I'm a little over halfway through "Devils unto Dust" by Emma Berquist. It's a zombie story set in late 19th century Texas. It took me a while to decide to read it, as honestly I just wasn't that into another zombie story. But damn is it well written!
Stealing the book description:
Keep together. Keep your eyes open. Keep your wits about you.
A horrifying sickness has spread across the West Texas desert. Infected people—shakes—attack the living, and the surviving towns are only as safe as their perimeter walls are strong. The state is all but quarantined from the rest of the country. Glory, Texas, is a near ghost town. Still, seventeen-year-old Willie has managed to keep her siblings safe, even after the sickness took their mother. But then her good-for-nothing father steals a fortune from one of the most merciless shake hunters in town, and Willie is left on the hook for his debt. With two young hunters as guides, Willie sets out across the desert to find her father. And the desert holds more dangers than just shakes.
This riveting debut novel blends True Grit with 28 Days Later for an unforgettable journey.
I finished Devils unto Dust yesterday and can confirm that it was superbly written all the way through, and I very much reiterate my reccomendation.
As for other zombie novels, it's not really a genre I'm super into, hence the reluctance to get started on this one. That said, World War Z is a book that I hear is far better than the movie. Isn't that always the case?