2019 5 Star Review #13 - Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues

Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues by Diana Rowland
White Trash Zombie, book two
Published July 2012 by DAW

Format Read: Audiobook I Own

Description from Goodreads:
Angel Crawford is finally starting to get used to life as a brain-eating zombie, but her problems are far from over. Her felony record is coming back to haunt her, more zombie hunters are popping up, and she’s beginning to wonder if her hunky cop-boyfriend is involved with the zombie mafia. Yeah, that’s right—the zombie mafia.

Throw in a secret lab and a lot of conspiracy, and Angel’s going to need all of her brainpower—and maybe a brain smoothie as well—in order to get through it without falling apart.

My Review: 

This series is funny and so very, surprisingly heartfelt. I originally picked up a book in the series (out of order) because I'd been assigned to review it. I'd seen the cover for the first one and thought it was amazing, but never got around to reading it.  Well, after I read one book in the series and LOVED it, I was good and hooked. I finally went back and started the series from the beginning and I'm now completely caught up and hoping there will be more books... 

Anyway, this is book two in the series and *spoiler alert* Angel is getting somewhat used to being a zombie.  Unfortunately, her new boyfriend may or may not be part of the Zombie Mafia, and there some other weird crap going on.  Needless to say, as a zombie book lover, this whole concept is great, but it's also AMAZING how Angel is like the worst human being, but grows to become such a stellar person...as a zombie.  There is a huge amount of character growth in each book and I love watching her come to stand on her own feet and kick some butt along the way. 

This book was funny and touching and I couldn't stop smiling as I hit the end of the book. I also immediately wanted to move onto book three. I'll also mention that I LOVE the narration of the audiobooks for this series.  The reader does an amazing job with accents and diction that gives very distinct tones to each character and makes the listening experience wild. As I said, I've now read all six books and not only do I want more, but I would happily re-listen to any book in this series if I had the free time. 

June and July Challenge Wrap Up Post

2019* Book I Already Own Challenge

So, here is my confession.  Work and life got a little crazy and I never realized that I did not post a June wrap up!! *sigh*  So, instead you are going to get two months worth of reading in one nifty little post and I'm going to try to keep up with things again! *fingers crossed*

Here's what I read in June/July:

Audiobooks I Own - June
Buried Heart by Kate Elliott
Arcana Rising by Kresley Cole
The Beholder by Anna Bright

Audiobooks I Own - July
Iron Gold by Pierce Brown
Even Tree Nymphs Get the Blues by Molly Harper (novella)
Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
Spirit of the Witch by Deanna Chase
Scythe by Neal Shusterman *5 star*
A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire
The Warlord Wants Forever by Kresley Cole (novella)

Physical Books I Own - June
A Heart so Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer *5 star*
The Falconer by Elizabeth May *5 star*
The Vanishing Throne by Elizabeth May *5 star*
The Fallen Kingdom by Elizabeth May *5 star*
Kingdom of Exiles by Maxym Martineau *5 star*
Day Zero by Kresley Cole (novella)

Physical Books I Own - July
In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire *5 star*
Protect the Prince by Jennifer Estep
Smitten by the Brit by Melonie Johnson
Ain't She a Peach by Molly Harper
The Magicians: Alice's Story by Lilah Sturges and Lev Grossman
Roar by Cara Carmack

eBooks I Own - June
A Stranger Thing by Isla Neal and Martin Leicht
The Year of Shadows by Claire Legrand

eBooks I Own - July 
Prey by Carina Cook
Loving My Pack by Lane Whitt
A Few Pecans Short of a Pie by Molly Harper

Required Reading 
(for work - June) Still Life by Louise Penny
(for review - July) The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman *5 star*
(for work - July) Lethal Licorice by Amanda Flower
(for review - July) Here There are Monsters by Amelinda Berube

Book Borrowed from the Library
Crazy Cupid Love by Amanda Heger

So, that's quite a few books over two months.  Thirty-two to be exact.  I'm not sure how I managed that with things being as busy as they were!! I will say that audio books have been a godsend for me this year. I can listen while doing chores, in the car, putting on my makeup, etc. It gains me a lot of reading time. I was also lucky enough to pick up a few books that were such page turners they turned out to be one-sitting books! I haven't had one of those in a while... 

In terms of my challenge, I didn't do too badly.  Not only did the majority I read come from my own collections, but I was happy to read a few of my oldest TBR books this summer! I finished a series that I'd been two-thirds of the way through for years. I reread the first book in a trilogy and then read both other books to finish the series. (And I LOVED them... OMG why did I not finish the Falconer series sooner???) I finally read Good Omens because the TV show came out and I refused to watch it without having read the book.  And while I did have one pretty disappointing read over the two months, I had EIGHT five star reads, which is awesome! 

I'm hoping now that things might be calming back down in work and life, that I can pick up on writing my five star book reviews, because I've fallen woefully behind... like months and months worth... *sigh* 

How has your summer reading been?

(Belated) May Challenge Wrap Up Post

2019* Books I Already Own Challenge

So, I'm just full of blogging excuses! My last wrap up post was several weeks late, and again here we are mid-month and I still haven't posted my wrap up from May... All I can say is life happens? Work is busy. Today is actually the first day of summer reading, so we spent the last few weeks prepping like crazy for our busy season at work. I've been reading, I just haven't had time to do things like write blog posts lately. 

Anyway, here's what I read in May:

Audiobooks I Own
Atomic Marriage by Curtis Sittenfeld (novella)
The Hundredth Queen by Emily R. King
Faerie Magic by Emma Adams *5 star*
Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff *5 star*
Corpse & Crown by Alisa Kwitney
Imposters by Scott Westerfeld

Physical Books I Own
Kingsbane by Claire Legrand
Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
Finale by Stephanie Garber *5 star*

Required Reading
(for work) Murder in the Paperback Parlor by Ellery Adams
(for work) A Friendly Life by S Prestley Blake

Book Borrowed from the Library
A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder by Dianne Freeman

Again, this was a very good month for audiobooks.  I was running around a lot and prepping for my trip into New York City for the Book Expo and so listening was often easier than sitting down to read.  I should mention, though, that I liked two of these audiobooks enough (Aurora Rising and Corpse & Crown) that I actually bought the physical books to add to my Personal Library.  They were both great "reads." 

I also read a bunch of physical books that I really enjoyed this month.  AND I finally finished Priory of the Orange Tree!! I didn't really give myself time to sit down and read big chunks of this book until May, so I literally read this book over a course of six weeks, which is an excruciatingly long time for me. It turned out to be very good, though not as good as I'd hoped.  I was a little disappointed in the end, but then I followed it up with Kingsbane and Finale, both of which were amazing.

Overall, it was a month that sort of passed in a blur, but it was a happy fuzz of good reading, so that's okay.  How was your May in terms of reading?

(Belated) April Challenge Wrap Up Post

2019* Books I Already Own Challenge

Okay Spring, can we slow down a little? Work has gotten busy and not only have I not been able to read very much lately because I've been both busy and tired, but I also suddenly realized it's mid-May and I hadn't posted my April wrap up yet.  So, here it is...

What I read in April:

Audiobooks I Own 
Morning Star by Pierce Brown *5 star*
Devil May Care by Pippa DaCosta
Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues by Diana Rowland *5 star* 
White Trash Zombie Apocalypse by Diana Rowland
Lucky Suit by Lauren Blakely (novella)
Never-Contented Things by Sarah Porter
Carter & Lovecraft by Jonathan Howard
Faerie Blood by Emma Adams *5 star* 

Physical Books I Own
Getting Hot with the Scot by Melonie Johnson *5 star*
Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor
Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare - group read

eBooks I Own
Thrall by Carina Cook *5 star*

Required Reading
(for work) Snobbery with Violence by Marion Chesney
(for review) An Artless Demise by Anna Lee Huber

As I mentioned work has gotten quite busy and I was also traveling to and from meetings quite a lot. So the majority of my reading was actually done via audiobook this month. I had a very hard time actually sitting down to read. Thankfully, the majority of the audiobooks I listened to were pretty stellar and eight is not too shabby a number to cross off my list! LOL.  The physical books I squeezed in were all pretty great, too, so overall it was a pretty good reading month.  I had one book that turned out to be a HUGE disappointment, but that happens. I also finished my group read of the Infernal Devices trilogy in April, and while I was really glad to have read them, I didn't love them as much as I'd expected to, so they got donated to the library.

How was your reading in April?

March Challenge Wrap Up Post

2019* Books I Already Own Challenge

Wow. Did anyone else feel like March flew by and they somehow missed it? I did not get to read nearly enough last month! Suddenly, it was April... and I was in shock. LOL. I only read a couple of the books on my TBR, went off the rails a little, and ended the month wondering what happened.

Here's what I (managed to) read in March:

Audiobooks I Own
Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian
Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire
Dead of Winter by Kresley Cole
Circle of the Moon by Faith Hunter *5 star*

Physical Books I Own
A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn
Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones
Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare - group read

eBook I Own
City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty *5 star*

Required Reading
(for work) Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor by Stephanie Barron

Borrowed from Library 
Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren *5 star*
Good Luck Charm by Helena Hunting

As I mentioned, this month got away from me a little. I attempted to read two epic adult fantasies at the same time, which was just not possible, so had to put Priory of the Orange Tree on hold so I could finish City of Brass.  Hopefully, I'll finish it this month!  I also ended the month *almost* finished with an audiobook, but not quite, so that's my first officially finished book in April instead.

This month I both read less and enjoyed the books a little less than in January and February, which made me a little sad.  April, though, is starting off well, so I think I may just try to wipe March mostly from my memory. *laughs somewhat hysterically*

How was your March reading?

February Challenge Wrap Up Post

2019* Books I Already Own Challenge

Hello Readers! For one of the shortest months of the year, I actually got a ton of reading done in February! How did you do?  I was amazed at how many audiobooks I managed to fit in between things.  And in the cold and snow, there's nothing I love more than snuggling up with a good book, a cozy blanket, my dog, and a good read. 

Though my February reads didn't rank quite as high as my January ones did on my one to five star scale, a lot of them were solidly in the middle, so that's not too bad.  I started hosting a group read of The Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare on instagram, so we read book one in February and we'll be reading books two and three in March and April.  I also read a lot of romance, as I was trying out Audible's Romance package, which I ended up canceling after my free trial month.  I hope you read some good books this past month. 

Here's what I read in February:

Audiobooks I Own
Mikhail by Lauren Smith
Save a Truck, Ride a Redneck by Molly Harper - novella
Peachy Flippin' Keen by Molly Harper - novella
Rurik by Lauren Smith
How to Date Your Dragon by Molly Harper
Love and Other Wild Things by Molly Harper
Illusion Town by Jayne Castle
First World by Jaymin Eve

Physical Books I Own 
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne *5 star*
The Forgotten Sisters by Shannon Hale *5 star*
Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas
Gunslinger Girl by Lyndsay Ely
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare  - group read
A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer *5 star*

eBooks I Own 
Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill
Lera of Lunos by Alex Lidell

Required Reading
(for work) Death by Cashmere by Sally Goldenbaum

Borrowed from the Library
An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten

Did you read anything amazing in February?
Are you also working on reading from your own collections at home?

December Challenge Wrap Up Post

2018 Books I Already Own Challenge

December, a month that feels both endless and passes in a blink! Full of holidays and the anticipation that builds along with them.  I was terrified this month that I wasn't going to get a chance to read anything, but I actually got quite a bit of reading in along the way!

I was super happy that I managed to fit in the two Christmas themed books I'd planned, as I was really feeling in the spirit this year and I wanted the chance to embrace that in my reading. I also finished some great romances that I had flirted with reading in the past so it was a month filled with love and joy.

I hope it felt that way for you, too!

So here's what I read in December:

Audiobooks I Own
Boy Toy by Sarina Bowen and Tanya Eby
Sweet Tea and Sympathy by Molly Harper
Getting Schooled by Emma Chase

Audiobooks I Borrowed
All the King's Horses by Lauren Gallagher
Unbreak My Heart by Lauren Blakely
From Here to You by Jaime McGuire

Physical Books I Own 
Wanderlust by Lauren Blakely
The Real Deal by Lauren Blakely
Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Vox by Christina Dalcher
The Christmas Sisters by Sarah Morgan

eBook I Own
Butterface by Avery Flynn

Required Reading
(for review) Hating to Love You by Erin Rylie
(for work) The Santa Klaus Murder by Mavis Doriel Hay

Borrowed from the Library (to finish my A to Z Reading Challenge!)
Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke

I've discovered in the last few months that I can actually do a LOT of audiobook listening at home. My husband leaves for work before I even get out of bed most days so while I'm working out, getting ready for work, and eating breakfast I can have an audiobook running.  It's making my "reading" go a lot faster at home. 

I read some really great books this month. I loved Six of Crows and finally understood all the hype it had gotten.  Wanderlust had me sighing out loud in the best way (and what great accents in the audiobook!). Vox was legitimately terrifying to contemplate and Jane, Unlimited felt like it expanded my brain as it unfolded.  I also loved The Christmas Sisters and found that to be the perfect holiday read this year.  I only hope my reading moving into 2019 continues to be this good!!

Happy New Year and Happy Reading all!

November Challenge Wrap Up Post

2018 Books I Already Own Challenge

Ah November.  The month that somehow manages to feel super long and super short every year.  As we ramp up to the Holidays, the first part of the month always seems to stretch, then the last two weeks or so FLY by, and suddenly it's December.  EVERY year. 

Though I managed to read a decent amount of books, it was not quite what I'd hoped... As part of a group online, I read A Discovery of Witches, which has been on my TBR long list for ages and while it was EXCELLENT, it also took longer than I expected to read.  It's surprisingly dense. Well worth the read, though! One of my favorite books of this entire year.

So, here's what I actually read in November:

Audiobooks
Possession by Jessica Hawkins
How to Walk Away by Katherine Center
The Other Lady Vanishes by Amanda Quick
Hello Stranger by Lisa Kleypas
A Rogue of Her Own by Grace Burrowes

Physical Books I Own
Renegade by JA Souders

eBooks I Own
Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire
Move the Stars by Jessica Hawkins
Neutral by Jane Washington and Jaymin Eve
Pain by Jane Washington and Jaymin Eve

Nonfiction Title of the Month: FAIL. I did not read one AGAIN.

Required Reading
(work) Murder at the Brightwell by Ashley Weaver *technically a re-read*

Group Read: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

DNF (Did Not Finish): Zero Repeat Forever by Gabrielle Prendergast
I read 25% of this book from my home library and decided that I was not interested enough to finish it.  There are too many other books to read! So, this one has a new home as a prize for a teen at our Library...

I did very little actually sit down with a book reading this month! It was much more audiobook listening and sneaking in books on my kindle or phone between things... probably going to be similar in December, but we'll have to wait and see. How was your November reading?

Do You SYNC?

It's that time of year again... the time when AudioFile Magazine sponsors a program called "SYNC" that allows listeners to download free Young Adult & Classic audio book downloads to encourage the listening experience. So great! A whole summer of free audiobooks!!

This year, they've expanded even more so there are a TON of audiobooks to choose from. Check it out! 

May 15 – May 21
WARP: THE RELUCTANT ASSASSIN by Eoin Colfer, Narrated by Maxwell Caulfield (Listening Library)  
THE TIME MACHINE by H.G. Wells, Narrated by Derek Jacobi (Listening Library)

May 22 – May 28  
CRUEL BEAUTY by Rosamund Hodge, Narrated by Elizabeth Knowelden (Harper Audio)
OEDIPUS THE KING by Sophocles, Performed by Michael Sheen and a full cast (Naxos AudioBooks)

May 29 – June 4  
CONFESSIONS OF A MURDER SUSPECT by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro, Narrated by Emma Galvin (Hachette Audio)
THE MURDER AT THE VICARAGE by Agatha Christie, Narrated by Richard E. Grant (Harper Audio)

June 5 – June 11  
ALL OUR YESTERDAYS by Cristin Terrill, Narrated by Meredith Mitchell (Tantor Audio)
JULIUS CAESAR by William Shakespeare, Performed by Richard Dreyfuss, JoBeth Williams, Stacy Keach, Kelsey Grammer, and a full cast (L.A. Theatre Works)

June 12 – June 18  
CODE NAME VERITY by Elizabeth Wein, Narrated by Morven Christie and Lucy Gaskell (Bolinda Audio)  
THE HIDING PLACE by Corrie Ten Boom, John Sherrill, Elizabeth Sherrill, Narrated by Bernadette Dunne (christianaudio)

June 19 – June 25  

I’D TELL YOU I LOVE YOU, BUT THEN I’D HAVE TO KILL YOU by Ally Carter, Narrated by Renée Raudman (Brilliance Audio)
ANNE OF GREEN GABLES by L.M. Montgomery, Narrated by Colleen Winton (Post Hypnotic Press)

June 26 – July 2
FORGIVE ME, LEONARD PEACOCK by Matthew Quick, Narrated by Noah Galvin (Hachette Audio)  
OCTOBER MOURNING: A Song for Matthew Shepard by Lesléa Newman, Narrated by Emily Beresford, Luke Daniels, Tom Parks, Nick Podehl, Kate Rudd, Christina Traister (Brilliance Audio)

July 3 – July 9  
TORN FROM TROY by Patrick Bowman, Narrated by Gerard Doyle (Post Hypnotic Press)
PETER AND THE STARCATCHERS by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, Narrated by Jim Dale (Brilliance Audio)

July 10 – July 16  
CLAUDETTE COLVIN: Twice Toward Justice by Philip Hoose, Narrated by Channie Waites (Brilliance Audio)
WHILE THE WORLD WATCHED by Carolyn Maull McKinstry with Denise George, Narrated by Felicia Bullock (Oasis Audio)

July 17 – July 23  
THE CASE OF THE CRYPTIC CRINOLINE by Nancy Springer, Narrated by Katherine Kellgren (Recorded Books)  
THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES II by Arthur Conan Doyle, Narrated by David Timson (Naxos AudioBooks)

July 24 – July 30  
HEADSTRONG by Patrick Link, Performed by Deidrie Henry, Ernie Hudson, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine and Scott Wolf (L.A. Theatre Works)  

THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE by Robert Louis Stevenson, Narrated by Scott Brick (Tantor Audio)

July 31 – August 6  
DIVIDED WE FALL by Trent Reedy, Narrated by Andrew Eiden (Scholastic Audio)
THE RED BADGE OF COURAGE by Stephen Crane, Narrated by Frank Muller (Recorded Books)

August 7 – August 13  
LIVING A LIFE THAT MATTERS by Ben Lesser, Narrated by Jonathan Silverman and Ben Lesser (Remembrance Publishing)
THE SHAWL by Cynthia Ozick, Narrated by Yelena Shmulenson (HighBridge Audio)

Isn't that a great list? You can download either or both of the available titles each week by going here. I already downloaded both titles this week... I can't wait until the new ones are available on Thursday.

In My Mailbox - July 3, 2011

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme, hosted by Kristi at the Story Siren, inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. Every week bloggers can share what they received in the mail or at the bookstore or at the library. The goal is that everyone can be exposed to more books this way!

From the Library:

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

On My Nook:

Heartless by Gail Carriger

For Review:

The Witches of East End by Melissa De La Cruz
*Thanks to Book it Forward ARC tours*


The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch
Divergent by Veronica Roth
*Thanks to AudioFile Magazine for sending these on audio!*


The End of Time by P.W. Catanese
The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie by Jaclyn Moriarty
*Thanks to SLJ for sending these on audio!*

Bought:

Nightspell by Leah Cypess
(Couldn't pass this up! I was in the little bookstore at Grand Central Terminal in NYC on Tuesday with my Mom, getting her a book for her birthday, when I start perusing the YA shelves...I passed up Hourglass, though it was almost painful, and was about to leave when I pulled this one off the shelf. IT'S SIGNED! So, of course I picked it up to add to my collection. I loved this book! You can read my review here.)