Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I had enjoyed one of this author's previous books so was looking forward to this one. I wasn't overly impressed though. Far too much about cricket and maths. Some of the essays were quite funny but most were not very interesting.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a bit of a tricky collection to rate.

I found some of the essays funny. This collection covers a lot of topics from music to cricket and some of the essays didn't really resonate with me. Some are sports heavy and some are very short. There's also a section on whether the term Chinese Whispers, known as the game of telephone in the US, is or isn't racist that I didn't love because I personally think the answer is pretty straightforward. It highlighted for me that I'm probably not the demographic for this book.

There's sarcasm and strong opinions shared in this book that make up a specific brand of humor. I can see why some people like it. For me the overall collection choice was a bit mixed.

Loved this collection of essays topics vary from sandwich making to art too birds.A collection from a variety of people a pleasure to read.#netgalley #lunbound

Music to Eat Cake By is a collection of essays exploring everything and nothing. From the art of the sandwich and space travel to how not to cure hiccups. This was a wonderful read and I really enjoyed it.

I loved this. It was such a tonic to live particularly this year. I also love short stories. Such a lovely read.

Those who have not yet read this book are missing such a treat! It had me in giggly raptures of glee and stitches, not just from the text but also chapter footnotes, vocabulary, the index and word counts, not to mention (so I will!) loads of "Aha!" moments. Absolutely my wheelhouse. The author decided to seek readers' topic recommendations for his book and voila...here we are, bedazzled by wit and humour and stunned with a zillion revelations. He is utterly perceptive of human nature...so often I chuckled and thought, "I gathered that was just MY family" or "Hahaha! It's not just me!" Thoughtfully written and brilliantly researched, this is a big fat wow book. Gushing? Sure. But it can't be helped. It's THAT good. I sniggered, alright.

Where to begin?! So many...isms, so many anecdotes. The beetroot description nearly did me in. And here I thought I knew cicadas. Though the author has a predilection for music, birds, garlic and cricket (and many other things), you needn't even like these objects to enjoy what he has to say about them. As a Canadian, cricket is beyond my grasp, not exactly popular here, but the chapters which included cricket blurbs are still well worth reading for the humour and writing style. If you're like me, you've taken numbers for granted. But did you know not all cultures deal in numbers? Ageing doesn't seem like much fun, though The Magic Roundabout does! The Dinosaur Suite mention couldn't be sweeter. As a nature nut I was happy to learn a ton of information here from birds to limpets to elephants. Every single word in the book has its place.

P. G. Wodehouse lovers rejoice! Ahhh...please read this book. My heart brimmed with joy for a thousand reasons. If you love words, books, music, nature, food or, well, anything, this book is for you. A hard copy belongs on my shelf as it is one to pick up and read again and again.

My sincere thank you to Unbound and NetGally for providing me with an ARC of this marvelous book (running out of adjectives) in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated.

A delightful book with essays exploring nothing and everything in between. I wholeheartedly enjoyed reading it and would highly recommend it.