A collection of short stories (which I expected) and some poems (which I did not). Gaiman's poems are lovely and creepy, like his fiction. Some pieces were interesting (like the one about an author trying to negotiate with Hollywood people wanting to make his book into a movie and the H.P. Lovecraft-inspired pieces about the coming of Cthulhu and a werewolf) and some were too disturbing or confusing for me. I'd give it an average of 3.5 out of 5 stars. ( )

- Reading the Entrails -3/5
• The Wedding Present - 3/5
• Chivalry - 3/5
• Nicholas Was... - 5/5
• The Price - 3/5
• Troll Bridge - 3/5
• Don't Ask Jack - 4/5
• The Goldfish Pool and Other Stories - 3/5
• Eaten (Scenes from a Moving picture) - 2/5
• The White Road - 5/5
• Queen of Knives (for Eric Stern's opera of the same name see Queen of Knives) - 2/5
• The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch - 2/5
• Changes - 3/5
• The Daughter of Owls - 5/5
• Shoggoth's Old Peculiar - 2/5
• Virus - 3/5
• Looking for the Girl - 3/5
• Only the End of the World Again - 5/5
• Bay Wolf - 3/5
• Fifteen Painted Cards from a Vampire Tarot - 5/5
• We Can Get Them For You Wholesale - 2/5
• One Life, Furnished in Early Moorcock - 2/5
• Cold Colors - 2/5
• The Sweeper of Dreams - 3/5
• Foreign Parts - 2/5
• Vampire Sestina - 4/5
• Mouse - 2/5
• How Do You Think It Feels? - 3/5
• When We Went to See the End of the World by Dawnie Morningside, age 11¼ - 2/5
• Desert Wind - 3/5
• Tastings - 2/5
• In the End - 2/5
• Babycakes - 2/5
• Murder Mysteries - 3/5
- Snow, Glass, Apples - 5/5 ( )

This collection is a mixed bag, but definitely worth reading. There are some real gems in here. I especially liked the very last story. ( )

As much as I love Neil, this was difficult for me to read in parts.
Some stories read better than the others. ( )

I just love Neil Gaiman's work so much. I couldn't put down this book. Especially, since I was also listening to Neil Gaiman, who read it to me. Which I think is the best way to read any of his work. His voice is just amazing to listen to, and listening to him read his own work just adds a whole different aspect to his books. Fully recommend this to people. ( )