Beat the Backlist 2021: 01/01/21

Hosted by Austine of Novel Knight.

I'm starting off the new year by thinking about my reading goals. Once again I completed by GoodReads reading challenge of reading 300 or more books. I plan to do the same this year.

The Beat the Backlist goal, though, is focused on books published in previous years. My most basic goal for this challenge is to have half my reading be backlist. Numerically that would be a minimum of 150 books. Last year I surpassed that goal with more than 171.

My focus, though, will be on the remaining books purchased in 2020 and 2019 that I've yet to read. While I won't limit myself to these books only, I'm posting my current list of TBR books and their release months for the last two years. I do have older books on hand I'd like to read but they are primarily in storage. Getting them out of storage, read, and weeded is another longer term goal.

My 2020 purchases weren't as numerous as 2019, but I still have some left overs. For 2021, I plan to purchase fewer books. I know now from three years of doing this challenge how many new books I can easily read and review in a timely manner. I will do my best to keep my purchase numbers closer to that ceiling.

Below is my list of unread books from 2020 and 2019. I will cross them out as I read them. I will also add other books to the list as I read them, and will bold them.

TBR from 2020

December

1. Ascender, Volume 3: The Digital Mage by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen
2. The Ballad of Ami Miles by Kristy Dallas Alley
3. Crosshairs by Catherine Hernandez
4. A Deadly Edition by Victoria Gilbert
5. Tin by Candace Robinson and Amber R. Duell
6. A Whisker of a Doubt by Cate Conte and Amy Melissa Bentley (Reading)

   November

7. Gideon Falls, Volume 5: Wicked Worlds by Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino (Illustrator)
8. Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, Volume 1 by Sumito Oowara
9. The Question: The Deaths of Vic Sage by Jeff Lemire and Denys Cowan (Illustrator)
10. These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
11. Victor and Nora: A Gotham Love Story by Lauren Myracle and Isaac Goodhart

    October

12. Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
13. Dear Justyce by Nic Stone
14. Death by French Roast by Alex Erickson
15. How to Make a Bird by Meg McKinlay and Matt Ottley (Illustrator)
16. Love Your Life by Sophie Kinsella
17. The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen
18. Muffled by Jennifer Gennari
19. One Way or Another by Kara McDowell
20. Over the Woodward Wall by A. Deborah Baker
21. Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade
22. A Stitch in Time by Kelley Armstrong
23. Swamp Thing: Twin Branches by Maggie Stiefvater and Morgan Beem (illustrator)
24. Twins by Varian Johnson and Shannon Wright (Illustrations)

    September

25. The Canyon's Edge by Dusti Bowling
26. Checked Out for Murder by Allison Brook
27. Early Departures by Justin A. Reynolds
28. Every Body Looking by Candice Iloh
29. Hatch by Kenneth Oppel and Sophie Amoss (Narrator)
30. Little Bookshop of Murder by Maggie Blackburn and Christa Lewis (Narrator)
31. The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt by Riel Nason and Byron Eggenschwiler (Illustrator)
32. Miss Meteor by Tehlor Kay Mejia and Anna-Marie McLemore
33. Murder in the Bayou Boneyard by Ellen Byron
34. My Life in the Fish Tank by Barbara Dee
35. Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi
36. Smash It! by Francina Simone
37. To Know You're Alive by Dakota McFadzean
38. Tune It Out by Jamie Sumner
39. Turning Point by Paula Chase
40. Well Played by Jen DeLuca
41. The Year Shakespeare Ruined My Life by Dani Jansen

    August

42. Chili Cauldron Curse by Lynn Cahoon
43. To Coach a Killer by Victoria Laurie
44. Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop by Roselle Lim

    July

45. Tea & Treachery by Vicki Delany
46. War Stories by Gordon Korman
47. Witches and Wedding Cake by Bailey Cates

    June

48. Ascender, Volume 2: The Dead Sea by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen
49. Gideon Falls, Volume 4: The Pentoculus by Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino (Illustrator)
50. Invisible Kingdom, Volume 2: Edge of Everything by G. Willow Wilson and Christian Ward (Illustrator)
51. Nightschool: The Weirn Books Collector's Edition, Volume 2 by Svetlana Chmakova

    May

52. Camp by Lev A.C. Rosen
53. Julieta and the Diamond Enigma by Luisana Duarte Armendáriz
54. Read or Alive by Nora Page
55. A Spell for Trouble by Esme Addison and Emily Durante (Narrator)
56. A Study in Murder by Callie Hutton
57. This Coven Won't Break by Isabel Sterling

    April

58. This Spell Can't Last by Isabel Sterling
59. Kazu Jones and the Comic Book Criminal by Shauna Holyoak

    January

60. Samantha Spinner and the Boy in the Ball by Russell Ginns

TBR from 2019

December

1. A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh
2. Murder Ink by Lorraine Bartlett, Gayle Leeson and Jorjeana Marie (Narrator)
3. Reverie by Ryan La Sala

   November

4. Color Outside the Lines by Sangu Mandanna
5. A Constellation of Roses by Miranda Asebedo
6. Coral by Sara Ella
7. Invisible Kingdom, Vol. 1 by G. Willow Wilson
8. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

   October

9. The Burning Queen by Kathryn Lasky
10. Bury the Lede by Gaby Dunn
11. Coached to Death by Victoria Laurie and Rachel Dulude (Narrator)
12. Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett
13. The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis
14. The House of Brides by Jane Cockram
15. Jackpot by Nic Stone
16. Laughter at the Academy by Seanan McGuire
17. Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu (Artist)
18. Muffin But Trouble by Victoria Hamilton and Margaret Strom (Narrator)
19. On Borrowed Crime by Kate Young and Dina Pearlman (Narrator)

    September

20. The Babysitters Coven by Kate Williams
21. Beverly, Right Here by Kate DiCamillo
22. The Big Shrink by Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle, and Emily Jenkins
23. Buried in the Stacks by Allison Brook
24. Fatal Cajun Festival by Ellen Byron and Amy Melissa Bentley (Narrator)
25. How to Be Remy Cameron by Julian Winters
26. It's a Whole Spiel: Love, Latkes, and Other Jewish Stories by Katherine Locke
27. Just Because by Mac Barnett and Isabelle Arsenault
28. Mighty Jack and Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke
29. More to the Story by Hena Khan
30. No Judgments by Meg Cabot
31. Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall
32. Some Places More Than Others by Renée Watson
33. The Tea Dragon Festival by Kay O'Neill
34. Well Met by Jen DeLuca

    August

35. Best Friends by Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham (Illustrator)
36. Cookies and Clairvoyance by Bailey Cates
37. Dough Boys by Paula Chase
38. Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton
39. The Killing Tide by Dani Pettrey

    July

40. Blastaway by Melissa Landers
41. The Last Book Party by Karen Dukess

    June

42. The Tell Tail Heart by Cate Conte

    May

43. The Secret Starling by Judith Eagle

    March

44. Samantha Spinner and the Spectacular Specs by Russell Ginns

Older books

1. Biscuits and Slashed Browns by Maddie Day (2018)
2. Kill the Farm Boy by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne (2018)
3. Mardi Gras Murder by Ellen Byron (2018)
4. How to Lie with Maps by Mark Monmonier (2018)
5. A Problematic Paradox by Eliot Sappingfield (2018)
6. Purrder She Wrote by Cate Conte and Amy Melissa Bentley (2018)
7. Read and Gone by Allison Brook (2018)
8. Samantha Spinner and the Super Secret Plans by Russell Ginns (2018)
9. Super Late Bloomer: My Early Days in Transition by Julia Kaye (2018)
10. Swordheart by T. Kingfisher (2018)
11. A Witch's Printing Office, Volume 2 by Mochinchi and Yasuhiro Miyama (2018)
12. Yule Be Dead by Lorraine Bartlett and Gayle Leeson (2018)
13. Finding Mighty by Sheela Chari (2017)
14. The Tea Dragon Society by Kay O'Neill (2017)
15. A Cajun Christmas Killing by Ellen Byron (2017)
16. Cat About Town by Cate Conte and Amy Melissa Bentley (Narrator) (2017)
17. Feast: Recipes and Stories from a Canadian Road Trip by Lindsay Anderson and Dana VanVeller (2017)
18. Moriarty the Patriot, Volume 3 by Ryōsuke Takeuchi (2017)
19. Muffin to Fear by Victoria Hamilton (2017)
20. Potions and Pastries by Bailey Cates (2017)
21. Restaurant to Another World Volume 4 by Junpei Inuzuka and Katsumi Enami (Illustrations) (2017)
22. Shadowhouse Fall by Daniel José Older (2017)
23. When the Grits Hit the Fan by Maddie Day and Laural Merlington (Narrator) (2017)
24. Body on the Bayou by Ellen Byron (2016)
25. Dead, Bath, and Beyond by Lorraine Bartlett and Laurie Cass (Narrator) (2016)
26. Ghosts from Our Past by Erin Gilbert, Abby L. Yates, and Andrew Shaffer (2016)
27. Flipped for Murder by Maddie Day (2016)
28. Grilled for Murder by Maddie Day (2016)
29. Hearse and Gardens by Kathleen Bridge and Vanessa Daniels (Reading) (2016)
30. March: Book Three by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell (Illustrator) (2016)
31. Much Ado About Muffin by Victoria Hamilton (2016)
32. Restaurant to Another World Volume 3 by Junpei Inuzuka and Katsumi Enami (Illustrations) (2016)
33. Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between) by Lauren Graham (2016)
34. The White Cat's Revenge as Plotted from the Dragon King's Lap: Volume 1 by Kureha (2016)
35. Better Homes and Corpses by Kathleen Bridge (2015)
36. Dark Chocolate Demise by Jenn McKinlay (2015)
37. Death of an English Muffin by Victoria Hamilton (2015)
38. Shopaholic to the Rescue by Sophie Kinsella (2015)
39. To Brew or Not to Brew by Joyce Tremel (2015)
40. Toured to Death by Hy Conrad (2015)
41. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (2014)
42. Cat Trick by Sofie Kelly and Cassandra Campbell (Narrator) (2014)
43. A High-End Finish by Kate Carlisle (2014)
44. House of Cards by Michael Dobbs (2014)
45. Muffin But Murder by Victoria Hamilton (2014)
46. The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier (2014)
47. Robogenesis by Daniel H. Wilson (2014)
48. Sugar and Iced by Jenn McKinlay (2014)
49. Deadly Daggers by Joyce Lavene, Jim Lavene (2013)
50. Death Al Dente by Leslie Budewitz (2013)
51. Final Catcall by Sofie Kelly (2013)
52. Going, Going, Ganache by Jenn McKinlay (2013)
53. One Hot Murder by Lorraine Bartlett (2013)
54. Silent Knife by Shelley Freydont (2013)
55. An Appetite for Murder by Lucy Burdette (2012)
56. Copycat Killing by Sofie Kelly (2012)
57. Foul Play at the Fair by Shelley Freydont (2012)
58. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan (2012)
59. Red Velvet Revenge by Jenn McKinlay (2012)
60. Revenge of the Horned Bunnies by Ursula Vernon (2012)
61. Stray Bullets by Robert Rotenberg (2012)
62. The Walled Flower by Lorraine Bartlett (2012)
63. When Fairies Go Bad by Ursula Vernon (2012)
64. Among the Departed by Vicki Delany (2011)
65. Buttercream Bump Off by Jenn McKinlay (2011)
66. A Crafty Killing by Lorraine Bartlett (2011)
67. Curiosity Thrilled the Cat by Sofie Kelly (2011)
68. Death by the Dozen by Jenn McKinlay (2011)
69. Sleight of Paw by Sofie Kelly (2011)
70. Lips Unsealed by Belinda Carlisle (2011)
71. Cut to the Corpse by Lucy Lawrence (2010)
72. Negative Image by Vicki Delany (2010)
73. Ghastly Glass by Joyce Lavene and Jim Lavene (2009)
74. The Ghost and the Haunted Mansion by Alice Kimberly (2009)
75. Red Bones by Ann Cleeves (2009)
76. Signspotting III: Lost and Loster in Translation by Doug Lansky (2009)
77. What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty (2009)
78. The Ghost and the Femme Fatale by Alice Kimberly (2008)
79. State of the Onion by Julie Hyzy (2008)
80. Rockridge by Robin Wolf and Tom Wolf (2007)
81. The Ghost and the Dead Man's Library by Alice Kimberly (2006)
82. The Ghost and the Dead Deb by Alice Kimberly (2005)
83. A Dilly of a Death by Susan Wittig Albert (2004)
84. The Ghost and Mrs. McClure by Alice Kimberly (2004)
85. Death Gets A Time-Out by Ayelet Waldman (2003)
86. Elegant Yokai Apartment Life, Volume 3 by Hinowa Kouzuki and Waka Miyama (Illustrator) (2003)
87. Elegant Yokai Apartment Life, Volume 2 by Hinowa Kouzuki (2003)
88. The Last Treasure by Janet S. Anderson (2003)
89. Made You Look by Diane Roberts (2003)
90. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2003)
91. A Playdate With Death by Ayelet Waldman (2002)
92. Bloodroot by Susan Wittig Albert (2001)
93. Friendship Cake by Lynne Hinton (2000)
94. Blue-Ribbon Henry by Mary Calhoun and Erick Ingraham (Illustrator) (1999)
95. Chocolat by Joanne Harris (1999)
96. Funky Chickens by Benjamin Zephaniah (1996)
97. Trick or Treat Murder by Leslie Meier (1996)
98. Tippy Toe Murder by Leslie Meier (1994)
99. Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley (1990)
100. The Drastic Dragon of Draco, Texas by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough (1986)
101. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (1984)
102. Marmalade's Nap by Cindy Wheeler (1983)
103. Hot-Air Henry by Mary Calhoun, Erick Ingraham (Illustrations) (1981)
104. Hearts by Hilma Wolitzer (1980)
105. Sarah Somebody by Florence Slobodkin and Louis Slobodkin (illustrator) (1969)
106. This is Munich by Miroslav Sasek (1961)
107. This Is Venice by Miroslav Sasek (1961)
108. A Separate Peace by John Knowles (1959)
109. The Air-Conditioned Nightmare by Henry Miller (1945)
110. Hundreds and Hundreds of Pancakes by Audrey Chalmers (1942)
111. Three Men on the Bummel by Jerome K. Jerome (1900)
112. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James (1898)