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

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!

Jorie’s BackList Reading List:

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)

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

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

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!

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

Read more about my Backlogue Reviews

Christmas Week ‘additions’:

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!

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).

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

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)

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. Blog Book Tour | “Dominic’s Ghosts” (Book One: #CityQuartet) 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

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

1. Claiming My Place by Planaria Price

{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

#JorieReads backlist books in [2019]

Between #theclassicsclub + my #INSPY challenge of 70 Authors combined w/ STORIES I've discovered in the twitterverse + 3x series I've left languishing @ my #library I have LOADS to read!! #BeatTheBackList #Ravenclaw?https://t.co/WxtioIe3rl https://t.co/FAGtZpneiH

— Jorie, the Joyful Tweeter?? (@joriestory) December 6, 2018

Aside from my horoscope #bookrecs off this list by #Riveted are a LOT of lovelies I never had the chance to be #amreading! Spied loads of stories I need to tuck into my #BeatTheBackList for [2019] and make them my #NewYearReads!!??Plus #newbooks for a New Year, too! #randomJOY

— Jorie, the Joyful Tweeter?? (@joriestory) December 28, 2018

*whew!* I found the orig tweet s/o!?Of this list – two are moving into my #beatthebacklist for 2019 selections – as they've been on my TBR for a long while – though one moreso than the other! (lol) #SnowLikeAshes + #TheSurfaceBreaks – talk about getting excited for #NewYearReads

— Jorie, the Joyful Tweeter?? (@joriestory) December 30, 2018

#JorieReads | #Regency #HistRom@CatherineTinley gives us a warm entrance into Charlotte's life – you can relate to Charlotte rather immediately, not just because of her station and circumstances, but because of how she was crafted #BeatTheBackList??https://t.co/jgyQ5rGjCu

— Jorie, the Joyful Tweeter?? (@joriestory) January 5, 2019

#JorieReads | #ContemporaryJanuary#ReturnOfTheBlackwellBrothers by #HarlequinHeartwarming

If you love #cowboys, mountains, small townes & quirky families – this series will charm you w/ its #Western setting @vastine7#LateAThon | #BeatTheBackList ??https://t.co/DXdslBSsqv

— Jorie, the Joyful Tweeter?? (@joriestory) January 8, 2019

#JorieReads | #ElmCreekQuilts

After conferring w/ the lovely #bookseries list *and!* Ms @jchiaverini's FAQ notes for the series being read in "order of sequence of the stories" – finally curated a reading order! Take a gander (https://t.co/YAWhmTy2rA ) #BeatTheBackList *whew! ?‍♀️

— Jorie, the Joyful Tweeter?? (@joriestory) January 22, 2019

Such a cheeky and clever #BookQuiz to see which #nextread you ought to be #amreading this Winter!?I had a 3-way spilt between: Snow Like Ashes, The Book Thief and Love, Hate and Other Filters; two of which are scheduled for #BeatTheBackList in 2019!! Top cheers #blogging4books! https://t.co/pKitGtu4Lf

— Jorie, the Joyful Tweeter?? (@joriestory) December 31, 2018

Ooh wow!?I was visiting the lovely charts/docs you've created to reflect our #BeatTheBacklist #reading stats when I started to notice I somehow am in the house w/ the most readers? I never knew #Ravenclaw?would be so popular! I really thought #Gryffindor or #Slytherin would be!

— Jorie, the Joyful Tweeter?? (@joriestory) December 28, 2018

#JorieReads | #BeatTheBackList #Ravenclaw

Currently @ 7% of my #BeatTheBackList2019 goal! ?

8x lovelies including #ReturnOfTheBlackwellBrothers; Stars May Rise & Fall, Waltzing w/ the Earl, Jane Austen sequel, #LoveINSPIRED Suspense & #SilverHollow

??https://t.co/YAWhmTy2rA pic.twitter.com/9lFCTpJ7DE

— Jorie, the Joyful Tweeter?? (@joriestory) February 7, 2019