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.

If you’re into strange and fascinating history, Aaron Mahnke’s Cabinet of Curiosities is a must-read. This book, based on Mahnke’s popular podcast, is packed with bizarre and unsettling stories, from the unexpected origins of the croissant to daring wartime escapades involving a heroic dog. Each tale is short and engaging, making it easy to pick up and put down, perfect for fans of weird history and intriguing facts.

Very interesting stories. The stories are very short but they don't need to be longer. It's not the type of book I would buy due to its format. It is very well researched and I could see it being used as a reference in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC

Aaron Mahnke's intriguing collection of bite-sized oddities of history makes for excellent "pick up and put down" reading. A cab driver who hits and kills two brothers exactly one year apart. A lock-picking orangutan. The odd fate of the men aboard the Hunley, which sank the Housatonic in the Civil War in the first torpedo attack. How the croissant got its shape and name. The man who was a dwarf when young and a giant as an adult. A nuclear bomb dropped on South Carolina.

Each vignette is a 2-3 minute read, usually presented with the vital piece of the information withheld until the end: the troubled West Point cadet was Edgar Allan Poe, Tsar Alexander's body wasn't in the coffin, you might know Samuel better as Mark Twain, etc. The others have a pithy moral or a "dad joke" at the end.

The pieces are grouped into topics like inventions, literature, and war, and they span prehistory to current events. My interest in the volume rose and fell in accordance with the subject; sometimes it just didn't interest me and other times--especially historical mysteries--they were too speculative to be satisfying.

The format makes this book an easy one to pick up and read a few capsules, which is a pleasant way to consume these oddities in a light, breezy, fun manner.

Thanks to the author, NetGalley, and St. Martin's Press for providing the ARC in return for an honest review.

Fun collection of strange coincidences, odd happenings and just bizarre occurrences. The stories include historical events, medical syndromes, and quirky interactions. It was a fun read that could be enjoyed one tale at a time! Well researched and written, although the puns started to wear on me.

Have you ever wandered through a person's personal library or living room and noticed a variety of strange objects that are displayed? Those are often called conversation pieces in that they generate questions that lead to discussions. Aaron Mahnke thinks of The Enlightenment Room at the British Museum as a wonder room or cabinet of curiosities - in essence a collection of objects gathered by the British from around the globe that they saw and went "huh" about. In Cabinet of Curiosities, Mahnke and Marks have gathered some 160 of the stories that have appeared on his podcast arranged by topic.

Mahnke and Marks have gathered an interesting collection of tales that makes the reader wonder, go "Huh," and/or say "What!" in this collection of short tales. The first topic is Curious Americana with 10 tales (Time Traveler about a 124 old gentleman is one). The second topic is Wild Coincidences with 15 tales - "Luck of the Irish about a Irish girl working on the Titanic and other ships makes the reader question the concept of luck. The third topic is Fantastic Beasts with 12 tales - here you find tales of bears, horses, whales, and a lock-picking orangutan. Unbelievable Stunts is topic number four (9 tales). Among these tales is that of Walter who seemed to attract lightening and Ernie who survived plan crashes and 9 major concussions! Topic five is Bizarre Events with 11 tales that include the time South Carolina had an atomic bomb dropped on it and the time British Airways managed to loose a pilot mid-flight (well almost loose him)! Strange Literature with 12 tales is topic six. One such tale reads like a murder mystery while another dealt with a death prediction! Topic seven is Remarkable Inventions with 9 tales that lead to the creation of Braille and a chess playing robot in 1770 among other things. Eerie Mysteries is topic eight with 13 tales which include glider models found in Egyptian tombs and the locked-room murder of the King of Bridge. Topic nine delves into the Baffling Origins of 10 items such at the croissant, the Pinkerton Detective Agency, or Beauty and the Beast. Uncanny People is topic ten with 16 tales of poisoners, Chinese ladies, or folks who make music with rocks! Topic eleven takes the reader to Peculiar Places with 8 tales of the Crypt of Civilization, hidden chambers in France, and a very windy city in Iran. More than Human is topic twelve with 8 tales of folks doing the seeming impossible such as Carl who played the violin with his feet or folks that can remember pretty much every moment of their lives. Topic thirteen drops the reader int Puzzling Crimes with 11 tales of forged art, fake ghosts, and con artists. Wartime Wonders is the fourteenth and final topic with 15 tales about a game that brought the FBI to the game company's headquarters, soldiers running away from a horde of hares, and a cursed plane.

Majnke and Mark's Cabinet of Curiosities is a book to keep around and delve into when you just want something to entertain yourself without having to think too hard. Each tale is short, entertaining, and designed to make your wonder. And the nice thing about having these tales in written form is that Mahnke and Marks provide their sources for each story so the reader can follow up those that really catch their interest!

Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the fun of reading this title!

Another installment from Aaron Mahnke that would appeal to people looking for witty, short anecdotes to read or share with their friends and family. I would like to see citations within the stories or a short bibliography after the stories to learn more. It is wide reaching in both regions represented and types of people discussed.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review, opinions are my own.

<i>Cabinet of Curiosities</i> is a collection of strange historical anecdotes, ranging from interesting bits of trivia to downright bizarre occurrences. Each story is just a few pages long, which makes this perfect book to dip in and out of.

Received via NetGalley.

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC! I really loved the concept for this book, and a lot of the stories were neat and random. It’s the kind of things I found myself quoting and talking to my family about. I could also see my oldest kid loving the random facts. I would be between 4 and 3.5 stars, though, because some of the stories seemed more odd than cool facts and didn’t seem to be very significant, and there were soooooo many puns it got a little silly. I like a pun and a dad joke now and then, but I was doing some serious eye-rolling. Overall, it was neat and would appeal to people who love random facts and coincidences.

Now I've never heard a podcast by this author, but the title and blurb made me want to read this book.
I was not disappointed, these are all short stories, about 6 pages, and then your on to the next, because my attention was grabbed by the last, I wanted more!
Coincidences, unbelievable and really! I never realized how many unsettling, unbelievable happenings there are, but they are documented here.
I read some of these to my family, and they didn't want me to stop at one, yes, they are attention grabbers. I really enjoyed this read!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher St. Martin's Press, and was not required to give a positive review.

A delightful collection of short stories about a variety of bizarre things that really reminded me of those world record type books that used to be more common in the mid-2000s. I do wish there were some pictures or at least illustrations, as I feel like that would have taken this book further than just the short stories alone. 3.25/5

I've been a fan of Aaron's podcasts for years and began listening to Cabinet of Curiosities from the first episode. This book is based on that podcast, and if you enjoy his writing style, you will absolutely eat this up. If you are new to the author - get ready to have a new obsession. There is a little something for everyone here, from bizarre history to enthralling mysteries, and I enjoyed every minute.

Huge thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this ARC!

I found this to be a captivating and interesting book! Each story is a morsel of information that usually has a surprise worked in! I especially enjoyed how nicknames were used in the beginning of the story, and then the real name was provided! So fun!! I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I'm going to watch the podcasts!

I was provided a complimentary copy of the book from St Martin's Press via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.