Who knew reading about death could be so much fun? Chalked full of morbid humor, ghastly obituaries, and the world’s weirdest funeral requests, this book is a fun and informative read about funerary traditions around the world and through the centuries.

Maybe you’ve listened to “Obitchuary”, the podcast by Spencer Henry and Madison Reyes. They’re switching up the medium by publishing this “big hot book of death” and bringing you up to speed with some of the craziest will wishes. Like, did you know some people request their bodies to be modeled for their funeral? Or have you heard about grave dolls?

I found this book to be really fun and informative, and the writing style is relaxed… kind of like you’re reading the script to a podcast (it’s not written in script form). To be honest, I’ve never listened to the actual podcast before reading, and I really want to now. I think to some degree a lot of us have a fascination with the macabre, and exploring the different ways people prefer to be remembered and honored shows just how many options you really have.

At the end of every chapter, you’re given a look at someone’s obituary (and they are not always positive). Let’s just say... the tea was spilling. Plus, you’re given little insights into some celebrities alleged last words and how they wanted to be buried (or not). Basically, it’s a lot of fun little facts you can share around the dinner table– though you might want to wait until the food is digested.

While I really enjoyed this, I think that some parts might have been a little over-explained, which made it feel like it slowed down the pace. However, I will also note that it does mention in the beginning how this is meant to be a book that can be opened to any page and read.

I highly recommend this book, even if you’re just a tad curious about what happens on earth while your soul explores the afterlife. It might even inspire you to start planning ahead!

Thank you NetGalley and Plume for lending me an e-galley of this novel in exchange for an honest review

I love how this book brought levity to a topic that is either not talked about often or is seen as too sad. There were very uplifting stories right beside stories about how people exposed their parents for being terrible people through their obituaries.

I also liked the interspersed information about death; it really took the mystery out of the unknown and answered questions that many people are too afraid to ask.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I will start with the disclaimer that I have not listened to the podcast. But I promise that has nothing to do with my review. I just feel like it's fair to mention, as that's probably a large number of their readers.

ANYWAY, this was a fun read, morbid and still delightful. I was disappointed though when I started noticing some things that felt flippant and incorrect. Hear me out.
- When talking briefly about Carl Tanzler and his... proclivity for necrophilia, they referred to Maria Elena as "his side piece" whom he was in love with. I feel like this implies that they had some sort of relationship, when as far as I've ever read it was a very one-sided infatuation.
-"Percy Shelley, the brilliant mind behind Frankenstein and husband of Mary Shelley..." Ok. So this brought me down a small rabbit hole on the debated authorship of Frankenstein that I was completely unaware of. But like, maybe either don't give Percy credit for Mary's novel without some kind of citation on the debate OR perhaps just don't bring it up at all because it isn't confirmed or relevant? (Also, of course history is trying to take a woman's accomplishment and reassign it.) Later in the book, the authors mention Mary Shelly again, this time as the author of Frankenstein.
-"Scott Peterson's warehouse... where it turned out the crime had been committed." Another act of vague tea spilling that has no citation. Look, I'm not saying this one isn't correct, but I've never heard about any evidence in the warehouse bathroom or a confession about the bathroom, nor could I find it today. If that exists, please share. Otherwise, I just don't super trust what's being said based on the previous things said above.

Maybe these things seem small and don't merit 3 stars instead of 5. But I feel like 1) These are just the ones I actively caught and thought about and 2) it breaks trust in the material. I don't want to have to fact-check everything in a book that presumably has editors.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-arc of this book!

Meet death, and all its variables/stages. Meet “after death” which of course is the most serious of bits. Or is it.

This book…death but make her funny.

This is like a book full of death related fun-facts. A quick and easy read that's filled with some obits, some celebrity facts, some death adjacent customs of past and present. I think probably best read in short stints -- definitely gives me some new interesting tidbits to share at parties!

I do not listen to the authors' podcast but might need to start.

Obitchuary answers all my questions about death I never thought about asking. I now know there’s such things as professional mourners, funeral strippers, living funerals and the option of being buried atop your favorite motorcycle. I agree with other reviewers who said this would make a great coffee table book. It was a great read that makes the heavy subject of death entertaining and a little less morbid. Obitchuary is broken into 4 parts: 1- The end is just the beginning. 2- You can’t handle the truth. 3- F#cked. And 4- Till death do us part (and maybe not even then). Very fun and very informative. * Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Reyes and Henry offer a glance into some of the oddest stories in history, uncovering the mysteries surrounding death through everything from sensational deathbed confessions to unusual souvenirs produced from remains.

However, "Obitchuary" is more than just a shock tactic; it's a contemplative look at what mortality tells about our humanity. Reyes and Henry demystify taboo subjects and inspire readers to face their own mortality with humor and wisdom through sad insights and funny anecdotes.

For everyone interested in the darker side of life, "Obitchuary" is a must-read—it's shocking, grotesque, and poignant. Long after you've turned the last page, this book's blend of wit, wisdom, and compassion will have you smiling, gasping, and thinking about the mysteries of life and death.

Engaging, accessible, and entertaining. A recommended purchase for collections where death-related nonfic is popular.

This is such a fun coffee table book. As someone who works in and around / reads a lot about death, a lot of this information felt very common sense but I can see how others would find it intriguing. Overall, I really liked it.

This isn’t a heavy, weighty book, nor is it an educational one. It is simply a pleasantly conversational trivia book about funerals and death. Most of the facts and stories included are ones I’ve already heard or read from other sources, often in more depth,, but for an audience not as familiar with the subject — or for fans of the podcast — this book might be a good time. It’s both easy to read and is a quick read.

This was such a fun book and a wonderful addition to the podcast. I’ll definitely be purchasing a copy for my bookshelf!

I am super uncomfortable talking and reading about death, so I picked up this book as sort of a way to challenge myself. Right off the bat, this book broke down some of these uncomfortable topics about the physical aspects of death and how different cultures approach grief and synthesized them in a way that was more palatable. I'm not super familiar with the Cult Liter podcast, but I will say that this book reads as if you were listening to a podcast episode (whether that is a pro or a con is up to the individual reader. I didn't mind it).

This is a fun coffee table book, and has a lot of fun facts that I'm glad I learned. I wish there were examples of the interesting obituaries they mention in the intro (it also could've been a more cohesive way to tie chapters together), but I suppose I can always check out their podcast for more!

I was so excited when I received an ARC of this book! I absolutely love the podcast and wasn’t surprised at all that this book was amazing. I live Spencer and Madison’s sense of humor and unique approach to death. This book covers everything and really kept my attention the entire time. This book was so easy to read and I really couldn’t get enough!

A great coffee table book about all things death. I am a huge fan of Spencers' podcast Cult Liter and only recently started listening to the Obitchuary podcast. That said, if you listen to the Obitchuary podcast, most of the information in this book has already been covered on it. I think this is a perfect book for someone who wants to share their love for the podcast or their interest in the macabre. It would be a great conversation starter, just having it out when people come over will be conversation start in itself. It is full of fun facts and stories to pull out when you feel like adding a little darkness to your next girls night. 😂 This is short read , full of anecdotes about death, funerals, and obituaries. This book puts the fun in funeral and it's a light hearted look into something most people don't like to think about.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton/Plume for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6404220374

This was an enjoyable read. It was odd at some points where it seemed to switch who was telling the story. It wasn't very clear at times.

Obituary The Big Hot Book of Death was a super quick and entertaining read for me. I laughed out loud a couple times, cringed more than a few times, and further googled subjects mentioned multiple times to satiate my morbid curiosity. Talking about death can be very taboo but I enjoyed their approach of sharing information factually yet squeezing in a touch of comedic relief. My favorite parts were the unhinged obituaries! I do wish there were more of those but honestly enjoyed the read and would recemmend if you're interested in macabre history and information.

A wild and fascinating historical account of death woven with humor, hysterical anecdotes, and macabre. If you’ve ever wondered about the history of the death industry, wondered about the backstory of some unsavory obituaries, or wanted to know some of the oldest traditions for mourning death, this book is for you.

ARC releasing 8/20. As I've talked about before, I'm super uncomfortable with death and I just don't understand it so I'm trying to read more about death/dying in general, which is why I got this ARC. It's a podcast, which I didn't know going in. It's very light, short read with very serious segments with punchy bits that probably land better in a podcast. If you like the podcast, you'll like this. If you've never heard of the podcast, I'd recommend From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death by Caitlin Doughty instead.

This feels like a fun book to have on your coffee table/living room shelf. It's a great one to just flip open and learn a new fact from - sort of like an encyclopedia. A similar book, covering a similar topic, Stiff by Mary Roach, is not a good comparison. This book reads much more short entry, pick up for five minutes and put down. Lots of fun facts!

This is an engaging, non-serious book about death for fans of the genre. Madison Reyes and Spencer Henry write in a breezy, conversational tone (in keeping with their podcast background!) and you can feel their enthusiasm in their writing. They bound from death jewelry to mock funerals to spiritualism in a way that scratches at your curiosity. While not as comprehensive as a book like Mary Roach's Stiff or Caitlin Doughty's various works, this book offers more of a sampler. There is surely something for everyone in here :) I did wish for a bit more history on actual obituaries, but I loved that obits did function as a connecting thread for the book. Each chapter closes with an obituary, many from ordinary people, which is nice.

This book is slated for August publication, and as I was reading this I thought it would be so cute for someone's Halloween "boo basket".

Final shoutout to the illustrations which were just lovely!