This was a fun set of stories. My favorite was Argyle. Although I enjoyed the last one, I did feel like it could have been trimmed. I appreciate the note from the author at the end

I wanted to love this collection. I really did, but unfortunately I did not.
I think where Malerman thrives is is his longer narratives because these ones felt more like drafts than finished works.
I guess I just wanted more. More characterization, more development, more everything.

Malerman’s writing style and unique voice does show through and if you like to pick up a short story here or there, this might be for you, but I was left feeling just whelmed.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for gifting me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Spin a Black Yarn by Josh Malerman is one of my most anticipated anthologies of 2023 and it did not disappoint. I rarely give 5 stars to a collection of short stories/novellas but Spin a Black Yarn as well as Malerman's Goblin are the exceptions to that rule. I loved this book!

Spin a Black Yarn has 5 short stories/novellas: 1) Half the House Is Haunted, 2) Argyle, 3) Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer, 4) The Jupiter Drop, and 5) Egorov. With each story growing creepier and more unsettling than the last, this collection is classic horror done well with intriguing plot points and masterful character development in the short span of the stories. I also loved the Easter eggs dropped in here and there from Malerman’s other works. While I enjoyed every story in this collection, my favorites were Half the House Is Haunted and Argyle. I'm definitely planning to purchase a copy of this collection for my shelves.

I received a review copy of this book from the author/publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This book contains five novellas. They are:
Half This House is Haunted: about siblings where the sister is constantly trying to scare the with out of her brother, who is two years younger. Personally, I did not like this one at all. I just found the characters annoying and I didn't gel with the story at all.

Argyle: A man has something to confess before he dies. Probably my favorite novella here. Super creepy.

The Jupiter Drop- A science fiction novella about a man who goes to Jupiter in a clear apartment. Interesting idea. My second favorite.

Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer(TM): about a married couple who buys this fancy house washer thing to show off how wealthy they are at a dinner party. Couldn't connect with this one either. Hated the main characters, which of course, is the intention. I just couldn't find anything to like here.

Egorov: a triplet is murdered and his remaining brothers try to drive the murderer insane. This one would've been better had it been shorter.

One thing I liked was the Easter eggs from his other books. I'm a fan of Malerman's work, but unfortunately, this is probably my least favorite thing he's written. Your experience may be better than mine though. As ive seen others say, take time in between the novellas, it'll probably make your reading experience better.
I didn't do that and now I wish I would have. Recommended for people who like novellas, horror, and science fiction.

My thanks to Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, Del Rey, author Josh Malerman, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

Spin a Black Yarn by Josh Malerman just cemented Malerman as one of my favorite novella writers.
This book, like Malerman’s book Goblin, is a collection of novellas that all take place (kind-of) in the same town. (I say kind-of because one takes place in space.) And overall, I really enjoyed this book.
One of my favorite’s of the collection was “Half the House is Haunted.” While reading this story, you find yourself wondering, “Is this house haunted, or are the siblings just messing with each other?” and it gave me all the creepy vibes I was craving. I also related so heavily to the sibling relationship of constantly messing with your sibling and trying to scare them.
My other favorite story was “Argyle.” Imagine someone you loves makes the most outrageous deathbed confessions and you find yourself wondering if you ever truly knew this person. I could not put the book down while reading this story.
The only novella that I really didn’t like in this collection was “Egorov.” I liked the premise of the story, but didn’t connect with the writing and found myself falling asleep each time I tried to read it.
Overall, I highly recommend adding this book to your spooky reading list this season.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

While I enjoyed all of the stories in this collection, My favorites are 'Half Of The House Is Haunted' because of its creepy atmosphere and unique storyline and 'Engrov' because of how well the suspense aspect is written. I would reccommend this book. Special Thank You to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy prior to publication.

Thanks to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Spin a Black Yarn" is a collection of 5 short stories by Josh Malerman:

1) Half the House Is Haunted - a first person POV story about siblings and a haunted house. For whatever reason, I did not care for the first person POV.
2) Argyle - "confessions" of a dying man to his family.
3) Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer - a couple buys the latest trendy device.
4) The Jupiter Drop - a space adventure.
5) Egorov - family revenge.

I had high hopes for this collection based on the recommendation of a friend, but this collection was not for me. The stories were fine, at best, but nothing I feel compelled to look back on and read again.

Josh Malerman is an amazing writer. I've loved everything of his so far, I have not read Bird Box.
Just like his collection, Goblin, these tales are interconnected with his other works. All the stories take place in Samhattan, near Goblin City and the other locations in Josh Malerman's universe. These stories take place present, future and past and all the stories are very unique and intricately layered.
My favorites of this collection are Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer and Egorov, but all the stories are amazing.
In Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer, two not very nice people are confronted by some of the unsavory decisions they've made to get to where they are now.
In Egorov one brother is murdered by a despicable old man and the serviving triplets decide to track down their brothers killer....and haunt him.

Thank you to Netfalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the opportunity to enjoy this e-Arc

Not usually a novella reader, I want to sink in, so I thought these were just ok! Doug and Judy would have been a great full book in my opinion!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine/Del Rey as well as the fabulous Josh Malerman for this ARC. It has been my pleasure.
#NetGalley #DelRayBooks #SpinABlackYarn #JoshMalerman
Title: Spin A Black Yarn
Author: Josh Malerman
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group Ballantine/ Del Rey
Publication Date: August 15, 2023

Josh Malerman never disappoints and this volume of five novellas is no exception. Malerman is an exceptional writer and his offering from him is a gift.
“Half This House is Haunted” is the first novella and it’s my favorite. This story is rife with delicious ghosties and sibling rivalries. An older sister torments her younger brother with scary ghost stories but only half of the house is haunted. She’s making that all up right? The haunting in this story is so delectable and atmospheric. Despite the tense feeling throughout, Malerman always sprinkles a few laughs along the way.
“Argyle” is the story of a man on his deathbed. He describes his life of heinous crimes that he hasn’t committed. I loved this story as well. The old man is describing the things he has imagined, not that he has actually committed. We have all committed pretend crimes. This man’s killing instincts live in all of us although maybe not to this degree. This is a profile of a man’s true self revealed to his family.
“Doug and Judy Buy A House Washer” is the story about a reprehensible couple who values money above all else. They purchase a fancy washing machine just to show off. Basically, these characters were fun to hate. I liked this story.
“The Jupiter Drop” is about a wealthy man who goes to space. Gee, I wonder where Mr. Malerman got that idea. A person with a dark past goes to space. I wish that was fiction.
Anyway, I found this novella a touch bland but still well done.
“Egorov” is your classic revenge story. One third of a set of triplets is murdered and his two brothers set out to avenge his death by playing a prank involving the “ghost” of the murdered brother. This was the longest novella but it didn’t feel like it. I got a slight “Most Dangerous Game” vibe if it was written by, well, Josh Malerman. All kinds of sinister fun.
All in all, I loved this collection. The novellas were peppered with easter eggs to Malerman’s other works including Goblin and Daphne. It was a lot of fun to read and I would recommend it to any horror fan.

I struggled with how to rate this one. Malerman is talented, no doubt about it, but I have mixed feelings on Spin a Black Yarn. My favorite of the five short stories was Argyle, about a man who has lived his entire life on the straight and narrow but on his deathbed reveals to his family and close friends a demented fantasy he has craved to act on every day of his entire life. I really liked that one. Half the House is Haunted and The Jupiter Drop were just ok to me and then finally Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer and Egorov (which is the least favorite of the five) just didn’t do it for me. None the less, I’d say it wasn’t a waste of my time and I’ll be back for more. Many thanks to Del Rey and Penguin Randomhouse for my eARC.

I am not in the habit of reading and reviewing short stories. I find them hard to review. But I always end up with them on my review list. I may be trying to tell myself something; who knows?

Spin a Black Yarn is the second Josh Malerman book I have read. The first was Inspection a few years ago, and I did enjoy it. So, when I saw that this book of novellas was on Randon House’s NetGalley page as a Wish only, I decided to do just that (wish on it). And imagine my surprise when I got the email saying it was granted. I was thrilled, and I knew I would like this book (based on Inspection). I was right. This book was a fast read that kept me up after I ended it.

Spin a Black Yarn has five novellas in it. I will not do my usual storyline breakdown, angles, characters, etc. It would be too confusing and time-consuming. Instead, I will briefly explain the book and then say what I liked/disliked about it.

Half the House is Haunted: The novella follows two siblings that live in a huge house. The story is sectioned into three parts: 6 and 8, 40 and 42, and 80’s. In 6 and 8, Stephanie torments her younger brother by telling him half the house is haunted, but she isn’t sure what half. In 40 and 42, Robbie visits Stephanie, a recluse, and tries to figure out why she tormented him. In the 80’s, Stephanie dies, leaving Robbie the house and a letter. This storyline took a while to grow on me. I was confused at first by how it was written (Robbie and Stephanie told alternating paragraphs). But, once I figured that out, my confusion disappeared, and I was swept up in the story. I loved the moral behind this one (face your fears). I also liked that I couldn’t figure out whether Stephanie was lying.

Argyle: This novella centers on a dying man, Shawn, who starts to confess to murders that he almost committed on his deathbed. He is confessing to his two children, wife, best friend, and mother. He states that he didn’t kill only because of his best friend, a woman named Argyle, and his sister, Nora. At first, I thought that this story was a little silly, with a dying man confessing to almost murders. But as the story went on, I started to get chills. It was a good look into the human psyche and what makes a killer tick.

Doug and Judy Buy a House Washer: This novella centers around a couple who were the epitome of jerks. They buy a device that guarantees a thorough house wash. But, when they use it, the machine washes the house and brings up everything they have ever done, good and bad. This novella was my least favorite novella. Mainly because Doug and Judy were asshats, and the author did nothing to tone them down. The ending of this story was almost too good for them, and they deserved worse than what they got (they were genuinely vile people).

Jupiter Drop: This novella centers around a wealthy man eaten up by guilt over the death of a neighbor. So, he decides to journey to Jupiter to atone for that death. This novella was the saddest out of the bunch. The man was consumed with guilt over what happened, destroying everything in his life. This drop through Jupiter’s atmosphere (and core) was supposed to be healing. Instead, it went sideways. I would love to have done what he did (dropping through Jupiter’s atmosphere in a glass apartment). What the author wrote was beautiful. Except for the end. That was sad.

Egorov: This was my favorite novella. It centers around the murder of Mikhail, a triplet, and the search for his killer. Once the killer is found, Barat and Pavel (Mikhail’s brother) devise a dastardly plan to exact revenge. This story strongly reminded me of an Edgar Allen Poe story. From the language to how everything was laid out. It was also chilling, and I was kept on edge with what Barat and Pavel were doing.

I would recommend Spin a Black Yarn to anyone over 21. There are no sexual situations, but there is language and violence.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey, NetGalley, and Josh Malerman for allowing me to read and review Spin a Black Yarn. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Spin a Black Yarn.

I have a love/hate relationship with the author.

I love the potential his stories have but the execution and the writing always ends up a hit or miss for me.

That's how I felt with the stories in Spin a Black Yarn.

I really liked the different spin on the haunted house theme in “Half the House Is Haunted." In this novella, the older sister, who used to torment her younger brother about their childhood home being haunted, has adapted and appreciated their home, and in some ways, has

For me, “Argyle,” where a dying man confesses to never fulfilling his dreams of being a serial killer was the most boring.

“The Jupiter Drop" is a common theme in many stories, where a man can't let go of a tragic mistake from his past, or maybe it's the past who can't let go of him.

I liked “Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer™,” where a detestable couple is forced to confront their humble origins, their less than pristine rise to the top, and the people they have wronged to get there, with typical disastrous results. If only we could wash away sins that easily.

I loved the idea of “Egorov,” where two brothers conspire to drive the murderer of their triplet to madness but the narrative was too wordy, too verbose, too much.

I was hoping for much darker stories, I'm talking really scary stuff, and none of these fit the bill but that's just me.

These novellas weren't bad, more thoughtful than I expected, which is good, but some of the writing read like random filler and unnecessary background.

Josh Malerman’s books are always a treat to read and returning to his signature town of Samhattan in these five novellas was no exception. My favorite of the short stories, all of which are eerie and thought provoking was a tie between “Half the House is Haunted” (mainly because I grew up in a haunted house) and “Argyle”. In Argyle, a dying man is confessing to his children that if it weren’t for his desire to be a good man, he would have been a prolific serial killer. It reminded me of many people I know who purport to be godly, but there is something uneasy and sinister always lurking beneath the surface. My least favorite was actually the longest novella, Egorov. Although it had gothic elements it and an interesting concept, for me it just went on a bit too long. I also never really understood why the killer murdered the triplet.

Overall, if you are a fan of Goblin and Daphne, do not miss this out on this collection which adds to the town lore of Samhattan. Great horror short stories that have just enough weird in them to make Malerman’s stories stand out from the rest of modern day horror writers.

Thank you to NetGalley, Del Rey, and Josh Malerman for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Five Short Stories or Five Black Yarns.... these stories were twisted in the best of ways. This was my first read by Josh Malerman and I do not think it is going to be my last because the writing is beautiful. You could feel yourself in these atmospheres, even the surreal ones. I enjoy an author who can make my skin crawl more than any other, but I was shocked to find in this book I could be in tears, my skin could be crawling, and next I could be in a fit of giggles because each story has a completely different feel to it leading to completely different emotions.
We start off with "Half of the House" which I would easily give 4 stars. Two siblings with a two year age gap with the oldest convincing (or trying to convince) the younger part of their house is haunted. It may sound like a very strange concept because how could only part of a house be haunted... but it really makes sense in this story. We also aren't just with kids (which for some isn't all that pleasant), but we see the siblings lives almost 40 years later, and again 40 years past that and how their time in the possibly partially haunted house shaped them.
Second story (yarn) is Argyle and this one gets 5 stars from me. Our main character is on his deathbed and he's happy as a clam because he made it through his life without giving into his instincts. He didn't do it without the help of his sister and Argyle though and what would have happened if those two hadn't been with him? This short story is why I picked up the book. What happens if we give into our instincts? What happens if our mind and body are telling us to do something very bad? Every had the urge to do something you know you shouldn't do? If so, this story is for you. (Not the perfect ending I was hoping for with this story, but it still fit.)
Third yarn is "Doug and Judy Buy a House Washer" and I'm giving this one 4 stars and it might have gotten 5 if I didn't really really hate the main characters so much - but that's the point. The characters in this one are awful and deplorable and just those yuppies we all hate so much. These two squash their competition and believe no one will ever get in their way... and if they try, they will take them out however needed. For these characters, I loved that they bought something to show off their amazing selves and it turned on them and showed all their little secrets. Great story, awful characters!
Fourth, but not final, "Jupiter Drop" and this one was my least favorite. I can't even put my finger on why I didn't love it. It's a man trying to redeem himself for an accident by going to Jupiter. It's surreal and it made me heartbroken at points... but I didn't love it. It never ever goes as far as being BAD, but I don't think it had the same feel as the other stories even with me knowing it fit in with meaning. Maybe that doesn't make sense, maybe you'll read it and it will be your favorite, but it just didn't hit home with me.
Five and final yarn is my favorite and least expected, "Egorov". Barat and Pavel are out to avenge the death of their triplet brother Mikhail. I refuse to ruin anything about this one because it was a ride. It's the longest in the book and I believe part of it's length is the descriptions. I hope that doesn't make it sound boring, because the descriptions are everything. You are IN this world with these people. I read through it quicker than any other because I needed to know how it all played out and I think you will too.

I would recommend this to anyone who likes a mystery, a little bit of spooky, and whole lot of weirdness in the normal day.

Thank you, NetGalley for letting me fall into this world and give my honest review.

Let me get this out of the way right at the start. I enjoyed Spin a Black Yarn, as I have enjoyed everything I’ve read by Josh Malerman, and yet this is actually a hard book to review. The stories in this collection of novellas are just so different. Different in tone. Different in style. Different in the feelings/thoughts they evoked. And while I suppose that is often the case in most story collections, for some reason it just feels more pronounced or noticeable (? not sure that’s the right way to describe it) here. And I honestly can’t say why. And while I enjoyed all the stories to varying degrees, it’s the first story Half the House Is Haunted that has stuck with me. And again, I honestly can’t say exactly why. The style in which it is told feels somewhat off. Told indeed (not shown) as it’s more a recounting of a man’s memories of his childhood and his relationship with his sister and the house they grew up in. There is something compelling about it, his memories of his sister always trying to scare him, and yet I also feel as if I missed some point Josh was making, and that is what vexes me to no end, lol. And because of that I know I’ll be going back after I’ve given it some time to fade in my memory and read it again. I’d like to thank Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Spin a Black Yarn.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R2VRSDU80PJQ7W/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Spin a Black Yarn is 4 short stories and a novella/novelette. My favorite of the five was The Jupiter Drop, a story about a man who takes a 2 month vacation dropping through Jupiter's atmosphere in a glass apartment. You get to feel Steve's despair as he decides to take the trip, and as he grapples with the loneliness despite having any AI companions he could have. Argyle was a strange trip, as a man admits he had been surprising serial killer urges his entire life while on his death bed. The morbid fascination of his children, the denial of other family members and close family friends as he keeps speaking, undeterred.
Half a Haunted House is told in a really interesting way, in alternating conversations with a brother and sister who grow up in a very strange house, all the way through the death of the sister. I really enjoyed the storytelling on this one, though it was a bit hard to get used to the childish back and forth the story starts out with. Doug and Judy buy the Washer tells the story of a rich couple, obsessed with being the Joneses so that everyone keeps up with them, use their brand new toy for the first time, and get quite a bit more than what they bargained for. They definitely found out what "For what we spent on this" actually means to them.
Finally, in Egorov, the remaining two triplets seek vengeance for their murdered brother. This one was a big draggy for me, I think I got used to the pacing of the short stories, and expected this longer novella/novelette to have the same pacing.

I found this to be a decent short story collection, and I really enjoyed the fact that all of the stories had ties to Samhatten, where we first met Daphne last year.

A delightfully unsettling read. This set of novellas dives into macabre introspection about life, death, and what makes someone a good or bad person. While each story has merit in its own right, Egorov stood above the others. That was a story that will stay with me for a long time. It is reminiscent of classic horror but remains timely and compelling. Quite simply it has left me haunted (happily so). Without offering any spoilers, there is a particular monologue that has reshaped the way I consider the relationship between life and death.
Individual ratings for each novella:
Half the House is Haunted: 5 stars
Argyle: 4 stars
Dough and Judy Buy the House Washer: 4 stars
The Jupiter Drop: 3 stars
Egorov: 5 stars

A big thanks to Netgalley and Random House for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The spooks and vibes were there, but just not the right ones for me.

Spin a Black Yarn by Josh Malerman is a collection of five spooky and thrilling novellas. A sister insists to her little brother that “Half the House Is Haunted” by a strange presence. But is it the house that’s haunted—or their childhoods? In “Argyle,” a dying man confesses to homicides he never committed, and he reveals long-kept secrets far more sinister than murder. A tourist takes the ultimate trip to outer space in “The Jupiter Drop,” but the real journey is into his own dark past In “Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer™,” a trendy married couple buys the latest home gadget only to find themselves trapped by their possessions, their history . . . and each other.
And in “Egorov,” a wealthy old cretin murders a young man, not knowing the victim was a triplet. The two surviving brothers stage a savage faux-haunting—playing the ghost of their slain brother—with the aim of driving the old murderer mad.

A solid read. Just not really for me.

I always look forward to a new work by Josh Malerman, even though his books don’t always end up working for me. What I appreciate about Malerman is that he is daring and unafraid to take risks with his storytelling, making his work feel fresh and inventive while also paying homage to classic horror tropes. Spin a Black Yarn is a stellar collection of five novellas that showcase his ability to, well, spin a pretty damn good black yarn – to craft bold, unsettling, imaginative stories that stick with you long after you’ve finished reading them.

In “Half the House is Haunted,” a sister frightens her little brother with stories about a sinister force that haunts their house – but only half of the house. The story follows the siblings from ages eight and six into adulthood, told in a stream-of-consciousness style composed of their back and forth conversations and inward observations. This one was a bit disorienting at first, given the method of storytelling and the unreliability of the narrators, but it wasn’t long before I became completely engrossed. The narrative is at turns full of childish whimsy and laced with malevolence, and the constant shifts in tone kept me off-balance and unsettled.

“Argyle” was my favorite in the collection. In this story, a man makes a harrowing deathbed confession to his family and friends: For his entire life, he fought dark urges compelling him to become a serial killer. He never gave in, he never killed anyone, and so he is proud to be dying a good man – but the stories he tells leave his loved ones riveted and repulsed. Malerman’s prose is mesmerizing and hypnotic and drew me almost against my will into this depraved, disturbing story that had me questioning how I would react in this type of scenario.

“Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer™” is a blistering commentary on capitalism and consumerism, featuring two of the most insufferable characters I’ve ever encountered in fiction. Think Todd and Margo from Christmas Vacation and then ramp up their awfulness even more, and that’ll just about give you Doug and Judy. In this story, this materialistic married couple buys a new-to-the-market product called the House Washer™, which cleans everything in their home…including their dirtiest secrets. This story had its sinister moments, but mostly it was just fun to watch these horrible people get exactly what they deserved.

In “The Jupiter Drop,” a wealthy tourist takes journey through Jupiter in a clear glass apartment, while also trying to come to terms with a life-altering mistake in his past. This is the most surreal story in the collection, and Malerman vividly captures both the eerie landscape of Jupiter and the effects of isolation on a human mind.

The longest novella in the collection, “Egorov,” is about a wealthy old man who kills a young man, unaware that he was a triplet. The man’s surviving brothers decide to “haunt” the old man by playing the ghost of their murdered brother, intent on driving him mad. The atmosphere of this story is rich and vibrant, transporting readers to Samhattan, Michigan’s Little Russia neighborhood at the turn of the 20th century. It’s a tense and haunting tale, full of dread and more than a few squeamish moments. Malerman’s writing reads almost like poetry in this story, which made it even more riveting.

All five novellas in this collection take place in Malerman’s growing Goblin/Samhattan universe, and I loved that interconnectedness. It’s a bold claim, but I’m starting to think Malerman just may be the Stephen King of his generation. Spin a Black Yarn is a phenomenal example of his incredible storytelling range and abilities. I love (and am frankly a little frightened of) the way his mind works, and I’ll be first in line for whatever he writes. Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for the early reading opportunity.