized rights in the story, and it shows the struggle of minorities through out the ages.  Some of the impressions, the rumors, the gossip about zombies are similar ones used against different races in the past.  That is where this book shines.

It's not a perfect story, the narrative gets a bit clunky at time.  But it's got teenaged zombies, which rocks.  It's also the first in a series, and I love a series.  I liked Generation Dead enough to read the second book, Generation Dead: Kiss of Life.  I'm interested to see where this series is going.

Generation Dead gets a Midnight Book Rating of 10:45pm, it may not be perfect, but it's a good book to have on a long, cold, dark night. Happy reading, zombie lovers!

Last post of 2009!  Adios, '09.  Welcome, 2010- you'd better be sweeter to me than 2009 was!

The Historian- Getting my Edumacation!

I listened to, rather than read, The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova and I have to say that I loved it. I liked it even though it made me learn stuff, because even though the book is about Dracula, it's also crammed with historical facts.  Due to my bum being rather lazy in October and then taking part in NaNoWriMo in November, I'm way behind on my reviews.  I listened to this book during cold October drives in my car. It was the perfect story for the Halloween season.

The audio cd featured many different actors speaking the different characters (including my girl Joanne Whalley Kilmer- although she may have dropped the Kilmer part of her name as she used to be married to Val Kilmer but they're now divorced.  They were in Willow together and then she played Scarlett in the mini series follow up to Gone With The Wind.) I thought that would be distracting, but it turned out to be amazing.  Everyone that read, in my opinion, did a great job of bringing the suspense of the book to life. 

Word of warning though, the audio cd is abridged.  I'm hoping that it's only abridged in small ways (in order to help the dialogue flow) but as I haven't read the book yet I don't know.  I didn't notice it was abridged, and I probably wouldn't have bought it if I had caught that detail in the beginning because I am not an abridged girl.  I recently found out that The Count of Monte Cristo is actually a super long book, and the version I read all those years ago was abridged.  I hate abridgments, it feels like I'm being a lazy reader.  That said, with The audio version of The Historian  there's a reason I didn't catch the abridged part until much later- because it wasn't at all obvious.  So I'm glad I listened to it, and I was always planning on reading the book but I am holding off purchase until I get my Kindle.  And Kindle, you will be mine!

So if you like vampires, the old fashion Dracula kind, and a really good mystery, then I recommend The Historian.  Giving the audio cd a Midnight Book Rating of 11:45pm, and despite the fact I haven't yet read the book, I'm giving the unabridged book of The Historian a Midnight Book Rating of Midnight.

I'm hoping to post at least one more blog before the New Year, but in case I don't get to it (because of the aforementioned lazy bumness)- Happy New Years, Blogger World!!!

I Heart Heart-Shaped Box!

Just a quick review from my backed up review list, then back to Christmas wrapping and trying to find a place outside that is snow free enough for my spoiled chiweenine to do her business.

Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill kind of rocked.  For those of you not in the know, Hill is the son of author God Stephen King (I love you SK!).  Although his genre might be in the same vein as his pop, Hill is a great author in his own right. 

Why should you read Heart-Shaped Box?  Well, it's an old fashioned ghost story with great characters and two awesome dogs that would make Dean Koontz green with envy.  The main character is Jude Coyne, aging hard rocker (think Rob Zombie without the movie making, or Ozzie Osbourne with normal speaking abilities).  Jude collects the macabre and ends up buying a ghost online.  And just like that song "The Cat Came Back", Jude finds that once you own a ghost they aren't that simple to get rid of, and this particular ghost has an axe to grind with our doomed MC.  Did I mention the awesome dogs? 

I give this book a full Midnight rating, this book will keep you up all night, quaking beneath your sheets as you flip through the pages, your flashlight's beam shaking in your terrified hands... In other words if RL Stine's Goosebump series is too intense for you, then Heart-Shaped Box might be something you should skip.

In case I don't get to say this on Christmas- Merry Christmas Blogging World!  I am looking forward to wonderful New Year full of book blogging, more reading, and more writing.  And world peace, which I asked for again this year, but it's a bit like asking Santa for a pony when I live in the city and have no horse caring skills or budget.  A midnight book girl can still dream! 

Shadow On The Dial

I read this book a million years ago when I was mostly just a 10pmBookGirl.  I remember loving it, so I actually bought it just to re-read for October's readathon.  Seemed like a good idea at the time...

Shadow On The Dial by Anne Lindbergh

The book hasn't aged so well, but I still love the idea behind the book.  Dawn and Marcus are forced to spend a summer with Great Uncle Doo in his crappy Florida apartment while their parents go on a good vacation.  Dawn is a bit of an idiot, and Marcus is supposed to be smart for his age although I'm not buying that.  Just because you state that it doesn't make it true.  Somehow the kids get involved with a Time Traveling bald dude and end up going back in time to help Uncle Doo find happiness- which involves playing a flute.  No, I am not making this up.  Hi-jinks ensue.  The dynamic duo have to keep going back in time (and also in the future) to fix the mistakes they continuously make.  But in doing so they find happiness for their uncle and realize they have a lot of work ahead of them to change the dismal outlook of their own future.  Plus Marcus and Dawn learn to get along!

Would I recommend this book to you, faithful reader?  Probably not.  For me it has sentimental value, and I'd probably enjoy sharing it with my younger nieces and nephews.

Midnight Book Rating: 7pm- read it before the good shows come on... or the mediocre shows (read at 6pm if you're not on the East Coast).


***I will be traveling back to Oklahoma starting this evening.  My father in law passed away unexpectedly.  He will be greatly missed.***

I Wish I Had An Uncle Montague!

Yes, faithful readers, it's been a long time since I blogged about an actual book I read.  Last month was fail for me in the reading books category, but writing was a win.  Luckily for me as I was too lazy to blog about the books I read in October I now have a back catalog of reviews to get through.  So without further ado I present my take on Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror by Chris Priestley.

I'll make this short and sweet.  I liked this book, it reminded me a lot of Ed Gorey's Alphabet.  It was creepy without being to terrifying (it is a book geared to the younger crowd).  I read this during the Readathon and it was a good book to start things off with.  If you have a soft, rotten, decaying spot for ghost stories than I think you'll enjoy this book.  If you have unruly children whom you wish to creep out, then this is a good book to read aloud to the little hellions. 

Midnight Book Rating: 11:30pm- not quite the stroke of Midnight, but a great book to be reading when the midnight hour approaches *insert ghoulish laugh of your choice here*