World War Z: A Oral History of the Zombie War, by Max Brooks

Title: World War Z: A Oral History of the Zombie War
Author: Max Brooks
Paperback: 352 page
Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Publishing Date: October 16, 2007
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0307346617
ISBN-13: 978-0307346612

Reader's Annotation: Over a decade after the zombies war (a.k.a World War Z) raged across the planet a reporter writes a book using interviews collected by survivors.

Synopsis & Review: 11 years after a zombie plague rages throughout the world a reporter tells the story of the war through the people the survived it. From China, to India, from Africa to America the stories in this book are terrorizing, thought provoking, and yes, sometimes sadistically funny. For the keen mind the oral histories will play out like an echo of todays tragedies for the zombie lover alone no one will be disappointed.The beauty of Max Brooks is he not only writes social commentary here but he does it against a horrific, zombified backdrop that everybody has been before, however, his skill makes it raw, palpable, and frankly...scarily familiar. If you haven't gotten around to reading this book, it's time.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as well as the audio and should note the if you are taking a road trip or at the very least stuck in Los Angeles traffic, the audio is a role call of famous personalities and voices playing out the different the stories within. I would go so far as to reccommend the audio for readers who have already read the book!
Audio CD Info:
Publisher: Random House Audio; Abridged edition (2007)
Language: English
ASIN: B001IZFXMQ

Notes: Adult Content, Parental Suggestion Suggested.

Extras: Author/Publisher Website http://www.randomhouse.com/crown/worldwarz/index2.php

• World War Z is slated to be released as a film in 2010 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0816711/

• Max Brooks is the on of Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft.

• "I've no desire to become the next king of Jewish immigrant comics, but I am so proud of my old man" - About his father, Mel Brooks.

• He is the author of the comedic zombie blockbuster, The Zombie Survival Guide which has spawned a never ending out pour of merchandising from Card Decks, to Note Pads & Journals, to a Graphic Novel!
  

• View a video from the publisher's website (of the graphic novel) here.
  

A brief FAN MADE Book Trailer with splices/preview from the fantastic AUDIOBOOK (This is not licensed).



Two of my favorite Fan Made trailers made by a fan (Srsly guys, this is pretty good stuff!):

Another UnLibrarian Book Trailer! The Forest of Hands and Teeth

The FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH, by Carrie Ryan

Book Trailer by the Unlibrarian!

The Forest of Hands and Teeth, By Carrie Ryan

• Title: The Forest of Hands and Teeth
• Author: Carrie Ryan
• Publishing Date:  March 10, 2009
• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385736819
• Reader's Annotation: In an apocalyptic world Mary lives in a village surrounded by a fence that keeps The Unconsecrated out. Constantly surrounded by death, she is driven by the need to know more. But can Mary survive when she is forced to go down the paths she always dreamed of, and is there really anything other then death waiting for her?
• Synopsis:  As a child Mary's mother tells her of an immense ocean. This place is beyond the Forest of Hands and Teeth and has water as far as the eye can see. But, in Mary's village the sisterhood preaches there is nothing outside the Forest of the Hands and Teeth. The only safe place is that of of the village and it is the people's duty to keep the human race from being expelled forever. It is Mary's duty to watch her mother who longs for her lost love (Mary's Father) who has been taken by The Unconsecrated. Mary knows that her mother longs to be with him and she fears she will give herself to The Forest and The Sickness. Meanwhile, the spring vows and binding ceremonies are coming and men in the village are speaking for the women. Mary has only ever longed for one boy, but it is another that seeks her hand. Mary's duty is fast upon her it may not be anything she ever expected. 
• The beauty of The Forest of Hands and Teeth, Carrie Ryan's first book, lies within it's stark voice that never wavers from it's bleak tone that alludes to that small voice of hope at something more that lives in the back of all our minds. The book doesn't pander to the sugar coated, everything will turn out ok devices that are so inherent in YA lit today. It is refreshing despite it's topic of zombies (a genre being penned at a rate to rival the vampire literary epidemic). The zombie or vampire fan will devour this easy read but not be left without provoking thoughts and conversation. I have the slightest feeling the popularity of this book will spread like the disease of the Unconsecrated. 
  
• Extras: Seven Star Pictures have already bought the rights to the book for a film. It is slated for release in 2010. 
• Medium levels of blood and violence may leave the timid reader uncomfortable, but for the most part warnings for parents and readers are mild. 
  
• Author's Website:  http://www.carrieryan.com/news.php
• The book trailer was a Teen Book Video Award 2008 Finalist.  It is one of the best I've seen! If you are thinking of reading this book you must watch the trailer! 
• 
  
• The UnLibrarian is currently working on a fan "casting" book trailer! Stay Tuned!  

The Last Days, By Scott Westerfeld

By: Scott Westerfeld

Publisher: Razorbill

Publish Date: 2006

ISBN: 159514062X

Page #: 304 pages

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Fantasy, Horror

Age Level: Older Teen

Series Titles: Peeps (Bk. 1)

Last Days (Bk 2)

Subjects: Vampires, End-of-Days, Music

Reader's Annotation: The streets are taken over by the vampiric parasites and a group of teens in a rock band set out to save the world.

Synopsis: The Last Days is the sequel to the highly acclaimed and apocalyptic vampire story started in Peeps. Set against the same parasite-ridden streets of New York, Westerfeld gives us a group of five teens that form a rock band, whose musical triumphs escalade while the dark happenings of peeps do as well. As a Fender Stratocaster is being thrown to its doom out of a window, Moz and Pearl, strangers until this moment, work together to save it. From here, readers will rock their way through this hardcore, parasite-positive story! The band (with its vampire lead singer) fight the peeps while creating a playlist for the end of days! Maybe rock and roll will save the world (as it does so many teenagers everyday). Or maybe it will bring on the end! A gritty ode to rock and the way it can be a catalyst for teens to express their discomfort and rage, each chapter is named after bands!

Notes: This novel is the sequel to Peeps, but can stand alone. As a fan of Westerfeld's work, I can't recommend his work enough!

Stars: 5

Extras: Author's Website http://www.scottwesterfeld.com/index.htm

The Westerblog http://scottwesterfeld.com/blog/

Book talk about Peeps:

Bad Girls Don't Die, By: Katie Alender

By: Katie Alender

Publisher: Hyperion
Publish Date: April 21, 2008
ISBN: 1423108760
Page #: 352 pages
Classification: Fiction
Genre: Horror, Fantasy
Age Level: Older Teen
Series Title: n/a
Subjects: Ghosts, Family, Fitting In 

Reader's Annotation:  Alexis shows herself to the world as your typical interesting teen with pink hair and a cool photography hobby. The problem is, Alexis is more alone then most teens. Her parents are self-absorbed and she lacks any real companions. Her hobby and her sister are what keep her afloat. Suddenly the things that seem secure aren't. Life is starting to become scary and unexplainable and Alexis must figure it out all on her own.

Synopsis: Alexis thought she led a typically dysfunctional high school existence. Dysfunctional like her parents' marriage; her doll-crazy twelve-year-old sister, Kasey; and even her own anti-social, anti-cheerleader attitude.
When a family fight results in some tearful sisterly bonding, Alexis realizes that her life is creeping from dysfunction into danger. Kasey is acting stranger than ever: her blue eyes go green sometimes; she uses old-fashioned language; and she even loses track of chunks of time, claiming to know nothing about her strange behavior. Their old house is changing, too. Doors open and close by themselves; water boils on the unlit stove; and an unplugged air conditioner turns the house cold enough to see their breath in. Alexis wants to think that it's all in her head, but soon, what she liked to think of as silly parlor tricks are becoming life-threatening--to her, her family, and to her budding relationship with the class president. Alexis knows she's the only person who can stop Kasey -- but what if that green-eyed girl isn't even Kasey anymore? (Via AMZN)

Notes: Not for readers who are not interested in fantasy or horror. Slightly scary, Bad Girls Don't Die, isn't afraid to push the fictional envelope. Bad Girls Don't Die is an enjoyable debut novel by Katie Alender. It is a page turner that satisfies your need for a bit of a horror-thriller, while at the same time delivering issues of feeling like a misfit and dealing with family issues. 

Stars: 4 Stars
Awards: n/a

Extras:  Author Website: http://katiealender.com/

Discussion Guide (Contains Spoilers):  http://katiealender.com/downloads/BGDDdiscussionguide.pdf
OFFICIAL BOOK TRAILER:

Twilight, By Stephenie Meyer

By: Stephenie Meyer
Publisher: Little, Brown 
Publish Date: 2005
ISBN: 0316160172
Page #: 544

Classification: Fiction
Genre: Fantasy, Horror
Age Level: Older Teen

Series Title: 

The Twilight Saga: Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn

Reader's Annotation: Bella Swan moves to the small town of Forks, Washington and falls in love with something that wants to eat her. Can anybody resist temptation in this pop culture phenomenon?

Synopsis: The fame of Twilight has gotten by few people in today’s literary world. Stephenie Meyer penned the first book Twilight, in her beloved Twilight Saga quartet, from the idea of a dream she had the night before. Intensely personal and sometimes with the feel of a diary entry, Meyer wrote her first novel with her baby on her lap. The story of Bella Swan, a clumsy self-sacrificing teen leaves her newlywed mother (to let her travel with her baseball player husband) to go live with her father, Charlie Swan. She leaves sunny Arizona to arrive in the small town of Forks, Washington in the rainy Pacific Northwest. Under an near constant cover of clouds, Bella meets Edward, a "vegetarian" vampire (meaning sans human blood), and they quickly fall in love. The love between these two is so intense it is clearly modeled after the dark literary greats such as Romeo & Juliet and Healthcliff & Cathy. mean the grandest kind of love you can image. Evoking the chivalry of yester years, Meyers gives a new, cool name to the literary vampire as well as to reading books without sex or drugs: quite a feat in today’s society. Meyer’s writing may be weak, but her story telling is well done and intensely relatable (at least to girls and women). 

Notes: 

A movie by the same title was released in 2008. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1099212/

Offcial Movie Site: http://www.twilightthemovie.com/

As the sequel to Twilight, the film currently in production to be released November 2009. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1259571/

Stars: 5

Yalsa's BBYA

Extras: 

Are you O.C.D. (Obsessive Cullen Disorder)? Get your fix here: http://twilightersanonymous.com/

Author's web page for New Moon: http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/newmoon.html 

The immensely popular fan site for the film & book: http://www.newmoonmovie.org/

Coraline (AUDIO), By: Neil Gaiman

By: Neil Gaiman

Read By: Neil Gaiman
Publisher: Harper Audio
Publish Date: 2002
ISBN: 9780061660160
Length: 3 hours, 3 Compact Discs 
Classification: Fiction

Genre: Fantasy, Horror
Age Level: Children, Teens
Series Title: n/a
Subjects: family, fantasy, kidnapping, parent napping, alternative realities 

Reader's Annotation: Coraline is bored. While her busy, boring parents work she discovers a secret door to another world where everything is better. Or is it?

Synopsis: After moving into a new home, Coraline and her mother and father are forced to do what they do best: Parents work, dad cooks not so yummy food, and Coraline tries desperately to keep herself busy. But while exploring her new home she finds a door that would have connected their side of the house to the next door home in their four-plex building. One day, Coraline opens the door while her parents are gone only to find a new, tastier, prettier world. It's the same, only better! It is complete with her "other" better parents. As Coraline soon finds out, her "other" parents are something "other" all together! Now Coraline has save herself and the world she thought she hated! PS. It's CORALINE, not Caroline!

Notes: The audio book is embellished with the stunning voice work of the author himself which makes the listening experience something all together special. Furthermore, orginal music by The Gothic Archies best known for their music for "A Series of Unfortunate Events" audiobooks.

I couldn't recommend an audiobook more! It's fantastic. 

The film was released in 2009 in both regular format & 3-D by Focus Features.

Stars: 5

Extras: Film Website http://coraline.com/

Author Website http://journal.neilgaiman.com/

New Moon, By Stephenie Meyer

By: Stephenie Meyer
Publisher: Little, Brown 
Publish Date: 2006
ISBN: 0316160199
Page #: 608
Classification: Fiction
Genre: Fantasy, Horror
Age Level: Older Teen
Series Title: The Twilight Saga

Twilight

New Moon

Eclipse

Breaking Dawn
Subjects: Romance, Heartbreak, Vampires, Shapeshifters, Native Americans

Reader's Annotation: The saga continues in the second installment of  Twilight but the romantic idealism of Twilight is gone. Bella Swan finds herself severely depressed after Edward dumps her, but her best friend Jacob, gives her hope until he has to face his own porblems (leaving Bella more broken then ever).

Synopsis: Meyer’s saga continues in the second installment of the Twilight series. After Edward leaves Bella, she is faced with an overcoming zombie-like depression. In a desperate attempt to challenge her mortality and in the hopes of provoking the lost, protective voice of Edwards, Bella reconnects with her childhood pal Jacob. Jacob, more reckless then Edward, falls hard for Bella while Bella still mourns the loss of Edward. With Jacob as her new best friend, Bella begins to feel happy again. Jacob wants more and he has some secrets of his own. Unfortunately for Jacob, Edward may not be gone forever unless he has anything to do with it.
The most depressing of the four novels, New Moon is a stunning break from the first book. However, Jacob is enduring in a monstrous way, and Edward retains your affections. While Bella just keeps falling down.

Notes: As the sequel to Twilight, the film currently in production to be released November 2009. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1259571/

Stars: 5

Yalsa's BBYA

Extras: Author's web page for New Moon: http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/newmoon.html

The immensely popular fan site for film & book: http://www.newmoonmovie.org/

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