Must Read Backlist Books!

A mystery + drama I loved

Hello!

I absolutely love the Libby App for checking out ebooks for my Kindle and audiobooks as well. Because I read a high volume of books (3 per week on average) I often alternate the ebook with the audio which allows me to read books at a faster pace. Although I love my local bookstore and I’m all for buying books, I think it’s vital to support libraries, so that will be my focus in talking about backlist books. I typically check out as many ebooks and audios as I can because, as a mood reader, I never know what I’ll want to read next:)

I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that I get such a thrill when I come across a book that sounds good, pull up my Libby App, and see “borrow” next to the title. Us bookworms know the excitement of being able to immediately get our hands on a title we think sounds good - and we know the disappointment of checking our Libby App or our library’s website for the print book and seeing several weeks wait times. That. Is. A. Bummer!

I hope these backlist posts can be a resource for you to find new to you backlist titles or to spark your memory about books you had wanted to read but forgot about. Each post I’ll be featuring at least one backlist book - a book published one year ago or more- I enjoyed. Let’s curate our backlist book lists together!!

Backlist Mystery Recommendation

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin - Published 2010

This atmospheric, southern mystery drew me in with that haunting cover. I really enjoyed the story of these 2 childhood friends who have ended up in very different places in life. I love the dual storyline of not only what happened over 20 years ago, but what happened to the now missing girl. Combine that with excellent literary writing and this is a winner in my book. This book is reminiscent of one of my favorite books of all time, The Last Child by John Hart

Backlist Drama

The Storyteller’s Secret by Sejal Badani - Published 2018

An epic story of the unrelenting force of love, the power of healing, and the invincible desire to dream. Nothing prepares Jaya, a New York journalist, for the heartbreak of her third miscarriage and the slow unraveling of her marriage in its wake. Desperate to assuage her deep anguish, she decides to go to India to uncover answers to her family’s past. For fans of The Stationary Shop by Marjan Kamali (which I loved), I found this to be a wonderfully atmospheric story with plenty of depth and a main character I could root for. If saga like stories with themes of secrets, love, hope, and arm chair travel interest you, give this a try

Backlist Book Added to My TBR

Maine by J Courtney Sullivan - Published 2011 - I’ve never read this author and this feels like the perfect time of year to finally give this a read. I was able to grab both the ebook and audio which gave me a little jolt of joy:)

This is about four unforgettable women who have nothing in common but the fact that, like it or not, they’re family. For the Kellehers, Maine is a place where children run in packs, showers are taken outdoors, and old Irish songs are sung around a piano. As three generations of Kelleher women descend on the property one summer, each brings her own hopes and fears. Maggie is thirty-two and pregnant, waiting for the perfect moment to tell her imperfect boyfriend the news; Ann Marie, a Kelleher by marriage, is channeling her domestic frustration into a dollhouse obsession and an ill-advised crush; Kathleen, the black sheep, never wanted to set foot in the cottage again; and Alice, the matriarch at the center of it all, would trade every floorboard for a chance to undo the events of one night, long ago.

Feel free to share a backlist book you like to recommend!