April 1

Z.E.O.: A Zombie’s Guide to Getting A(Head) in Business by Scott Kenemore

Reviewed for MonsterLibrarian.com

Skyhorse Publishing, 2009
ISBN: 9781602396487
Available: New

Z.E.O is a small, off-sized book that’s part humor, part business survival guide and part “for dummies” book. Presentation seems to be as important as content, with sidebars, zombies in the workplace illustrations and chapters that one suspects would make excellent PowerPoint presentations. Nonfiction, yet completely silly, Z.E.O shows a strong correlation between the sort of minds that conquer the business world and zombies- not an entirely kind metaphor, though it has an amusing point.

Because of the over-the-top comical writing and the lack of a story, Z.E.O is really a gift book, particularly for office Secret Santas or zombie fans, or even not-quite gag gifts to college grads, because the kind of person who would adore this book should own it, not borrow it.
Contains: Gory illustrations

Category: Humor, monsterlibrarian | 2 Comments on Z.E.O.: A Zombie’s Guide to Getting A(Head) in Business by Scott Kenemore
March 18

Psychiatric and Behavioral Disorders in Israel- From Epidemiology to Mental Health Action, Edited by Itzhak Levav

Guest review by Gothi Jason Lush, D.D.

ISBN: 978-9652294685
I received this book from the LibraryThing Early Reader’s Program.

Of all the nonfiction I have been asked to review this thick tome is the first to meet all the criteria for a great reference book. First off, the work is authored by thirty experts in the Psychiatric field, including the editor Dr. Levav. There is no fluff, no anecdotal nonsense and no speaking down to the reader.

As the title states the book covers psychiatric and behavioral disorders in Israel. The studies that the book is based on take many things into account that many people would not think to, such as the economic environment, the influx of immigrants, war and sexual trauma in the region. Also the studies compare side by side the differences between men and women as related to the topic, and where relevant, the social and financial situations of the subjects. The studies in this work are thorough and conclusive.

On the down side there is the length. You are looking at 333 pages of hard, dry data and there are “out there” studies, like an attempt to find the link between obesity and schizophrenia.

Again I say that Dr. Levav’s book is of incalculable worth for anyone in the psychiatric field or any serious mental health worker, for the layperson, not so much. The heft of the work has ensured that it will not turn up on my reread pile, but I will keep it around for future research and I will use it as the yardstick by which I will compare any similar book.

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March 9

Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs

ISBN: 9780441018369
I purchased this book.

Mercy Thompson book 3

This review contains spoilers for earlier books in the series.

Last time, Mercy was kidnapped, magically drugged and brutally raped. Bone Crossed picks up only a week later with Mercy still struggling to deal with her trauma, her newly exposed feelings for pack alpha Adam and now with area vampire queen Marsilia, who knows Mercy killed one of her own, decidedly pissed off at her. Though Mercy knows little of her own kind, being the only skinwalker (natural coyote shifter rather than an attack survivor like most other weres) currently known of, Marsilia knows what the walkers are, having been part of the Frontier-Era war between walker natives and European vampires.
Apparently nothing can kill vampires like a walker, so decades ago the vampires eradicated them. Once willing to let Mercy live as long as she wasn’t killing vampires and she remained useful, Marsillia now has declared war on Mercy, because Mercy was the one who fouled up Marsilia’s plans to make more demon-possessed vampires. But Mercy’s new position in the pack as Adam’s mate complicates things, so instead of attacking Mercy directly Marsilia goes after her friends and allies.
When Stefan, Mercy’s friend and Marsilia’s vampire, shows up, near dead and nearly mad with hunger Mercy is sure Marsilia sent him to kill her. Struggling to fight panic attacks and trying to form a healthy relationship with people around her Mercy also finds herself having to face down people who not only want to victimize her again, but who are willing to use her’s friend to re-victimize her.
Bone Crossed is full of emotional realism, even if it’s also full of vampires, fairies, ghosts and shape shifters. Characters who were already real before now deepen from fleshy and familiar to true friends of readers traveling with them.
The emotional turmoil is also balanced with action, manipulation and a complicated enough plot to prevent the book from coming off as sheer emotional angst over past events. Mercy is the definition of the plucky survivor, tough, but not immortal, snarky and defiant, but not suffering from Mary Sue Syndrome.
Bone Crossed is a good read, definitely not the place in the series to start, but a satisfying addition to the series. This series continues to deliver, creating a more complex world, but not one muddled by world rules violations, or mid stream changes in style or personality. Bone Crossed will both sate readers and keep them looking for more.

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March 5

Black Jack Derringer #1: Ace of Spades by Karen Koehler

Black Jack Derringer: The Ace of Spades is like one of those little four-piece Whitman’s Samplers. You end up with a good idea of what the story’s going to be, but it’s over and gone just when you’re really ready for more.

Wild Alice West is not a woman for breeding or homemaking or any of the other things the Wild West-flavored land called the Skillet considers women good for. She’s a bounty hunter, plagued by a bit of bad luck, a mouth that constantly gets her in trouble, a society that can’t respect her and the fastest shot she’s ever met. (She’s humble too….)

Full Review at DarkScribeMagazine.com

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March 3

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith

I must confess–I love snark. Dry humor, witty insults, intellectual irony. Give me The Devil’s Dictionary or any absurdist play and I’ll suck it up. This is probably why I find myself drawn to authors like Terry Pratchett and genres like urban fantasy, where wit and attitude are delicious little bonbons inside the story.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls (prequel to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) had me from page one.

“Mr. Ford was as well behaved as any corpse could be expected to be. In fact, he lay stretched out on the bier looking almost as stiff and expressionless in death as he had been in life, and Oscar Bennet, gazing upon his not-so-dearly-departed neighbor, could but think to himself, You lucky sod.”

Mr. Hockensmith, you had me at “well behaved corpse”.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls is a ironic, sassy romp through the England of classic literature (and zombies). It’s a “Hell Yes!” inducing book for anyone who ever had to dissect stodgy, self-important prose in high school English class.

Despite deserved criticism on the concept (but I doubt any of these mash ups are intended to be lasting, stately examples of “literature”) this book brings a sorely needed element to the both the zombie and high literary genres–humor. P&P&Z: Dawn of the Dreadfuls is a reminder that reading, first and foremost, is supposed to be an enjoyable experience. In times like this, especially, we need to know that it’s okay kick back and enjoy, rather than analyzing and studying until the world around us lacks context and meaning. We can temper the horrible, the bloody and the overbearing and self important with skilled writing, enchanting characters and make reading a pleasurable way to spend the time again.

And speaking of fun If you go here (Quirk’s webpage) and post that my review sent you there we (that is you too!) will be entered to win one of 50 Quirk Classic Prize Packs (worth over $100), which include:

    • An advance copy of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls
    • Audio Books of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters
    • A password redeemable online for sample audio chapters of Dawn of the Dreadfuls
    • An awesome Dawn of the Dreadfuls Poster
    • A Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Journal
    • A box set of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Postcards
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