Book Review: World War Z:An Oral History of the Zombie War ~ Max Brooks

Book Review: World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War ~ Max Brooks

From amazon.com: Brooks tells the story of the world's desperate battle against the zombie threat with a series of first-person accounts "as told to the author" by various characters around the world.


This is exactly what this book is. It's told in excerpts from interviews with people who lived through the zombie apocalypse from it's beginning to the end of the "war." There are many different "interviewees" and each tells his or her story from a unique perspective. There are civilian, military and political points of view, and each tells a different aspect of the fight against the undead.


The book itself is unique, and so is it's premise. We've been assailed with zombie tales in recent literature and, while I hope this is a trend that continues, it's going to be difficult for writers to come up with unique points of view. Mr. Brooks doesn't have that problem here. 


Those interviewed range from a Chinese doctor who shares his experiences from the beginning of the war to a Russian soldier describing the horrors perpetrated on her army by it's superiors. My personal favorite is the story of the blind monk who managed to hold his own in the wilderness. 


We are told about military operations that failed miserably, accounts of families heading northward to escape the zombie horde, and American politician's struggles with having to basically decide who gets to live. Reading the book, I honestly could envision people making those same decisions. To me, if zombies came calling tomorrow, I would expect the world to fall apart the way it did in this novel. I would also expect the indomitable human spirit to rise up against the undead army and take back the world from it.


What Mr. Brooks has done here, and has done well, is written an excellent piece of zombie apocalypse fiction. The interview style is a novel idea and it made the story fresh and interesting. The writer also showed a vast knowledge of different countries' military and cultural practices, especially evidenced by the interviews with the Chinese doctor. 


My only real issue with the novel is that the different people telling their stories all seemed to be using the same voice. Though the names changed, as did the tales, the voices stayed the same. It became somewhat confusing when interviewees were revisited. I'll over look this issue, though, because this book was that damned good.


From beginning to end, I found the book to be interesting, riveting and highly recommendable. 


On a scale of one to five stars with one being the worst, I'd give this book FIVE stars.


Side note: I've been reading about the film adaptation of this book (with Brad Pitt, no less) and they're apparently going to end up turning this into a regular old zombie movie. That would be a BAD move, as this is an exceptionally told story that deserves to be told the way it was written. 

Buy World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks on Kindle from amazon.com.
Buy World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks in paperback from amazon.com.

SPAM!

Spam. It comes in a can and loosely resembles meat. I've been trolling the internet for years but lately I've come across a myriad of ways in which spam is offered by the Hormel company. Here are a few of the most... er... succulent varieties.

Spam Meat Spread. It looks like a cross between potted meat (which I've always called potty meat for obvious reasons) and deviled ham. (link goes to walmart.com)

Spam Oven Roasted Turkey. Oven roasted turkey. If you believe that, I have some land in Florida I can sell you... cheap. (link goes to walmart.com)

Spam Lite. For the health conscious among you who do not care what you put in your mouth. (link goes to walmart.com)

Hickory Smoke Spam. For, uh, whoever wants their canned meat flavored with a little bit of liquid smoke. (link goes to walmart.com)

25% Less Sodium Spam. Heart healthier? (link goes to amazon.com)

Spam with Cheese. The reviewers seemed to like this one, except for Mr. Chunky Monkey who asked "where's the cheese?" (link goes to amazon.com)

Spam Hot & Spicy. For those of you that like a little muy calliente with your lips and assholes. (Sorry, that's hot dogs, isn't it?) (link goes to amazon.com)

Spam Classic Singles. For those of you who, you know, live alone and don't want to open a whole can of Spam because you don't think you'll eat it before it becomes penicillin in your fridge. (link goes to amazon.com)

Spam with BACON. The holy mother of all Spam products. As Paula Deen (might have) once said "there's nothing a little bacon can't fix." (link goes to amazon.com)

Wikipedia alludes to the flavors black pepper and garlic, but I couldn't find any representatives of those for sale on the web. There was even a limited edition "golden honey grail" in honor of Monty Python's Spamalot. (these two links go to wikipedia.)

for your viewing pleasure: green eggs and Spam!

Mackie's Haggis and Cracked Black Pepper Crisps

Seriously? Haggis flavored potato chips? WTF is haggis, you ask? Well, wikipedia says it's "Haggis is a dish containing sheep's 'pluck' (heart, liver and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally simmered in the animal's stomach for approximately three hours." Yeah. So it probably tastes like ass. 

Now someone's gone and made potato chips (crisps, for you non-English people - meaning: me) flavored like this stuff. I haven't actually eaten haggis, but if it tastes as bad as Menudo smells, well, I'll take a pass. 

Short Story Reviews: Zombie Weekend!

I downloaded a few free short stories and thought I'd share the wealth. All links go to Amazon.

Goddamn Redneck Surfer Zombies by Michael Jasper
Every summer the dead rise to... ride the waves? On coffin lids, no less. "So we taught the zombies to surf... At least we didn't have to worry about anyone drowning."

Zombie Joe and the Pogo Stick Legs by Geltab
Zombie point of view. Joe wanders into a diner in search of waffles instead of the usual grey matter fare and hilarity ensues. "About mid life makes a nice, medium rare brain, very enjoyable, you can almost taste the dissatisfaction."

LZR-1143: Perspectives by Bryan James
This is a standalone collection of six short stories, each about different victims of a zombie apocalypse. Though at times confusing, this collection is long on horror. It's part of a series of novels of the same name (LZR-1143).

Music Review: Everlast ~ Songs of the Ungrateful Living

Music Review: Everlast ~ Songs of the Ungrateful Living

I've loved Everlast for a long, long time starting with House of Pain. His voice is unique and the talent and perspective he brings to his music is undeniable.

I'm almost ashamed to admit this, but I didn't even know this album was coming, I found it by accident signing up for a Face Book music service. And I'm so glad I did.

Songs of the Ungrateful Living is his first album in three years and Everlast has come a long way since Jump Around. Virtually every song on this CD has a message that's relevant and sometimes poignant. His voice is his trademark, as are his honest and compelling lyrics. This album goes pretty much everywhere, some tracks sound like rockabilly, nearly even country. But it's all Everlast. The lead single, I Get By, is pure social commentary. "Every single day, I get a little more behind" and "I voted for some change and it's kind of strange, now that's all I got in my pocket." My two favorite songs here are Moneymaker and Long At All, though I liked every track on the album.

I know money's tight, but this CD is worth every penny.

On a scale of zero to ten stars with zero being the worst, this CD gets TEN STARS, and earns every one of them.

Buy Everlast ~ Songs of the Ungrateful Living on CD and mp3 at amazon.com.

(At Least) Ten Reasons Why A Vibrator Is Better Than A Real Man

Because one of my besties is threatening to get her friends gift cards from an adult toy store for Christmas, I thought I'd make a related post. Sort of. (And because I'm a funny mother fucker, too. :P) So. Yeah.

I'm going to start with ten reasons why I think vibrators are better than real men. Now, if you're a dude, don't get all holier-than-thou. This is all in good fun. I'm in no way a man basher. I happen to love men. Especially if they bear strong resemblances to Eminem or Vin Diesel and aren't alcoholic, women beating cro magnons (or paxcil addicted momma's boys). Yeah. I put the fun in dysfunctional, folks.

Here we go.

(AT LEAST) TEN REASONS WHY A VIBRATOR IS BETTER THAN A REAL MAN

1. I don't have to talk to it.
2. I don't have to cuddle with it.
3. All it really wants from me is a bath and fresh batteries.
4. It doesn't get upset if I have a headache.
5. It NEVER finishes before I do.
6. It won't cheat on me.
7. I'm not going to catch anything from it (like an untreatable case of the babies).
8. It will not snore.
9. It will not hog the covers.
10. It will not subject me to endless hours of football.
11. It doesn't care if I'm wearing my good panties or not. 
12. I'll never have to swallow.
13. It'll never get anything nasty on my face or in my hair.
14. It's never going to ask me to make it a sandwich.
15. It'll never need viagra.
16. It doesn't cause any drama when it's time to replace it. 
17. It'll never ask me how big my last boyfriend was.
18. It'll never compare me to it's last girlfriend.
19. It'll never have a fit if I have other vibrators.
20. It'll never fart and then hold my head under the covers.
21. It'll never get busted watching porn.
22. It won't leave it's dirty underwear in the floor.
23. I don't have to worry about it getting along with my friends.
24. It doesn't care about my taste in music.
25. I call call out whatever name I want to. :)

Plush Zombie Hat

This one is a no brainer. (AHAHAHA! I kill myself!)

The wonderfully insane membranes at Think Geek sent me a promotional e-mail today, titled "Think Geek Just Wants To Eat Your Brains."

Since zombies are all the rage now (BFF and I talked about this the other night and we think it's because people are just sick to death of vampires, especially sparkly ones), I'm not surprised that I'm starting to see zombie related stuff everywhere. While I think some of it is cool, a lot of it is just intended to cash in on the popularity of the horror sub-genre.

But this. Well, this is AWESOME. Behold it's glory:

If you'd like to own this little hat hair instigating memorabilia nugget, check out thinkgeek.com. The hat sells for $14.99 and shipping runs $5.39 to $15.99 depending on the method you choose. I don't know if it will keep your head warm, but it is likely to help you fit in when the zombie apocalypse finally hits.

Nom, nom, nom, nom... BRAINS!

Soup And Sandwich Ceramic Tray Duo

Even though I don't really buy housewares, I'm always looking for interesting items.

I found this little beauty on Uncommon Goods Dot Com. It's a tray that has a side for a sandwich (or birthday cake) and a place to fit in an included bowl for soup (or ice cream).

The set includes two plates or trays and two bowls for $30.00 plus $5.95 to $22.95 shipping, depending on how quickly you need them.

Wedding Ring Coffin

Did your marriage take a dirt nap and now you're stuck with a useless wedding ring? Don't want to take it to the "gold liquidators" to earn a little pin money? What do you do with the damned thing, then?

Well, how about a wedding ring coffin?

I found this little baby at Amazon.com for $34.99 plus $5.49 shipping. It has a plaque that reads "Bury the past and move on to a new tomorrow."

There seems to be a big movement lately that divorces are something to celebrate (I wonder if Hallmark started this idea). There are divorce parties (in this particular case, it was only celebrity rumor) and divorce cakes (and stores that cater to these events). So why not bury your wedding ring? 

Obviously I wouldn't advise actually burying it, unless you really need that level of closure. Especially if you rent. On second thought, with unexpected job loss and unemployment fueled foreclosures being so ubiquitous these days, I wouldn't advise burying it at all. You just might need to buy some Ramen one day. (I <3 Ramen!)

You could always leave it on your coffee table as a conversation piece. Well, unless you're dating. Because that conversation would be AWKWARD.

Pivot Power Power Strip

This has been on my shopping list for a while.

You know those plastic power strip/surge protector thingers that we who have eighty million electronic gadgets that need to be plugged in have by the bushel? You know how there's always that one stupid plug that takes up two spots on the damned power strip thereby rendering one of the outlets useless?

Well, no more.

Introduce yourself to the Pivot Power Power Strip. A little online windows shopping (har har, get it? WINDOWS shopping!) tells me that these nifty little things go for the pretty standard price of $29.99, and I think they're worth it. (The link I used goes to Think Geek Dot Com, the REAL greatest place on Earth.)

Oh, look, here's a photo opportunity:

Yeah. Look at that baby go.

Nummy Tum Tum Pure Pumpkin

Amazon.com is selling cases of twelve cans of this stuff for $24.92. It's billed as "Organic Pumpkin and Sweet Potato puree. High in Vitamin A and fiber. Helps with digestive system and weight loss."

Sounds sweet, right? Well, if you like pumpkin. Which, incidentally, I do not.

Why am I posting this here? Twelve cans of pumpkin/sweet potato puree doesn't sound that interesting.

The catch? It's DOG FOOD. Seriously.

While I can't see Fido being remotely interested in anything that doesn't taste like rack or roast of some unfortunate animal, apparently some dogs will eat pumpkin. The Amazon page has user reviews that say that they've either given this stuff to their pooches straight or mixed in with other, more traditional dog food.


According to the user reviews on Amazon, some of the cans are arriving dented, so take care if purchasing.


My favorite user review: "I will admit that I overlooked the "For Dogs" part in the tiny thumbnail picture but the title should include that important information. I bought this for my girlfriend and I and we are not dogs. The worst part is that this item is not eligible for returns.

Awesome.