Pale Rider

Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World by Laura Spinney   352 pages

"With a death toll of between 50 and 100 million people and a global reach, the Spanish flu of 1918–1920 was the greatest human disaster, not only of the twentieth century, but possibly in all of recorded history. And yet, in our popular conception it exists largely as a footnote to World War I."

Perhaps this wasn't the best book to read this last week when I was sick, but I found this book to be pretty dry. The author draws on a ton of research in psychology, economics, virology, and more, so this book is packed with information. However, I felt like at times, I was slogging through the pages. It is interesting that she includes history from people who lived through this pandemic and also shows how the pandemic shaped the modern world.  I think part of what threw me off in the book is the fact that the author has a non-linear way of writing. You also get a lot of her personal opinions and context correlations to possible causes and effects of possible future pandemics. Some people enjoy that; I found it distracting.

Something interesting about this pandemic is that most of the final numbers of death are under-estimated for many reasons, including communication rates, other causes for deaths, and more. However, you really do get an understanding of how far-reaching this pandemic had, and how devastating it was.

I had a mixed reaction to this book and really, wanted to find it more engaging that it was.

Apocalypse Cow

Apocalypse Cow by Michael Logan
347 Pages


"If you think you've seen it all -- WORLD WAR Z, THE WALKING DEAD-- you haven't seen anything like this. From the twisted brain of Michael Logan comes "Apocalypse Cow," a story about three unlikely heroes who must save Britain . . . from a rampaging horde of ZOMBIE COWS "Forget the cud. They want blood." It began with a cow that just wouldn't die. It would become an epidemic that transformed Britain's livestock into sneezing, slavering, flesh-craving four-legged zombies. And if that wasn't bad enough, the fate of the nation seems to rest on the shoulders of three unlikely heroes: an abattoir worker whose love life is non-existent thanks to the stench of death that clings to him, a teenage vegan with eczema and a weird crush on his maths teacher, and an inept journalist who wouldn't recognize a scoop if she tripped over one. As the nation descends into chaos, can they pool their resources, unlock a cure, and save the world? Three losers. Overwhelming odds. One outcome . . . Yup, we're screwed."

MOOOOOO!!   How could you pass up a book with this title?  It is actually a pretty good read, not really a zombie novel and more of a pandemic book.

The Here and Now

The Here and Now by Ann Brashares
256 Pages

Ann Brashares returns to young adult fiction with the story of Prenna James who is part of a group of people that have escaped a bleak future to our present.  Prenna's future is a world where a mosquito borne illness has become a pandemic killing millions.  The past is this group's refuge as long as the follow a strict set of rules including never reveal where they're from, never interfere with history, and never, ever be intimate with anyone outside their community. However, Prenna falls for Ethan Jarves, a boy in her class and finds that the rules may have to be broken to save the world.

A good read for the young adult reader, a little light on content for the adult reader, Brashares' latest should prove to be a popular choice of those who like the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. 

The Stand

The Stand by Stephen King
1153 Pages


When the world succumbs to a super flu, the survivors must choose sides in a battle between good and evil .

This has long been a favorite book of mine and every 5-7 years I reread it.  If you are a fan of dystopian fiction, this book won't disappoint and King gives George RR Martin a run for his money when it comes to body counts.