In this collection of horror and speculation stories, the stories are about human beings weaknesses and tragic endings. The first novella “Half the house” has supernatural elements and a secret that is unknown till the end of the story. In “Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer™,” a couple of wealth tries out “the most luxurious item on the market,” shutting themselves inside a large glass tube in their living room as the house and all its contents are submerged in miracle cleaning goop. As revealing letters and other secret items swoosh up against the glass, they become conflicted over what is found out and are unable to shut off the machine. What does the future hold for them? In “The Jupiter Drop,” a rich man estranged from his family confronts his existence on an “interstellar thrill ride” that has him free-fall through Jupiter’s stormy atmosphere. Argyle,” tells the story of a dying man celebrating getting through his life without acting on his murderous desires. “Half the House Is Haunted” tells the long-term psychological effects of an 8-year-old girl’s efforts to scare her 6-year-old brother in their creepy home. In “Egorov,” the time is around the turn of the 20th century in Samhattan’s Little Russia, two identical 24-year-old triplets use their ghostly presences to find the murderer of their brother.

I suppose I may have told too much but I wanted to give you enough information to decide if you want to read these stories. The novellas are good but at times were slow reading for me. I think “Egorov” was my favorite novella.

I usually do not pick up short story collections, I like novels or novellas better but since it was Malerman I decided to give it a try. I did enjoy quite a few of the stories but struggled to get through the last one. It made me even more keen to pick up more his novels. Thank you for the early copy!

So I'm back and forth on Malerman. I really want to enjoy his work more than I usually tend to actually enjoy it.

However, I'm happy to say that I mostly enjoyed this one! The only story that didn't connect with me was the last one, which I ended up not finishing.

Malerman does it again. Great story. Unique theme with believable characters. Always enjoy a Josh Malerman story and this one did not disappoint.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

I love Josh Malerman. I've read everything of his that I can get my hands on and have yet to be disappointed. Daphne, Pearl, Goblin, Malorie, Inspection, A House at the Bottom of the Lake, Unbury Carol, Black Mad Wheel, and of course, Bird Box. So I'm happy to say this one was also just as excellent.

I'm normally not a big short story/novella person, but I can't pass up a Malerman book. The first few stories were excellent, but the last one dragged on a bit for me, so I skimmed the last one. My favorite was "Argyle" about a dying man whose last confession isn't one you would expect. There is a great haunted house story told in three parts: childhood, middle age, and elderly from the characters' POVs. Another great story is "The Jupiter Drop" where a man travels to outer space, and a fun story about a house-washing device gone rogue.

I'm giving this one four stars because of the final story being a bit too long, but overall, another stand-out from a fabulous writer.

An engaging read that I thoroughly enjoyed! LOVE Malerman and will read anything he writes. Highly recommend and will purchase several physical and digital copies for library collections. Thank you!!

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have not read the previous works by this author so I was not sure what to expect in terms of style of horror -- but I caught on quickly that what Malerman writes is a range. I was less-so disturbed and more intrigued by how he writes human nature and its fallibility. I sensed a lot of King-esque sentiments about how evil lives in people and how they act on it, which in turn make a pretty decent horror story. However, I wish that Malerman would rely more on the fantastical and the unknown for some of his scares rather than the complexities of the human mind and the mystery of violence and bad deeds.

3 stars.

Book Review:
Title: Spin A Black Yarn Novellas
Author: Josh Malerman
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/3 stars

Knowing this author wrote, Bird Box immediately made me click on, "Request!" Few books actually scare me, and that was one of them! When I saw I was accepted to receive the arc, it made my day!

-Half Of The House is Haunted was strange! The lady in the rocking chair was a creepy touch.
-Argyle was trippy as well. Who admits to murders that they never committed?
-The Jupiter Drop was terrifying! This one gave me chills, especially once he's doing the drop.
-Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer (TM) was my favorite! I could see this really being created!
-Egorov was a mind-bending story about triplets. Very dark!
Published: August 15th, 2023

Thank you, @netgalley and @randomhouse, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Josh Malerman is one of my favorite authors because his work is always so unique and engaging. These short stories actually creeped me out and that’s saying a lot. I felt them linger long after I finished reading. His work is perfect for people who are looking for something outside of the typical horror tropes in the genre and this book checked that box for me.

What can I say? Josh Malerman is the real deal. I am a huge fan of his horror stories in particular and this collection of creepy novellas does not disappoint.

I enjoyed josh malerman's previous story collection Goblin and was very excited for the release of this story collection. I was expecting a collection of horror short stories but this was a bit more slow burn creepy stories that are a slice of life. A few of the stories reminded me of Ray Bradbury which I enjoyed particularly The Jupiter Drop which felt scifi while still having a creepy extraterrestrial vs madness vibe.

A collection of short stories from Malerman which had a creepy vibe to them as opposed to horror. Not to give away too many spoilers, but there is a story about a dad who is a wannabe serial killer was probably my favorite. There is also a story about a horrible couple that get their comeuppance by a self-cleaning house. (BTW, I would love to have that tube that cleans my house, can someone invent this please?) Didn't really love the last story, but this is a solid book if you are looking for a few scary stories to read before bed.

I want to thank #NetGalley and the publisher for the book!
Ok, so I love Josh Malerman. I just want to make that clear. In my eyes, he could do no wrong.

BUT
Short stories may not be his thing. HOWEVER, I still enjoyed this book. I'm just comparing it to his previous full novels and not short stories.
Malerman excells at details, all of his books are like a rollar coaster ride that is slowly building up to that first drop and then is a crazy ride.
This one didn't have same fell for me.

I feel like short stories are a disservice to his talents since they seem a little more rushed then his normal stories where he can really build up the stories.

That being said, the stories in here are good, they just seem a little lacking for me as a huge Malerman fan!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this review copy in exchange for an honest opinion. Review has been posted on Amazon.

Josh Malerman is a reliable autobuy for me. I love his books, and Spin a Black Yarn is no exception. You can easily read the synopsis so I won't summarize here but rather will describe the feeling this book gave me, which is one of creeping dread and immersion in the atmosphere. Can't wait for his next one - I am so glad he publishes often.

"Spin a Black Yarn" by Josh Malerman is a masterfully crafted exploration of suspense and horror. Malerman's storytelling prowess takes center stage as he weaves a narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The atmospheric tension and psychological depth make this book an immersive and chilling experience. With each twist and turn, "Spin a Black Yarn" demonstrates Malerman's ability to create a sense of unease that resonates long after the final page. A must-read for those who appreciate a spine-tingling journey into the darker realms of storytelling.

Thank you to Random House for the gifted copy!

I love to read short stories/novellas 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.

This is a collection of 5 novellas that are mostly set in the fictional city of Samhattan. I really enjoyed this collection. My favorites were Argyle (unique deathbed confession) and Egorov (reminded me a little of The Tell-tale Heart). The other 3 were unique as well and the collection was strong. Highly recommended.

Spin a Black Yarn is a collection of 5 novellas that have fresh new takes on stories in established genres.. J.M takes on a serial killer, A.I. ( timely topic) , revenge, outer space & throw out what you think you know about haunted houses. These are novellas are definitely unique, even though the subject matter is common.
Half the House is Haunted explores a brother and sister's relationship growing up in a house that was half haunted. What does that mean? Which half?
Argyle tells the tale of a deathbed confessional detailing gruesome acts thought up but, never acted upon.
The story left a definitely disturbing impression on me.
Very effective.
Jupiter Drop is takes on a different way of dealing with grief and trying to exorcise your personal demons. But, most of the time your problems follow you

Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer ……. Definitely a comedic on privilege and secrets buried just beneath the surface, just waiting to pop up and slap them in the face
Egrov is about a couple of brothers who try to get revenge on the man who killed their third brother by haunting him and pushing him over the brink into insanity .A great gaslighting story.
Novella are notoriously hard to pull off with either too much information or not enough does an outstanding job as always 4 1/2 stars

This was an experience. I love my horror in novella size chunks. Malerman gives us a bunch of unique, mind blowing tales. Some I liked more than others. Argyle was by far my favorite because the idea of a serial killer who spent their whole life trying to be "normal" is chef's kiss and so trippy. Would recommend for horror lovers.