Fall 2024 Backlist Reading Check-In
Normally, I start a post like this at the beginning of the season and add to it as I finish reading each book. That gives me a diary-like record of my experience with each book, which I enjoy looking back at later.
This time, I forgot to start the post and only remembered about it in mid-November when I began making my calendar of list posts for next year. At any rate, I did manage to get my Fall 2024 backlist reading list together, and I’m excited to talk about some of these books.
I somehow managed to get to a lot more backlist titles than I thought I did. My guess is that this is because I read many of them as audiobooks. A few that I read as ebooks or hard copies were basically mood reads.
I’ve had some of these books high on my reading list for quite a while, like Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews, Show Me a Sign by Ann-Clare LeZotte, and Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley. Others, like Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price, The Game of Silence by Louise Erdrich, and We Are All So Good at Smiling by Amber McBride, are newer to my reading list, but I am really glad I got to them.
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Fall 2024 Backlist Reading Check-In
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
What you need to know: This feels like a convention-setting novel, and I’m glad I read it. Some of the commentary about the characters is very dated, which might make it challenging for today’s readers. It’s a fascinating mystery, though.
Published June 1, 1997 (Orig. 1978) | My Review to Come
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
What you need to know: Weirdly, I read Warrior Girl, Unearthed before I read Fire Keeper’s Daughter, so there were a couple of elements of the plot that I already knew about. I did enjoy getting to see Pauline and her sister as younger kids and reading Daunis’s story. It’s a tightly plotted, intense book. Highly recommended.
Published March 16, 2021 | My Review to Come
The Betrayal of Anne Frank by Rosemary Sullivan
What you need to know: I read Anne Frank’s diary earlier this year, and I immediately put this book on my reading list after that. The book carefully tracks an intricate investigation into who betrayed the Frank family. It’s an amazing book.
Published January 17, 2023 | My Review to Come
Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
What you need to know: Five teenagers spread across the US who become involved in human trafficking. This one is pretty dark with fairly straightforward characters. It’s one of the most frequently banned books in the US.
Published August 25, 2009 | My Review to Come
The Ballad of Never After (Once Upon a Broken Heart #2) by Stephanie Garber
My thoughts: Evangeline’s adventures continue! This might have been my favorite book of the three. We learn more about the fairytale for which Evangeline is named and what Jacks is truly after. It’s a pretty wild ride.
Published September 13, 2022 | Review to Come
We Are All So Good at Smiling by Amber McBride
What you need to know: A powerful novel-in-verse about magic, depression, and the power of the stories we tell ourselves. Amber McBride is pretty much an auto-buy author for me. She’s amazing.
Published January 10, 2023 | My Review to Come
A Curse for True Love (Once Upon a Broken Heart #3) by Stephanie Garber
What you need to know: The finale of the series. I think the second book was my favorite, but I definitely wanted to know how things turned out for Evangeline and her love. If you like Garber’s work, I am pretty sure you’ll like this series.
Published October 24, 2023 | My Review to Come
The Game of Silence (The Birchbark House #2) by Louise Erdrich
What you need to know: Omakayas’s story continues as her family faces new threats to their way of life. Her dreams prove a powerful force, but is she brave enough to listen to them? I am loving this series so far.
Published June 16, 2006 | Review to Come
Show Me a Sign by Ann-Clare LeZotte
What you need to know: This is the first book about Mary and her community on Martha’s Vineyard. I wish I’d read this one first, though I don’t think you have to in order to follow the series. Reading this book made the areas of focus in the other books make more sense to me. It’s a fabulous historical fiction book.
Published March 3, 2020 | My Review to Come
Coyote Queen by Jessica Vitalis
What you need to know: The back cover copy calls this book moving and voice-driven, and boy is it both of those things! An unforgettable tale of a girl with a troubling home life finding her voice.
Published October 10, 2023 | My Review to Come
Those Pink Mountain Nights by Jen Ferguson
What you need to know: The story of three friends and their connection to a local pizza parlor and a missing girl. Moving, thoughtful, and intense. Each point of view has amazing characterization.
Published September 12, 2023 | My Review to Come
Did you read any books in the past few months that came out before 2024?
Did you do any reading over the fall season? If so, what were your favorite books?
Have you read any of the books on my Fall 2024 Backlist Reading list? Please leave a comment and let me know what you think!
