Beat the Backlist [2019] | a self-motivating reading challenge to read more of the STORIES previously published!

Beat the Backlist banner created by Austine at A Novel Knight and is used with permission.

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This is a reading challenge which nearly feels custom-made for me!! As throughout the *five years!* I’ve been a book blogger, I’ve lost track of the lovely authors I’ve ‘met’ against the pages of the novels I’ve read these past five years. I had intended to keep up with them, to see about their new releases, read the next stories in sequence of their series and otherwise, continue to cheer about their writerly lives! Then, somewhere along the route of time, I’ve lost track of who is publishing what and where each of the lovely series I’ve loved reading has evolved forward to include ‘how many installments’ now!?

One of my goals as a 5th Year Book Blogger is to go back and seek out the authors I’ve enjoyed reading – whilst at the same time, there were series & stories I was eagerly hoping to read *prior!* to becoming a book blogger which has dearly become lost to the sands of time itself! Those series are still important to me – as I want to read them, see what I’ll find inside them and also, be a jumping point towards reading a bit more widely like I used too – where I’m moving in and out of my personal library & the local library whilst reading stories on blog tours and/or straight from publishers / authors is intermixed with the stories I’ve already chosen to read. I’ve been seeking a better balance on my blog the past three years – and this reading challenge really fits with the goals I’ve been moving towards!

If anyone saw the amount of audiobooks I found on Scribd as a trial member this Autumn, you’d think I had this reading challenge ‘in the bag’ for *2019!* simply due to how many of those selections fit the requirements! lol However, I’ll be reading traditional books (print) and listening to audiobooks throughout the New Year. As well as back-reading the series/one-off releases by authors I’ve previously read here on Jorie Loves A Story.

Similar to overhauling my Classics Club List this past August as I rang in my 5th Year – this list is an evolving list towards reading the stories I’ve never had the proper chance to read – by authors who are either a) new to me or b) known & previously loved.

The beauty of this challenge is how it works fittingly well with my own goals for focusing on Classical Lit & INSPY Lit – where there will be cross-referencing between the three reading challenges as 2019 moves forward. I also know I won’t be able to read ALL the selections I made during #Mythothon during December – which is why this list will be expanding in January for the left-overs!

There are also a lot of STORIES I found via Twitter these past five years – stories by authors I’ve never had the proper chance to read & wish to seek out for this challenge. Either I found the stories themselves OR the writers found me – either way, there will be another section of this merging onto the list as time progresses into the New Year.

Instead of worrying about the particulars as one beauty of this reading challenge is keeping things ‘simple & straight-forward’ – I want to ink out a few series I’ve lost sight of over the years – the main ones so to speak I want to get back into reading – and see where those series take me!

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Jorie’s BackList Reading List:

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The Lady Emily series by Tasha Alexander

[more information on the author’s site]

Books Inclusive of the Series:

  1. And Only to Deceive (2005) → previously read
  2. A Poisoned Season (2007)
  3. A Fatal Waltz (2008)
  4. The Bridal Strain (short story)
  5. Tears of Pearl (2009)
  6. Dangerous to Know (2010)
  7. A Crimson Warning (2011)
  8. Death in the Floating City (2012)
  9. Behind the Shattered Glass (2012)
  10. The Counterfeit Heiress (2012)
  11. Star of the East (Christmas novella)
  12. The Adventuress (2015)
  13. That Silent Night (Christmas novella)
  14. A Terrible Beauty (2016)
  15. Death in St. Petersburg (2017)
  16. Amid the Winter’s Snow (Christmas novella)
  17. Uneasy Lies the Crown (2018)

The Aunt Dimity series by Nancy Alterton

[more information on the author’s site]

Books Inclusive of the Series:

1. Aunt Dimity’s Death (1992) ← previously read
2. Aunt Dimity and the Duke (1994) ← previously read
3. Aunt Dimity’s Good Deed (1996)
4. Aunt Dimity Digs In (1998)
5. Aunt Dimity’s Christmas (1999)
6. Aunt Dimity Beats the Devil (2000)
7. Aunt Dimity: Detective (2001)
8. Aunt Dimity Takes a Holiday (2003)
9. Aunt Dimity: Snowbound (2004)
10. Aunt Dimity and the Next of Kin (2005)
11. Aunt Dimity and the Deep Blue Sea (2006)
12. Aunt Dimity Goes West (2007)
13. Aunt Dimity: Vampire Hunter (2008)
*Introducing Aunt Dimity, Paranormal Detective (2009) ← contains the first two stories
14. Aunt Dimity Slays the Dragon (2009)
15. Aunt Dimity Down Under (2010)
16. Aunt Dimity and the Family Tree (2011)
17. Aunt Dimity and the Village Witch (2012)
18. Aunt Dimity and the Lost Prince (2013)
19. Aunt Dimity and the Wishing Well (2014)
20. Aunt Dimity and the Summer King (2015)
21. Aunt Dimity and the Buried Treasure (2016)
22. Aunt Dimity and the Widow’s Curse (2017)
​23. Aunt Dimity and the King’s Ransom (2018)

The Mary Russell series by Laurie R. King

[order of reading the series on the author’s site]

Books Inclusive of the Series:

  1. The Beekeeper’s Apprentice (1994) ← the story I first read
  2. A Monstrous Regiment of Women (1995)
  3. A Letter of Mary (1997)
  4. The Moor (1998)
  5. O Jerusalem (1999)
  6. Justice Hall (2002)
  7. The Game (2004)
  8. Locked Rooms (2005)
  9. The Language of Bees (2009) ← the release I first noticed/discovered
  10. The God of the Hive (2010)
  11. Pirate King (2011)
  12. Garment of Shadows (2012)
  13. Dreaming Spies (2015)
  14. The Murder of Mary Russell (2016)
  15. Island of the Mad (2018)

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At the time I signed on for this reading challenge, I listed *3!* series I wanted to read throughout the New Year which were originally discovered *prior!* to becoming a book blogger! They are as follows: Lady Emily, Mary Russell & Aunt Dimity – there are other series forthcoming to this list but these were the main ones I wanted to be focusing on throughout the coming year.

– 4th December, 2018

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Beat the Backlist is hosted by A Novel Knight (Austine) | @AustineDecker

Hogwarts Mini Challenge INFO | House Points | Reviews Posted | Photo Challenge

Convo via #BeatTheBacklist & #BeatTheBacklist2019

New Year’s Day, 2019 (1 JAN) to New Year’s Eve, 2020 (31 DEC)

+ two fellow bloggers are partnering with A Novel Knight

Bookcrushin | Of Wonderland

Post (Thursdays) Challenge: #BookRewind via Bookcrushin (backlist review)

Post (Thursdays) challenge: #BeatTheBackList via A Novel Knight
(topic/theme backlist review)

#SerialRewind | #AuthorAuthor are features forthcoming on Jorie Loves A Story

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Beat the Backlist Ravenclaw banner created by Austine at A Novel Knight and is used with permission.

I am sure this won’t come as a surprise to ANYONE – however, I always knew I was Ravenclaw & proudly will be reading for House Points to support this team!

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To read more about my #EqualityInLit choices visit my A to Z Essay!

Read more about my Backlogue Reviews

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Christmas Week ‘additions’:

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The Andy Carpenter Mysteries:

Books inclusive to the series:

  1. Open and Shut
  2. First Degree
  3. Bury the Lead
  4. Sudden Death
  5. Dead Center
  6. Play Dead
  7. New Tricks
  8. Dog Tags
  9. One Dog Night
  10. Leader of the Pack
  11. Unleashed
  12. Hounded
  13. Who Let the Dog Out?
  14. Outfoxed
  15. The Twelve Dogs of Christmas
  16. Collared
  17. Rescued
  18. Deck the Hounds (book eighteen) *where I begin the series!

The Discreet Retrieval Agency series:

Books inclusive to the series:

  1. Come Hell or High Ball (book one)
  2. Teetotaled (book two)
  3. Gin and Panic (book three)
  4. Naughty on Ice (book four) *where I begin the series!

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UPDATE: 5th January, 2019

I am trying to compile my List of BackList Reads into one List on #LibraryThing – however, I have different places where the stories are stored. It makes better sense to make my #BeatTheBackList List on Librarything my “read” list vs my TBR for this challenge, as some of the lists are compiled offline and some are strictly from memory, because I’m one of those readers who likes keeping up with a lot of her reads by memory vs writing them down! lol

The best way to know which ones I’m selecting to read off my expansive and long TBR is simply to see which stories are populating through this challenge and are linked through to my reviews. For those posts where I participate in bookish memes throughout the year, I’ll add them to this section – as those will be discussing which books I’m working on and which books I want to be reading next – as well as those which I am seeking out on audiobook, to continue offsetting what I am reading in print (to curb my chronic migraines).

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The bookish memes where I discuss #amreading #BeatTheBackList books:

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UPDATE: 21st January, 2019 → Jorie gets #Scribd back!

the Elm Creek Quilts series

(in order of sequence of the *stories* vs Publication order)

(see also this tweet to understand how I wrote this List!)

Books inclusive to the series:

  1. The Quilter’s Apprentice
  2. → The Christmas Quilt
  3. → The Quilter’s Homecoming
  4. → Sonoma Rose
  5. Round Robin
  6. The Cross-Country Quilters
  7. The Sugar Camp Quilters
  8. → The Runaway Quilt
  9. → The Lost Quilter
  10. → The Union Quilters
  11. The Quilter’s Legacy
  12. → The New Year’s Quilt
  13. The Master Quilter
  14. Circle of Quilters
  15. The Winding Ways Quilt
  16. The Quilter’s Kitchen
  17. The Aloha Quilt
  18. → A Quilter’s Holiday
  19. → The Wedding Quilt
  20. The Giving Quilt
  21. + The Elm Creek Companion (not on Scribd)
  22. +/- The Quilter’s Ghost (if only ebook not avail for me)(not on Scribd)

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#BeatTheBacklist 2019

#BeatTheBacklist 2019

Host: A Novel Knight
My Summary Post
Progress: 60/100 (60%)
1 January, 2019 — 31 December, 2019
Failed

60

IF your participating, did you put up your list? Leave a comment & a link to your post / vlog / page – I’d love to see what you’re hoping to be #amreading!

  1. Waltzing with the Earl by Catherine Tinley
  2. The Rancher's Fake Fiancee by Amy Vastine
  3. No Safe Place by Sherri Shackelford
  4. The Stars May Rise and Fall by Estella Mirai
  5. Lost in the Light by Mary Castillo
  6. The Rancher's Homecoming by Anna J. Stewart
  7. The Mariage of Miss Jane Austen : Volume Two by Collins Hemingway
  8. Silver Hollow by Jennifer Silverwood
  9. Dominic's Ghosts by Michael Williams
  10. The Girl From Oto by Amy Maroney
  11. The Certain Hope by E.C. Jackson
  12. Mountains Apart by Carol Ross
  13. A Case for Forgiveness by Carol Ross
  14. If Not for a Bee by Carol Ross
  15. A Family Like Hannah's by Carol Ross
  16. Bachelor Remedy by Carol Ross
  17. The Awakening by Maggie Lynch
  18. A Knife in the Fog by Bradley Harper
  19. Witchiest Circus on Earth by Leanne Leeds
  20. Nebula Awards Showcase: 2016 by Mercedes Lackey
  21. Heir to the Lamp by Michelle Lowery Combs
  22. #EnterTheFantastic with #WyrdAndWonder | Book Review of the Magical Midway Series [book two] “Life on the Lion” by Leanne Leeds
  23. Tiger Lily by Abigail Drake
  24. #EnterTheFantastic with #WyrdAndWonder | Book Review of the Magical Midway Series [book three] “Unbearable Magic” by Leanne Leeds
  25. Blog Book Tour | “The Strongman and the Mermaid” [The Donora Story Collection: Book Two] by Kathleen Shoop with reflections on behalf of reading the first novel in the series “After the Fog”
  26. Lost on the Water by D.G. Driver
  27. Mark of the Raven by Morgan L. Busse
  28. Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire
  29. Assault and Pepper by Leslie Budewitz
  30. Summer by Summer by Heather Burch
  31. A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder by Dianne Freeman
  32. Mount Vernon Love Story by Mary Higgins Clark
  33. The Butterfly Conspiracy by Vivian Conroy
  34. DawnSinger by Janalyn Voigt
  35. WayFarer by Janalyn Voigt
  36. Hall-o-ween by Tia Perkiin
  37. The Merry Lives of Spinsters by Rebecca Connolly
  38. Death on the River by Clare Chase
  39. A Nest of Vipers by Richard Storry
  40. The Mariage of Miss Jane Austen by Collins Hemingway

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

#BeatTheBacklist 2019 Non Fiction

#BeatTheBacklist 2019 Non Fiction

Host: A Novel Knight
My Summary Post
Progress: 18/75 (24%)
1 January, 2019 — 31 December, 2019
Failed

24

[Part Two] of Jorie’s #BeatTheBacklist 2019 Challenge: Non-Fiction
(as approved by the host)

  1. Claiming My Place by Planaria Price

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{Sources: The Beat the Backlist banner & badge as well as the Ravenclaw banner were created by Austine and are used with permission of A Novel Knight (host/creator of this reading challeto nge). Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Tweets embedded by codes provided by Twitter.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2018.

I’m a social reader | I tweet my reading life

4 responses to “Beat the Backlist [2019] | a self-motivating reading challenge to read more of the STORIES previously published!

    • Thanks, Austine!

      You’re challenge is arriving at just the right moment for me – I’ve missed loads of stories I’ve been wanting to read over the years, – it is simply high time I spend a solid year chasing after them, sorting out which ones I still want to be reading and actually accomplish reading them! :) I am so thankful your hosting the challenge – as I saw you were more keen on #bookstagram right now (I can understand, our motivations/interests can change) – as I thought for once, this might be the ultimate self-directed challenge which would help me get back on track with my reading life all the way round! I decided to release a tentative TBR List – showing the *three!* main series I want to focus on, but this list will surely expand and grow throughout *2019!*

      I can’t wait to see what everyone else is reading and to participate in the post and photo challenges as well! Thanks for stopping by!

      • I’ve been on bookstagram more recently, yes, because I just haven’t had the time for blogging but my blog is my primary platform and this challenge brings in people from all over. Booktubers, bookstagrammers, bloggers, Twitter fans, booklrs, and people who just use Goodreads! There will be stuff going on across different platforms, not just bookstagram, so feel free to jump in where you want! Everything except the reading is completely optional!

        • Ooh that’s for letting me know! I was worried about a few of those points – I’ll be most active on Twitter and my blog; as I updated a few bits on this page from your earlier comment. I’m using this as a base and then, I’ll be adding posts threading into my blog which route towards what I’ll be continuously updating on here. I’m thankful you said that about your blog being your main platform, for awhile I was wondering if more bloggers were going to shift into another platform like #bookstagram full-time or do something different, as each year I notice we lose more bloggers in the community. You’ve brought up a good point – I need to create a list on LibraryThing to track my backlist reads – as I use that site over GoodReads as it just works for me better.

          Thanks for extra encouragement, appreciate it!!

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