ZOMBIE, ILLINOIS: SCOTT KENEMORE RETURNS WITH HIS BEST NOVEL YET.

No stranger to Day of the Woman, zombie expert, Scott Kenemore is at it again with his second zombie novel centered around a midwest outbreak.  Scott Kenemore is the author of the Zen of Zombie-series of humor/satire books, and the novel Zombie, Ohio.  A graduate of Kenyon College and Columbia University, Scott is a proud member of the Zombie Research Society and the Horror Writers Association.  When he's not writing,  Scott is a Chicago Drummer and is the drummer for the musical band The Blissters.  Scott has discussed zombies on the Fox News Channel, National Public Radio, Martha Stewart Living Radio, The Alan Colmes Show and other esteemed news outlets.  His books have been written about in the Chicago Tribune, Huffington Post, Hartford Courant, Indianapolis Star, Cleveland Plain Dealer, USA TODAY, Rue Morgue Magazine, Fangoria, Gawker.com, BoingBoing.net, AOL News, and the New York Times “City Room” blog.  He's even such the zombie expert that he's been been asked to discuss zombies and horror-writing at conventions like Comic-Con International, Spooky Empire, and ZomBcon.

Zombie, Ohio was the first zombie novel that we had seen from him after his Zen of Zombie satirical book series, but Zombie, Illinois has taken his writing skills to an entirely new level.  The novel has three narrators-- a twenty-something Latina rock drummer in an all girl band, a thirty-something male political news reporter, and a sixty-something African American pastor. Zombie, Illinois follows these three characters as they interact with one another, fight zombies, and negotiate the difficulties of the first 24 hours of a zombie outbreak in Chicago, Chicagoland, and greater Illinois. Many of the themes and locales are drawn from Scott Kenemore's own experiences (being a drummer in Chicago bands, working in the media, and working for six years with community-improvement organizations in African American neighborhoods on Chicago's South Side).   

The most interesting thing about Kenemore's writing style is his ability to generate very different voices for each of his characters, while still maintaining his own style of writing.  Obviously the language between a girl in a band called "Strawberry Brite Vagina Dentata" is going to be far more vulgar than an African American pastor working in the slums of the South Side of Chicago.  Somehow, he manages to retain a sense of fluidity and the book flows seamlessly between the three different perspectives.  The characters are likable from very different corners of perspective, and everything feels very...real.  One of the easiest mistakes to make with a zombie novel is losing touch with reality, which is something Kenemore never does.  He has produced a zombie novel that is able to frighten, thrill, and entertain without ever becoming campy.  

Any Chicago native (or anyone who has ever visited Chicago) will be sure to enjoy all of the little homages that the book throws to us Windy City dwellers.  Kenemore has written a novel about zombies, yes, but the underlying exposition on the beating heart of Chicago is thrown right in our faces.  He has truly captured what it means to be a Chicagoan and what makes us different than any other city on the planet.  "West Coast, East Coast, how about NO COAST." He really did his homework with mentions of cities outside of Chicago, including a little nod to my overzealous religious city of Zion, Illinois just north of Chicago.  

The fact that Kenemore doesn't receive as much praise or notoriety as say, a certain zombie author with a very famous filmmaking daddy, is incredibly frustrating.  Kenemore has tapped into the human condition, underground issues in society, and of course, the zombie phenomena. The world in which is characters reside is one that is very, very convincing.  While reading Zombie, Illinois, it never once feels out of the ordinary and everything resembles how a zombie apocalypse would actually happen.  To put it simply, Zombie, Illinois is one of the most entertaining and realistic zombie outbreak novels in a very long time. 

You can purchase Zombie, Illinois on Amazon 

HERE 

or 

You can try to win one of the two copies I've got for giveaway by sending me an email 

at BRITTNAHJADE@GMAIL.COM with 

"I LOVE CHICAGO ZOMBIES" in the title

THE SLASHER MOVIE BOOK: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO SLASHER MOVIES

Sidney Prescott, the Final Girl in Scream, may have put it best when she described slasher movies as “some stupid killer stalking some big-breasted girl who can’t act, who is always running up the stairs when she should be running out the front door.”

Unlike a good chuck of the horror bloggers out there, I actually read the books I review cover to cover to ensure that I'm not just shelling out bullshit opinions to my readers.  While my review may be a bit late in comparison to the giveaways that have been going on, I had to make sure the book was of merit before I spent time writing a review.  Now, I review a decent amount of books on DotW but I never EVER cover a book unless it is deserving of praise.  Recently, I've gotten my grubby little paws on J.A. Kerswell (of HYSTERIA LIVES )'s masterpiece The Slasher Movie Book.  The second I opened my mail and feasted my eyes on this beautiful piece of literary art, I knew I was in love.  I flipped through a few pages to grasp a feel of what I was getting myself into, and I was completely taken a back with just how gorgeous this thing is.  If the poster art, illustrations, movie stills, and tribute artwork doesn't tickle your fancy, the commentary and analysis presented by one of our own should do it for you.  Kerswell writes from a place of intellect, and unadulterated passion.  Just by reading one page, you can already tell that Kerswell holds the genre near and dear to him, and it shows in the content chosen as well as the depth of the writing.  The film chronicles the golden age of one of the most beloved and successful horror subgenres and the one that undoubtedly brought horror into the mainstream media machine.  At 208 pages, this highly organized account of the history of slasher films is an absolute must have for horror fans everywhere.  The main thing I respect most about this book is how savvy it's arranged.  For instance, the opening chapters focus on the film movements (giallo anyone?) that highly influenced the genre, but when it hits the golden age of the era, he focuses solely year by year, simply because there is just that much information to cover.  Of course extra love is focused on the franchise big boys (Freddy, Jason, Michael etc.) but there is plenty of coverage on the lesser known works of the genre.  Ultimately, if you don't get your hands on this book, you'll be doing yourself a grave disservice.  Shell out the dough, or try to win it on the numerous websites holding giveaways.  Trust me, you'll thank me later.

BUY IT ON AMAZON HERE

BLACK WINGS OF CTHULHU: 21 TALES OF LOVECRAFTIAN HORROR

It took me quite a while to finally make it through this hefty number, but I'm sure glad that I did.  Any fan of horror in any sense of the word has a love or at the very least, a great deal of respect for a man by the name of Howard Phillips Lovecraft.  H.P. Lovecraft is the man who gave us nightmares long before Stephen King ever sat in front of a typewriter.  The father of Re-Animator and the king of Cthulhu, H.P. Lovecraft is truly the premiere name when it comes to composers of literary horror.  The wonderful people at Titan Books have recently released their first volume of stories inspired by H.P. Lovecraft with Black Wings of Cthulhu: Twenty-One Tales Of Lovecraftian Horror. Titan Books goes to say "The modern masters of Lovecraftian fiction offer up 21 brand-new, utterly terrifying, and thoroughly entertaining short stories of horror and the macabre. Taking their inspiration from works by Lovecraft himself, prominent writers such as Caitlin R. Kiernan, Brian Stableford, Ramsey Campbell, Michael Shea, Darrell Schweitzer, Donald R. Burleson, and David J. Schow delve deep into the psyche, expanding on concepts HPL created and taking them in new directions. The result is stories that are wholly original, some even featuring Lovecraft himself as a character. Black Wings editor S.T. Joshi is the recognized authority on all things Lovecraftian, and is famous for his restorations of the Lovecraft's original works. He has assembled a star-studded international line-up in a book that is essential for every horror library."  This compilation has a great deal of variety in that some tales are better than others and each story feels dramatically different from another.  Some of the stories will quite honestly, ruin your entire day and others will make your skin crawl.  It's not exactly the sort of book to read to the kids and it's definitely not a pick-me-up.  However, there really isn't a bad story in the bunch.  It's just that some were so dramatically compelling, they out shined the tamer of the tales.  At around 500 or so pages, it's not a quick read and to be completely honest, I think that's how it should be.  Terror isn't meant to be rushed through, it's meant to creep through every single hair folicle and fester in every crevice of our brains.  Any fan of Lovecraft will find this to be a perfect addition to their collection and horror fans in general will find themselves stricken with a great deal of entertainment.

THE STORIES INCLUDED ARE AS FOLLOWS:
“Pickman’s Other Model (1929)” by Caitlin R. Kiernan
“Desert Dreams” by Donald R. Burleson
“Engravings” by Joseph S. Pulver, Jr.
“Copping Squid” by Michael Shea
“Passing Spirits” by Sam Gafford
“The Broadsword” by Laird Barron
“Usurped” by William Browning Spencer
“Denker’s Book” by David J. Schow
“Inhabitants of Wraithwood” W.H. Pugmire
“The Dome” by Millie L. Burleson
“Rotterdam” by Nicholas Royle
“Tempting Providence” by Jonathan Thomas
“Howling in the Dark” by Darrell Schweitzer
“The Truth about Pickman” by Brian Stableford
“Tunnels” by Philip Haldeman
“The Correspondence of Cameron Thaddeus Nash” annotated by Ramsey Campbell
“Violence, Child of Trust” by Michael Cisco
“Lesser Demons” by Norman Partridge
“An Eldritch Matter” by Adam Niswander
“Substitution” by Michael Marshall Smith
“Susie” by Jason Van Hollander

You can purchase 

Black Wings of Cthulhu: Twenty-One Tales Of Lovecraftian Horror 

 HERE.

THE HAMMER VAULT: MARCUS HEARN RELEASES THE THIRD HAMMER HORROR MASTERPIECE

 

As a self professed book nerd with a penchant for one day transforming my living quarters into the poor man's horror version of Urban Outfitters, I LOVE coffee table books.  Over the past few years, I've been privileged enough to get my carny sized hands on plenty of horror goodies, but absolutely NOTHING compares to the beauty and sophistication of Marcus Hearn's series of books centered around The Hammer Horror franchise.  The first book, Hammer Glamour acted as a bit of an encyclopedia for the ladies of Hammer Horror films. The second book, The Art of Hammer was a portfolio of all of the iconic poster art throughout the years of Hammer films.  Now we are presented with The Hammer Vault, 176 stunning pages of history surrounding the legacy of Hammer Horror films, then and now.  We are given an inside view of some of our most cherished and favored films of yesteryear, as well as some little known favorites that may have left our brains.  To say that this book is breathtaking is an understatement.  I should expect no less from this series, but my God, this book is gorgeous.  

This isn't to act as a definitive encyclopedia on Hammer Horror, but it was written by the official Hammer Films Historian, Marcus Hearn.  This book showcases hundreds of posters, props, scripts, publicity materials, never-used poster art, photographs, letters, and production images from more than 80 films.  Hearn includes historical text along with all of the images giving the reader a little insight to what the production was like on the film, and attempts to shed some light on the groundbreaking and memorable films.  While many may not particularly enjoy hearing the trials and tribulations of how the production went, I find that information to be fascinating.  We often overlook what goes on behind the camera, and having a better knowledge of the production can help us appreciate the final product so much more.  If that doesn't sell you, maybe the pages from Peter Cushing's scrapbook will do the trick...

What I find myself most impressed by is the variety of the films included in the book.  Hearn didn't focus primarily on the years of using Playboy models as their actresses, but they focused on the transgression of the company as a whole.  Let Me In is even included as well as the Daniel Radcliffe starring remake of The Woman in Black.  When I say that this book covers it all, I mean it.  The book is truly a one of a kind gem and perfect for any horror lover.  If you enjoy Hammer films, this book is a must have. 

The book can be purchased on Amazon from Titan Books 

by clicking this link.

SWEDISH SENSATIONSFILMS:A CLANDESTINE HISTORY OF SEX, THRILLERS, AND KICKER CINEMA

This is my attempt at writing an introduction to this review without finding myself single-woman circle jerking about the glory that is Let The Right One In.  While we were all completely blown away by the innovative vampire novel/film, we often times forget that there was once a time when the Swedes kicked major, major ass in the film department.  Swedish born author Daniel Ekeroth, has given us an innovative new look on a highly overlooked and underrated movement in genre films with Swedish Sensationsfilms: A Clandestine History of Sex, Thrillers, and Kicker Cinema.   Let me be one to say that homeboy did his homework.  Ekeroth's book is a highly detailed and accurate look into quite possibly one of the most influential and yet under-appreciated underground film movements.

While this may be an informative read, it is anything but boring. Ekeroth has a remarkable sense of humor and has a writing style that makes it difficult to put down.  Ekeroth analyzes over 200 banned films from this movement and complies them all into one comprehensive book of epic proportions.  And for all of you fanboys out there, yes, there are pictures. This is easily one of the top books written on a specific film style set in a certain setting.  It's hard to exactly pinpoint what to call Swedish Sensationsfilms other than exactly that.  Sensationsfilms.  There hasn't been anything like them, and there wasn't anything like them to compare.  He also gives us a personal peek into the career of Christina Lindberg.  Oh yeah, it's from the actress herself.  Thought I might mention that one.  Ekeroth more than exposed his writing chops and passion for the genre, he has proven himself to be a Sensationsfilms master.  If you're even somewhat curious to know even the slightest information about this film movement, consider this your bible.

PENNING THE PAGES WITH ZOMBIES: AN INTERVIEW WITH SCOTT KENEMORE

Let's get the fact that I'm a total Scott Kenemore fangirl out of the way.  Scott Kenemore is the author of the Zen of Zombie-series of humor/satire books, and the novel Zombie, Ohio.  He is a graduate of Kenyon College and Columbia University.  A member of the Zombie Research Society and the Horror Writers Association, Scott is a Chicago Drummer and is the drummer for the musical band The Blissters.  Scott has discussed zombies on the Fox News Channel, National Public Radio, Martha Stewart Living Radio, The Alan Colmes Show and other esteemed news outlets.  His books have been written about in the Chicago Tribune, Huffington Post, Hartford Courant, Indianapolis Star, Cleveland Plain Dealer, USA TODAY, Rue Morgue Magazine, Fangoria, Gawker.com, BoingBoing.net, AOL News, and the New York Times “City Room” blog.  He's even such the zombie expert that he's been been asked to discuss zombies and horror-writing at conventions like Comic-Con International, Spooky Empire, and ZomBcon. For lack of a better word, he's perfection incarnate.  Now that the formalities are over, LET'S DIVE INTO THE INTERVIEW!

BJ-C: Your most recent book "Zombies vs. Nazis" comes out next month, I gotta ask...are you actually interested in the concept or is this just schtick?

SK: I'm actually interested in the concept. I get approached about doing many zombie-related writing projects that I eventually turn down because they just don't feel right. But when my publisher came to me with a very open ended request ("Could you do something for us with Nazis and zombies?") I instantly knew that, yes, this was a book that I could and should write. Also, I grew excited by the challenge of doing a book where there are NO GOOD GUYS. It's something you don't see a lot. The narrative structure of my book is taken in large part from "The Pardoner's Tale" by Chaucer because that's my favorite story that has no redeemable characters. (I've had a negative reaction from agents who sell film-rights for this very reason. They're all like: "I can't sell THIS to a movie studio. There's no good guy for the audience to cheer for. This is just a bunch of racists Nazis encountering horror and depravity and zombies." And I'm like: "Yeah, exactly.")

BJ-C: Okay, let's make the obvious comparison. What's your opinion of the film Dead Snow?

SK: I thought the Nazi zombies in Dead Snow were wonderful, but I wished they could have been used to tell a more coherent, nuanced story. I hope Dead Snow inspires future horror directors to make new, even better zombie Nazi movies. (I wrote a review of Dead Snow on my blog last year, if you want a more in-depth version of my thoughts.)


BJ-C: Of course the author would want a coherent, nuanced story.  You are a very gifted writer, but out of all of your books, which one was your favorite to write?

SK: Zombie, Ohio was my favorite. Satire and humor are fun, but I like novel writing the best. It's more difficult, but more satisfying in the end. I'd written four novels prior to Zombie, Ohio. Some of them had come very close (I think) to being published, but, in the end, never were. I remember once going smoking in a hookah bar in Manhattan with an editor from Random House who was interested in a novel I wrote back in 2002. I was thinking: "Random House can't take EVERY writer out hookah-barring. They totally must be interested in me!" But then, for one of a million reasons, it fell through. Getting a novel published is about tenacity. You've got to keep trying. I'm proud, also, that I stuck to my guns in terms of content. I never tried to write a novel that would fit a current trend-- I just wrote the kind of horror/mystery novels that I liked and would want to read myself.

BJ-C: The book itself is vastly different from your satire books.  How did you transition from writing your zomcom books into your more serious book Zombie, Ohio?

SK: I had always been writing novels all the time-- alongside the satire-- I just hadn't yet convinced a publisher to print one of them.


BJ-C: You recently had a kickstarter campaign for your next book, what can we expect from Zombie, Illinois?

SK: I don't want to give too much away. The novel has three narrators-- a twenty-something female rock drummer, a thirty-something male news reporter, and a sixty-something African American pastor. Zombie, Illinois follows these three characters as they interact with one another, fight zombies, and negotiate the difficulties of a zombie outbreak in Chicago, Chicagoland, and larger Illinois. Many of the themes and locales are drawn from my own experiences-- being a drummer in Chicago bands, working in the media, and working for six years with community-improvement organizations in African American neighborhoods on Chicago's South Side.

BJ-C: That's going to be incredible.  Speaking of incredible, how was it speaking at comic-con?


SK: Great fun! Our panel was a marvelous exchange of ideas (about zombies), and I got to catch up with many of my friends from the "horror/zombie circuit."

BJ-C: I can only imagine the amount of nerdgasms.  While I'm on the subject, what is your nerdiest obsession other than zombies?


SK: Hmm. Things my friends make fun of me for liking include Rush, Phil Collins/Genesis, and Sherlock Holmes.


BJ-C: Phil Collins?! Oh no. We can't be friends. We'd be perpetual enemies.  I hate Phil Collins with a fiery passion.  Rush, that we can share but not Phil Collins.  Sorry, I digress.  What do you want to see come from the modern zombie film?

SK: I would like to see zombies used for great storytelling!


BJ-C: I think we're still too new into the zombie psyche to figure out a way to do that just yet.  Do you think that zombies will ever get the disgusting facelift that the vampires have (aka-will there be a twilight style zombie)?

SK: Honestly, yes--I think at some point, unfortunately, some out-of-touch Hollywood producer will greenlight something like that. And it will fail utterly, and lose a bunch of people a bunch of money.

BJ-C: That's depressing, yet inevitable.  I agree with you on that one.  Maybe it's the Chicagoan side of us.  We're lucky that way.  So, I gotta know.  How has Chicago shaped your zombie obsession?

Chicago is a great, dynamic, exciting town. It's unique. It has guilds and trusts and racial-clusters like Ankh-Morpork. It also has a tradition of beloved writers who don't always get the national attention they deserve (Mike Royko, Studs Terkel, Roger Ebert, Timuel Black, just to name a few). What I want to do with Zombie, Illinois is to write a horror novel about Chicago and Illinois that people FROM Chicago and Illinois will actually like. Too many "important Chicago books" get named as being so by book critics in New York City, and not because actual readers in Chicago are like: "Yes, this guy/gal got it right!" I will have succeeded with Zombie, Illinois if local readers feel like I captured something real.

A ZOMBIE PANEL OF EPIC PROPORTIONS

For all of us who missed comic-con (raises hand in shame) we not only missed the plethora of cosplay brilliance, but some of the best panels and debates. Everyone knows that I'm a straight up Scott Kenemore fangirl, so I'll watch just about anything where he's talking. Unfortunately this is sort of overtaken by Max Brooks (who's a total windbag, as it seems) but this panel of Zombie Authors has brought some interesting arguments to the table. Thoughts?

Oh Scott Kenemore...you fox.

SHOCK VALUE: THE HORROR FAN'S GUIDE TO SOME OF THE GREATEST FILMS EVER MADE

After mother nature gave me a perverbial bitch slap by not only destroying the homes of those I love but also taking away my power AGAIN (check out the northern suburbs of Chicago online. It's what M. Night Shamalahymen wishes The Happening was like) It's BJ-C, bitch.  I'm back and after a horror high from the PJ Soles blogathon, I'm about ready to take on the world.

While I was without the use of the internet or basic lighting, I was finally able to use my time to do something productive rather than stalk people on a certain bookfaced social networking site for hours on end. Yes, I finally had time to read a damn book.  Let me tell you, I finished this one in a single sitting.  Jason Zinoman's book SHOCK VALUE is like reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy for horror fanatics.  As one of the babies of the horror blogosphere, I was born in a time of bad teenage slashers and was only able to access the glory of the 70's from whatever my mother deemed worthy for my eyes to see.  A book like this isn't something I can reminisce over nostalgic distances, it's something I NEED to fully grasp what I missed by being conceived nearly two decades too late.  While Universal and the black and white films of yesteryear were the originals and the classics, it was the horror of this era that truly established the proper canon of horror films.  

Zinoman isn't concentrating solely on the films themselves, but digs deep to deliver us the true inner workings of films that we cherish so intensely.  He discusses not only the creative process, but also the underlying meanings of the films that are often overlooked due to the gore, scares, or killers.  This product of the Penguin Press doesn't just analyze what it is about these films that helped define an entire golden genre of film, it gives us as horror fans an entirely new level to appreciate when watching these films. 

I find it remarkably difficult to try to describe what this book is truly all about without 1) completely ruining it for you and 2) going into an extreme fangirl mode and writing a novel of sorts on this page.  All I have to say is trust me when I say this book is by a true horror connoisseur, for horror connoisseurs.  Zinoman has managed to bring out the heart as well as the brain that went into changing not only the horror genre, but the world of film as a whole.

SHOCK VALUE is now on sale
and you'll be doing yourself a grave disservice 
if you do not find a way to pick it up.

HANDLING THE UNDEAD: MORE PROOF THAT LINDQVIST IS A GOD

This review does contain mild spoilers, but will not ruin the novel for you.  Read at your own discretion. 

What can I say about John Ajvide Lindqvist that hasn't already been said?  To put it simply, the man is a genius.  Lindqvist delivered us Let The Right One In which was later turned into one of (if not the) greatest vampire film since Dracula, a film that I will personally admit saved my sanity and my life.  Let's just say that not reading this book just wasn't a possibility.  Handling the Undead is a book that explores the zombie mythos in a direction that I personally have never experienced.  From the other reviews I had been skimming before I opened the cover, it seems that one of my favorite attributes was the one that killed it (no pun intended) for them.  Lindqvist's zombies don't eat flesh nor brains.  We must remember that before Romero, zombies weren't hell bent on eating the living, they just existed.  These are the zombies that Lindqvist is bringing us back to. A butterfly beats its wings somewhere in the universe - and an electrical field lowers itself over Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, and causes a piercing headache in everyone as well as making it impossible to turn of any electrical appliances or machines. When the field lifts, something has changed - the recently deceased have come back to life... - and they want to come home.  The recently deceased is the best way to put it.  The zombies in this novel are somewhat fresh as anything dead longer than two months is unable to rise.  These zombies have one main function, using what little impulse memory they still possess and allowing it to guide them home.  In my opinion, Lindqvist's lack of feeding frenzies or shots to the head made it quite possibly the most realistic interpretation of an actual zombie outbreak.  If you are intending to pick up a book and find yourself engulfed in a world of headshots, blood, screams, and cries of "brains", then you should consider picking a different book.  What you will find within the 300 something pages is a story that will force you to reflect on your own life and evaluate the people you cherish the most.   

The book follows three different and yet somehow intertwined families. David and his son Magnus lose the mother of the family, Eva when she died in a car accident only a few hours before the dead have risen.  This makes Eva the less decomposed of all the zombies and it is because of this that she is seen as a special case for the authorities...especially when she speaks.  The second family is athiest/anarchist Flora and her devoutly religious grandmother Elvy, who are visited by Elvy's husband when he returns home after walking out of the morgue.  The most painful of the families is that of 6 year old Elias, his mother Anna, grandfather Mahler. Elias died barely two months earlier and Mahler took it upon himself to dig Elias out.

The focus of this story is not of the zombies themselves, but those who are forced to take care of them.  If they're not eating people or causing any harm, how can you justify destroying them?  The novel explores the different obstacles we are willing to overcome in order to take care of those we love.  Much like jellyfish though, they adapt to their surroundings....through thought.  This is where I put my foot down and stop spoiling the book, because it's something that needs to be read to understand.

While Handling the Undead is in no way as powerful as Let the Right One In, I almost find it a bit unfair to compare the two, as they are vastly different novels.  This book was incredibly interesting and if you have the ability to read it, do so.  It's a quick read, but a very different one at that.  

“I believe…there is a place where happiness exists. A place, and a time.”

ZOMBIE, OHIO & LET ME DIE A WOMAN: TWO BOOKS YOU MUST READ BEFORE YOU DIE

Homework? Bitch, Please.

Now that midterms have FINALLY taken a seat back in the life of BJ-C, I was able to sit back and do some recreational reading.  I'm a total bookworm, but I've forced myself to avoid the stacks of novels sent to me in place of some War Poetry and Kristin Linklater's books on "freeing the natural voice".  Don't get me wrong, I'm psyched to study Theatre and English...but there's an assload of reading required for both of these majors.  ANNNYWAY.  Two AMAZING authors, Scott Kenemore and Alan Kelly have sent me copies of their books Zombie, Ohio and Let Me Die A Woman.  Both of these books are horror essentials and tickle two very different parts of my personality.  It is for this reason that I've decided to review them together.

 Scott Kenemore is no stranger to Day of the Woman.  The man has four full length zombie books out already, and took a dive into the world of novella with his newest addition Zombie, Ohio.  This Chicago native has managed to weave a tapestry of horror, humor, and intellect.  This one is less of a "OMG ZOMBIES" book and more of a murder mystery, which adds an even more incredible twist to the traditional zombie novel.  The story focuses on Peter Mellor, a regular college professor who dies in a car accident without realizing he's actually dead. Peter then reanimates but has no idea he's a member of the walking dead and hopelessly attempts to readjust to society.  While the poor man attempts to put together his life, figure out who the hell killed him, and reconnect with his loved ones, zombies begin a reign of terror.  Kenemore does have quite the graphic detail for all the gorehounds out there, but his writing style is something I always enjoy.  It's written with much intelligence, but sprinkled with dark humor and the ever popular sarcasm.  Kenemore is a truly talented author and has painted us a grimly wonderful post-apocalyptic world to escape to.  

 AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

Alan Kelly is a genius.  There, I said it.  If John Waters had a baby with a foul mouthed, quick witted, feminist, pulp fiction star...it would more than likely star in this Irish author's debut novel.  I'll be completely honest when I say that it's almost difficult to put into words just how awesome this book is.  This is the sort of novel that has to be experienced, rather than just reviewed.  The tale tells of Bunny Flask, with the help of her friend Kiffany, who has fought hard to champion women working in the horror genre in the magazine 'Blood Rag'. (Can you see why I'm so obsessed with this?)  Unfortunately, the magazine is bought out by the chauvinist greed mongler, Mick Jones.  When Alice Fiend is brought into the picture, Bunny's world seems to be over as she knows it.  After everything falls apart, Bunny decides to make her own future...with weaponry!  This book is gritty, filthy, violent, hilarious, and represents everything great about the pulp fiction novels of yesteryear.  It's nearly impossible to believe that this is a debut novel for how vivid the characters are written and how powerful the storyline is.  Alan Kelly may not have written a book that will work for every audience, but it exceeds with flying colors for those with even the slightest interest in pulp fiction.