nonfiction; weird history. This was ok--not exceptionally interesting if you're already used to writers like Mary Roach, but there's nothing actually wrong with it. I only read the first couple stories then skipped ahead to find out about Poe (since he's our city's One Reads this year)--but his story wasn't terribly interesting either: dies suddenly of mysterious causes, had an unknown person leave wineglass/roses on his grave every year, for a while. More interesting was what happened to Dickens' pet raven, thought to be the inspiration in Poe's famous poem. ( )

Yes, I'm somewhat fascinated by death culture. No, I don't think it's unhealthy. Yes, I do recognize it makes many people uncomfortable especially when walking around with a book somewhat shaped like a coffin with the title Rest in Pieces emblazoned across the front. (It might have been unwise to read this on an airplane but I'm a risk taker.) The subtitle of Bess Lovejoy's book is a dead (ha!) giveaway as to the substance of what lies within (on a roll here!). This book is full of fascinating histories of what became of famous people's corpses. She covers everyone from Presidents and political leaders to outlaws, radicals, and artists. No matter their designation, the dead were rarely left to rest peacefully and with all of their pieces together. There was a lot of ground to cover and I honestly felt like I learned quite a bit (I'm going to be a hit at my next dinner party if I ever get invited to another one). If you have a strong stomach, an interest in the unconventional, and some time on your hands then this is one you definitely shouldn't pass up. 10/10 ( )

Short pieces about the afterlife of famous people's remains. Macabre but fascinating. ( )

Sometimes the strangest books catch my eye and this one seemed ghouslihly enticing. Author Lovejoy has done extensive research on some very famous corpses and their final resting place, or in some cases, resting places. She readily admits that some of the information in the book is most likely mythical but whether it can be proven or not the short chapters dealing with the famous and infamous are interesting. Many a body was buried without its skull whether by theft or the desire of loved ones to keep a relic (ewwww). Among those buried without their heads were Joseph Haydn, Ted Williams (cryonic preservation anyone?), Mozart, Oliver Cromwell (already dead for a decade he was dug up, dragged through the streets, hung and beheaded - a bit of overkill), and Australian outlaw Ned Kelly. Fortunately most skulls were eventually returned to the bodies from which they were removed. Some corpses were buried with great pomp and circumstance only to be misplaced when, for various reasons, relocation of the grave became necessary. It is rumored that when Vernon Presley was unable to have Graceland rezoned for Elvis' burial he hired some young men to disturb the grave in Forest Hills Cemetary so Vernon could prove that Elvis must be moved to Graceland for security reasons. It worked. My favorite section of the book is the final one, titled "Last Wishes", which chronicles the lively sendoffs some people have chosen for their earthly remains. Timothy Leary's ashes were the first space burial, Hunter Thompson's were mixed with fireworks and fired from a cannon, and philosopher Jeremy Bentham wished to become an "auto-icon" in which his body was preserved, dressed in his best suit and became a fixture in the Anatomy Museum in London where he remains to this day. This book is not for everyone but it was an interesting read for me. ( )

An entertaining collection of true stories about what became of corpses of the famous and infamous. Some humorous, some gruesome, and all interesting. ( )