Winter 2025 Backlist Reading Check-in and Life Update
This will be the whale shark of blog posts because I read a lot of backlist titles in January and February. I was sick for most of February, so I ended up taking it easy and doing a lot more mood reading than I usually do. Plus, as I heard the news about removing Black History celebrations and mentions of women leaders in STEM from websites and government programs, I only felt more determined to read more about both of those things.
Because this list includes so many books, I’m breaking it into subsections. Click the links to jump directly to a subsection that interests you, or feel free to browse the whole post!
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Graphic Novels and Adaptations (MG and YA)
Middle Grade Fiction
Young Adult Fiction
Nonfiction
Black History Month
Winter 2025 Backlist Reading Check-in
Graphic Novels and Adaptations (MG and YA)
Layers: A Memoir by Pénélope Bagieu
What you need to know: Translated from French by Montana Kane. The author expertly captures being awkward and the transition from childhood to adulthood. I laughed and cried. I will be reading more by this author.
Published October 17, 2023 (Orig. 2021) | My Review to Come
Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas
What you need to know: This has been on my reading list since it came out. I love how participating in the swim team changed Bree’s life and helped her form meaningful relationships with others. The story also offered context for why some characters didn’t learn to swim.
Published May 17, 2022 | My Review to Come
Redbone: The True Story of a Native American Rock Band by Christian Staebler, Sonia Paoloni, and Thibault Balahy
What you need to know: An enthusiastic recounting of a Native American rock band and Native American civil rights movement in America. This is a perfect blend of music history and Indigenous history. Really nicely done.
Published October 28, 2020 | My Review to Come
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell
What you need to know: This is another book that was on my reading list for a long time. Tamaki made the pain and confusion of a toxic relationship absolutely palpable here. If you’ve been through a rough break-up or had the on-again-off-again experience of a bad relationship, reading this could be extremely cathartic. (Or triggering. It was cathartic for me.)
Published May 7, 2019 | My Review to Come
The Worst Ronin by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Faith Schaffer
What you need to know: A young warrior teams up with her idol to save a village’s children from a terrible threat. A few moments are darker than I expected, but it’s also super funny and celebrates unlikely friendships. I enjoyed this.
Published May 21, 2024 | My Review to Come
Middle Grade Fiction
Sylvia Doe and the 100-year Flood by Robert Beattie
What you need to know: Set in Western North Carolina, this book was published on the heels of Hurricane Helene, a real-life 100-year flood. I loved the imaginative elements of the book and the relationships between characters.
Published October 8, 2024 | My Review
Hazel Bly and the Deep Blue Sea by Ashley Herring Blake
What you need to know: I read this with some blogging friends, which was incredibly fun. This is the kind of book that sticks with you. Hazel’s complex grief journey and the challenges she faces in a new town with the possibility of new friends and anxieties were so relatable and engaging.
Published May 25, 2021 | My Review to Come
The Wild Robot (The Wild Robot #1) by Peter Brown
My thoughts: Absolutely fantastic. The description of this book didn’t appeal to me so much, but the engaging illustrations and endearing relationships between Roz and the animals on the island absolutely won me over. I will be continuing with this series.
Published April 5, 2016 | My Review
The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown
What you need to know: My littlest and I read this one together after I read the first in the series to her. We had to know what would become of Roz and whether she’d ever make it back to Brightbill on the island. It’s such a sweet story about connections and found family.
Published March 13, 2018 | My Review to Come
You Don’t Know Everything, Jilly P! by Alex Gino
What you need to know: I’m woefully behind on Gino’s books, so this is part of my attempt to play catch-up. I continue to be so impressed with Gino’s ability to write deeply nuanced, emotionally vulnerable stories that never talk down to readers. Just amazing.
Published September 25, 2018 | My Review to Come
The House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones
What you need to know: Charmain Baker must care for her wizard uncle’s house while he’s away with the elves. She discovers a sinister plot against the king and seeks help from Sophie and Howl. I loved getting to visit the world of Howl’s Moving Castle again in this book.
Published May 22, 2009 | My Review to Come
Joy, to the World by Kai Shappley and Lu Bunker (writing at the time as Lisa Bunker)
What you need to know: The joy in this book is so beautiful. Joy, a young trans girl, faces discrimination and learns about activism while finding her people and celebrating a love for faith and cheerleading. I loved this.
Published May 9, 2023 | My Review to Come
Just Lizzie by Karen Wilfrid
What you need to know: Another great book! Here, we have another author who never talks down to her audience and yet writes about complex ideas: recovery from witnessing a loved one experience trauma; the empowerment of learning self-defense; the ways in which adults surprise us (for better or worse); and the validation that comes from understanding who we are.
Published November 14, 2023 | My Review to Come
Wishbone by Justine Pucella Winans
What you need to know: The author’s first middle grade book is one of my all-time favorites, so I went into this with huge expectations. I had a great time reading this book. The Otherwoods remains my favorite, but Winans did some great storytelling here, too. I’m also ALWAYS a fan of a cat-who-is-not-a-cat, so it was pretty much destined to be a win for me.
Published September 17, 2024 | My Review to Come
Young Adult Fiction
Warrior of Legend (Heromaker #2) by Kendare Blake
What you need to know: The conclusion to the Heromaker duology read to me more like a middle book than a conclusion, but it sounds like the author is leaving room for spinoff series’ to come. I’m glad I read it.
Published October 29, 2024 | My Review to Come
Flyboy by Kasey LeBlanc
What you need to know: Mostly closeted, transgender Ash wakes up at night to live a circus life in a body that matches his identity. I love the powerful way Ash’s night/day lives converge and how this speaks to identity and being seen.
Published May 14, 2024 | My Review to Come
Heist Royale (Thieves’ Gambit #2) by Kayvion Lewis
What you need to know: I listened to an audiobook version of Thieves’ Gambit last year, and I had to find out how Ros’s story ends. Overall, I thought this conclusion was satisfying, and I loved seeing how Ros’s relationships from the first book continued to grow in this one.
Published November 12, 2024 | My Review to Come
Bad Graces by Kyrie McCauley
What you need to know: A group of girls becomes castaways on a strange island. Their bodies begin to change. They wrestle with past trauma and deal with current horrors. This one is deep, and thought-provoking. Do not read if you are squeamish about mushrooms.
Published June 18, 2024 | My Review to Come
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
What you need to know: Another big one on my reading list. The two perspectives here are perfectly chosen and add so many layers to the story and draw readers’ attention to some of the issues that might be overlooked otherwise. Nobody who has read Reynolds will be surprised to hear that this is great writing.
Published September 29, 2015 | My Review to Come
Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen
What you need to know: I love so many things about this book. Ever’s journey to set her own boundaries and priorities and her love for choreography deeply resonated with me. I will be reading more of this series for sure!
Published January 7, 2020 | My Review to Come
Loveboat, Forever (Loveboat, Taipei #3) by Abigail Hing Wen
What you need to know: Here’s me, reading more of this series. I skipped the second book, but it didn’t really matter (except for a HEA spoiler). I went into this series expecting a fluffy romance, and it’s got romance, no doubt about it. But it explores so much more than that. I loved the descriptions of music and Pearl’s journey reconnecting to lost family and family history here.
Published November 7, 2023 | My Review to Come
Nonfiction
The Ultimate Driving Book by Emma Carson Berne
What you need to know: My daughter is learning to drive, so I wanted to check this out in case it was useful for us. It has a lot of basic info, and covers a wide range of topics.
Published August 27, 2024 | My Review to Come
This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson
What you need to know: This upbeat guide to coming out, forging relationships, and forming a community includes testimonies of hundreds of LGBTQIA+ people and practical tips and advice from a seasoned writer.
Published September 4, 2014 | My Review to Come
Black History Month Reading
Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance by Nikki Grimes
What you need to know: Yet another title on my reading list since it was published. I love the method that Grimes used here to pair her poetry alongside women poets of the Harlem Renaissance. The connections between poems and the illustrations are awesome. I enjoyed this one a lot.
Published January 5, 2021 | My Review
March: Book One by John Lewis
What you need to know: This has been on my TBR list a LONG time. The first volume in this nonfiction series recaps John Lewis’s early work for the Civil Rights movement including marching and attending sit-ins. It brings history to life and helps create a broader view of the Civil Rights movement.
Published August 14, 2013 | My Review to Come
The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights by Steve Sheinkin
What you need to know: Do you know about the Port Chicago disaster during World War II? I had never heard about this before reading Sheinkin’s book. The author does a phenomenal job anchoring the events discussed in the book into the timeline of familiar events from World War II and the Civil Rights Movement in the US. I can’t recommend this enough.
Published January 21, 2014 | My Review
Hidden Figures: The Untold True Story of Four African American Women Who Helped Launch Our Nation Into Space (Young Readers Edition) by Margot Lee Shetterly
What you need to know: I can’t believe it took me so long to read this book! And I wish I’d read it before seeing the movie! This is another wonderful nonfiction account that anchors itself well within other familiar points in US history. Really nicely done.
Published November 29, 2016 | My Review to Come
Black Heroes of the Wild West by James Otis Smith
What you need to know: Offers context and information about Black cowboys and specific contributions by people like Mary Fields, Bob Lemmons, and Bass Reeves. Engaging and informative. I was blown away by some of the information offered here, especially in the before and after sections.
Published September 15, 2020 | My Review to Come
What are the best books you read this winter?
Have you read any books lately that you can’t seem to stop talking about? Have you read any of the titles on my Winter 2025 Backlist Reading List? If so, what did you think about them?
Leave me a comment below and let me know!
