WCLS

Written as an "oral history" of a global zombie war that almost wiped out humanity, World War Z by Max Brooks has become a favorite in the zombie genre since it was published in 2006. This summer, a movie adaptation starring Brad Pitt comes to the silver screen. But before you go to the theater, read the whole story, which comes complete with practical advice on how to deal with zombies when they arrive, as well as first-hand accounts from those who were there and lived to tell the tale. Fans of postapocalyptic fiction and well-crafted alternate history will savor every page.  Already read it?  Warm Bodies is another zombie tale also made into a movie, or chose from dozens of others in zombie fiction.

A recent blog post talked about the Big Library Read program where, for a limited time, Overdrive is offering unlimited access to The Four Corners of the Sky and encouraging readers from participating libraries to borrow and read the ebook format.  TODAY (5/23), as part of this program, author Michael Malone has agreed to do a Facebook chat, giving readers from across the globe the opportunity to ask questions about his book, his life, or anything else!  The chat starts at 5pm our time and you can sign in as a guest (so you don't need a Facebook account to participate or "listen" in).  Sounds interesting! 

Bookish recently posted a list of must-read mysteries and thrillers for spring 2013, including "a Gone Girl-meets-Groundhog Day mind-twister, a horror novel by son-of-Stephen-King Joe Hill, crime fiction from the creator of Artemis Fowl and a modern-day espionage thriller from the author of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy."  Austin Grossman's You provides a thriller fix for those looking for a techie/video game/hacker mystery, and if you like a big novel that you can really sink your teeth into for your summer reading/vacation reading, Nos4a2 (692), Life after Life (529) and Red Moon (533) will satisfy at 500+ pages!

The prestigious Edgar Allan Poe Awards (popularly called the Edgars) are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America, honoring the best in mystery fiction, nonfiction, television, film, and theater published or produced in the previous year.  Ken Follett and Margaret Maron are this year's Grand Masters, a special award that recognizes authors who have made significant contributions to the mystery field over time, as well as producing work of consistently high quality.  Isn't the ceramic statuette of Poe an interesting little figure compared to the gold Oscar and Emmy Award statues!  See a list of Edgar winners HERE.