FREEBIE: Top Backlist Books I Own and Plan to Read Soon
Top Ten Tuesdays are hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, where we make lists of our top ten books (or something else!) based on that week’s prompt. The topics are provided ahead of time and can be found here. Book links bring you to Goodreads or my review.
So I definitely am making it a point to read more backlist books this year, as well as focus on shrinking my physical TBR. I signed up for two challenges to target this goal and thought it would make a fun TTT topic to combine them. Today’s freebie has become the top ten backlist books I own and plan to read sometime very soon. I buy a decent amount of newer releases, but find that I have a LOT of older books sitting around that deserve to be read. This can also serve the purpose of a little TBR list for my challenges.
I decided to go with books published any time before 2014, and a couple that were put out in 2014. I wanted to focus on some of the much earlier titles instead, because books that came out the first year I started blogging (2014) don’t feel super backlist-y to me! I think it’s just because I can’t believe its 2016 or something. Regardless, here are some of the books I currently own and will hopefully read sometime in the near future!
Megan Meade’s Guide to the McGowan Boys by Kate Brian | I love Katie Brian/Kieran Scott and this is an older one of hers I somehow haven’t read yet. I’m sure it will have her usual charm!
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen | I’m intrigued by this one. I bought it randomly last year when I heard about the offer and saw it at Barnes & Noble for some type of BOGO sale.
Ruby Red by Kerstin Geir | Well, I hope I love these books because I currently own all three in the trilogy. I enjoyed Dream a Little Dream by her and have heard great things about this series.
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente | I bought this one quite a while ago (I was feelin’ the younger age target), but still haven’t gotten to it.
Shut Out by Kody Keplinger | Keplinger is one of my favorite authors because she writes about super real, flawed girls. My kind of ladies. This is her one published YA that I haven’t read yet.
Reunited by Hilary Weisman Graham | I’ve heard a mix of things about this one, but the topic is too Lauren-y to resist. Ex-best friends reuniting on a major road trip to see their favorite band? DONE.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz | Not sure why I’ve been waiting on this one because I’ve heard its wonderful!
How to Love by Katie Cotugno | Not a huge fan of babies in books, but I read and LOVED 99 Days so much that I knew I needed this one. Love her writing and difficult situations her characters get in.
Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins | I don’t remember how I got this one but it’s been sitting around looking pretty for a while now. (Maybe a series binge will happen soon?!)
The Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes | Yet another that I can’t believe I haven’t gotten to. This definitely seems up my alley and super fluffy. I’ll read this one when my contemporary mood comes back.
Oh great idea for a topic. I loved Aristotle and Dante. I just read and really like 99 Days so I want to read note from Katie Cotugno. Great list!!
Thank you! 🙂
This is a great topic! Garden Spells had been on my Kindle for a while and I finally read it a few months ago. I loved it! I bought the sequel and hopefully I can find time to read it sometime this year. 🙂
Oh awesome, good to know!
This is smart! I’m attempting to read through all of my books I own too. It’s getting a little ridiculous that the read to unread ratio on my shelves is starting to shift! I really liked The DUFF, so I’m interested in Shut Out. I agree she writes interesting characters!
I know, right?! It’s terrible!
I love this topic. I love it when bloggers feature backlist titles. They deserve love too! The only book on this list that I’ve read is Shut Out. If you like Keplinger, that one will not disappoint! I also think Reunited sounds like a great novel! Who cares what the other reviews say.
Thank you! 🙂 glad to hear.
Oh, fun topic! I would be here for days trying to figure out what owned back list books I want to read LOL
Ugh I know it was hard to narrow down hahah
I’ve read both Rebel Belle and Ruby Red, and they’re both really good! They’re super light and funny. I haven’t read the other books though. It’s hard finding time to read backlist books because the temptation of new releases are too strong! 😀
Awesome! Glad to hear it.
Yay!!! Love this topic!! I love when people talk about older books. Sometimes it gets so boring seeing everyone talking about the same books week after week. I’m definitely going to get back into reading books released a few years ago.
I know what you mean! It’s fun to see older books get featured.
Ruby Red, How to Love, The Art of Lainey and Dante and Aristotle Discover the Universe are definitely on my backlist list too! Especially the Katie Cotungo book. I haven’t read anything by her yet but I LOVE her blog so I feel like it’s time I finally read an in depth story she has already published.
OOOH YES! I hope you like her. I’m excited for HOW TO LOVE at some point/
I feel torn on Shut Out. I really loved The Duff, but did not really like Lying Out Loud. I may end up checking it out eventually. Aristotle and Dante is definitely on my TBR as well!
I didn’t mind Lying Out Loud but it definitely wasn’t my favorite. LOVED The Duff and Midsummer’s Nightmare
I actually haven’t read any of these! I’ve wanted to read Ruby Red for a while and I’ve heard nothing but good things about it. Kody Keplinger is also a very funny author, so I’m sure Shut Out is awesome too!
Krystianna @ Downright Dystopian
I love Kody Keplinger! And definitely excited for Ruby Red.
Great Top 10 topic, my backlist forever changes because I keep on getting books. So many books get shifted on my TBR. I need to stop getting books and read the ones I already have. I did Top 10 POC Booktubers on my blog.
Thank you! I know what you mean. I need to stop buying books haha
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making is delightful! I was so pleased with how vivid the imagery was, and how creative the tale was. I also really liked How to Love, which is a story that stayed with me after I read it (and one I was thinking of rereading), and Reunited, which is really great fun!
Excellent! 😀
I’ve has How to Love on my shelf for almost a year. I haven’t heard of the others on your list. I hope you get to them. Happy reading!
Thank you!
Great idea for a list, Lauren! I have so many backlist books that I plan to read soon too – Rebel Belle is on that list! 🙂 Hope you get around to reading them soon!
Thank you 😀
I really enjoyed Ruby Red and I LOVED The Art of Lainey. Hope you get to them soon 🙂
Thank you! I hope so too.
I really need to read some of my backlist books, too. 🙂 Great picks!
Check out my TTT.
Thank you 🙂
Aristotle and Dante is one of my faaaaaavorites, definitely pick it up asap! And have tissues ready! It’s such a life affirming book, but also hard to read at times (in a good way!)
I hope you love these when you pick them up 🙂