Well, I needed to read 22 books this month if I was going to pull myself out of the TBR-reducing-hole I'd dug for myself in June, and thanks to a reading binge, I pulled it off.  My total this month was 28 books.  6 of those were re-reads, but either way you interpret the parameters of my challenge, I still pulled it off.

 

I had 1 5-star read this month: Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science-and the World by Rachel Swaby and I recommend it to anyone - in either print or audio - that has an interest in women, history or science.  The bios are brief, but 90% of these scientists are ones you're likely to have never heard of before, so it's all new stuff and well-written.

 

I had 4 4.5-star reads too, including one Man Booker Prize winner; a first for me.  Lincoln in the Bardo was also the only fiction to make the cut this month.  

 

For July, since I was feeling chart-y this month:

 

 

  

 

(I just realised that second chart is mis-labeled; it should read "fiction/non-fiction" but I can't be bothered opening the program back up and fixing it.)

 

 

TBR Challenge update: 

 

July budget: -11

Books bought in July: 3

Books read in July: 28

Deficit brought forward to August: 0

# of books pre-ordered for August: 6

August budget: 7*

 

*: by my admittedly dodgy mental rules, because I went into July at a deficit, clearing it should start me back at zero, as though I'm starting over. So this month's budget is based on half the number of books I read in July *after* clearing that deficit.

 

So it would appear I have 1 book left to buy in August, except I don't.  I've placed an order for 5 books from Mysterious Books, which means I'm in the hole again by 4 books.  So far.  Hopefully it'll stay at 4; Halloween Bingo is coming up, but I have loads of books on my TBR I should be able to make work, so I'm semi-confident I won't need to buy any - at least until September.

 

How was your month?  :)

This was a lot of fun.  Johnson has compiled book lists, but not the usual "you must read" sort.  These are lists like Darwin's TBR, Oscar Wilde's bookshelf at Reading Gaol, the books on Scott's Discovery bookshelves (he had them in every room of the ship), books seen to be on Sheldon and Leonard's living room bookshelves in Big Bang Theory.  Fun stuff like that.

 

Some of the titles listed are no longer to be found (Henry III's books, for example; probably hard to find if not impossible, and expensive to boot), some of them don't exist (books never written list - how did The Giant Rat of Sumatra not make this list?), some have yet to be written (the future library), and some of them are all to readily available and might be the death of any reader's TBR.  Personally, I was doing pretty well until the very end, where he includes a list of books about books.  My kryptonite!  Aaahhhh... 

Queen Mary's Doll House.  I can't even.

 

The author failed here a tiny bit because before he explained the thing of wonder this doll house's library is (and it is, I assure you) he stole his own thunder by explaining that the doll house has running hot and cold water and flushing toilets.  

 

Oh, and a wine cellar.  With wine of course.  What kinds?  There's a wine catalog in the library, along with around 200 tiny, Moroccan bound books containing mostly unique, never before published works by authors like Robert Louis Stevenson, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (his has since been published), Kipling, Wharton and Hardy.  

 

I can't even.

Ok, this book is cool.  It's not your typical book of 100 books to read kind of thing, but an eclectic collection of lists like Osama bin Laden's bookshelf (totally predictable, sadly), the books on Oscar Wilde's Reading Gaol bookshelf, Charles Darwin's To Be Read list.  You get the idea, but I'd like to focus on Darwin.  He had a TBR.  That he kept as a list and kept track of.  This book quotes his son Francis as saying:

 

"He had one shelf on which were piled up the books he had not yet read, and another to which they were transferred after having been read, and before being catalogued.  He would often grown over his unread books, because there were so many which he knew he should never read."

 

He also kept notes in his private journal about his TBR books, my favorite of those included in this book being:

 

"Read Aristotle to see whether any of my views are ancient."

 

I ❤️ Darwin.

 

 

Zombies barely there. Not a representative of the zombie fiction genre. Zombies were present but not the focus of the story. Zombies ruled the book. Read the book only if hordes of undead munching on alive ones don’t bother you.

 

 

 

1. Name of the Book:

The Gunslinger by Stephen King

Part of a Series:

Yes.

Can be Read on its Own:

Yes.

Undead-o-Meter:

The zombies weren’t special in any way. So, I’d give it a pass, if I were looking for something zombie-ish. Check out my review for more details. 

 

 

2. Name of the Book:

Prince of Thorns

Part of a Series:

Yes.

Can be Read on its Own:

Yes.

Undead-o-Meter:

 

 

While the zombies come and go, a distant threat of an Undead King amassing his undead army remains in the background. The identity of the Undead King is revealed in the third — and last book — of the series. My opinion is to give this one a try; even, if the zombies aren’t unique, the protagonist will hold your interest.

 

 

3. Name of the Book:

The Girl with All the Gifts by M. R. Carey

Part of a Series:

No, but it comes with a companion book.

Can be Read on its Own:

Yes.

Undead-o-Meter:

 

 

This is the book to read, if you like a little science in your zombie fiction. The author uses a fungal agent as the cause of zombieism. The fungus, ophiocordyceps unilateralis, is real. It infects and zombifies certain ants.

 

 

It even has favorites among the same types of ants!

 

Not only did I love the sciency bits, I remember starting that book cold. I hadn’t read any reviews and as a result, the moment when I realized who the little girl could be was delicious! Read this book, if you don’t read any other zombie fiction!

 

 

4. Name of the Book:

The Harvesting by Melanie Karsak

Part of a Series:

Yes.

Can be Read on its Own:

Yes.

Undead-o-Meter:

 

 

Okay, so I’m rating it green because while it has zombies, they are only present in the first half of the book. Almost like a plot device that was needed to take the main characters to the next important bit of the story. Read my review for more details.

 

 

 

5. Name of the Book:

London: Surviving the evacuation by Frank Tayell

Part of a Series:

Yes.

Can be Read on its Own:

Yes.

Undead-o-Meter:

 

 

This is the diary of a zombie apocalypse survivor. I liked it even if the origin was a tad well… unoriginal ! For more details, read my review.

 

 

6. Name of the Book:

Sweet Blood of Mine by John Corwin

Part of a Series:

Yes.

Can be Read on its Own:

Yes.

Undead-o-Meter:

 

 

Okay, if I remember correctly, this book had zombies at the very end, which is why I gave it a cool rating, instead of cold. The book wasn’t based on zombies either and is a better than average YA book, if you were wondering. My review for more details.

 

 

7. Name of the Book:

Evenstar by Darcy Town

Part of a Series:

Yes.

Can be Read on its Own:

No.

Undead-o-Meter:

 

 

Oh man, everybody who loves silliness in their lives and books needs to read this book. Other than that, not much to write home about zombie-wise. Check out my review anyway!

 

 

8. Name of the Book:

Prophecies Awakening byPeter Koevari

Part of a Series:

Yes.

Can be Read on its Own:

Yes.

Undead-o-Meter:

 

I don’t remember the book being about zombies. They might have been in it but they certainly weren’t the highlight. My review will tell you about the other details if you’re interested in reading it.

 

 

 

9. 10. Name of the Book:

The Guardian’s Kiss & The Guardian’s Soul by Jamie Lynn Dougherty

Part of a Series:

Yes.

Can be Read on its Own:

Yes. No.

Undead-o-Meter:

 

Proper zombie book, as was the first one in this series. Aside from the other issues that it has, which you will find highlighted in my reviews, here and here. the book does have something unique when it comes to zombies/eaters!

 

 

 

 

11. Name of the Book:

The Seven Habits of Highly Infective People by William Todd Rose

Part of a Series:

No.

Can be Read on its Own:

Yes.

Undead-o-Meter:

 

What I do remember about this book is something about eating a baby. That’s it! So, I gather it didn’t make much of an impression on me. Feel free to skip it.

 

 

 

12. Name of the Book:

The White Tree by Edward W. Robertson

Part of a Series:

Yes.

Can be Read on its Own:

Yes.

Undead-o-Meter:

 

While I enjoyed reading this book, the zombie parts weren’t the highlight of the story. It did make a good read though.

 

 

 

13. Name of the Book:

The Variant Effect: GreenMourning by G. Wells Taylor

Part of a Series:

Yes.

Can be Read on its Own:

Yes.

Undead-o-Meter:

 

The public is kept ignorant while a viral infection is turning people into zombies. It would be an okayish novella but the violence and bloodiness made it better than okay.

 

 

 

14. Name of the Book:

Dust by Joan Frances Turner

Part of a Series:

Yes.

Can be Read on its Own:

Yes.

Undead-o-Meter:

 

 

This book doesn’t shy away from violence and you will be able to visualize the undead munching on people as you read it. It is also a new take on zombies that form gangs, communicate with each other telepathically, can die again, and be infected. Don’t let the inconsistencies in the story keep you from reading right up to the end; it will be worth it!

 

 

14. Name of the Book:

In Wilder Lands & Into The Desert Wilds by Jim Galford

Part of a Series:

Yes.

Can be Read on its Own:

Yes. No.

Undead-o-Meter:

 

 

An indie that surprised me pleasantly enough that I continued with the second installment in the series. While it is a good book to read if you like anthropomorphic characters, it isn’t exactly focused on the undead. Family and love are the themes that you will find highlighted in this one.

 

 

 

17. Name of the Book:

Nether Regions by Jadette Paige

Part of a Series:

No.

Can be Read on its Own:

Yes. 

Undead-o-Meter:

 

A novella rich with mythology contains zombies, revolves around a same sex couple who happen to be Amazons. Need I say more? Didn’t think so!

 

 

 

18. 19. 20. Name of the Book:

Zombie Jamboree, The Minion Chronicles: Paul and Brady Get Hoodoo with the Voodoo, and Biting the Bullet by Jennifer Rardin

Part of a Series:

Yes.

Can be Read on its Own:

Yes.

Undead-o-Meter:

 

I don’t remember much about these, which means they mustn’t have made a lasting impression. Skip them, if you like or read the last one for the Reavers — they are SCARY!

 

 

 

21. Name of the Book:

The Mammoth Book of Steampunk by various authors

Part of a Series:

No.

Can be Read on its Own:

No.

Undead-o-Meter:

 

The only story that I remember being about zombies in this collection was Reluctance by Cherie Priest. Lets just say that I was surprised to discover I could dislike a story that had both dirigibles and zombies in it!

 

 

22. Name of the Book:

Outbreak by Mark Clodi

Part of a Series:

Yes.

Can be Read on its Own:

Yes. 

Undead-o-Meter:

An unusual take on zombies. I mean it was full of all kinds of errors from lack of editing and yet the concept made me read and like it. Try it! Please?

 

 

23. Name of the Book:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Vol.2. by various authors

Story: Halloween Rains

Part of a Series:

Yes.

Can be Read on its Own:

Yes. 

Undead-o-Meter:

 

 

In my review, I describe the story as Jeepers Creepers meets Zombie Apocalypse. I found the story okay.

 

 

24. Name of the Book:

Magic Gifts by Ilona Andrews

Part of a Series:

Yes.

Can be Read on its Own:

Yes.

Undead-o-Meter:

 

Technically, the undead in this novella are vampires, however, they act more like zombies, which is why I am including this book on the list. If you would like to read about a creature that is a zombie-vamp hybrid, then you should try this series. If not the zombies, then read it for well-written female characters.

 

 

25. Name of the Book:

Dead Man Walking by Marty Shaw

Part of a Series:

Yes.

Can be Read on its Own:

Yes.

Undead-o-Meter:

 

 

Imagine being trapped in a prison with prisoners rapidly turning into zombies! If you want more reasons to read this book, then my review says it all.

 

 

 

26. Name of the Book:

Mind Over Monsters by Jennifer Harlow

Part of a Series:

Yes.

Can be Read on its Own:

Yes.

Undead-o-Meter:

 

 

So, a team of “freaks” is formed to look into paranormal cases. This book is about a necromancer raising run-of-the-mill zombies and a race against time to catch him. The book has the usual issues that I associate with YA novels. If you can get past those, then you might end liking the book.

 

 

 

27. Name of the Book:

Zombie Killa by Jason Z Christie

Part of a Series:

No.

Can be Read on its Own:

Yes.

Undead-o-Meter:

 

 

Okay, so you will either love this book or hate it. My review will tell you I loved it and all the reasons why. Expect craziness but don’t expect the zombies to be unique in any way.

 

 

28. Name of the Book:

Anything Can Be Dangerous by Matt Hults

Part of a Series:

Yes.

Can be Read on its Own:

Yes.

Undead-o-Meter:

 

 

This one is icky and good. The book is actually a collection of several horror stories and 2 book previews.  The one that has zombies in it is called The Finger, where a man ends up biting more than he can chew! I mention the other stories in my review, as well.

 

 

29. Name of the Book:

The Zombie Story by M. M. Shelley

Part of a Series:

Yes.

Can be Read on its Own:

Yes.

Undead-o-Meter:

 

 

This is a good place to start for most younger fans just sinking their teeth into zombie fiction. I found the whole zombie evolution idea intriguing.

 

 

 

30. Name of the Book:

Zombie Nights by Tom Lichtenberg

Part of a Series:

No.

Can be Read on its Own:

Yes.

Undead-o-Meter:

 

 

I loved this one. Not only did it have a zombie as the main character, it also managed to be hilarious. Check out my review for more details.

 

 

 

31. Name of the Book:

Crimes by Moonlight: Mysteries from the Dark Side by Marty Shaw

Story: Limbo by Steve Brewer

Part of a Series:

Yes.

Can be Read on its Own:

Yes.

Undead-o-Meter:

 

Imagine being trapped in a prison with prisoners rapidly turning into zombies! If you want more reasons to read this book, then my review says it all.

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