What I read in September 2023
In September, I read a reasonable 12 books… and definitely bought more than 12 books across physical (there may have been a London bookshop crawl…) and digital formats.
There are just so many things I want to read, and I never have the time and energy to get through as much as I’d like to!
Writing-wise, I didn’t put too much pressure on myself – writing is my hobby, so I want it to be fun! I started a script collaboration with one of my Emotional Madness comrades, and I’m curious to see how it pans out.
I did a writing challenge that gave me ten days to write a story with a word limit of 3,000; I didn’t feel especially inspired by the prompt, but I managed to submit a complete story of just under 1,500 words, which is better than nothing.
The Raging Storm, by Ann Cleeves - 4*
Promise, by Christi Nogle - 4*
The Close, by Jane Casey - 5*
The Murmurs, by Michael J. Malone - 3.5*
The Last House on Needless Street, by Catriona Ward - for the first two-thirds, you don’t really know what’s going on, then it hits you and you’re like WOAH. 4.5*
Watching Neighbours Twice a Day: How ’90s TV (Almost) Prepared Me for Life, by Josh Widdicombe - much needed light relief after my previous read! 4*
Breakable Things, by Cassandra Khaw - some of the stories I really liked, others went over my head. 3.5*
The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels, by Janice Hallett - missing the quaint/cosy vibes and tricksy clues of her previous books, but still very good. 4.5*
The Beaver Theory, by Antti Tuomainen, translated by David Hackston - 3.5*
Song of the Sun God, by Shankari Chandran - 4.5*
Never Wake: An Anthology of Dream Horror, edited by Kenneth W. Cain and Tim Meyer - 4*
The Horror of Haglin House, by M. R. C. Kasasian - 3.5*
Looking ahead…
Having enjoyed previous anthologies in the series (including last year’s Close to Midnight), I’m excited to read Darkness Beckons, edited by Mark Morris, for the blog tour. I’ve already read the first story, by Nina Allan, and I’m very impressed so far!
I picked up a lot of Shirley Jackson, as well as The Rental Heart, by Kirsty Logan, and All About Love: New Visions, by bell hooks, on my travels last month, so I plan to get stuck in to those, too.