A cabinet of curiosities is a wonderous thing. And a great concept for storytelling, too. Guillermo Del Toro has recently used it for a Netflix anthology, and now there’s this book in which section after section, the readers are presented with the most incredible true stories that often are indeed stranger than fiction.
I am not a podcast person, so I’ve never heard of this until finding the book on Netgalley. It seems that it is very popular as a podcast, and it’s plain to see why. The stories are told in the sort of anecdotal, easily accessible, humorous way usually with a really cheesy gotcha groaner of a pun in the end.
According to the afterword, it seems the author has someone else do the legwork of finding the tales, which isn’t as impressive, but in then end the final product is a whimsical and wildly entertaining delight, which is really all that matters. And it's exactly as unbelievable, unsettling, and bizarre as the title promises.
Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

This book by Mahoney is easy to digest, but man are there some crazy stories scattered throughout! I think if he went into detail on a couple more. It would have been more solid.

The 'Cabinet of Curiosities' is a collection of history's most fascinating stories. Aaron Mahnke with Harry Marks wrote this 336-page book. In each of the following topics, there are approximately a dozen stories of unbelievable, unsettling, and downright bizarre events. You will read and say just one more story and before you know it, another half hour has passed. There are a few stories you may have heard before, but there are many you probably haven't. You're going to be entertained and impressed so sit back, grab the book, and enjoy some coffee or tea.

It would be great to summarize a few stories from each of the sections, but that would result in a very long review. Below, I am going to summarize a few stories from a few of the sections. In this way, I hope you can get a sense of what to expect within its pages.

Table of Contents:

American History

Pony Up (summarized by me)

"Pony Bob" was the nickname given to Robert Haslam because he made the fastest deliveries in Pony Express history. In the Pyramid Lake Indian War, Pony Bob covered 190 miles without rest on horseback in just under nine hours. The round trip was 380 miles and was completed in under two days. The most important ride he took was in April 1861. A special delivery of Abraham Lincoln's inaugural address was made from Fort Kearny in Nebraska Territory to Placerville, California. On the 120-mile trip, he was twice shot by bow and arrow in Indian territory. What made this trip so important. California might have sided with the Confederacy at the start of the Civil War if Pony Bob hadn't made it in time.

Coincidences

Creatures

Death Defying

Events

Literature

The Plot (summarized by me)

Mary disappeared. She left a note about a last-minute trip, but then basically disappeared. According to everyone, her husband murdered her because he had a mistress and intended to divorce her. He was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing. When Mary was found 230 miles away, she claimed to have no memory of what had happened. She was believed by some and disbelieved by others. The twist. In the absence of her, popular literature would not exist as it does today. She will always be known as the queen of mystery novels, Agatha Mary Christie.

Inventions

Mysteries

Origin Stories

People

Places

More Than Human

The Little Giant (summarized by me)

At the turn of the century, Adam Rainer of Austria was quite small. His 4' 6" height prevented him from enlisting in the German army during World War I. Despite this, his hands and feet grew at an abnormal rate. By 21, Adam had grown 3' taller. It was determined that he had acromegaly. His growth continued. He was 7' 8" tall when he died at the age of 51. As the only man in history to have lived both as a dwarf and as a giant, Adam was unique.

True Crime

War

The book is certainly quite interesting. In general, each story is between three and five pages long. In general, I enjoyed reading the book. This is a book I recommend.

I actually didn't realize Aaron Mahnke had another podcast besides "Lore until now. However, it's not as if my prior ignorance negatively impacted my enjoyment of this book. If anything, it helped it quite a bit! I went in not knowing what to expect, and so far it's been an absolute delight. Every time I have opened it, I've just skipped into a different section and just read on until my heart's content. It's proven to be the perfect book for when I just want something both light and interesting but without having to get deep into any overarching narrative or arc.

The cover of this title drew me in, and then I realized I see it all the time in my list of podcasts. I listen to Aaron Mahnke's podcasts, and I always find them interesting. This book didn't disappoint at all. I almost reminded me of Paul Harvey's style (if you are old enough to remember him.)
The book is structured so that you can read it straight through (as I did) or skip around depending on your mood.
The information was unique, and I shared quite a few of the stories, which not in as eloquent manner as the author did.
Whether you are a fan of the podcasts, or not...if you like to learn new, quirky, interesting things, you'll love this book.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Aaron Mahnke for the ARC version of this book.

I have been a long time listener of all Aaron Mahnke's podcasts from Lore to Cabinet of Curiosities and everything in between. I love the unique style he uses to tell stories and talk about weird and interesting things. I am a bit of a D&D nerd so when I came across Cabinet of Curiosities I knew this would be one book I needed. I love using Aaron Mahnke's podcasts and other books to help inspire weird places, events or items into my D&D games. They always spark a conversation.

This book is amazing and I loved every second of it. I love reading about all the weird and unexplained. I feel like I might have had a unique experience when reading the book due to the fact I love listening to the podcasts. I read this book with Aaron Mahnke's voice narrating the book in my head.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who like the strange and unexplained, or if you are a fan of any of the podcasts.

I fell in love with the authors unique voice and easy way of telling stories. I lived his podcast LORE, and the latter amazon series. I see Aaron's name and just immediately jump on it for the creepy or weird

I love the podcasts so I already had high hopes for the book, and it did not disappoint.
It's a wonderful book and I loved every minute of reading it.

People who enjoy the author’s popular podcast will find much to enjoy here. An enjoyable read for those who love the weird and unexplained

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publisher, and author Aaron Mahnke for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

As a long time listener of Aaron's other podcast, Lore , I was IMMENSELY excited and delighted to have a chance to read this book. No one tells a story quite like Aaron Mahnke; he weaves a tapestry with research, with, and humanity. Each story feels like a campfire tale, except these are real!! Weird history comes to life on the page, just waiting for you to uncover the strange but true stories of the past.

I am so happy to say that Aaron's iconic style of storytelling translates just fine to paper, and Cabinet of Curiosities would be a wonderful gift for history buffs and lovers of oddities.