May 2024 – Page 2 – Pleasant Nights

Title: Spin a Black Yard

Author: Josh Malerman

Genre: horror

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.

The Radium Girls

Stolen Tongues

Chopping Spree

Black Sheep

Title: Black Sheep

Author: Rachel Harrison

Genre: Horror

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

I’ve only read Cackle by Rachel Harrison and loved it. But because it was more of a cozy horror book, I wasn’t sure how much I would enjoy her more hard-core horror, but this book was insanely fun. Once the fun twist is revealed (about 20% in), I was hooked and flew through this book.

Vesper has left her religious cult family behind and is living on her own in NYC. She works at a restaurant, lives a pretty boring life, but at least she can follow her own rules. However, her cousin is getting married and Vesper is invited back for the event. This is rare because once someone leaves the cult, they never get to come back. Vesper decides to attend, and the reader fully understands just what the cult is about.

This book was excellent. Vesper is a great main character, funny, strong, cynical, and sure of who she is. But her family is also strong, so she struggles with wanting to be a part of their lives but trying to distance herself from the cult. Loved this book.