2023 Beat the Backlist Reading Challenge

Beat the Backlist Reading Challenge 2023 images shows the title text on top of a grid of backlist book covers.

Beat the Backlist 2023 Reading Challenge

Welcome to my ongoing list for the Beat the Backlist 2023 Reading Challenge, hosted by Austine Decker. Reading challenges are kind of a new thing for me this year. I joined a couple and set some concrete goals for myself for the year. Hopefully, it will help inspire me and keep me on track to read some of the books I really want to that tend to get pushed to the side in favor of brand-new releases.

I’ll list the books I’ve read and a teeny bit about them here. You’ll also see the prompt the book satisfies posted with it. At the bottom of the post, you’ll find all 52 prompts, with the ones I’ve completed listed in bold. I hope you enjoy this journey through Beat the Backlist 2023 as much as I do.

So far, I’ve completed 35 out of 52 prompts.

Beat the Backlist 2023

1. Cozy Read or Cover

The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich cover shows a young girl in the foreground with her house made of birchbark in the background.

The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich

Review to Come | Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Follows the story of Omakayas, the sole survivor of a smallpox outbreak, and her daily life in her Ojibwa tribe in 1847.

Published: June 3, 2002


2. About Dragons or Robots

The Awakening Storm (City of Dragons #1) by Jaimal Yogis and Vivian Truong cover shows a girl with dark hair and a backpack. She stands in an alleyway between two tall buildings. A blue water dragon is looped around her body. Other dragon tales extend from a few of the windows of the buildings around her.

The Awakening Storm (City of Dragons #1) by Jaimal Yogis

Review to Come | Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A girl and her water dragon must escape a dangerous company who wants to use the dragon for experimentation.

Published: September 21, 2021


4. Meant to Read It Last Year

Caste by Isabel Wilkerson

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson

Review to Come | Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Brilliant. Compares the caste systems of India with the US and Germany during the rise of the Nazis.

Published: August 4, 2020


7. Fairy/Folktale You Haven’t Heard of Before

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

The Goose Girl (Books of Bayern #1) by Shannon Hale

Review to Come | Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: An awkward young princess who can speak to birds and one special horse journeys north toward an arranged marriage when disaster strikes her party, and she loses everything. Based on a Grimm brothers fairytale.

Published: December 1, 2008


8. Nonfiction Just for Fun

All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson

All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto by George M. Johnson

ReviewAmazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Loved it. Compelling and moving. About the continuous pursuit of identity, the power of family and friendships.

Published: April 28, 2020


9. Set in or Inspired By the 1700/1800s

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Review to Come | Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Four sisters living in Concord, MA during the Civil War, growing up, falling in love, and coping with loss and change. A sweet story which I read because I’m interested in a nonfiction about the author’s life.

Published: August 28, 2014 (orig 1868)


10. Bought It and Forgot It

Hunt, Gather, Parent by Michaeleen Doucleff

Hunt, Gather, Parent: What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us About Raising Happy, Helpful Humans

Review to Come | Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Examines studies behind modern parenting guidance and explores how parenting works in cultures across the world known for raising happy, helpful kids.

Published: March 2, 2021


11. 2022 Debut Novel

J. R. Silver Writers Her World by Melissa Dassori cover shows a girl holding up a book in front of the lower half of her face. The cover of the book she's holding completes the image of her face.

Hunt, Gather, Parent: What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us About Raising Happy, Helpful Humans

ReviewAmazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: J.R. discovers the things she writes in her school essays come true, but they have consequences. A story about changing friendships and a budding writer. I loved this one. Perfect for fans of Gillian McDunn.

Published: July 19, 2022


12. Name in the Title

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo cover shows a small mouse with large ears and a red thread tied around his neck carrying a needle at his side like a sword as he runs.

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

Review to Come | Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A little mouse with big ears, a princess grieving her mother’s death, a rat with a plan for vengeance, and a girl escaping terrible abuse. I didn’t like this one as much as I hoped to.

Published: August 30, 2009 (orig. 2003)


13. Multiple POVs

The Vermilion Emporium by Jamie Pacton

The Vermilion Emporium by Jamie Pacton

ReviewAmazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Described as HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE meets RADIUM GIRLS. I loved this one.

Published: November 22, 2022


15. Won an Award

Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston cover shows a girl with a hand extended over a glowing ball. Swirls of light extend out from the ball, circling around her, lifting her hair.

Amari and the Night Brothers (Supernatural Investigations #1) B. B. Alston

Review to Come | Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A 12-year-old girl is invited into a secret supernatural community after her brother goes missing. When she learns she has an “illegal” magical gift, she faces even more obstacles to finding him. Loved this one!

Published: January 19, 2021


16. Here There Be Monsters

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

Elatsoe by Darcy Little Badger

Review to Come | Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: When her cousin dies under mysterious circumstances, Ellie faces monsters and dark magic with friends and her ghost dog at her side. This one has been on my list for SO long! I loved it and can’t wait to read more by Darcy Little Badger.

Published: August 25, 2020


17. No Romance

Garlic and the Vampire by Bree Paulsen

Garlic and the Vampire by Bree Paulsen

Review to Come | Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: When a vampire moves into the neighborhood, the witch’s vegetables select Garlic to confront him. This was so cute.

Published: September 28, 2021


20. Featuring Travel (Time Optional)

Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor

Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor

Review to Come | Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Two sisters accept work in a magical hotel that appears in a new place every night and harbors terrible secrets.

Published: April 5, 2022


22. That Plot Heist Tho

A Million to One by Adiba Jaigirdar

A Million to One by Adiba Jairgirdar

Review to Come | Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Four women with extraordinary talents plan a heist aboard the Titanic.

Published: December 13, 2022


23. Family Drama or Court Intrigue

Cursed by Marissa Meyer cover shows a dark castle in front of a full red moon. A person cloaked in red stands facing the castle.

Cursed (Gilded #2) by Marissa Meyer

Review to Come | Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: The conclusion of the reimagined tale of Rumpelstiltskin. Packed with power struggles and dripping with magic. So glad I read this one.

Published: November 8, 2022


26. Let’s Play Sportsball

Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez

Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez

Review to Come | Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Fabulous and unforgettable. A multiracial young soccer player in Argentina faces prejudice, injury, the pull of romance, and threats as she seeks to win a tournament that could change her life.

Published: September 15, 2020


28. Less Than 170 Pages

Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic Novel Adaptation

Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation by Anne Frank, adapted by Ari Folman, and illustrated by David Polonsky

Review to Come | Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A graphic adaptation of the diary kept by Anne Frank as a teenager as she lived in hiding during the Nazi occupation of her homeland in World War II. Banned for a scene in which Anne expresses attraction for a female friend.


29. Set on a Continent You Don’t Live On

Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong cover shows a crystal decanter with a smoky substance inside surrounded by a vine with pink flowers.

Foul Lady Fortune (Foul Lady Fortune #1) by Chloe Gong

Review to Come | Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A spy and an assassin go undercover as a married couple to expose a terror cell murdering civilians in 1931 Shanghai. A companion to the THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS duology. Twisty and engrossing.

Published: September 27, 2022


30. Released at Least 23 Years Ago

The Giver by Lois Lowry cover shows the face of an older, bearded man in top right and a young man in profile on the bottom left. Bare branches of trees extend toward the center from the left side.

The Giver (The Giver Quartet #1) by Lois Lowry

Review to Come | Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A boy discovers his simple village harbors secrets and must decide what to do about them. This is a reread for me. Originally I wanted to read the whole series this year. Not sure if I’ll still do that.

Published: April 26, 1993


31. Protagonist’s Name Starts with M

That's Debatable by Jen Doll

That’s Debatable by Jen Doll

Review | Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A debate club queen teams up with a boy who won’t debate a position he doesn’t believe in. Friends to enemies to romance.

Published: August 30, 2022


32. POV Character is Under 18

Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken, Leigh Dragoon, and Kit Seaton

Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken, Leigh Dragoon, and Kit Seaton

Review to Come | Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A young wizard and a talented weaver race toward the capital bearing news that could stop the looming threat of war. A quick, fun read.

Published: February 2, 2021


34. Novel in Verse, Poetry, or Anthology.

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo cover shows a girl on the left with darker skin and a winding fire escape staircase behind her and a girl on the right with lighter skin and palm leaves behind her separated by the silhouettes of airplanes in the center, nose to nose.

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

ReviewAmazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Sisters who share a father but have no idea the other exists are united after he is killed in a plane crash. Told in powerful verse. I think I could read anything Elizabeth Acevedo writes.

Published: May 5, 2020


39. Your Favorite Genre (YA Fantasy)

Gilded by Marissa Meyer

Gilded (Gilded #1) by Marissa Meyer

ReviewAmazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A lush, complex retelling of the story of Rumpelstiltskin. Definitely a must-read for reimagined fairytale lovers. I loved the dark fairytale world.

Published: November 2, 2021


40. This School Isn’t What It Seems

Katzenjammer by Francesca Zappia

Katzenjammer by Francesca Zappia

ReviewAmazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: This one is twisty and strange (set in a school that’s some degree of alive), but the characters were so expertly drawn, and the relationships sucked me into the story. This is the first book by Francesca Zappia I’ve read, and I want to read everything else she’s written.

Published: June 28, 2022


41. Graphic Novel Outside Your Favorite Genre (Memoir)

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, and Harmony Becker

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, and Harmony Becker

ReviewAmazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: I discovered this book as I read a biography collection of Asian American artists and entertainers. I was blown away by so many moments in this book– history that I just don’t know enough about.

Published: July 16, 2019


43. Protagonist Has a Pet (Seven has a toad named Edgar Allen Toad)

Witchlings by Claribel Ortega

Witchlings (Witchlings #1) by Claribel A. Ortega

ReviewAmazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Three Witchlings must complete an impossible task or lose their magic and be turned into toads. Totally charming! This was such a fun read. Definitely continuing with the series.

Published: April 5, 2022


44. Five Word Title

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin Craig

House of Salt and Sorrow (Sisters of the Salt #1) by Erin Craig

ReviewAmazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Annaleigh mourns the loss of another sister as rumors of a curse swell around her family. Desperate to find a marriage match, Annaleigh and her sisters sneak away to dance through the night at ball after ball, leaving their father puzzled at their worn slippers. A haunting, sea-bound retelling of Twelve Dancing Princesses.

Published: August 6, 2019


45. More Than 500 Pages

Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber

Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber

ReviewAmazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Twin princesses, separated at birth, navigate a tightening circle of enemies determined to have control of their kingdom. Romance and political intrigue abound.

Published: August 6, 2019


46. Plants on the Cover

Disfigured: On Fairytales, Disability, and Making Space by Amanda Leduc cover shows a forest of leaves with a cabin poking through. A disembodied ear, hand, and a crutch sit on top of the leaves.

Disfigured: On Fairytales, Disability and Making Space by Amanda Leduc

Review to Come | Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A deconstruction/discussion of some fairytales and their history from the perspective of a writer with Cerebral Palsy. Looks at what popular fairytales teach about personal value, morality, and disability.

Published: February 11, 2020


47. Epistolary or Unusual Writing Style

Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Diary of a Young Girl: the Definitive Edition by Anne Frank

Review to Come | Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Anne and her family are forced into hiding by the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands during World War II.

Published: May 15, 2022 (orig. 1997)


48. Main Character is Keeping a Big Secret

The Magic Fish by Trung le Nguyen cover shows a boy with glasses and a patched jacket looking at an open book. In the background is an illustration of a mermaid.

The Magic Fish by Trung le Nguyen

Review to Come | Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A Vietnamese American boy wants to come out to his parents. He and his mother read fairytales together. Beautiful illustrations.

Published: October 13, 2020


49. Horses. That’s the Prompt.

Born to Run by Ann Hunter cover shows a horse and rider facing forward, the rider's head down so we can't see their face.

Born to Run by Ann Hunter

ReviewAmazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A girl in foster care escapes an abusive home and begins to heal with the love of a horse.

Published: March 1, 2015


50. Cover is Your Least Favorite Color (Orange)

Amari and the Great Game by B. B. Alston

Amari and the Great Game (Supernatural Investigations #2) by B.B. Alston

Review to Come | Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Amari’s quest to save her brother and learn to control her power as a magician continues in this wild ride of a story.

Published: August 30, 2022


51. All About Music or the Arts

Meg Jo Beth Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters by Amy Boyd Rioux cover shows four girls (presumably the March sisters) in long dresses.

Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters by Amy Boyd Rioux

Review to Come | Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Rioux gives a brief account of Louisa May Alcott’s life and the parts from which she drew inspiration for LITTLE WOMEN. She also explores conversations through the decades about why the book resonates with different generations, the various movies and stage adaptations, and who’s reading the book today.

Published: August 21, 2018


Beat the Backlist Prompts

Prompts in bold have been completed.

  1. Cozy cover or read.
  2. About dragons or robots.
  3. Takes place primarily in winter or a cold region.
  4. Meant to read it last year.
  5. Giving an author a second chance.
  6. An author writing under a pseudonym.
  7. Fairy/folktale I haven’t heard of before.
  8. Nonfiction just for fun.
  9. Set in or inspired by 1700/1800s.
  10. Bought it and forgot it.
  11. 2022 Debut novel.
  12. Name in the title.
  13. Multiple POVs.
  14. A character is lost royalty.
  15. Won an award.
  16. Here there by monsters.
  17. No romance.
  18. Recommended by a bookseller.
  19. Set on or involving a train.
  20. Featuring travel (time optional).
  21. All the nature vibes.
  22. That plot heist tho.
  23. Family drama or court intrigue.
  24. POV character is an adult (18+)
  25. Standalone.
  26. Let’s play sportsball.
  27. It’s a trope (your favorite).
  28. Less than 170 pages.
  29. Set on a continent you don’t live on.
  30. Released at least 23 years ago.
  31. Protagonist name starts with “M”.
  32. POV character is under 18.
  33. “Lost” or “found” in the title.
  34. Novel in verse, poetry, or anthology.
  35. Letter “Z” in the title.
  36. First in a trilogy.
  37. All the romance.
  38. Spooky vibes.
  39. Your favorite genre.
  40. This school isn’t what it seems.
  41. Graphic novel outside your favorite genre.
  42. This house is alive (or at least very important).
  43. Protagonist has a pet.
  44. Five-word title.
  45. More than 450 pages.
  46. Plants on the cover.
  47. Epistolary or unusual writing style.
  48. Character is keeping a big secret.
  49. Horses. That’s the prompt.
  50. Main cover is your least favorite color.
  51. All about music or the arts.
  52. Picked out by a friend with no context.

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