A fast and quick read. It i based on the podcast of the two authors, with various facts and dark humor sprinkled throughout. I found it to be quite entertaining.

While I find the premise of this book to be quite interesting, especially having come across some funny or compelling obituaries, I found the book ultimately fell flat for me. Knowing that this is based off a podcast makes how it read a lot more sense - it felt conversational in the worst way, and it was also quite short. While it might be better as a podcast, it didn't translate well into writing in my opinion. I also felt the most compelling idea, how we view death and how people are remembered after there own, wasn't fully addressed.

Obitchuary. The Big Hot Book of Death
by Spencer Henry; Madison Reyes


Based on the popular podcast, Obitchuary: The Big Hot Book of Death.
It’s safe to say everyone thinks about death—whether they want to or not. But have you ever wondered about what sort of keepsakes you can make with your remains, or given any thought to the most scandalous deathbed confessions throughout history? No matter if we fear the inevitable or welcome it, a curiosity exist that cannot be denied.
With chapters that talk about Coffin Confessions,” “Executions to Die For,” “The Last Word,” and “If These Dolls Could Speak,” Madison and Spencer guide us through surprisingly colorful history, traditions, and contemporary practices. They also demystify taboo topics with incredible and hilarious details, including FUNerals, as they call them, cremations and themed funerals, famous body snatchers, and so much more.
At times shocking and others hilarious, it's impossible to put this down. I read the entire book in one night and am not sorry.

Both entertaining and educational I highly recommend giving it a read.

Highly recommended published 8/20/2024
Thanks to @Netgalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Obitchuary is a book that is both fun and informative without feeling stuffy. I looked forward to reading each new chapter and learning more about the morbid topics. Henry and Reyes made each topic feel light even though they were often heavy.

Obitchuary: The Big Hot Book of Death stems from the successful podcast Obitchuary by Spencer Henry and Madison Reyes. I’ve never listened to the podcast, so I went into this cold.

What I liked:
I did actually learn something. I think when I approach something like this now, after listening to true crime podcasts for upwards of ten years, I usually brace for a lot of the same information I’ve heard over and over. Spencer and Madison did include a lot of things that I didn’t know, which was super refreshing.

That being said, what I didn’t like:
They market this book as “The Big Hot Book of Death” and while it covers an enormous amount of topics, the book isn’t very long—i.e. Big it is not. The issue I have with that is the topics they cover are just very shallow dives. You can’t even begin to get interested in much because it’s over too fast, and it’s all over the place. There was no sense of flow to the topics. If we’re talking the sheer amount of topics in a novel, something better researched would have been 700 pages. A lot of this felt like it was pulled from the first result of a google search. I was just left hoping the actual episodes of Obitchuary are better researched, for the sake of the listeners.

It reads like an essay disguised as a podcast episode script that’s marketed as a book, terrible jokes and all—and I do mean terrible, but maybe I’m a bit older than their target demographic? There was no nuance to this at all, and even though there was some information I didn’t know, the information didn’t feel different enough to warrant a handful of pages and a publishing deal.

Overall, I learned something, but I’m definitely less inclined to listen to their podcast now.

2 ⭐️

I want to thank the authors and Plume Publishing via Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

LOVED the premise and the contents of the book. It was very educational and fun to read! It's a niche topic that many people are weary to admit that they are curious about, and this is a great way to open up those doors.

I have to admit, I am a collector of random facts. I love nothing more than to learn about the eccentricities of how different groups and societies handle situations that are part of everyday life. I have never listened to Henry and Reyes' podcast, but this book looked right up my alley. Henry and Reyes take on all topics related to death (funeral practices, burials, etc) with a morbid curiosity and sense of humor. If you are a person who doesn't have that morbid sense of humor, you might find this book to be bordering on disrespectful, but I think for many of us, being able to touch on death with some dark humor makes the topic more approachable. I learned so many interesting facts that resulted in me falling down rabbit holes to gather more information about various topics I learned about initially in this book.

Such a fun read! Obitchuary is one of those books that you want to keep on your coffee table just because it's cute and also because it's a fun talking piece.

I am so thankful to Dutton Books/Plume, Spencer Henry, Madison Reyes, and Netgalley for granting me advanced access to this galley before publication day. I really enjoyed the dialogue and plot of this book and can’t wait to chat this one up with my friends!

I am sure the podcast with this same information is really intriguing because it fits this medium, however when translated to a book, it really needs some help to stay relevant and interesting. The book just pretty much threw all of this information together and didn't really add any cohesiveness. I think there needed to be background history about how the death trends started to make it more like a story as a opposed to a blurb like in a podcast. I thought there was something interesting information though. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

There were several interesting facts and anecdotes in this book, but overall I found the flow and writing to be pretty clunky. It reads like a podcast episode, which makes sense given the authors host a podcast, however, it feels odd in book form.

Did you ever wonder what your obituary might say? How about your last spoken words? And what about your services and remains?

As an End-of-Life Doula, I think about all of these things often. I try to have discussions with my family that might present some clarity for final wishes. And I scoop up everything I can that might infuse humor into these topics and make them a little bit more comfortable for others. Enter our authors and podcasters, Spencer Henry and Madison Reyes and The Big Hot Book of Death.
In Obitchuary, by Henry and Reyes, we learn about the last words of some pretty famous people. We also read about some infamous folks too, and how they were described in their obituary's (reinforcing my belief that everyone should have a hand in writing their own). There are chapters dedicated to our beloved pets that have passed and tips on throwing a FUNeral (cue the paid mourners and funeral strippers!).

This is a fun read that you can pick up and grab any chapter from the book without particular order. With more than a dozen chapters, you are sure to walk away from this book with far more knowledge regarding death related topics than you bargained for!

Many thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Dutton | Plume and Netgalley for this e-ARC. All opinions expressed are authentically my own.

thank you netgalley for the e-arc. i love spencer's podcast(s) and have followed him for a few years now. i thought just like the podcast, that the book was engaging and well researched. i loved learning new things such as death traditions and cultural history.

This was a fun and fast read. The writing itself didn’t blow me away, but I enjoyed the stories and learned some interesting facts. The conversational style makes it an approachable read, so I’d recommend to anyone interested in death practices and rituals.

You could easily pick this book up and read it in one sitting, or lightly peruse the book one chapter at a time. Obitchuary is a fast-paced book about death. There are chapters that are scientifically driven and chapters that touch on past and present social norms related to death. At the end of each chapter, you’ll find a real obituary, and mixed in you’ll find lists such as “Infamous Last Meals”. This book is definitely not for everyone. But if you find death interesting, and don’t mind a lighthearted discussion about death, then this book is for you.

I've listened to Spencer and Madison's podcast a few times, and this reads just like it! It's fun and full of interesting death and funeral facts. I loved all the stories and history. They even threw in obituaries at the end of each chapter.

I chose this book solely based on title and cover…I didn’t really know what it was about. Let me tell you, judging this book by its cover (well, and title), was an excellent life choice.

This book reviews all things death. Death, dying, funerals, and most importantly, obituaries. I can honestly say I learned something new and, dare I say, fun, every chapter. This was a seamlessly woven exploration of the world of death, from historical references to modern day.

The obituaries included were expertly chosen, hilarious, and fit exactly where they needed to. Some people are ruthless, and I love it. There was the perfect balance of history, science, and personal experience from the authors.

Speaking of the authors…yes, just yes. They have a podcast together, and you can just feel the chemistry, and how well they work together. This book is written like they speak. You know that super cool, effortlessly so, friend that you aspire to be like? This is them. They just seem like people you want to grab a beer with, and have one of the most interesting conversations of your life.

I loved this book. It was nonfiction, but felt like an easy to read story.

I received this book as an ARC, from the publisher, for which I am very grateful.

Death is such a taboo topic in today's society so I appreciate books that use humor to shed light on that which we do not talk about. Death is sad, but it doesn't need to be hidden. I enjoyed this book, especially the obituaries they featured. Some are sweet and some tell it like it is.

If you listen to the podcast, this book expands on the topics discussed. its a quick read but it defiantly makes you want to listen to the show or listen more.

Obitchuary is a fast-paced, morbidly humorous look at the fascinating and bizarre ways we remember those who have passed. Henry and Reyes guide readers through a colourful history of death traditions, with enthralling anecdotes and surprising details about death. Striking a balance between respect and dark humour, the conversational writing style made the subject matter incredibly engaging.