What I Read In September

While I've spent most of the month working on my manuscript, I was able to get some reading done over the course of the month. It wasn't a ton of reading, but September was an unexpectedly busy month for me and I'm just happy that I was able to read anything, given how much I had going on.

In total, I read three books in September.

Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter

I love Russian folklore in general, with "Vasilisa the Beautiful" being my favorite Russian folktale. I'm always looking for a great retelling of that story, or any story involving the character of Baba Yaga. This modern retelling was dark, and at times disturbing, while also being so much fun to read. The concept itself is a bit "out there" but it was definitely worth the read. The story has great characters and a fantastic sense of tension and stakes, and though it takes place in the modern day, there's still a high degree of magic and mysticism.

Sleep Tight by J.H. Markert

This thriller wasn't quite what I expected it to be when I opened the book. The author weaved a compelling story, with plenty of twists and turns as the plot progressed. The writing made it easy to get immersed in the story, and the way it was told kept me guessing. It was a nice change of pace for me, since I usually read fantasy.

Slavic Myths and Legends by Thomas Langbard

This book serves as a good introduction to the important figures, myths and legends of Slavic folklore. It doesn't go too in-depth on any particular story, but provides a good overview of the kinds of legends that exist, and the recurring kinds of characters that can be found. It also included illustrations, which were beautiful.

What did you read in September?