The narrator was fantastic - his voice and accents may be the only reason I got through the book. These "strange stories" were more of a compilation of BuzzFeed worthy listicles chock-full of dad jokes. I imagine the hard copy complete with the illustrations would a better way to consume these gross and silly accounts.

If this audiobook was supposed to keep me away from cursed objects, it failed dismally. This is such a fun read that I’ve added some of the museums it features to my bucket list, though maybe I should save them for last. Being an illustrated volume, the audiobook loses the visual component but, since there is always Google, it’s not a big problem. On the other hand, what it lacks in this regard, it more than makes up for it with Tim Campbell’s excellent narration. Like your funniest friend telling scary stories around a campfire, he makes the audiobook creepy and funny at once. Some stories are better known than others (the Hope Diamond anyone?), but it was specially interesting to hear about more modern cursed objects (videogames, chain emails, etc.) I really enjoyed this spooky volume.
I chose to listen to this audiobook and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Tantor Audio!

Dive deep into J.W. Ockers study and research into strange and cursed objects around the world! He meticulously investigates tales and lore behind many of history’s most famous cursed objects and many lesser known.

I was rapt in his tales and facts he provided for each object. His writing style for this topic had an easy story teller-like flow and made made these dark and cursed objects into fascinating tales. I was hoped from the beginning. I have read many listicles and watched similar YouTube videos on this subject and I found Ocker’s research much more thorough and engaging.

The narration of this book flowed well and made it easy to get lost in the cursed objects and tales described. I felt that it was like listening to a conversation in the way the narrator’s speech flowed, making it easy to keep up with and stay interested in. I thoroughly enjoyed this narrators voice and cadence.

I was enraptured by the tales told and I found myself on a tablet as I listened looking up images of the objects as I listened. I plan on purchasing a copy the physical book in the near future! This was a great book and fun audiobook, I highly recommend it.

Cursed Objects by J.W. Ocker is scheduled to release September 15th, 2020.

I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook from Tantor Audio, via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#CursedObjects #JWOcker #NetGalley #pinkcowlandreads

From cursed dolls to legendary gems, J.W. Ocker tells the tale of many a scary, supposedly cursed, item in his book Cursed Objects. He recounts the legends, adds in other tidbits, cracks more than a few jokes.... He makes the stories entertaining, more than scary or creepy. And....he doesn't take the legends too seriously. If there is any factual information that the stories might be hinky or fake in any way, he shares that information, too.

There were some items in this collection of stories that I was already familiar with -- the Hope Diamond, Annabelle the cursed doll, a cursed chair nobody can sit in -- but many were new to me.

I listened to the audio version of this book. Narrated by Tim Campbell, the audio runs just over 5 hours long. Easy listening length. Campbell reads in a fun, upbeat way, bringing out the humor Ocker interjects while still sharing the creepy backstories of all sorts of items. The writing style, and Campbell's entertaining narration, made it easy to get through 5 hours of back to back tales of reported curses.

Very entertaining audio book! Ocker obviously did a lot of research and spent a lot of time gathering so much information on so many cursed objects. I had fun listening to all of the stories!

This book is not heavy on spookiness or dark foreboding...Ocker interjects fun into the topic of legendary items that come with a blood price of some sort. For those who want a completely serious look at the cursed tales, then another book might be a better choice. But for readers who want to know a well-rounded story about the curse legends (like the supposed curse on King Tut's tomb being fabricated by reporters after one media source was granted exclusive rights to the real story of the tomb's discovery) and enjoy a bit of humor thrown in the mix, this is a great trek through historical objects that might come with added hellish baggage.

Full stars from me! Very entertaining!

**I voluntarily listened to a review copy of this audio book from Tantor Audio. All opinions expressed are entirely my own. This review is not cursed in any way..... or..... is it? (insert ominous music stab here...da dahhhhhhhh da) **

I loved this book! This a nonfiction book , and the author explains the difference between cursed objects, possessed objects and just objects with history. He tells about a wide variety of objects from small jewels to even a frozen man. The history and the research of all of the objects is absolutely amazing and even the stories of all the objects.
Even stating how an object becomes cursed or hexed. I was given a copy of the audiobook and the narrator did such an amazing job! I definitely recommend this audiobook or book to anyone interested in the paranormal or any of the cursed objects!

5⭐️
This isn’t about curses. This is about cursed objects. The book reminded me of the time I went with my school to see the tomb of king Tut. And last year when I went with my husband to DC and crowded around the hope diamond. Both times I never once thought about the curses. Nope. I didn’t think about the cursed people and how they died. But now after finishing this I’m really intrigued. Crazy, almost unbelievable.
I gave this 5 stars because the narrator was excellent and kept me interested. It felt like a very long podcast. The format was done very well. The object, the year, and it current location. Then a description of the curses and or events. I’m definitely going to see Robert the doll in Key West, Florida, and I might by my own replica when I get there. Just saying. And I had no idea that the Annabelle movie were based on an actual real doll. Creepy.....
I highly recommend this book. If you like history then you’ll love this.


Thank you NETGALLEY and the publisher for this ARC audiobook, in exchange for my honest review.

I was expecting this book to sufficiently creepy me out, and it definitely did. I listened to this as an audiobook, but looking at the hardcover online, I want to snag a copy for a decorative Halloween coffee table book. The book covers cursed objects from dolls and chairs to CHAIN EMAILS. The full spooky scene! Proceed with caution because the author has cursed objects with verified histories of doing some damage.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the Audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I usually stay away from nonfiction books as most of the ones I've read were quite a disappointment, but this one caught my eye instantly. And how could it not when it was about various cursed objects? The book was truly a nice surprise, and I really enjoyed it.

The chapters were short and easy to follow. The book was informative, and a fun read as well. It talked about the history of each object (which I loved to read about!), but not in a way that would drag on like a history book. And the narrator, Tim Campbell, was also fantastic. All in all, it was a great read.

First off I want to thank NetGalley, J.W. Ocker, and Quirk Books for the advance copy of Cursed Objects: Strange but True Stories of the World’s Most Infamous Items. I was given this copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Now, on to the review.

As someone who has always had a fascination with unsolved mysteries, spooky stories, horror movies, and all things macabre, J.W. Ocker’s Cursed Objects: Strange but True Stories of the World’s Most Infamous Items seemed right up my alley, and just in time for my favorite season of the year, too. Not only that but Ocker’s book is plain fun to read.

The book is split into seven sections and the content ranges from well-known cursed items such as Annabelle the doll, as well as Ed or Lorraine Warren’s occult collection, and James Dean’s iconic death Porsche Spyder. However, it also touches on lesser known tales of woe and misfortune that have befallen those who have come into contact with cursed items, including the mummy that might have had a hand in sinking the Titanic and starting a war.

Cursed Objects is well-written and straightforward, with nifty illustrations in the print version to pair with each account of these dastardly cursed objects. Ocker’s compendium is great for fans of trivia, history buffs, mystery and macabre lovers, and a great starting point for those looking to further research these infamous items. This is one book that would make a great addition to anyone’s cabinet of curiosities.

Cursed Objects: Strange but True Stories of the World’s Most Infamous Items is scheduled for release September 15, 2020 wherever books are sold.

Very fun! I love stuff like this! Great information! I really enjoy podcasts like Lore, I adore history and little known facts, interesting stories. Great, very interesting!

I was lucky enough to be provided with the audiobook ARC for review.
I have read J.W. Ocker before and love his writing style and subject matter. This book was no different. The author provides the stories behind various cursed objects from those we might know already such as famous cursed dolls to more obscure objects. I thought the information was fascinating and I learned a lot about the world of cursed objects.
The narrator’s voice kept me intrigued. It was highly listenable.

Audio review first - the narrator manages the exact right combination of open minded interest and healthy scepticism in his tone. He was the perfect choice for this book. I'm hoping that this was pre-proof listen though because the sound engineer has a lot of work to do - lots of repeated chapters and chapters that cut out and restart. Presumably this will be fixed in the final version





The book itself is entertaining and informative. Light enough to be fun but also pulling no punches with the history and origin of objects. Rather than an exhaustive text book on the subject, this is an easily digestible primer - a great place to start if you have an interest in pursuing (in research!) any of the items mentioned further. The book is also neatly divided in to types of cursed objects - looking at items such as jewels, stones, antiques and so on. The sheer breadth and variety of objects said to be cursed is surprising. I found this book especially interesting as a writer of speculative fiction - there's lots of juicy tidbits and story ideas here!



Overall and enjoyable and informative read, that doesn't take itself too seriously.

I have always been fascinated by stories of objects being cursed, so I was intrigued when I read the synopsis of this book. The tales were fascinating and wide ranging. The author did a good job retelling the stories and there were a few times when I would get chills (This might have had something to do with listening in the dark, late at night, during a storm.)I like to feel a little scared and it kept the book flowing. All in all it was a interesting read. I highly recommend it as an audiobook. I greatly enjoyed the narrators voice and the manuscript had a nice flow to it.

I received an advanced copy of the audiobook from NetGalley and Quirk Books for an honest review.

An absolutely fascinating and humorous coverage of various cursed objects from around the world. I fully intend to read this book again and hope it will become a series in time.

Cursed Objects: Strange but True Stories of the World's Most Infamous Items by J.W. Ocker, read by Tim Campbell

This is super perfect book to read or listen too during the spooky season. The narration was spot on and honestly he hit accents perfectly and was appropriately snarky where written. There are well over forty different cursed objects discussed in this book. Objects that range from ones that are popular to ones a little more unknown. I was going to make a list of all the objects discussed but after thirty decided the list would be too long. So instead I will go over my four favorite items discussed.

Black Aggie

Black Aggie is an unauthorized replica by Edward Ludwig Albert Pausch based/stolen from Augustus Saint-Gaudens who made the Adams Memorial as a grave marker for Marian Hooper Adams and Henry Adams. The creepy thing about it is that the forgery apparently rests not too far from Marian Hooper Adams last known residence.

The curse is said to cause a pregnant woman to miscarriage is she walks through the shadow. Online sources even tell that if you sat in the replica’s lap you would die.

The Bronze Lady

The Bronze Lady sat in between two trees, opposite the mausoleum as if guarding the door to make sure no one should leave. It is said that if you slap or insult the statue you will suffer misfortune.

The Conjured Chest

Jacob Cooley was a plantation owner who had his slave Hosea make a chest of drawers for him. Jacob Cooley didn’t like it and beat Hosea to death. What resulted was curse that stated that it would be fatal for anyone of that family to use the chest.

0888 888 888

It’s said that anyone who owns this number dies. To date there has been only three owners, one being the CEO, who died of cancer. The second owner Konstantin Dimitrov was in the mafia and promptly assassinated. The third and final owner Konstantin Dishliev was gunned down outside a restaurant. The number has been disconnected since the previous death in 2005.

I enjoyed the voice of the person performing/reading this audiobook - easy accent, read well. Nothing to complain about.

For the actual content... I wasn't blown away, let's just say that. It was pretty bland and I'm sure there are better books about the same topic(s) out there. It felt too shallow, and I think it would have been great if there was more fleshed out. You can't have to much backstory in these cases - or even local folklore surrounding the objects and/or buildings . you want to know more. So I guess that's something Ocker managed to do - getting you interested into the whole "cursed objects"-thing.

I was fortunate enough to be gifted both an eBook and audiobook for review. This is a work of non-fiction but written in the narrative style I have grown to absolutely adore. J. W. gives us a wide range of objects and tells us the creepy origins to current location of each. I heard some of my old favorite trivia tidbits in there and enjoyed learning new ones.

Narration was well done. It felt like I was listening to a podcast like Lore and I didn't want to stop once it started. Beautiful book and I look forward to indexing it for future awkward conversations with strangers at parties. If the world ever has parties again...

Thank you to NetGalley for gifting me a free ARC (audiobook) of Cursed Objects by J. W. Ocker. I loved it! I read an early version of this as an e-book, but I enjoyed the audio book version even more TBH. The narration was PERFECT. I love books about the occult and I am proud to add this to my collection. This book covers everything from the Hope Diamond to Shakespeare's grave and even dreaded chain emails. Breaking down the myth behind the most famous curses in history, this book is full of fun facts and interesting lore. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes spooky history facts!

My thoughts and feelings about this book are in no way influenced by the fact that it was given to me for review.
4/5 Stars

I very much liked that. I love learning about darker subjects and while I won't use any of this information, I did enjoy learning about all the objects immensely. The author has such a nice way of writing that makes it feel more like a fun lecture than a bogged down instruction.

I recommend this to anyone wanting a quick and informational read on the more macabre aspects of history. I think I'll look into the author's other books as well and see if there's anything else of theirs I'd like to check out.

I loved this and the narrator was fantastic. He has a great soothing voice.
This book is similar to a podcast I follow, some of the stories /information was the same but also learnt about some ones. Great job