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Beat the Backlist 2025: 01/01/25

Beat the Backlist
Hosted by Austine of Beat the Backlist.

For the last two years I've had a reading goal of 250 books. I am sticking with that goal. From that goal I set aside 50% to be backlist books. I won't be posting my list of things I want to read yet. I have a case of books in my bedroom as well as a bunch of ebooks on my computer and audiobooks on my phone.

There are two prompts that I'm sure I'll struggle with or might not even finish:

  • a book that's 600 pages or more because I don't typically read long books. I have two long books on hand: The Canterbury Tales and the Collected Stories of John Cheever.
  • a book from a celebrity book club; again, I don't follow celebrities and I don't care what they're reading or telling us to read.
  • For the books released in the year of the snake, that would be years: 2013, 2001, 1989, 1977, 1965, 1953, 1941, 1929, and so forth.

From this year's Beat the Backlist, the breakdown by year is:

  • 2023: 38 books
  • 2022: 15 books
  • 2021: 14 books
  • 2020: 15 books
  • 2010s: 41 books
  • 2000s: 11 books
  • 1990s: 5 books
  • 1980s: 3 books
  • 1970s: 8 books
  • 1960s: 7 books
  • 1950s: 4 books
  • 1940s: 8 books
  • 1930s: 2 books
  • 1920s: 1 book
  • 1910s: 7 books
  • 1900s: 4 books

My Beat the Backlist reads for 2024 account for 67% of my reading for the year.

I read through most of Baum's Oz books and January 2025 will finish out his books. But I plan to keep going with Ruth Plumly Thompson's Oz books, although I'm not sure if I'll stick to a monthly reading schedule with hers.

I read a bunch of short stories which might not technically count but I plan to continue with them too.

I also read a bunch of older children's books, ones I learned about on Instagram. I might keep up with reading these older ones but that depends on other factors (like whether or not we end up moving).

There were a number of graphic novels and manga, cozy mysteries, some memoirs, and late in the year: books about the creative process.

Below is my list of my completed backlist books from 2024 and earlier:

    2024

  1. Booked on Murder by Allison Brook and Mia Gaskin (Narrator)
  2. Guilt and Ginataan by Mia P. Manansala and Danice Cabanela (Narrator)
  3. A New Lease on Death by Olivia Blacke, Stefanie Kay and Petrea Burchard (Narrators) (2024)
  4. What the Chicken Knows by Sy Montgomery

    2023

  5. Mermedusa by Thomas Taylor
  6. Sugar Plum Poisoned by Jenn McKinlay and Susan Boyce (Narrator)
  7. The Way of the Bear by Anne Hilerman
  8. With or Without You by Eric Smith

    2022

  9. Eden's Everdark by Karen Strong
  10. Steeped in Secrets by Lauren Elliott and Stephanie Richardson (Narrator)
  11. Whiskers and Lies by Sofie Kelly and Cassandra Campbell (Narrator)

    2021

    2020

  12. Beautiful Shades of Brown: Laura Wheeler Waring, Artist by Nancy Churnin and Felicia Marshall (Illustrator)

    2010s

  13. Sealed Off by Barbara Ross and Dara Rosenberg (Narrator) (2019)
  14. Killer Party by Lynn Cahoon and Susan Boyce (Narrator) (2017)
  15. A Story to Kill by Lynn Cahoon and C.S.E. Cooney (Narrator) (2016)

    2000s

  16. Spice and Wolf, Volume 1 by Isuna Hasekura, Jyuu Ayakura (Illustrator) and Paul Starr (Translator) (2006)

    1999-1990

  17. Black and White by David Macaulay (1991)

    1989-1980

    1979-1970

  18. The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald (1978)

    1969-1960

    1959-1950

  19. "Clancy in the Tower of Babel" by John Cheever (1951)
  20. "The Pot of Gold" by John Cheever (1950)

    1949-1940

  21. The Trouble with Harry by Jack Trevor Story (1949)
  22. Pretzel by Margret Rey with H.A. Rey (Illustrator) (1944)

    1939-1930

  23. The Hobbit, or There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien (1937)

    1929-1920

  24. Emily Climbs by L.M. Montgomery (1925)
  25. Glinda of Oz by L. Frank Baum and John R. Neill (1920)

    1919-1910

    1909-1900

    1899 and earlier

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