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Tuesday, August 01, 2023

Top Ten Tuesday: Backlist Books By (Some of) My Favorite Authors That I Haven't Read Yet


I like to think I have a fair amount of self-control when it comes to the shiny and new. My head does get turned by the latest and greatest, but not that much. Although I do get hit by the FOMO bug sometimes, it's not like an epidemic with me. And yet, something keeps stealing my attention away from all the older books sitting on my bookshelves waiting patiently to be read! Today's TTT topic addresses this very subject: Top Ten Forgotten Backlist Titles (Spread love for books that people don't talk about anymore!). I could probably do a Top 500 list for this topic, but I'll try to keep it to ten backlist books by some of my favorite authors that I still need to get to. 

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl. Click on over to her blog and give her some love.

Top Ten Backlist Books By (Some of) My Favorite Authors That I Haven't Read Yet 


1. The Masked Truth by Kelley Armstrong (2015)—I've been on a big Armstrong bend this year, but I haven't read this thriller yet. It's about two teens who are unenthusiastically attending a weekend therapy camp when it's raided by three masked men. As their captors get more violent, Riley and Max have to figure out how to get the whole group out of a terrifying and increasingly deadly situation. 


2. Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn (2006)—I adore Raybourn's Veronical Speedwell mystery series, so I'm sure I'll love her Lady Julia Gray one as well. This series opener begins with the death of Sir Edward Gray, a popular figure among London's elite. When his private inquiry agent suggests to Edward's wife, Julia, that her husband's death was murder instead of the result of a long-standing illness, she's shocked. Determined to find out the truth, she persuades the inquiry agent to help her investigate.


3. Snowbound by Blake Crouch (2010)—On a deserted highway during a violent electrical storm, a woman disappears. Falsely accused of doing his wife harm, her husband takes their daughter and runs. When an FBI agent shows up at their door, claiming to have an idea about what really happened to the missing woman, the distraught husband jumps at the chance to discover the truth and clear his name.


4. Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah (2008)—I've loved Hannah's recent books, but I haven't read many of her older ones. This popular novel stars Kate and Tully, two girls who are each other's opposites as well as each other's very best friend. Vowing to be close always, they're unprepared for the choices and events that tear them apart after three decades of close friendship. 


5. The Secret of a Heart Note by Stacey Lee (2016)—Lee is one of my favorite writers of YA historical fiction. Besides her newest book—Winston Chu vs. the Whimsies—this is the only one of Lee's novels I haven't read yet. It's a romance about a 16-year-old girl who's one of the last two aromateurs on the planet. She knows her destiny is to use her special gift with aromas to help others fall in love, never experiencing the sensation for herself lest she lose her abilities. Enter a handsome soccer star. Suddenly, Mim's in real danger of falling hard. What's a twitterpated aromateur to do?


6. The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson (2013)—Jackson's Southern women's fiction is always top notch. I mentioned this novel in a recent TTT list. It stars Laurel Hawthorne, a woman who is awakened in the night by the ghost of her teenage neighbor. When the girl's body is found floating in her swimming pool the next day, the town assumes it was nothing more than a tragic accident. Laurel isn't so sure. Why would the girl's ghost appear to her unless the apparition was pleading for help? Laurel's determined to get to the bottom of the suspicious death. 


7. Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds (2019)—This middle grade book is a novel told in ten parts, from ten different perspectives. I'm not entirely sure what the plot is, but it's Reynolds, so it doesn't matter. I'm reading it.


8. In the Shadow of the Moon by Karen White (2000)—White's debut is a time slip novel about a woman who's transported back to Civil War Georgia, where she finds herself fighting for her life—and for her heart.


9. The Chilbury Ladies' Choir by Jennifer Ryan (2017)—I've read all of Ryan's novels but this one. It's about a group of English women during World War II who defy their vicar's order to shut down their church choir. Instead, they band together to sing, support each other, and face a bleak-looking future with optimism and courage.


10. O' Artful Death by Sarah Stewart Taylor (2003)—Taylor's Maggie D'Arcy crime series is one of my favorites. This book, her debut and the first in an earlier mystery series, revolves around a college professor with an interest in cemetry art. When she encounters a strange graveyard carving that hints at an old murder, she's intrigued. Investigating in the isolated community where the statue resides, she discovers even more secrets and mysteries.

There you are, ten backlist books by some of my favorite authors that I still need to read. Have you read any of them? What did you think? Which backlist books are on your list today? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT!

48 comments:

  1. *chants* Top Five Hund-red list, Top Five Hun-dred list!!
    (Just kidding. But I understand the temptation verrrrry well.)

    I love the way you did this; I might steal the idea for the next freebie week because I was JUST thinking about how many great books from new-to-me authors I've loved have led to several backlist titles I want to read next, only to get continually distracted otherwise. As for these...

    The Masked Truth was a little slow for me in the first half, where imo it gets itself bogged down at times in conversations about mental health struggles -- but the parts that ARE action/terror oriented? Superb. Heavy recommend.

    And I completely forgot that Stacey Lee is the author of Secret of a Heart Note -- it's definitely the one I want to read most from her.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha ha. Don't tempt me! You should definitely use this topic for a list. I've also been led to lots of great backlist books because of new releases. Sometimes that's the only way I discover an author.

      Interesting. We'll see how THE MASKED TRUTH goes for me.

      I really love Stacey Lee's books. Usually, they're historical fiction, which I love. THE SECRET OF A HEART NOTE is contemporary (I think), so it has appealed to me less than Lee's others. I still want to read it, though, because I just love the author so much.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, RS!

      Delete
  2. I haven't read any of these, but I think Snowbound looks particularly good. Silent in the Grave is another one I want to read. Fun TTT list. :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SNOWBOUND *sounds* like an extreme weather survival novel, which you and I both like, but I don't know if it actually is. Even if it's not, the mystery sounds compelling to me.

      I've been meaning to read SILENT IN THE GRAVE for forever. Just haven't gotten to it yet. I hope we both enjoy it when we read it.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Lark!

      Delete
  3. Great list, and great twist on the topic! I have a lot of backlist books by my favorite authors that I haven't read, too.

    My TTT: https://bookwyrmknits.com/2023/08/01/top-ten-tuesday-forgotten-backlist-titles/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Right? When I find an author I like, I want to read EVERYTHING they've ever written! That's A LOT of backlist books :)

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Nicole!

      Delete
  4. I always wanted to read The Chilbury Ladies' Choir, but when I was denied the ARC I forgot about it. I really should look it up again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I really enjoy Ryan's books. They're all set during World War II, but they still manage to be heartwarming and uplifting (while still being realistic and not cheesy). I hope we both love CHILBURY when we read it.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Davida!

      Delete
  5. These all sound interesting for sure!

    Here is my Top Ten Tuesday post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think so, too. I'm not sure when I'll actually get around to reading them, but I will eventually. I hope!

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Lydia!

      Delete
  6. If I remember correctly, Firefly Lane was the first book I read by Hannah and I was hooked. Such an emotional story.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. FIREFLY LANE seems to be the book Hannah is best known for, even though she's published other blockbusters since then. I'm excited to see what all the fuss is about!

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Tanya!

      Delete
  7. I've been meaning to start trying some Kelley Armstrong soon!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Do it! She's great. I love her Rockton series and Rip in Time series best. I hope you enjoy her books when you read them.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Louise!

      Delete
  8. An interesting list, Susan. The only one I have read is The Chilbury Ladies' Choir by Jennifer Ryan. It was her first book I read and I am a huge fan of her work. I hope you enjoy all of these when you get to them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm also a big fan! Her books just really appeal to me. I love that they're uplifting and funny, despite the World War II settings.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Carla!

      Delete
  9. I am probably one of the only people who prefer Kristin Hannah's backlist to her current releases. I've read most of them. Firefly Lane is one of my top 2 along with Winter Garden. I have also read that Joshilyn Jackson book and enjoyed it. One I'm amazed I haven't read is that Karen White book. I've read all of hers but that one and probably her second release. I hope you get to all of these soon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, interesting! I love Hannah's newer books. So far, I've only read a couple of her backlist titles and they haven't moved me like her latest ones. I'm excited to keep exploring her older books.

      I thought I had read most of White's books, but when I looked up all her published work, I was amazed at how many novels she's written. I doubt I've read even half of them!

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Deanna!

      Delete
  10. Firefly Lane is one I have been wanting to read, and I recently read Karen White for the first time (the new series) and really enjoyed both books I read from her

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad I'm not the only one who hasn't read FIREFLY LANE yet! It seems to be Hannah's most well-known book and one that is almost universally loved. I'm excited to read it.

      Karen White is great. I've read lots of her books and enjoyed them all.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Sam!

      Delete
  11. Wow! So many of these sound so good! I keep hearing about Blake Crouch but it's more about his recent things. Snowbound sounds right up my alley! O' Artful Death looks extremely promising, as well as The Girl Who Stopped Swimming. My poor TBR. 😭

    Happy TTT (on a Wednesday)!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Crouch is great! I love his newer books, even though sci fi really isn't my genre. He just knows how to write in such a compelling way that I can't resist. Ha ha. I also really liked his Wayward Pines series. There are still a bunch of his books that I haven't read, including SNOWBOUND, which sounds right up my alley as well.

      I'm totally intrigued by O' ARTFUL DEATH since I love mysteries and cemeteries.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, A.D.!

      Delete
  12. Great twist on the theme!
    I have read a couple of authors here, but not these books. I have only read one by Crouch, and definitely want to read more!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Crouch is great. I especially enjoy his newer sci-fi novels. Very mind-bending and compelling!

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Emma!

      Delete
  13. Love Stacey Lee but I have not read her first books, at some point I plan to do it

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I adore her books! THE DOWNSTAIRS GIRL is probably my favorite, but all of them are excellent, in my opinion.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Vero!

      Delete
  14. Wonderful idea! I think you’ll enjoy Chilbury! One year I tried Hannah’s backlist and found a couple of her early (and popular) books too sad for me. I need to try the Stacy Lee. ~Carol @ ReadingLadies

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I will be shocked if I don't enjoy CHILBURY! I've loved all of them except THE WEDDING DRESS SEWING CIRCLE, which wasn't as good for me. I still liked it, I just didn't LOVE it, you know?

      Interesting. I've only read a couple of Hannah's backlist books. We'll see how I do with the rest!

      You definitely need to try Lee! Her books are wonderful. My favorite is THE DOWNSTAIRS GIRL. You're such a historical fiction fan that I think you'll really enjoy Lee's novels.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Carol!

      Delete
  15. Great tweak for this week's prompt. I enjoyed Firefly Lane, but I have not read any of her recent books. Have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, really? I'm a big fan of Hannah's last few novels. They're what persuaded me to read her earlier ones. So far, I like the newer ones best.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Cindy!

      Delete
  16. We are very aligned! I love Deanna Raybourn's books (Veronica Speedwell, but others too), but have yet to read the Lady Julia Grey books (and they've been on my TBR list for many years now). I need to go back to some earlier Kristin Hannah too, including Firefly Lane and others. The Chilbury Ladies Choir was wonderful!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, VERY aligned! I definitely need to read more Raybourn. Her books just make me laugh and keep me very entertained.

      I'm glad you loved THE CHILBURY LADIES' CHOIR. I will, too, I'm sure.

      Who is this, by the way? Thanks for coming by and commenting!

      Delete
  17. I'd read anything the wonderful Jason Reynolds wrote, too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Right? He's amazing! I've loved everything I've read by him.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Deb!

      Delete
  18. Some of my favourite authors have massive backlists, so I definitely haven't got to them all yet!
    My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2023/08/01/top-ten-tuesday-431/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I mean, it's not a bad problem to have! You'll always have something to read and by authors you know you like...

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Jo!

      Delete
  19. You've got some great titles on your list. I'm especially intrigued by Joshilyn Jackson's book because I'm only familiar with her thrillers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I actually like Jackson's Southern women's fiction/contemporary novels best. Her thrillers are okay, but they're not standouts for me. Her Southern fiction is something special. That's where she really shines, in my opinion.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Ethan!

      Delete
  20. I haven't read any of these but a lot are on my list! Also, i like the sounds of The Chilbury Ladies' Choir!

    Thanks for coming by Mysteries by Moonlight!

    https://mysteriesbymoonlight.com/rediscovering-the-forgotten-gems-10-back-list-mystery-books-worth-unraveling/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm a big fan of Jennifer Ryan's books. They're great! I hope you enjoy CHILBURY if you read it.

      Thanks for popping in, MBM!

      Delete
  21. I've only read a few of Kristin Hannah's books but really enjoyed them and I definitely want to check out her backlist. There are *so* many books though and Firefly Lane is also one I hope to check out eventually :) I hope you enjoy these books whenever you get to them!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I haven't read any of these, either, but I've loved everything I've read by Crouch. Firefly Lane is waiting on my bookshelf!

    ReplyDelete
  23. So many of these look really good, and I've only heard of a few! I love Blake Crouch, and can't wait to read Firefly Lane - I picked up a copy at a library sale a while back. Hopefully all of these are really enjoyable when you get to them!

    ReplyDelete
  24. I loved The Chillbury Ladies' Choir! It's a great listen if you can find the audio. It's the only Jennifer Ryan book I've read but I want to read the rest. I really want to read anything by Kristin Hannah, Karen White, and Joshilyn Jackson. I have that Deanna Raybourn on my list too! There are so many books I want to read and I hope you end up getting to these soon!

    ReplyDelete
  25. I have Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson on my TBR. Hoping I can get to it soon, as I haven't read any of her books. Thanks for stopping by my blog earlier.

    Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!

    ReplyDelete
  26. I've been wanting to read more Kelley Armstrong books and The Masked Truth does sound really compelling.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I've seen them around or heard of Deanna's books but don't think I've read any. Maybe someday I should take a second and closer look! :) Thanks a bunch for visiting my website on this week.

    ReplyDelete

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