Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion (2011)

  

I picked up this zombie romantic comedy purely because they made a movie of it and the trailer looked cute.  By the way, isn't that cover great?

This is a very endearing zombie romantic comedy--yes, zombie romantic comedy--that tells the story of R, a zombie wandering around in a zombie vs. survivalist humans world.  The story is told from R's point of view, and there are many laugh out loud moments.  When he eats the brain of a young human and falls for his girlfriend Julie, it gets a bit more serious.

But throughout, it still has lovely touches of humor. Marion does a beautiful job of getting inside R's head and still showing what he looks and sounds like from the outside.  It's thoughtful and philosophical about the end of the world in a way that most zombie, post-apocalyptic novels don't bother with--certainly not zombie movies anyway. R, Julie and her friend Nora are very endearing characters as are the complex leaders of the humans.

Really a great book and rather gentle and sweet for a book about zombies. The book was blurbed by Josh Bazell, which is an excellent readalike in tone and humor.  Interestingly, Isaac Marion is publishing The New Hunger, the prequel to Warm Bodies only as an e-book right now. 

Life Sucks by Jessica Abel, Gabe Soria and Warren Pleece (2008)

Great graphic novel about unenthusiastic vampire Dave, who works at a convenience store and falls in love with a goth girl. Very much like The Last Man in its humor and charm. Crying out to be made into a movie. I'd love to have seen John Cusack (years ago) play Dave, Matthew McCononaughy play Wes and Jeff Bridges play Merle. Maybe Tony Shalhoub as Radu?  Very witty and fun.

Audrey's Door by Sarah Langan (2009)

Excellent haunted house story set on the Upper West Side of New York City. It's a hidden gem--a quality trade paperback hidden in the pages of a mass market paperback.  Good, complex characterization (the ex-fiance and shrewish boss are not painted as black and white bad guys), as well as an unusual, complicated backstory (chaotic naturalism!) and many scenes that just cry out to be filmed.  This is a great fit for fans of the contemporary gothic of Gillian Flynn.

The Loving Dead by Amelia Beamer (2010)

Never underestimate the power of a good blurb.  I picked up this zombie novel because it was blurbed on the front by Christopher Moore as "really kind of hot, in a very creepy way." Truly a modern novel, with really realistic dialogue and believable young characters. You have to love a zombie novel that starts out at a Trader Joe's.  Ooh, and here's an interesting slant:  the virus is spread through sex and kissing.  Which is the zombie world seems like a recipe for some pretty dodgy situations, but Beamer handles them all in very realistic and not at all exploitative ways.   Fun and original.

Richard Matheson - Adored Author

A prolific contributor to the Twilight Zone tv series, Matheson writes stories that are part horror, part fantasy and completely compelling. Outstanding collections of Matheson's work include Third From the Sun and the Shock series.  See also Duel, a wonderful collection of short stories including the title story, a fabulous tale of road rage and craziness that is genuinely frightening. Makes you wonder how anybody makes it home alive after being out on the roads.

Come Closer by Sara Gran (2003)

I love that Sara Gran writes so well in a variety of genres.  This is a truly unusual spooky book.  Interesting first-person tale of demonic possession, as experienced by a married, loft-living, 34-year-old architect. Written with clean, plain prose that suits the story perfectly. Quite chilling, really.

The Bottoms by Joe R. Lansdale (2000)

A boyhood reminiscence of a mysterious murder in East Texas during the Great Depression. Lansdale's writing is suspenseful and spare, and he creates an unflinching portrayal of Southern racism at its worst. An eerie, atmospheric read.  Followed by the equally well written A Fine, Dark Line, an intriguing reinterpretation of the 50s coming of age novel. It's about a boy whose family owns a small town drive-in who tries to solve a mystery of a murder, but the true draw here is the richly drawn characters.

A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb (2005)

Beautifully written young adult novel about a 130-year-old ghost who one day meets another ghost who persuades her to take someone's body and live life with him.  Romantic and thoughtful and spooky--a really lovely and suspenseful modern ghost story.