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.
Beat the Backlist 2023
1. Cozy read or cover.

4. Meant to read it last year.

8. Nonfiction just for fun.

9. Set in or inspired by the 1700/1800s

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: 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

Hunt, Gather, Parent: What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us About Raising Happy, Helpful Humans
Review | Amazon | 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: March 2, 2021
12. Name in the title.

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)
15. Won an award.

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
22. That Plot Heist Tho

23. Family drama or court intrigue. – Kings, queens, princes… who’s in charge here?

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

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: April 26, 1993
30. Released at least 23 years ago.

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
32. POV character is under 18.

34. Novel in verse, poetry, or anthology.

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Review to Come | Amazon | 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

40. This school isn’t what it seems. – It’s alive… ish?

Katzenjammer by Francesca Zappia
Review to Come | Amazon | 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 – Biography

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, and Harmony Becker
Review | Amazon | 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 (Witchlings #1) by Claribel A. Ortega
Review to Come | Amazon | 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 Sorrow (Sisters of the Salt #1) by Erin Craig
Review | Amazon | 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: April 5, 2022
45. More than 500 pages.

Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber
Review to Come | Amazon | 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
48. Character is keeping a big secret.

49. Horses. That’s the prompt.

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
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: March 1, 2015
Beat the Backlist Prompts
- Cozy cover or read.
- About dragons or robots.
- Takes place primarily in winter or a cold region.
- Meant to read it last year.
- Giving an author a second chance.
- An author writing under a pseudonym.
- Fairy/folktale I haven’t heard of before.
- Nonfiction just for fun.
- Set in or inspired by 1700/1800s.
- Bought it and forgot it.
- 2022 Debut novel.
- Name in the title.
- Multiple POVs.
- A character is lost royalty.
- Won an award.
- Here there by monsters.
- No romance.
- Recommended by a bookseller.
- Set on or involving a train.
- Featuring travel (time optional).
- All the nature vibes.
- That plot heist tho.
- Family drama or court intrigue.
- POV character is an adult (18+)
- Standalone.
- Let’s play sportsball.
- It’s a trope (your favorite).
- Less than 170 pages.
- Set on a continent you don’t live on.
- Released at least 23 years ago.
- Protagonist name starts with “M”.
- POV character is under 18.
- “Lost” or “found” in the title.
- Novel in verse, poetry, or anthology.
- Letter “Z” in the title.
- First in a trilogy.
- All the romance.
- Spooky vibes.
- Your favorite genre.
- This school isn’t what it seems.
- Graphic novel outside your favorite genre.
- This house is alive (or at least very important).
- Protagonist has a pet.
- Five-word title.
- More than 450 pages.
- Plants on the cover.
- Epistolary or unusual writing style.
- Character is keeping a big secret.
- Horses. That’s the prompt.
- Main cover is your least favorite color.
- All about music or the arts.
- Picked out by a friend with no context.