This book sounded like fun, but I was a little disappointed. Some of the stories have little or nothing to do with Hanukkah except for the time of year, but some weave in the traditions. As is often the case with collections by multiple authors, the quality of the stories varies very widely. I also did not find any of the protagonists very relatable or engaging. Most were just obnoxious. It was a meh read for me.
Thank you to NetGalley for the audio arc to preivew.

This was an interesting collection. It contained a variety of dark Hannukah stories. The darkness changed depending on the author and the story. The first story still sits with me and it wasn't even monstrous.
The performances were great. They changed depended based on the stories which I really liked.
Overly, it's on par with most short story collections: some really goods ones and mostly average ones.

This is a collection of stories based around Hanukkah. Some of the stories were very good. Others were just ok. I personally don’t love books that are a collection of stories as I like to get more invested in the stories. This one was definitely interesting and a fun read. I enjoy holiday themed books in December and it’s refreshing to have more Hanukkah books.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

The narrators MADE this collection, they were so amazing, I loved listening to all of them.

The stories themselves were all engaging and interesting, though some were looser tied to Hanukkah than others. I enjoyed all the stories, will definitely be checking out longer works from some of the authors. All in all, a great noir collection to listen to over Hanukkah!

Thank you Netgalley for the audiobook!

Very creative selection of stories. I didn’t realize when I requested it that they were short stories but they seemed to go together nicely—unique enough from one another to stand out but similar in scope enough to feel cohesive.

Thank you NetGalley and RBMedia for the ARC of this audiobook for my honest review

Definitely a mix of short stories, some I wasn’t all that interested in but some were SO good I want to buy this book just so I can read those more often. The ones I loved was story #3 , #4, #7, and #9. I’d recommend reading this just for those great and fun short stories!

I'll be publishing my review on Goodreads and StoryGraph 29th December and on Tik tok most likely will add to a monthly wrap up post with review the beginning of January

Like all multi-author collections this is a mixed bag in terms of quality, but on the whole it’s a solid collection and worth a read.

It’s nice to see a Hanukkah collection at the holidays, though I’ll caution that most of these stories are only very loosely tied to the holiday and most of them have little to no holiday atmosphere. I’m also not sure I’d call it a noir collection, but rather a more general catch-all like Crime.

Not a Dinner Party Person by Stefanie Leder is by far the most fun and clever story in the book, a delightfully macabre account of a sociopath who has absolutely had it with her sister’s awful partner.

Also worth a read: Johnny Christmas, If I Were a Rich Man, Mi Shebeirach, Dead Weight, and Very Bad Nights.

I usually enjoy reading short stories, but I didn’t like this one. Lee Goldberg was the only author I have read before, but his story was pornographic. Other stories are also nothing to write about. I got to know a few Hanukkah customs, however I would always associate those with the dark theme in all the stories

Thanks to Netgalley and Publisher for the ARC

This one was just totally kind of fine. I didn’t love it some stories were better than others but overall I just wanted to like it and I didn’t.

An odd collection of short stories that vaguely have some reference to Hannukah.

From Mikey being in prison and his Bubbie being in a lot menorah every night to the outside of the prison where he can see the lights every night , to Ray who stays in a hotel and gets somewhat blackmailed by a young woman wanting college tuition.

All are written well and despite not bringing the light and meaning of Hannukah to the stories, it was an entertaining listen

This was a collection of short stories as an audiobook. The breadth of topics shared kept my interest because it was just enough time for each.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #RBMedia for this #ARC #audiobook to review. The opinions expressed are my own.
#EightVeryBadNights

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC in audiobook format.

Tod Goldberg’s Eight Very Bad Nights is a captivating collection of Hanukkah noir stories that brings a unique twist to the holiday season. This audiobook, narrated by a talented ensemble cast including Johnny Heller, Emily Lawrence, Robb Moreira, and Jasmin Walker, offers a rich and immersive listening experience that will appeal to fans of crime fiction and holiday tales alike.

The anthology features eleven dark and twisted tales that explore the shadowy side of Hanukkah. Each story delves into themes of crime, corruption, and moral ambiguity, set against the backdrop of the Festival of Lights.

The narrators bring these stories to life with their distinct and engaging performances. Johnny Heller’s gritty voice perfectly complements the hardboiled elements of the tales, while Emily Lawrence adds a touch of emotional depth and nuance.

Goldberg’s curation of stories showcases his knack for selecting compelling and thought-provoking narratives. The writing is sharp and evocative, capturing the essence of noir while infusing it with the cultural and historical significance of Hanukkah.

Eight Very Bad Nights explores a range of themes, including family dynamics, revenge, and the struggle for redemption. The anthology also touches on the tension between tradition and modernity, as characters navigate their personal demons while trying to honor the spirit of Hanukkah.

Eight Very Bad Nights is a standout audiobook that combines the allure of noir with the warmth of Hanukkah. The stellar narration enhances the storytelling, making it a must-listen for fans of the genre. Tod Goldberg has curated a collection that is both entertaining and thought-provoking, offering a fresh take on holiday fiction.

In *Eight Very Bad Nights*, Tod Goldberg curates a highly original anthology of Hanukkah-themed short stories that are as dark as they are humorous, blending holiday cheer with suspense, absurdity, and poignant moments. The stories vary in tone, from the sharp satire of Stefanie Leder’s “Not a Dinner Party Person,” where a pharmaceutical rep grapples with family tension on the final night of Hanukkah, to the gritty noir elements of James D.F. Hannah’s “Twenty Centuries,” which follows a pair of detectives navigating an unexpected holiday murder. Whether tackling themes of familial dysfunction, self-doubt, or redemption, Goldberg’s selection offers a unique lens through which to explore the complexities of the season, blending lighthearted humor with the darker aspects of human nature.

The anthology’s strength lies in its ability to mix diverse genres—slapstick comedy, hardboiled noir, and psychological drama—into a cohesive, yet unpredictable reading experience. Ivy Pochoda’s “Johnny Christmas,” a story of a veteran seeking a tattoo from a man with a troubled past, and David L. Ulin’s “Shamash,” in which a man contemplates extreme measures to escape his father’s oppressive home, offer striking contrasts in their portrayal of internal and external conflict. The collection reminds readers that while Hanukkah is often a time for reflection and togetherness, it can also reveal the cracks in relationships and the chaos lurking beneath the surface. *Eight Very Bad Nights* is a thought-provoking, entertaining collection that will resonate with readers who appreciate stories that go beyond traditional holiday fare.

This anthology includes 11 short stories with themes like addiction and crime. Overall this is a great collection and is a must read.

There are some very clever stories in this anthology. All well written, with some stories more interesting than others. But most of them are more 'Hanukkah adjacent'. The only connection to Hanukkah for the majority is that the season is appropriate. There are a few exceptions - I would say that Mi Shebeirach, Dead Weight, Not a Dinner Party Person all have a more direct link to the holiday than the others. And maybe I'd include Lighting the Ramora, if only because of the clever malapropism. Shamach, a story about an adult son living with his father, is more depressing than noir. If I Were a Rich Man is a fun story, not particularly about Hanukkah, but interesting. I actually purchased a copy of the hard cover edition for my sister, as she is 'much more Jewish' than I, and I thought she'd get a kick out of this concept. Will she enjoy it? Who knows, but there's a good chance she'll like some of it so that makes it worthwhile. I want to add one more point - matzohs! They are mentioned in several stories, including one that I enjoyed, Dead Weight (matzoh ball soup). These are NOT associated with Hanukkah, they are part of Passover. It's almost like a bunch of people writers were gathered in a room and given an assignment to write a story about Hanukkah and didn't really research the subject. I still enjoyed a great deal of this book but Mr. Goldberg, please proof your stories! I listened to the audio version of this collection, and the narrators were excellent! I could hear my uncles and grandfather in their voices. But would I recommend this book - not in its entirety, but if someone does pick it up I hope they listen to the audio version.

This audiobook ARC was provided by the publisher and NetGalley, the opinions expressed herein are strictly my own.

I couldn't stop listening to these stories. I thought they would be perfect for quick little listens while I walked or dud errands but I stayed up late into the night listening. Not a bad story in the bunch. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook

First off, I didn't quite make it through the audiobook before it was archived. The time to archive from download was too short, at least for me.

I kept picking this one up while working around the home and putting it down because I couldn't get into it. A series of short stories loosely held together by the contemporary timeline and "Hanukkah noir," a genre I didn't know existed. Yes, each story covered the holiday with a splash of horror (sometimes literal splashes). But there was little point to each one. Some stories seemed to express regret and longing after loved ones had past ... most others, however, seemed random and pointless. Old men screwing young ladies. Heists gone wrong. Skipping out on family celebrations with pets for unknown reasons. Maybe I just didn't get it, but I also didn't want to work so hard to figure it out.

(3.5 stars, rounded down)
It’s often really hard to review a book of short stories and this one is no exception. In theory all these stories (11 of them, not 8 as you might expect from the title) all have some sort of connection to Hanukkah, but a few of them were so minimally connected that there was almost no connection at all.

The eleven stories are (in order);
Johnny Christmas by Ivy Pochoda
Shamash by David L. Ulin
Twenty Centuries by James D.F. Hannah
If I Were A Rich Man by Lee Goldberg
Come Let Us Kiss And Part by Nikki Dolson
Mi Shebeirach by J.R. Angelella
Dead Weight by Liska Jacobs
Lighting the Remora by Gabino Iglesias
Not A Dinner Party Person by Stefanie Leder
The Demo by Jim Ruland
Eight Very Bad Nights by Tod Goldberg.

There is also a foreword by Tod Goldberg.

I think the description of these stories as “noir” is about right. They all involve some sort of criminal activity. Some of them have sympathetic main characters and some absolutely do not.

I think my favorite story was Mi Shebeirach (a traditional Jewish prayer that asks for God's blessing and healing for those who are ill or in need of strength). It involves a woman whose husband has become addicted to painkillers. She gets involved with a shady guy, doing courier runs for him, so that she can get the pills her husband needs. Her encounter with an Orthodox man is life-changing for her.

On the audio version, there are a number of different narrators: Johnny Heller, Emily Lawrence, Robb Moreira, and Jasmin Walker.

Thank you to Recorded Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to a review copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

I received an ALC thru netgalley. This book is a collection of short stories, the majority of them set about crimes or Jewish people being wronged around Christmas. I really enjoyed Johnny Christmas, If I was a rich man, I'd be Goldberg, and Not a dinner party person. The only reason I finished this book is because it was audiobook. Not all the stories are worth the listen, and the good ones are spread throughout to keep the audience engaged. Overall was meh with occassional spark due to the short story listed above.

A mixed bag of short stories

This anthology of 11 short stories aims to bring together the very different concepts of Noir and Hanukkah. It partially succeeds.

There were some good stories and some bad, I remember the first and last most vividly, as intended by Tod Goldberg, the editor and contributor of said final story. Each story has a different narrator, which helps the voice of the story. I did not enjoy every single one of them, but above average for my personal listening habits. I also listened on 1.25 speed because that's what my brain needs.

Some of the anthology was disturbing in the wrong sense: two stories feature full pronounciation of Yud Hey Vav Hey, which I found more horrible than the contents. One explains Hebrew terms nicely to the reader but keeps referring to them as Yiddish and to the prayers as being said in Yiddish, which made me wonder whether this was proofed by a Jewish editor at all.

Overall, it was okay but unfortunately not stellar.

Warnings for violence, sexual content, the name of G-d and the usual Noir things.