Reviews

Thank you to Random House audio for the gifted copy!

I love to read short stories and this collection did not disappoint. There were 5 total in this collection and each one gives the “spins” a tale of fear and horror! My favorite was Half the House is Dying.

booksasmeals's review

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5.0

All of the stars.

Egorov is my absolute favorite, and my second favorite was Jupiter's Drop. Both are what I would classify as a "philosophical" horror, which is what I think Malerman does best.

amjorg75's review

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challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Most of the stories were very enjoyable and entertaining. I would recommend for fans of his novels.

adnamaeus's review

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1.0

**I was provided an ARC**

I did not enjoy this collection of short stories in the slightest and was very disappointed that it read like the worst episodes of Cabinet of Curiosities. I don’t care about any of these people and the writing is so incredibly repetitive for what?

happily_undignified's review

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

Spin a Black Yarn by Josh Malerman is an eerie collection of thought provoking novellas that showcase how everyone is haunted by something. My favorite of the stories was Argyle. It was so haunting and the pacing and storytelling was superb. Each of the stories had something that felt so raw and human, but also that felt completely off and unhinged. This is a great anthology for a spooky night.

hmbb99's review

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4.0

Spin a Black Yarn is a collection of short stories by Josh Malerman. In most anthologies, some stories are hits and some stories are not. For me there were two stories that I enjoyed more than the others but they all were interesting to read.
Half the House is Haunted is the first story. It is story about a brother and a sister growing up in a large house with little adult supervision. It is a ghost story of sorts but it can also be perceived as an examination of child neglect and the effects on mental health. Is the house haunted or are the children haunted by their upbringing?
Argyle is the second story and the best of the five. I loved this story of a dying man's last confession. I felt like I was at the bedside listening to the confession. I wish this was an entire novel because I wanted more.
Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer seemed like a story right out of The Twilight Zone or the Outer Limits. I could imagine watching this episode and waiting for the catch. Oh what a catch it was! Doug and Judy got exactly what they purchased .
The Jupiter Drop was a little weird. It started out really good. I was hanging on waiting to see what adventure awaited in Jupiter but it fell a little flat at the end.
Egorov was my least favorite story. It was very wordy and dull. I think it should have been shorter and more to the point as it dragged on in the middle.
Josh Malerman is known for his post apocalyptic horror stories. These stories fall more under ghost stories or cosmic horror but if you are a Malerman fan, you will enjoy reading these as well.
Thank you to Netgalley and Del Ray Publishing for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

nae20's review

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dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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