Many readers will come to Aaron Mahnke’s Cabinet of Curiosities from his podcasts, but no previous acquaintance is required to enjoy the book. Inspired by the British Museum’s Enlightenment Room, a collection of oddities categorized to add context, Mahnke’s collection of strange stories is also grouped into sections such as “Curious Americana,” “Unbelievable Stunts,” “Strange Literature,” “Remarkable Inventions,” “Baffling Origins,” and “Wartime Wonders.” While some stories end in lessons or morals, sometimes humorous, others end in mystery.

If you would like to learn how Teddy Roosevelt gave a 45-minute speech immediately after being shot, how an Ohio student had his class project grade changed from a B- to and A by traveling to Washington, D.C. and convincing Congress to adopt his project for the nation, who survived being struck by lightning three times within twelve years and then again after death years later, what famous writer took his pseudonym from a prison guard while serving time, why a man was buried in a Pringles can, or how bakers saved Vienna from Ottoman invasion in 1693 and invented a celebratory treat well known today, and much more, then this book is for you!

Thanks to NetGallley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance reader egalley of this enlightening and fun book.

A fun and very well-written book . . . I enjoyed these anecdotes and think it will be a hit with all types of readers. However, my interest in the book wanted fairly quickly in spite of its quite obvious strengths.

An easy book to put down and pick up at random - it covers a plethora of subjects- literature, history, death, war, mysteries, and more - with each item only taking a few pages. a fun read if you in the mood for odd facts and random stories in small chunks.

I received an advanced copy of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley.

Aaron Mahnke brings the spirit of his beloved podcast to the page, offering a delightful collection of intriguing tales from history. Mahnke curates a treasure trove of bizarre and fascinating stories that span cultures and eras.

The book is structured in short, digestible chapters that make it easy to dip in and out. Some anecdotes are genuinely captivating, while others deliver a hearty dose of humor, ensuring that there’s something for everyone. However, the transition from podcast to print may not entirely hit the mark for everyone. While the quick-read format might appeal to many, those seeking a deeper, more immersive exploration of these curiosities may find themselves wanting more context and depth.

With over a hundred stories, the collection covers an eclectic range of topics, however, the brevity of each entry sometimes leads to a sense of repetition and a feeling that some narratives could have been culled for a more concise volume. Mahnke's casual writing style, peppered with puns and lighthearted commentary, adds a whimsical touch that may resonate with fans of quirky history. Yet, this tone might also render the material less serious for those looking for a more scholarly approach.

Overall, this book is a fun, entertaining read perfect for those who enjoy oddities and want to uncover unusual facts about the world.

There were some stories I really enjoyed, some stories I skimmed, and stories I skipped. Honestly I wonder if Aaron had a million stories to share and he just couldn’t decide which ones to leave out because this book felt so long. Too long. Great for the podcast, maybe too much for a book, or maybe just a bit more paring down?

“Cabinet of Curiosities” is by Aaron Mahnke. This book is based upon his podcast, which I didn’t know about (but I don’t follow podcasts). Anyway, I think this is a book that has a great concept - short chapters with some historical content, possibly a story one has never heard before. Some of these tales I’d read before (Shakespeare, Ms. Lombard, Tennessee) and others I’d never read before and looked up online (mainly those who survived air and sea disasters). A number of the stories were entertaining and strange and I do feel like I learned some new historical tidbits. But what bothered me a little was that interwoven amongst the true stories were “legend stories” - yes, they’re interesting stories, but digging deeper, they’re not verified true stories, which was a bit disappointing (looking at you, Wizard of Oz). I think the bite-sized stories is a great way to present this info - reminding me of those “bathroom books” from long ago. I ended up reading a huge chunk of this book in one sitting and felt like I’d been binging a TV show and really needed to take a break. But the binging did bring to light some of the flaws of this book - the puns (I love puns, but there were a lot of them), the use of “I” (which works on a podcast but was a bit jarring to read as it broke the fourth wall), and that the flow became a bit repetitive with an uneven pace. Not every story is going to be gripping, but I found myself skimming a number of stories the further I read this book. Overall, I applaud the overall concept but I’d recommend reading this in little bits, or. Maybe a section at a time. Great idea, but I do wonder if the podcast version is stronger than the written form - and how much of this book was a “best of” from the podcast or if this book contained new stories for a general audience.

Cabinet of Curiosities is literally the literal version of a traditional cabinet of curiosities. It’s a book made up of very short stories of real life oddities, coincidences and quirks. If you like anything unusual, this recounting is probably perfect for you. It feels a bit too choppy and all encompassing to me. There is everything from archaeological discoveries, daring feats of animals, celebrity inspirations and interactions and ghost stories. Most stories are only two to three pages long, which means there’s a lot of stories in this book. Some of them I’ve read a more comprehensive book about, which makes seeing it summed up in a few pages feel like being shortchanged of the whole richness of background behind it. The author often has a very casual writing style with many of the stories ending in puns. That makes it hard to take it very seriously, which again might make it perfect for a certain audience, but makes it more of a throwaway book, or one for those who like odd history instead of bathroom humor when they need something to occupy their mind a few minutes at a time. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a fun book of curious history. I enjoyed it mostly, but the cheesy puns were too much. It made the end of every chapter cringey. Beside that, I really liked it. History and curiosities are a few of the things I really enjoy. More on the subject, less cheesy puns!

I good read of history. I was expecting something a bit and exciting. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for a copy.

Cabinet of Curiosities: A Historical Tour of the Unbelievable, the Unsettling, and the Bizarre is a collection of weird historical anecdotes that will take you on a wild ride!

The chapters are short, so it's easy to read a little at a time. Some of the stories are fascinating, while others are flat-out hilarious! Unfortunately, some of them started feeling repetitive so it might have been a good idea to cull some of the stories and possibly make the book a little shorter.

That said, Cabinet of Curiosities would be the perfect gift for someone who enjoys being able to read a chapter or two, walk away and do something else, and come back to read some more. It's an appropriate book for all ages.

Many thanks to both #StMartinsPress and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Cabinet of Curiosities. This book has an expected publication date of November 12, 2024.

#ShortStories #UnbelievableAndBizarre #AaronMahnkePodcast

I’m a fan of the podcast, from way back. Always interested in perusing the macabre history of the world! Possibly a draw to reluctant readers who are into the pod but not sure about a non fiction book.

This is a worthwhile bathroom book. That means the anecdotes so contained are short enough to read one for a bathroom task such as tooth brushing. The author had collected a wide variety of subjects both in setting and protagonist. Many of the stories won’t stand up to rigorous scrutiny but that can be said of most if not all current media presenatations.

The tone of the book is a short tale with a kicker in the end. Often to keep the entire picture hidden until the end of the piece, the author only uses a subject’s first name or a name the protagonist isn’t usually known by. Then at the end of the little story, the entire situation is revealed. I enjoyed predicting what the ending would reveal as part of my reading. I often got it right.

Like the original cabinet of curiosities, the book does a good job of being a non-controversial distraction and in some cases, quite informative. The author provides non-academic references as an afterward.

This isn’t a book to sit down and read cover to cover like a novel. It’s, as I said, good in bathroom sized small doses.

A very special shout out to St. Martin’s Press for making this treasure available. Cabinet of Curiosities is a fun and enjoyable read consisting of short stories with facts that the reader never knew. I used to read the Ripley series of books when I was younger and this reminds me very much of those. If you get the chance, pick this up and just enjoy. The chapters are short and lovely. Thank you, NetGalley.

I love Aaron Mahnke and his podcasts and this was a good supplement to them, but not a must read by any means.

Awesome book! I really loved learning all the different things that were in the book. I will say that it is more like short 2 page stories more than anything. I really enjoyed the different topics that were covered too. Definitely recommend

This was an enjoyable and very entertaining read. It is a collection of short stories on bizarre and u usual topics. I really enjoyed Agatha Christie's background story. Thsnks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Cabinet of Curiosities is based on a podcast by the author, Aaron Mahnke, which provides "tales of the wonderful, astounding, and downright bizarre people, places, and things throughout history.."

Cabinet of Curiosities is a collection of stories that you can read in a bundle or when you just have time for one. The vast range of stories will appeal to almost any reader. Myself, I liked the ones that dealt with strange coincidences and others that were based on real people.

if you like interesting trivia or factoids or similar works you will find this collection of interest.

I want to thank the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book. I attest the review is my original and unbiased work.

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley. This book reminds me a lot of the old tv show "Ripley's Believe it or Not" as each short story usually ends with a revelation that makes you think wow or amazing. I enjoyed it greatly as it brought up this old childhood memory. I also found almost everything in the book to be new to me. Bodies in Benjamin Franklin's basement? Count me interested!

This was such a fantastic book of random, curious, explained short stories of information. I loved reading these, and had a lot of jaw drop moments.
After watching Mahnke’s Lore, I can even say that I read these in his voice.
I would have loved some pictures to go alongside the stories - especially the bomb on the US, the dog that went to war, and the dice game ad. I went down some rabbit holes online trying to put a visual to the stories.
A great read - I know at least one person for every story I read that I want to share the information with - so it reaches a wide variety of interests.

Thank you to Mahnke, Marks, the publishers, and Nergalley for this ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book.

What I liked:
-The chapters are short - each one is a self-contained story, so it's easy to dip in and out of the book at leisure.
- Most of the stories are interesting in their own way.

What I didn't like:
- The puns. So. Many. Puns. That got old pretty quickly.
- The way many of the stories were set up with some backstory, then throwing in the phrase, "You see, ..." followed by the Twist! That would be great for a podcast or audiobook, but in print it doesn't really work.

Overall, this would be a good "bathroom reader" because of the short chapters, but not really something to sit down and read cover to cover.