February ScaredyKIT: The Corporeal Undead

   

According to Wikipedia, "Corporeal undead refers to mythical or legendary undead creatures who have a body or some substantial form. This is opposed to incorporeal undead, who 'exist' but are not composed of matter (e.g.ghosts)."

One of the most famous and enduring examples of the corporeal undead would be Frankenstein's monster in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

Here are other suggestions that you might consider for this month's challenge:

Zombies
World War Z by Max Brooks
Feed by Mira Grant
The Girl with All the Gifts by M. R. Carey
Pride and Prejudice with Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith

Vampires
I am Legend by Richard Matheson
Soulless by Gail Carriger
Salem's Lot by Stephen King
Dracula by Bram Stoker

Mummies
The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb by R. L. Stine
The Jewel of Seven Stars by Bram Stoker
The Mummy by Anne Rice

Please add your selections to our Wiki page:
https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/2019_ScaredyKIT

Tell us about your plans for spending time with the corporeal undead!

I'm planning to read Feedback, the fourth book in Mira Grant's post-apocalyptic zombie Newsflesh series.

I love an excuse to read a couple of zombie books! I am planning on starting a new trilogy by Sarah Lyons Fleming called Mordacious. I loved her previous zombie trilogy. I am also planning on reading Coldbrook by Tim Lebbon.

I had already taken book bullets on The Girl With All The Gifts and I Am Legend, so perfect!

>3 DeltaQueen50: I have a weakness for post-apocalyptic zombie fiction myself. Thanks for the pointers to these two books.

>4 JayneCM: Both are excellent. I hope you enjoy them.

I read a really great zombie book last year: The Reapers Are the Angels by Alden Bell. 5* read for me.

I'm not sure what I will read for this month, but I do have an anthology called Eternal Frankenstein so I may pick some stories from that to read.

I'm planning on a vampire book--The Lair by Emily McKay

Do werewolves count as corporeal undead? If not, I have a second option.

>8 mstrust: I think werewolves would be considered living, wouldn't they? I'm not an expert though. I just seem to remember something in the Twilight movies (back when my daughters were teenagers and were addicted to them!) about that being an issue between the werewolves and the vampires, that the werewolves could die of old age.

>6 sturlington: Thanks for the Alden Bell recommendation!

>7 whitewavedarling: Sounds like a good series. I'll have to make a note of this one.

>8 mstrust: Like >9 JayneCM:, I don't think werewolves count as "undead". However, they would fit perfectly in October's "Monsters and Creatures" ScaredyKIT theme, if you want to save the book for that time.

>10 mathgirl40:, Well, to be honest with you, I didn't actually enjoy the first book in the series (The Farm) all that much... but, a big part of my frustration with that book was the main character, and it seems that the second book focuses on a different character. Plus, I'd gotten both books at the same time--that's how convinced I was that I'd enjoy them!--so it's been sitting on my shelf for a while now. The whole series Sounded amazing, but... yeah. So, uh... yeah. I'm at least going to try it. But don't take me reading the second in the series as a recommendation for the first one lol--full review written of that one, by the way, if you want to look. There's a chance I'll end up DNFing this book and going to something else, but we'll see what happens. It seems like one of those books that some people love, and others can only rant about (I was, admittedly, one who ranted).

On the other hand, The Hoodoo Apprentice Series is a FANTASTIC paranormal YA series so far (by Lea Nolan), and I'm really amped to jump into the second book. It doesn't fit this particular challenge, though...

>9 JayneCM: werewolves could die of old age.
You're right, thanks. I got hung up on the "mythical creature" label.
>10 mathgirl40: I can save my werewolf book for later :-) I'm sure I can fill this month with another creature.

I'll likely end up with something with vampires, but I'll take a closer look and see what else is on my tbr...

>11 whitewavedarling: OK, thanks for the warning. I'll wait for your review of the second book and in the meantime, I'll take a note of the *real* recommendation for the Hoodoo Apprentice series instead.

>12 mstrust: >13 LibraryCin: Looking forward to seeing what you both end up finding!

I might read Etty Steele Vampire Hunter by Grayson Grave for this one.

I think Soulless is a good choice if looking for a fun read and it has both undead and werewolves for those that want some werewolves in their reading. If looking for a horror book of undead that is not so fun, I just read Zone One by Colson Whitehead. It is full of undead. I preferred I am Legend by Matheson over Whitehead's book, both about a virus. I liked Dracula when I read it. I haven't read Dracul, but heard some good report on it. I am leaning toward either some short vampire stories as I have an anthology from the library or one of the first two options in the list above (Zombies).

Other than Dracula, I have never read a vampire book! I think I will read Interview with a Vampire because my friend says it's on her shelf and I can borrow; or Lincoln in the Bardo on my ereader. I'm not familiar with the Lincoln book, except that his son is in purgatory---would that fit this category? LOL but I also have Salem's Lot....need to narrow this down!

I would have said that I don't have much in the way of vampire books, but looking at the list again, I own all four of these titles. The only one I haven't read is Soulless, so problem solved.

I can't resist popping in to recommend The Lesser Dead for anyone looking for vampires they haven't read yet. Christopher Buehlman is writing fantastic horror, though he's not all that well-known, and his take on vampires in this book didn't disappoint. Another favorite of mine is The World on Blood by Jonathan Nasaw, but he takes vampirism as an addiction to blood that some humans are susceptible to--not as a matter of the undead--so it wouldn't actually fit this challenge.

>16 Kristelh: I agree that Soulless is a good choice if you're looking for a fun read. I hope you enjoy it, >18 mstrust:.

>17 Tess_W: I liked Lincoln in the Bardo, but I recall that most of the undead were of the incorporeal variety. (It'll be perfect for September's Ghosts and Hauntings theme.) Your other choices would fit well, though.

>19 whitewavedarling: Thanks for the recommendations. Even if the Nasaw book doesn't fit this month's theme, it's always good to get more ideas for the wishlist.

I'll probably continue with Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire Mysteries; I have one on deck for this month, I'll have to see if I finish it or not.

The Girl with all the Gifts is one of my favorite books ever. There is also a companion book which takes place in the same universe The Boy on the Bridge which I also recommend.

A few on my tbr, just need to choose!

Delirium / Lauren Oliver
The End Games / T. Michael Martin
Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men / Molly Harper
Evermore / Alyson Noel

>21 LisaMorr: Good choice for this challenge!

>22 owlie13: I loved The Girl with all the Gifts, but I've not gotten around to The Boy on the Bridge yet. Glad to know that it's also recommended.

>23 LibraryCin: I think a couple of them would work for the February SeriesCAT too, being YA.

I have set aside Goth Girl and the Fête worse than Death, if I remember correctly the governess is a vampire. And it would fit the February series CAT.

>24 mathgirl40: Yes, I think I have a couple of them down as options for SeriesCAT, as well! And one might work for RandomCAT, too.

>25 MissWatson: >26 LibraryCin: There does seem to be a lot of potential for overlap in the challenges. It hadn't occurred to me until now that my own choice, Mira Grant's Feedback, might be considered YA!

>27 mathgirl40: I have been wondering what to call it if I find a book that fits all four CATs.

I am planning to read Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu. It is a vampire short story. Maybe i will also get to once of these;
World War Z by Max Brooks
Feed by Mira Grant
The Girl with All the Gifts by M. R. Carey

>28 MissWatson: Do you have such a book? Or is it aspirational?

>21 LisaMorr: You know, I might see if I can find a copy of Living Dead in Dallas. I read the first one awhile back, but I've never returned to this series. And I'm a big fan of Charlaine Harris's pre-vampire mysteries, particularly the Aurora Teagarden books.

>29 Kristelh: A Manx? It's got four feet but no tail

>28 MissWatson: As a math enthusiast, I want to call it a quadriCATeral but it just doesn't have the simple appeal of "CAT trick". :)

>29 Kristelh: All good choices! I loved Mira Grant's Newflesh series and, as mentioned earlier, I'm planning to read more in the series myself.

>32 Robertgreaves: Good one!

>31 NinieB: I just started reading the series last year; I read Dead in Dixie which includes Dead Until Dark, Living Dead in Dallas and Club Dead, Dead by Day which includes Dead to the World and Dead as a Doornail and then Definitely Dead. I had seen True Blood which I really enjoyed and I blazed through the first four books, picturing the series in my head. I think the books improved from a writing standpoint as she went on - I thought the first book was pretty simple; comparing the 6th book to the 1st book showed a big improvement. I think that means I recommend continuing!

I will finish All Together Dead this month, so I'll be reading From Dead to Worse for the Feb ScaredyKIT.

>30 NinieB: At the moment it is aspirational. I'm not a planner and decide spontaneously what to read.

>33 mathgirl40: It doesn't trip readily off the tongue, but a good try!

>35 MissWatson: I am a spontaneous reader as well, but I have fun trying to identify which of my books satisfies a particular challenge. If the month of January is any indication, usually at the point of reading I want to read something else, and I make it work. . .

>34 LisaMorr: Normally I would go back and read the first in the series again, but having watched the first couple of seasons of True Blood recently. I remember the plot pretty well. I'm looking forward to comparing the show with book 2.

>33 mathgirl40: As a lover of puns I strongly endorse quadriCATeral ;)

I was thinking QuatroCAT but I like quadriCATeral.

How about a CATch-all?

I'll probably listen to Dread Nation by Justina Ireland, narrated by Bahni Turpin for this challenge.

I'm getting ready to read Interview with a Vampire with not much enthusiasm. I really need to read it for ths KIT as well as it's on the 1001 books list.

>42 Tess_W:. I found I liked this one more than I thought it would when I read it. So hopefully it won't be too painful for you.

I've got The Strain on Audible. I don't really know anything about it, but it's supposed to have vampires, so I'm gonna go with that I think.

>38 rabbitprincess: >39 Kristelh: Glad we're like-minded, but I'm not sure it'll go over so well with everyone else. :)

>40 AHS-Wolfy: Ha, that's a good suggestion!

>41 luvamystery65: That one looks interesting. I wonder if it's similar to Cherie Priest's Clockwork Century books, which are also Civil War alternate-history stories featuring zombies.

>42 Tess_W: >43 Kristelh: I've had that one sitting on my shelves for a long time and I too haven't been able to muster up the enthusiasm to read it, but it's good to know it might be better than first impressions suggest.

>44 virginiahomeschooler: Well, at least for this thread, you can't go wrong with vampires!

In case you're not aware of it, there's a Dresden Files Group Read going on. Jim Butcher's series features vampires in many of the books and possibly other corporeal undead and so would be perfect for this challenge.

>46 mathgirl40: Unfortunately, the book for this month Summer Knight is based mainly around Fairies and Werewolves. It's rather light on the corporal undead. But for those who want to join and haven't started the series, the first and third book are smack-full of corporal undead.

I spent today buried in my first zombie book, Mordacious is the first book of the series and I really enjoyed it.

My first vampire book is Der kleine Vampir verreist and I hope to finish Goth Girl and the fête worse than death this evening.

And I did! Goth Girl is a great invention, and the many literary and artistic allusions make it an enjoyable read for adults, too.

>47 The_Hibernator: Thanks for the information. I'm glad I can look forward to faeries and werewolves this month, even if I can't use the book for this particular challenge.

>48 DeltaQueen50: Glad to hear it was a good one. I've started Mira Grant's Feedback, so I've been immersed in zombies too.

>50 MissWatson: Goth Girl sounds fun. I love the title of the book.

>51 mathgirl40: It is. How can you not love a book where a girl practises umbrella fencing on the chimney tops with her vampire governess?

Finished The Lair, and while I've written a full review, let's just leave it at the fact that I would absolutely NOT recommend this series. If you want a real rant, you can see my review on the first in the series, The Farm. I won't be bothering with the next in the series, even though it's clear that the author is finally moving on from the insufferable Lily who served as the primary protagonist in books one and two. Unless you're intent on reading every vampire book written, no matter how bad, just do yourself a favor and avoid these.

I have completed my read of Coldbrook by Tim Lebbon, and although I didn't enjoy this zombie story as much as the zombie book I read earlier this month, I still give it full points for originality.

I read Grave Peril, the third Dresden book and the vampires are important even though we start out with ghosts.

I should have thought of this before, but if you're looking for a great zombie book, try Deadbreak by Jorge Sanchez. The touchstones aren't working--probably because it's so new or little-known, but you can find it at: http://www.librarything.com/work/22851480/book/165495689

There's no doubt that the author needed to invest more in a better cover and spend more time on the blurb, but the book itself is fantastic.

I finished From Dead to Worse, the 8th book in the Southern Vampire Mysteries. Lots going on in this one. Sookie intervenes in what looks like a war between two groups of werewolves, she also ends up getting caught in the middle of a hostile takeover of the Louisiana vampire region, has to stand up for her brother when his wife, a werepanther, breaks her marriage vows, and also gets to meet her great-grandfather, a fairy prince - who leads her to meet another unknown relative.

It didn't finish in a cliffhanger, thankfully, because I don't have the next book yet, but I definitely want to continue with the series.

>52 MissWatson: That definitely sounds like my kind of book!

>53 whitewavedarling: I had to look up your review, and I must say that I'm impressed with the willpower you showed in getting through book 2! :)

>54 DeltaQueen50: I saw your review, and the combination of horror and science fiction sounds like something I'd like very much, so I'll definitely make a note of this author.

>55 hailelib: Yes, the vampire characters are definitely important in Grave Peril! I liked this one the best of the first three Dresden novels.

>56 whitewavedarling: Thanks for the recommendation. I'm happy that I'm discovering so many new authors in this thread. :)

>57 LisaMorr: Glad you enjoyed the book and that the conclusion was satisfactory. I tend to dislike books ending on a cliffhanger, especially those whose sequels have not been published yet.

I've read Feedback by Mira Grant, book 4 in the Newsflesh series. This story actually follows the events of the first book in the series, but from the opposite side of the campaign. I've really enjoyed this whole series.

I read Rot and Ruin the first in the Benny Imura series by Jonathan Maberry which also fits this month's SeriesCAT too as it's a YA novel featuring zombies.

Still plugging away at Interview with a Vampire. Not really enjoying it too much!

I've read Soulless, and it's pretty entertaining. Sort of a steampunk "Beauty and the Beast", with a world of werewolves, vampires and mad scientists.

I moved on from zombies to a vampire comedy with Bloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore. Review still to be written but I liked it.

>61 Tess_W: I honestly don't think it's aged well.

I've just posted the March ScaredyKIT:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/303859

Finished Carmilla for this CAT. A novella, Gothic setting, Victorian, lesbian vampire story that predates Dracula.

Giving up on Interview with a Vampire a couple of days ago so I've already started The Girl with All the Gifts and I'm loving it so far!

I binge-read Living Dead in Dallas and Club Dead this weekend. Sookie Stackhouse is lots of fun and I really enjoy Charlaine Harris's characteristic blend of humor and Southern Gothic atmosphere.

Finished The Girl with All the Gifts. Really downright scary!

>69 Tess_W: Now you need to get The Boy on the Bridge. Same world, just as good.

>70 owlie13: Will put it on my wish list!

Starting Dracula & Dracula's Guest by Bram Stoker

I've been watching The Passage TV series, which reminds me how much I loved those books. I think it's a pretty good adaptation so far.

>73 sturlington: Me too - and I agree, they're doing a pretty good job so far.

>74 LisaMorr: I'm interested to see how they'll handle the jump forward in time.

>75 sturlington: Yes - and then way, way forward!

Finished Positive by David Wellington. This is basically a road-trip adventure, with lots of bad guys like road pirates and death cultists, and a few zombies to add a constant element of danger and provide an explanation for why all these people are so awful to each other. I thought it was a page-turner.

>59 staci426: I finished Feedback as well. It was good but some parts felt like a replay of moments in the earlier books, and I didn't like the narrator of the audiobook version. The last quarter of the book was pretty tense and exciting, though.

>63 AHS-Wolfy: Glad to see you're managing to fit both zombies and vampires into this month's reading!

>69 Tess_W: After seeing your comments on Interview with a Vampire, I fear that my own copy will remain languishing on my shelves for a long time. Glad to hear you liked The Girl with all the Gifts. I found it scary too.

>62 mstrust: I liked Soulless when I'd read it some years ago but not enough to continue with the series. Maybe I should reconsider.

>65 LibraryCin: Thanks for posting the link. Wow, it's almost March already!

>66 Kristelh: Good choice for this month's theme.

>68 NinieB: Sounds like you had a good weekend for reading, if you managed to finish both books!

>70 owlie13: That one is on my wishlist too.

>72 Robertgreaves: I hadn't realize that there was a separate Dracula short story. You'll have to give us your review.

>73 sturlington: >74 LisaMorr: This is another series I'd like to read one day. Glad to hear the TV adaptation is good.

>77 sturlington: I'll have to keep this one in mind, as I'll be hosting a road-trip theme for the June SFFKIT.

>78 mathgirl40: Apparently it's not known for certain whether it was written as a separate short story or an episode that didn't make the final cut.

I read I'm The Vampire, That's Why by Michelle Bardsley

>79 Robertgreaves: That's interesting. Looking forward to hearing your comments about it.

>80 lowelibrary: I like the cute colourful covers of this series!

I read The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. It has a lot of ghosts but also several types or corporeal undead, including ghouls and a werewolf. I don't know if it fits the theme though, as it was not scary at all. :)
I was a bit underwhelmed by this book. It's a nice read but lacks depth IMO. I was expecting more because it received the Hugo award, I guess.

The End Games / T. Michael Martin
3.5 stars

Michael and his little brother, 5-year old Patrick, are playing a “game” where they are fighting the “Bellows”. Michael is only hoping he can get himself and Patrick safely to their mother, and he’s hoping she’s safe, too! Really, Michael IS trying to get to the “Safe Zone” he heard about on the radio, but it’s tough.

At the start of the book, I really wasn’t sure if it was a game or not, but once I realized that it wasn’t, it got more interesting. There were certainly some suspenseful moments and I was kept wanting to read. I do think zombies aren’t my favourite thing to read about. Though there were 4-star portions of the book, the majority of it was 3.5 stars for me (good). For some reason, I thought it was the start of a series, and I was all ready and willing to continue the series, but it seems that it is a stand-alone, after all!

>82 chlorine: I'd listened to the audiobook with my children many years ago, when we were on a long car trip. This book certainly fits our theme, even if it's not all that scary. :)

>83 LibraryCin: I too tend to assume a YA SFF book is part of a series, just because there are so few standalone books in this genre these days.

>84 mathgirl40: Good point! Maybe that's why I just assumed it was part of a series!

>83 LibraryCin:, I really don't like reading about zombies either.

Thank you all for participating in February's group read! Even though the month is over, please feel free to continue the discussion here if you encounter any more vampires, zombies or other corporeal undead creatures in your reading.

You can add your reading to our Wiki page here:
https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/2019_ScaredyKIT

Thanks for hosting, Paulina!

>88 mstrust: You're welcome! It was fun and I ended up with many more books on my wishlist.

>81 mathgirl40: "Dracula's Guest" was a very atmospheric short story. It could have been a cut scene from an early draft, but it could just have easily been written as a stand-alone and would have worked just as well without the Dracula reference.

>90 Robertgreaves: Thanks for the review!

I finished Timeless on the 28th, so just in time! ;) This is the fifth and last book in the series started with Soulless by Gail Carriger. This book fits the theme as it features vampires, but again is not scary at all. :)

This series was good fun to read and I'm sorry to reach the end of it. I think the author wrote a novella in the same universe and I'll try to hunt it down.

>92 chlorine: Glad you managed to squeeze this one into February. If any other readers are still finishing off books from the challenge, feel free to keep posting reviews here!