I recommend checking out the author before you dive into this book, if you like their style (he has a youtube channel) then you’ll likely enjoy the book. It’s a well done book of history, decor, diy projects and lifestyle. However, I had picked up this book thinking it would be a wider range of goth decor and not just one persons home. And the style did not matcb my taste, as it was very black, skulls and bats- which just makes me only think of Halloween. And if you love Halloween, you’ll also likely enjoy this book! I can see how his content does great on youtube, and has a following. Maybe if the book title had more accurately captured the essence of the book being just his style I would have had different expectations.

Not just for a Gothic lifestyle but many great decor inspirations as well. Throughly enjoyed this book and look forward to using some of the ideas this book brought to my head.

I could definitely see myself buying this for a friend of mine. Partly as a humorous gift, but also because I think they really would enjoy all the dark themes and that would probably take A LOT of inspiration from everything in this book.

I was very excited for this book based on the title, especially as someone who has a dark academia/gothic style that I wanted more insight on how to best design my house in this way. While touted as an essential guide to the macabre style, I was disappointed. There is more to gothic than just everything being black with skulls, and I found this guide lacking in the antiquity and artistic aspects associated with the movement it pulls from historically. This would make the ultimate decorate your space for Halloween, spooky season vibes guide, but not so much for the gothic style day to day. While a lot of it was cute in that aspect, I think it would come off looking rather cheap than majestic in the year-round.

I also think it is irresponsible to include a recipe for something that contains charcoal without the warning that ingesting it can decrease the effects of your medication (this is why they use it when pumping someone's stomach/poisoning situations in medical settings). This includes birth control. I may have missed this note, so please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Overall, a cute book for holiday decor but not what it advertises itself as.

Thank you NetGalley for approving me on this title. A very good book that is well worth a read. Highly recommend

This felt more like a guide to a "spooky" lifestyle than a "gothic" one, but it did have some good messaging about how "goth" isn't someone else's standard. The photography was definitely the strength for the book.

This book is perfect for anyone looking to add to or start their spooky lifestyle. With topics ranging from DIY crafts, Gothic traveling, gothic color schemes, and themed recipes for the holidays this book offers insights into multiple aspects within the gothic lifestyle. I appreciated the step by step instructions and the way this book encourages you to follow whatever aspect of spooky culture calls to you and make it your own.

I'm not sure exactly how to rate this book- it is a book meant to be seen IRL not on a screen. Not a good screen read! And this might have put me in a worse mood about the book than I should be.
It's a beginner guide to gothic living- I live in Salem so it was all a little basic. But the photography looked great and there were good tips. I liked the party and travel sections the most as they were useful. The interior sections were interesting but it seems decorating using the book was a bit too cookie cutter and leaves out the element of creativity.
Still, when it is published, it will be a really good book to have around and flip through for inspo.

This was a very fun book on how to perfect your own gothic lair. I really like his attitude throughout that goth isn't about meeting some standard, it's about making your life fun and happy for yourself. He includes a lot of craft ideas to be goth on a budget, recipes for when hosting your spooky friends, and even fun places to travel if you want a creepy holiday. It was a nice book.

I honestly thought this one was kind of cringey. As someone who really likes different design styles (especially to try out for myself in the Sims), I didn't think this was really helpful at all. I'm not sure that people who actually aspire to a goth aesthetic would take any of these design elements into play in their actual lives. It all just looked really gaudy and over the top (but not in the traditional way I have seen represented by actual goths). I'm curious to see what other people think about this one.

This book is kind of long winded for the casual reader or someone who doesn’t know of the author. I can 100% see it as a collectors item for fans or merch, over something found in a bookstore. I think design wise this was very nice to look at: consistent colour theme and aesthetically pleasing images.

I believe that the DIY’s and recipes are unique and not too complicated, so perfect for anyone! In addition to this some other things I found enjoyable were:
* Giving colour schemes for us to use
* Locations to visit
* Sharing the love to other peoples “lairs”

Thanks to the biggest goth of them all NetGalley

The ebook interior was lovely, though it was a bit frustrating to read on a phone, formatted as it was. And I was unable to have it sent to my kindle to read on a larger screen.

I think I was expecting something more along the lines of what creates a gothic atmosphere, the elements that make something (movies, books, and other media) gothic.
But this is more of a how to decorate your living space in a gothic fashion.

I love the look and feel of a gothic setting and this book does have some good ideas that you can pick and choose depending on what’s right for your space. Though there are several ideas that are visually busy, and I’m not sure how practical any goth would find them.

There are even some recipes for “gothic” foods and dinner parties, but those would probably best suit Halloween or a themed event/party.

The book is called a guide to macabre style, but I’d describe it more as “ketch goth” style.

I don’t think I’m the right type of goth/macabre style lover for this book. It’s a very easy/fast read you can get through on a short break.

A very cute and fun look into spooky/Gothic home making. I think it has a place on yourself if you are gothy but you like little craft books and darkly inclined positivity.
Every page is richly decorated and well formated. It gives a warm nostalgia for early to mid 2000s goth. It makes me want to run not walk to the craft store to make some of these tutorials.
I only wish there was more! I have always looked up to Voltaire its nice to have another medium he has worked with to put on the shelf.

A fantastic guide on how to dress your home, and yourself, for the Halloween season. From home decor tips to fashion and hosting events and even how to incorporate gothic decor throughout other holidays, this book is a guide for all.

It is a very informative book but I would have preferred to see more ideas for home decoration in the Gothic style.

I got this as an arc on Netgalley and it will come out in August. Yeah solid and interesting book for who want to bring a bit of Goth in home and hearth. Do the author and I share the same style? Absolutely not, too overstimulating for me but even still I found myself really inspired by the tips and ideas. Importantly: it keeps reiterating the need to look at ethical sourcing everything, which I feel is genuinely overlooked in Goth culture.

The beauty of the mysterious and macabre aesthetic has now reached the mainstream and I am here for it! This is such a cool book. There are a lot of DIY crafts for Halloween, as well as, tips for when you really want to design your home with this vibe.

When I saw that Voltaire was releasing a book on gothic home decorating, I just had to read it ASAP.

My love for Voltaire (Aurelio, not François-Marie Arouet) started with the song “When You’re Evil”, which was used as the background for a fan-made Hetalia music video on YouTube in the 2010s and continued from there with his album Almost Human (2000). I am dying to see Voltaire live, but alas, I've missed his appearances thus far.

Fans of humor-filled banter, puns, and trips down the gothic historical lane will enjoy Voltaire’s Gothic Life (coming out Tuesday August 20th, 2024), the ultimate guide to all things spoopy when it comes to decorating and entertaining guests. Not only are there plenty of pictures to take inspiration from, but Voltaire provides a multitude of concrete examples to try, including his own personal examples on how to save money when purchasing for a goth setup. Providing his own examples gives the reader the sense that he legitimately uses the money-saving techniques he promotes and isn’t just lecturing the masses. I loved how the book takes into consideration how expensive decorating can be and that not all of us have much space to do it in, nor the right to do things like paint a wall or hammer in a nail (apartment living, am I right?).

I also appreciated that Voltaire takes a deep dive into terms like “goth” and “gothic”, although I was left wondering which sources he used as the basis for his historical tidbits.

Overall, I found this book very digestible. Voltaire is exuberant and big on the idea that there’s no one way to goth. I actually used this book as inspiration for my Bookstagram aesthetic when I was trying to decide on a color scheme and just couldn’t choose. So, clearly it can be used for more than just gothic homemaking.

I would definitely recommend Gothic Life by Aurelio Voltaire to anyone looking to add a bit of spoopy to their life!

(officially 4.5)

A darkly whimsical ride. I actually found myself stalling in the last 20 or so pages because I legitimately didn't want this experience to end. Gothic Life is a fang-tastically charming look into the darker side - and all the joy that embracing and exploring it can bring.

This is a fun gift book for anyone who loves a gothic, macabre aesthetic. Some great and unusual ideas to decorate your home. I especially enjoyed the sections that weren’t Halloween related. The creepy christmas chapter was especially insightful. Overall. I enjoyed the boom and would make a great gift for anyone interested in all things gothic.