Booknote: 199 Cemeteries to See Before You Die

Loren Rhoads, 199 Cemeteries to See Before You Die. New York: Black Dog and Leventhal, 2017.   ISBN: 978-0-316-43843-8.

Genre: Nonfiction
Subgenre: travel, funerary rites, cemeteries, reference
Format: hardcover
Source: Berea branch of the Madison County Public Library

This is one of those books in the ever going series of X number of things to do before you die. I never thought of cemeteries as places to visit other than for funerals, but this book may change my mind. Many cemeteries are historical landmarks for various reasons, and many are open to the public. If you want to do some different sightseeing, this book may help.

The book is simply arranged. It has a short introduction and then the 199 entries. Entries are arranged geographically. The United States is divided by regions, and then you go by continents and world regions. For each cemetery entry you get the name of the cemetery, an address, and a website if available. You also get a few paragraphs describing the cemetery and/or why it is significant. The book also features photos. Each entry gets at least one photograph. The photos are mostly on the small side and can vary from antique to modern photos.

Overall the book is interesting to look over. It's not really a book to read cover to cover but rather a book to browse. The text is fairly basic and dry, almost like a reference book. Still, if you are looking for something different to do, this book offers some ideas.

In the end, I liked it.

3 out of 5 stars.