Continuing our horror Mondays series is a guest post from Carris Harris, author of the zombie comedy Bad Taste in Boys. She’s already told us a bit about why we should read paranormal books, and she’s also told us a little bit about herself, but we thought it was about time she got down and dirty and tell us what we should be reading when it comes to the world of zombies. So, if you’re ready for a little horror of the undead variety, Carrie’s got some ideas for you.

Bring Out Your Undead — My Favorite Zombie Books

My apologies for the gratuitous Monty Python reference. I’ll have you know that I’m reading this entire post in a very atrocious French accent.

Anyway. Zombie books. I’ve heard from a lot of people that they don’t read them because they’re not horror fans, but the reality is that there are so many literary undead hordes these days that I honestly believe you can find a zombie book to suit any taste. It doesn’t matter whether you like silly, thought-provoking, or the kind of book that brings out your inner teenage boy (assuming that, like mine, your inner teenage boy likes anything that reads like a video game). I SHALL FIND YOU A ZOMBIE BOOK OR DIE TRYING AND THEN COME BACK AS A SHAMBLING CORPSE. WHICH WOULD BE IRONIC.

I’d probably be remiss if I didn’t mention my book, BAD TASTE IN BOYS, which is the kind of zombie book you’d like if you’re a fan of Shaun of the Dead. There’s a bit of violence, yes, but it’s mega campy. Another over-the-top silly zombie read is HOLD ME CLOSER, NECROMANCER by Lish McBride. Don’t go into this book taking things seriously. There is potato hockey in it. And, of course, zombies.

For the more thought-provoking zombie read, I have to tote out two of my all time favorites. ROT AND RUIN by Jonathan Maberry made me cry, and I’m not talking a little water in the eyes that you can pass off as a stray eyelash. I’m talking full on horking of snot. Yes, there’s some awesome zombie chills in this one, but it’s also about what makes us human. My second recommendation here is actually an adult title that I think has some crossover potential. FEED by Mira Grant did not make me cry, but at the end, I actually howled the word “NOOOOOOO!” out loud and scared the everloving daylights out of my kids. Ever wonder what the political scene would be like in the zombie wasteland? Read FEED.

If you’re looking for non-stop action, I highly recommend THE WALKING DEAD series of graphic novels by Robert Kirkman. Know how people generally say the book is better than the movie (or in this case, show)? Yeah, that. Also PATIENT ZERO by Jonathan Maberry. This is classic zombie horror. As in, it will scare the crap out of you and then scare the crap out of you again. And then, for a change, it will scare the crap out of you. People keep stealing my copy. It’s that good.

In short, there’s quite a bit more variety in the zombie genre these days. Even non-horror fans can enjoy the right title without shaking in fear, hiding under a blanket, and clutching your crème brûlée torch for comfort. Especially if you read it in an atrocious French accent.

Do you have any zombie book suggestions? We’d love to hear them!