What is Isaac Marion reading?

The current featured contributor at Writers Read: Isaac Marion, author of Warm Bodies.

His entry begins:

With all the literary output being demanded from me lately--interviews, guest blogs, countless revisions and proofreadings of Warm Bodies--it's been a struggle to keep the input flowing, but luckily I've had a string of great books cross my path during this time, which makes it a lot easier. Tackling something really arduous while in the middle of publishing and promoting a novel is a bad idea; you run the risk of permanently burning out your literary receptors.

The last book I finished was Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. Six different storylines, each in a different time period, with different characters and dramatically different writing styles, and a faintly visible theme connecting them all. It starts in the Colonial era, moves to the early 19th Century, then the '70s, then modern times, then a distant dystopian future, which leads to a post-apocalyptic primitive society. All these stories cut off abruptly in the middle of their action, then the book doubles back on itself and revisits all these different worlds in reverse, wrapping up all their conflicts until the first story's Colonial explorer somehow ties everything together in the last few pages. It's quite a reading experience, and a brilliant way of communicating the book's message--that the...[read on]

Among the early praise for Warm Bodies:

"I never thought I could care so passionately for a zombie. Isaac Marion has created the most unexpected romantic lead I've ever encountered, and rewritten the entire concept of what it means to be a zombie in the process. This story stayed with me long after I was done reading it. I eagerly await the next book by Isaac Marion."
--Stephenie Meyer, New York Times bestselling author of the Twilight series

"Warm Bodies is a strange and unexpected treat. This is a wonderful book, elegantly written, touching and fun, as delightful as a mouthful of fresh brains."
--Audrey Niffenegger, New York Times bestselling author of The Time Traveler's Wife

"Isaac Marion has a great new voice that hooks you from page one and accomplishes the impossible: it makes you care about young zombie love. Warm Bodies is a terrific read."
--Josh Bazell, author of New York Times bestseller Beat the Reaper

"Has there been a more sympathetic monster since Frankenstein's?"
--Financial Times

Learn more about the book and author at Isaac Marion's website and the Warm Bodies Facebook page.

The Page 69 Test: Warm Bodies.

Writers Read: Isaac Marion.

--Marshal Zeringue