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
2. About Dragons or Robots
4. Meant to Read It Last Year
7. Fairy/Folktale You Haven’t Heard of Before
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
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: July 19, 2022
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)
13. Multiple POVs
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
16. Here There Be Monsters
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
20. Featuring Travel (Time Optional)
22. That Plot Heist Tho
23. Family Drama or Court Intrigue
26. Let’s Play Sportsball
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 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 (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 (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
32. POV Character is Under 18
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
Review | 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
Katzenjammer by Francesca Zappia
Review | 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 (Memoir)
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 | 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: August 6, 2019
45. More Than 500 Pages
Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber
Review | 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
46. Plants on the Cover
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
48. Main Character is Keeping a Big Secret
49. Horses. That’s the Prompt.
50. Cover is Your Least Favorite Color (Orange)
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: August 21, 2018
Beat the Backlist Prompts
Prompts in bold have been completed.
- 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.