I pre-ordered this book with somewhat low(er) expectations than most; I have the Supernatural encyclopedia of demons and monsters, and while that was very lore-informative, the voices weren't quite right, and there were a few little quibbles I had with the layout and such.
I don't have those with this. David Reed gets the Bobby Singer voice. If not perfectly (because there are a few places where I go "uh... okay, not Bobby") then pretty close, because it's comfortable to read it. The sections on Bobby's wife Karen are excellent, not only because they match what was said on the show, but expound on it in a logical manner. The book also deals with Bobby and Rufus, Bobby and the Winchesters, and all the kinds of things that Bobby goes through on a relatively "normal" day in addition to all that he knows about hunting. There's also background on the Colt, the Knife, Dean's amulet, and most of the creepy things they've come up against.
Casual watchers of the show might be a little lost; Bobby makes many references to the things that have happened up through the sixth (at the time of this review, most current) season as well as a couple of cases that Sam and Dean have covered but we haven't seen. It's a book that's deeply rooted in the mythology of the show while making it interesting; you follow Bobby on his mental decline, and while I won't say a word about content of the ending or what goes on, I will say that it is definitely satisfying. It's sort of like an episode unto itself, not unlike "Weekend at Bobby's," where the action focuses not on the Winchesters, but on Bobby Singer. As the title says, it's Bobby Singer's Guide to Hunting. I almost expected "Ya Idjit" to be part of the formal title.
It's not nearly as dry as a read as The "Supernatural" Book of Monsters, Spirits, Demons, and Ghouls, but it's just as informative. The physical size of the book is nice, too; it's not a huge trade-paperback size like the Monsters book, instead being just a little bit bigger than a standard paperback. It's easier to hold, easier to read, and easier to carry in my purse. All in all, definitely a good purchase.
