This was overall a really incredible short story collection- a perfect showcase of Josh Malerman’s creativity and talent. Each story was unique and chilling in its own way.
Half The House is Haunted- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I thought this first story was genius. I loved how the story had two sides, where you aren’t quite sure who to believe. Very eerie.
Argyle- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Another unbelievably unique story! I found this story to be very uncomfortable and graphic at times- fitting for the subject matter. However, this short story had me on the edge of my seat, so excited to hear what he would say next.
Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer- ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Out of this whole collection, this story was by far the most unusual. I loved how claustrophobic the setting was- the tension was palpable. The story did start to drag in the middle, but I loved the ending.
The Jupiter Drop- ⭐️⭐️
For me, the Jupiter Drop was nothing special. I found the whole concept a little bit confusing and the main character insufferable. This story was strange and the ending was disappointing.
Ergorov- DNF… for now
I would like to finish this story, but I am having so much trouble getting into it. Will table until the audiobook becomes available from my library.

5 stories from 1 town in 1 book. I enjoyed all of the short stories, except Erogov. I think it was just too long of a story. But the others were creepy and enjoyable, reminding me somewhat of Black Mirror episodes. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be between Argyle and The Jupiter Drop.

This is my first experience reading Josh Malerman and I'm still undecided if I want to read anything else by him

Half the House is Haunted (4 Stars) - I really liked the story itself but not the stream of consciousness writing style

Argyle (3 stars) - Just not the story for me although I liked the unexpected ending

Doug and Judy buy the House Washer™ (3 stars)- Nothing special either way. Didn't love it and didn't hate it.

The Jupiter Drop (3 stars) - I didn't care about the story but now I want to experience this trip to Jupiter.

Egorov (2 stars) - I did not care for this story at all and would have DNFd the book if I read this first

I enjoyed the short story styling of the book however overall the book was just meh for me. I was wanting more and it never came.

I have read several books by Josh Malerman. Some of them have been absolute duds and others have been alright. This is one that was not a dud but just alright. Short story collections are always hit-and-miss. Argyle was probably my favorite. I could read an entire story about that. The rest were just fine. Overall, I love coming back to Josh Malerman books because his writing is entertaining but some of the stories are just alright.

Do you like weird fiction? Strange Tales? These novellas are not necessarily horror, but they do bite when you least expect it.
I loved three out of the five stories.
In my three favorites, a little girl terrifies her baby brother with frightening pranks and her insistence that half the house is haunted. Is she just evil or can she see what others can't?

A loathsome married couple's incessant need to brag and show off their status will be their undoing when their past can not be washed away.

A family man on his deathbed shares a jarring secret that blindsides his loved ones as they gather to say goodbye.
There is some supernatural horror in the mix but the majority of these stories rely on psychological scares and surprising twists.

Spin A Black Yarn is a mix of strange and fascinating novellas from Josh Malerman.

I’m honestly torn on this one. This book started of so strong. Half The House Is Haunted and Argyle were so good! And then the rest were just meh for me. Short Story collections are so tricky because the stories can be so different.

My favorite one of the bunch was Argyle. What and interesting idea and Malerman pulled it off so well. His writing was just beautiful in this story.

My least favorite was Egorov. It just felt over written to me. Normally I love that in Malerman’s writing but not in this one.

Overall I had a fun time reading Spin A Black Yarn. I know I will be thinking about Argyle for the rest of the year. As always I will continue to read anything Josh Malerman writes.
3/5 Stars

Thank you to the publisher and Natgalley for sending me an arc in exchange for my honest review.

I'm a big fan of this author's storytelling style, and I was not disappointed in this collection of short stories. I love how Malerman creates these tales that are so unnerving and unsettling. I always know what is bothering me in each story, but there is also a constant uneasiness that I can't quite put my finger on why.

One of my favorite ways to read horror is through short stories. I feel like that's a great medium for any horror author to really show off their style. So, this was very enjoyable for me!

Out August 15, 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

DNF @ 50%; I'm grateful to have been allowed early access to this book, but I can't find the wherewithal to keep reading it. Malerman's writing is solid throughout what I read, and there are some good concepts within the stories themselves. But I was expecting horror and this is barely that. It's mostly speculative (dare I say just literary) fiction. I think if this book finds an audience of people who aren't anticipating horror, then it'll do just fine. But I think if you read this book expecting horror, you're going to be disappointed. The stories that I read all felt so long-winded, as though he were trying to reach a minimum word count for each. Eventually I would get to a point in the stories where I didn't even want to read them anymore, I just wanted to move onto the next one in hopes that it would actually be horror.

TLDR; not a bad book, just not a horror book by any stretch. I'm giving it three stars as the writing itself wasn't bad at all, and I don't want to unnecessarily berate a book that 1. I didn't finish and 2. Could have had potential to show marginal improvement by the end.

I was pleasantly surprised by this collection. There was enough substance to keep a reader who may not enjoy this short story / novella format. That’s no small feat for an author to accomplish. Some of the stories are really good - Argyle, Doug and Judy…, and The Jupiter Drop; the other two - Half the House… and Egorov - just seemed out of place for me. Overall it’s solid so check it out.

I’m not usually a fan of short stories, but Malerman is such a great writer I thought this would be worth a shot. Turns out they still aren’t for me. Most of these stories felt too drawn out and I ended up skimming through most of them when they got too slow. I was expecting more horror, but I don’t think this book really delivered on that front.

Spin a Black Yarn by Josh Malerman is a fun, chilling collection of 5 stories all set in one town. Each story is its own and the only link between each is the setting of Samhattan. I happen to love Josh Malerman's writing style so this book is a treat. Perfect for Halloween, especially if you want quick gratification.

Each story focused on a different sub genre of horror. Haunted houses, psychological/serial killer, cosmic horror, familial/domestic horror and even gothic horror. There's something for all readers of the morbid and taboo sure to send shivers down your spine.

My favorite is Half of the House is Haunted because I personally love haunted house stories, and a creepy older sister?? yes please. Each tale was unique and not cliche. I flew through this book in a day because the way Malerman writes is so easy to read.

Josh Malerman is usually an auto buy for me and after his novel, Daphne, I was eager to jump back into the world of Samhattan.

I loved the first 4 stories. I liked the last story, Ergorov, but it seemed to drag on through the middle a bit.

My favorites were, Half This House is Haunted and Argyle.

In Half This House is Haunted an older sister terrorizes her younger brother by constantly scaring him in their large estate. Multiple time lines and from the POV’s of both the brother and the sister. I loved this relationship. I’m a big sister so I really felt this was genuine.

In Argyle, a man on his deathbed starts telling long held secrets which scare his family. Won’t go too deep on this one. Best to read it cold!

Great stories and so nice to visit Samhattan again!

Special thanks to Random House Publishing,Ballantine Books Del Rey and NetGalley for the ARC of this book..

I'm a fan of Josh Malerman and I was so happy to re everyone this book. I just love when authors put out short story books and feel lucky to et this one.

If you like horror that gives you something to think about, this book is definitely for you. I really enjoyed 3 of the 5 stories and if there are only 5 stories that's a winner for me. Some were dragged out.

All in all 3 stars and that's a good rating from me on short stories.

2.5 stars. This was my first taste of Malerman's writing, though I did see the movie adaptation of Bird Box. Based on that film, I expected a lot more suspense and fear/horror components, which I didn't really find in Spin a Black Yarn. I liked some of the stories better than others, but overall this collection fell flat for me. I think this books definitely leans speculative fiction, with a tiny pinch of horror.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballentine for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

@joshmalerman 🧶🤯

Summary:
This book is a series of 5 chilling novellas. I honestly enjoyed 4 out of the 5 stories. I really like the author’s writing style. I recommend this book to those who love short stories!

#read #spinablackyarn #joshmalerman #readmore #netgalley #netgalleyreads #booklover #bookworm #books #bookstagram #spooky #thriller #bookaddict #booknerdigan #readabook

This review might be a bit biased, as I am quite a big fan of Josh Malerman's works. I discovered him late last year and have been wanting to read more of his works. That's why I cannot thank Netgalley enough for approving the arc of this collection of novellas for me.

It was dark, haunting and otherworldly. The stories took me on rollercoaster rides that made my heart race. Each of the five novellas were unique and the writing style took them to the next level. This collection will scare you, repulse you and make you feel paranoid. Such is the power of the stories it contains.

A full five stars. I would highly recommend this to anyone who is trying to get into Josh Malerman's works or someone who is wanting to read horror which is bit different from the rest of them.

A somewhat meh collection of novellas. I will continue to read everything Malerman writes, but more often than not I am left wanting and expecting more.

Five tales, five wildly different novellas set within Malerman's reoccurring world of Samhattan. Estranged siblings, off-planet excursions, malicious gadgets, deathbed confessions and psychological torture make for thoughtful and unsettling reading. Rather than detailed world-building expositions, readers spend most of their time in the minds of these characters. The horror is largely philosophical here, full of questions about the nature of evil and fear.

The final, longest novella here, "Egorov", gave me serious Edgar Allen Poe vibes. My personal favorite of the stories is "Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer (TM)," because it felt like something out of Love Death and Robots - dark outlandish realism.

I had high hopes for this book but it just fell flat for me. They were more introspective and emotional and less horror or suspenseful which is what I was hoping for. This was my first Malerman book so maybe that is par for the course and he just isn't for me.

The first story was good. It was creepy and atmospheric and had a really cool premise. The second story dragged on and on and on for me. It was very repetitive and the concept could have been told in 20 pages for the same effect. The house washer story also dragged on and was kind of hokey. I liked the Jupiter Drop story maybe the most. The last one again was entirely too long for me but had a more interesting premise and flow.

It just seemed like so much fluff to reach a word count rather than meaningful arrangement. I own a couple of his books and I will definitely give it another go but this one was not a hit for me. I would say Half the House Is Haunted and The Jupiter Drop were 4 stars for me. Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer(TM) was probably a 3 star and the other two were 2 star. That evens out to 3 stars overall.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC