* I read a LOT of zombie books. Some good, some so-so, some amazing! If you want to see what I’ve read in the past months, go to my GoodReads profile and look at my recent READ list. I’ve also put up different shelves so I can categorize the books I am done reading. WARNING. There are a lot. Hee.

* I’m residing in Oman at the moment. I’m visiting my dad, as well as holding my internship here. It’s not hot yet (honestly, the Philippines is hotter right now) and lately there have been a lot of wind and rain (and sand…). Strangely, even though I’m currently in the land of Arabia, I’ve been eating a lot of Chinese cuisine. I tell you, them locals are crazy for Chinese food here!

* I… I ate a lot of pringles.

* There is a lot of progress regarding my scanlation group. I have some promising editor applicants. Here’s hoping they pass (our group has quite the standard…) so they can relieve some of the editing burdens off my shoulders. Seriously, I should just go scanner full-time.

* And I ate a lot of snickers, too.

* My french has improved! Or at least I think so…

There aren’t a lot to say… Oh, I’ve been watching Criminal Minds. I love you, Reid! <3

So why do I hate Carl? He’s just a kid, right? He’s harmless, he’s weak. I should be going “awwww, that little sweet pumpkin” instead of cursing every time i see his face. Well, that was true in the first season. I liked Carl back then. But ever since the start of the second season, i just can’t help but be so frustrated with him. First off, why is he so disobedient?!!?! His mom (who I insert here is a good-for-nothing bitch. More details about that later on) always tells him to stay put, but he is ALWAYS wandering off somewhere and getting into trouble. He went into the woods and found a zombie stuck in the mud. He tried to get away at first but when he realized the zombie can’t even reach him, he stayed and started throwing rocks at him. What the flying fuck? You see a zombie. You are a kid. You are alone. YOU RUN. You don’t play with it. And when the zombie did get out, he started running away like the little coward he is. AND when he gets home, HE DIDN’T EVEN TELL THE OTHERS ABOUT IT. Which of course resulted to the death of Dale because the zombie was following him. Stupid stupid stupid boy. And there was the instance when Rick was about to kill Randall to get it over with, and Carl came out frol who-knows-where and went “do it, dad! Do it!” which resulted to Rick hesitating to pull the trigger. Grrrr! This boy!!! Okay fine, some people may argue that this isn’t Carl’s fault. He’s a little kid forced to grow up and mature quickly thanks to the situation they are now in. But in my perspective, if someone is only a burden to the survival of the group, he should be straightened up and lectured on what needs to be done to survive, or be disposed of. As simple as that.

And Lori? To think that as a mother, she should be keeping a more strict eye on her son, but nooo. It seems she always can’t find him. And this is an apocalypse, so something like that is truly, truly important. I also hate the fact that this rift between Rick and Shane is actually her fault anyway. Okay, say whatever you want, it takes two to tango. It was shane’s fault too, I’m not leaving that out. But I just cant understand, for the life of me, how in one episode she tells Rick to take care of Shane as he is dangerous and thinks that the child might be his. Then she softens up to Shane and admits to him that she doesn’t know who the father of the baby is, likely giving him false hopes, prompting him to try to murder Rick to take his place. And when Rick killed him out of self defense, she goes disgusted with him? What the fuck woman, can you please make up your fickle little mind? She is the most scattered person I’ve ever seen. Why be angry at your husband when he killed the person you told him was dangerous? Please, please… I rather that Lori be killed soon. And from internet searches, I found out that there are a lot like me who are equally frustrated with her. Anyway, if the show follows the flow of the comic, we may actually get rid of her at the end of season three… I will be crossing my fingers.

It’s been a very busy March for me, but that’s no surprise as this is the time when most students in the Philippines are at their most productive (or not…) stage of the school year. And then after that it would be internship for me at Oman! Yay.

I’ve been busy keeping up with my scanlation group, Iskultrip Scans, but it’s hard keeping track. Enix and I are the only active editors so far and with the amount of scripts that we have… yeah, it would take some while ~_~ … hopefully in April-May we’ll churn out both chapters twice a week. *cross fingers*

Onto other news, I’ve finished a couple of zombie books the past few days. Yes, even though I’m busy with academics, I still find time for my darling zombies. I’m that devoted to my flesh-eating monstrosities. So far I’ve read: Voyage of the Dead by David Forsyth (great book, I tell you. Check it out! GoodReads. Amazon.) Here’s my review:

I have to agree with the other reviewers. This book was very spectacular and a refreshing take in this genre. It starts out big, continues big, and ends big. Our main characters (Scott and Carl) are very capable men who use their brains and diplomacy skills to continue surviving – Scott in his cruise ship which seems to be too perfect to be real, and Carl in a refinery with epic vehicles and resources. Both are charming characters and I haven’t found one that I disliked! In fact, I felt like rooting for all of them throughout the novel, and I am glad that no one important/unforgettable was killed.

I’m glad that this one will be a series. While the storyline is strong, there is still so much room for twists and further developments. I’ll be looking out for the rest of the books for sure! Thank you David Forsyth for a wonderful zombie book!

Finished March 14, 2012

Another is Dead of Night: A Zombie Novel by Jonathan Maberry. Now this is ANOTHER great book. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it has probably one of my favorite zombie main characters ever. Dez Fox is one sexy bad-ass cop, and she’s not like Hollowland main character material… she’s a real good character. Strong, fierce, has strong conviction, but she has her own flaws and insecurities as well, who is struggling with a feeling of loneliness. (Check it on Amazon. GoodReads.) Here’s my take on it:

I LOVE IT!!!

Wow, it was a blast reading this. I finished it in 2 days. I’ve read a lot of GOOD zombie books (Charlie Higson, Eric Lowther, etc.) and I have to say, Jonathan Maberry is definitely up there with them! This book was just so good. Unlike its other counterparts, this book starts from the beginning… how the virus started, who started it, their motives for creating such a monstrous thing… it’s a real good fun.

I love the characters too. I love how the characters aren’t the goody shoes presented in most books. We’re introduced to Dez Fox, a thirty something year old cop who served some time in Afghanistan. She’s apparently hot and pretty and everything you could ever ask for in a woman, but she is mean and she has attitude – and in a bad way. But despite the tough façade, she has internal issues she’s struggling with and many instances in the book she was shown to be in the verge of breaking down. She’s probably the most humane lead character I’ve ever read in a zombie novel. She kicks ass, but she got those moments of insecurity. I love her to bits.

I also love the political drama here. Come on, who doesn’t love politics, and who doesn’t enjoy reading the theme of U.S. government wanting to cover their shit by pretending the issue never happened? Man, oh man, it’s full of that in here.

Lots of action, lots of gore that will keep you yearning for more. Lots of characters that you will feel for. A zombie here is a zombie in body, but in mind, they’re still human, so it’s actually quite complicated as their consciousness is still intact. Nevertheless, I thought it was a good idea, and I enjoyed it very well.

I’m so happy that the ending hints of a sequel. PLEASE WRITE IT SOON!!!

Finished March 12, 2012

I also read another book, Dead City by Joe McKinney, completed March 10, 2012 (GoodReads. Amazon.) It was an okay read, but I haven’t made a review of it yet. Sometime soon!

Ughhh. Final last stretch. Here we go now!

Let the redness of the cover seduce you!

Story – 4.5 / 5
You’re introduced to Major Cordell McDaniels, who in the midst of the world ending and succumbing to the walking dead, finds himself given one of the most important missions of his life and of mankind: escorting Wolf Safire, a research scientist who holds the key to creating a vaccine and even a cure, out of the hells of New York city. But it isn’t a walk in the park, as they get trapped in a sky scraper and the only way to get out of there is to seek help from air and water transportation. The question is – will they be able to hold out before the swarm of zombies get to them first?

I like the concept. Reading about the zombie apocalypse from the military point of view is very refreshing, and not something you see very often in this kind of genre. Escorting an important man was a good idea, too, and it was very fun and thrilling to read as they faced obstacles one after another. No doubt that I had moments where my heart was about to burst from excitement or suspense.

One thing I like about my zombies is that they have to be traditional. I’ve read some books where some authors decided to “experiment” and made them “smart”, “strategic”, and even “comedians who can sprout poetry” /coughMarkClodicough/ and I don’t really like that. But I found Stephen Knight’s zombies acceptable, even though they aren’t completely traditional. In fact, I thought his zombies made things spicier. At least they don’t crack jokes with each other!

“Would you please pass the wine?” said the zombie, a twinkle in his dead eye.

Characters - 5/5
I found the characters well-though and nicely developed. Major McDaniels is a man who knows his job and makes sure he completes it, period. But unlike others who’s totally nazi about it, he still has a soft side for civilians, which can be noticed from a flashback later in the book of a particular incident in Afghanistan. His other alpha male counterpart is First Sergeant Gartrell, who, like Major McDaniels, knows the implications and importance of the mission they have at hand and makes sure that it gets done pronto. You see that they have some tensions at the very start, but this will be explained later on and justified.

I found myself attached to the characters very quickly. The kind and honest Earl, his little kid Zoe, even the sarcastic Wolf Safire. I loved them all, and when of course some had to go (this is to be expected in any book of this genre), I felt as if a friend of mine departed as well. That is the impact the characters of this book got to me. So the ending totally blew me away! Positively? In a way. Negatively? Kinda, but it’s a positively negative kind. Ha ha!

Writing – 5/5
The book is extremely well-written. The action scenes are nice, the settings are well-described without feeling like it’s becoming a drag. The transitions are well-thought out, too. And anyway, how could the characters get to me if the writing was bad? The impact left on me already speaks for itself! J’aime ce livre!

Overall: 5/5

I love this book very much! I automatically became a fan of Mr. Stephen Knight. When I found out there was going to be a sequel in the form of a novella, I was ecstatic and bought it. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be on my kindle reading Left With the Dead! :)

Interested? Check The Gathering Dead here:

Goodreads
Amazon (Kindle)
Amazon (Paperback)
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords

After seeing that this was only $2.99 on the kindle store, I bought it without hesitation. And I must say it was quite a good read! We’re introduced to a bunch of survivors who have been trapped in a warehouse for years, malnourished and hopeless. Sarah, the main character, heard a chopper going by one morning and convinced her fellow survivors to abandon their sanctuary and make a run towards the chopper, which may just be their last hope to surviving the already dead world. One problem though – the warehouse is surrounded by thousands of zombies!

I'm not sure what the picture is supposed to look like... syringes?

 

This is a very good zombie book, in my opinion. It has enough gore and action to not make it too disgusting, but enough to make your heart pace! Unlike most books of the same genre, the characters were able to make a scientific explanation of the virus that has overwhelmed the world. It does get dragging around that part though. Too much technical terms and explanations that was just too much for me! I’m not the science-y type Ha ha.

"So... where did zombies come from again?"

 

You get to care for the characters… a LOT. I really feel for Sarah though. She’s more human than any of the main characters in the previous comic books I’ve read. She’s strong-willed, but there are times that she’s scared and feels like giving up, too. She was able to get the group together, but there’s no guarantee it’s the same for her. I’ve met a lot of people like that. They need to be strong in order to get their groups together. It’s not for themselves, but for other people who depend and look up to them. Once a leader is out, the rest of the flock will follow.

Overall, it’s a pretty good read. I look forward to reading the sequel, Remains of the Dead. Not anytime soon, though. $8 for a kindle edition is still too much for me! Maybe next time But when I do I’ll surely leave a review about it.

... SOON ...

Interested? Check it out on these sites:

Goodreads
Amazon (Kindle)
Amazon (Paperback)
Smashwords
Barnes and Noble  

Right after that, I just had to get more zombie books. I just couldn’t get enough. Ha Ha. That’s when I resorted to buying them on Amazon’s Kindle store. They weren’t that expensive anyway. I’ve read Necrophoa, the Zombie Fallout series, Area 187: Almost Hell (really good!), The Unwashed Dead, Hollowland, Deadlocked, LZR-1143: Perspectives and Infection (I want to get the sequel but damn Don’t have much money on me today… someone out there throw me one!!) and now I’m reading World War Z as well as Domain of the Dead. I’m thinking of leaving reviews of it here… we shall see!

I think what I like most about these books is the survival factor. I mean, sure, flesh-eating undead are cool, but that’s not really where the thrill is. When people work together to help each other get through obstacles alive, that’s when the fun starts. The tactics. The fear. The urgency to survive. I think that’s what keeping me reined in.

Anyway, I better continue my reading… will leave a review of it as soon as I can

Onto other stuff, my friends and I are planning to go to Singapore once the semester ends. But I just found out that Singapore is hotter than my country during April-May… UGH. The summer heat is already unbearable in the Philippines, so I don’t really want to go somewhere that’s even more scorching hot. Where should I go then? Hong Kong? That sounds like a better alternative, if only it wasn’t all concrete…

Sigh! I can’t wait till this school year ends! Junior year has always been reputed to be a harsh experience for college students… and I understand why. I just want to finish school already >.> I can’t bear to look at another paper!

Anyway.

It’s the 4th anniversary of my scanlation group yesterday! I started Iskultrip Scans back in January 2008 with two of my friends who lived in Japan back then, Alex and Mai. It was originally supposed to be for a student forum, as suggested by another friend of mine, but he withdrew even before we launched the site. So I just kinda made it into a scanlation group I guess… and damn am I glad I made that decision!

I’m really happy where my scanlation group is at now… I’ve made a lot of new friends and discovered a lot of great authors and mangas! Hopefully we have more years to come! We wouldn’t be as successful if it weren’t for my faithful and awesome staff! Thank you guys. You sure are the best ;A;