Welcome to the seventh Backlist Bingo 2024 Check in! #6 was more of a personal check in for us and we are happy to be back to connecting broadly again. Let’s see how much progress we made in June and July. Like always, let’s take a look at what other participants have been reading and which year of books we have been gravitating to as a community.
Ariel’s Backlist Bingo Update
Prompt: Mystery
Book Name: Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutano | Goodreads
Quick review: A very fun murder mystery that centers around finding community and connection even in the most isolating times. I found this to be a delight and an overall charming tale.
Prompt: Historical Fiction
Book Name: On a Night of a Thousand Stars by Andrea Yaryuna Clark | Goodreads
Quick review: A buddy read long in the making, Kriti and I read through this fairly quickly. An engaging tale about the political unrest in Argentina in the 1970s, and how the events impacted generations, it was a perfect buddy read with Kriti and I look forward to discussing it further!
Prompt: 2nd book in a Series
Book Name: The Hidden Witch by Molly Knox Ostertag | Goodreads
Quick review: Following up from the events of the first book, The Hidden Witch expands the world and character developments a little more and introduces a new friend to the group. A lovely little tale about friendships and found family and finding acceptance.
Prompt: Non-Debut
Book Name: From Dust, a Flame by Rebecca Podos | Goodreads
Quick review: A modern YA fantasy with exciting twists and turns, I appreciated learning about Jewish folklore that was mixed into the tale. Overall a very good read!
Kriti’s Backlist Bingo Update
I had started this challenge planning to read just indie review backlist but I decided to include traditional publisher’s review copies as well. Here are my 3 new additions and one from earlier this year.
Prompt: Second book in a series
Book Name: The Children of Chaos by Trudie Skies | Goodreads
Quick review: I love The Cruel Gods series and got a few people to pick up and become fans of Book 1, The Thirteenth Hour. When I wasn’t feeling like reading anything, I asked my husband what I should read. He said to pick the book I have wanted to read but have not prioritized because it’s too thick. At 649 pages, The Children of Chaos is packed with action and adventures through the domains. I need to make time for the conclusion! While I take my time reviewing, check out the interview with Trudie Skies.
Prompt: A non-debut novel
Book Name: The Truth About Ben and June by Alex Kiester | Goodreads
Quick review: Alex Kiester wrote a heart wrenching family drama about a couple with a newborn. Ben wakes up to find his five month old crying and his wife, June, gone. A haunting tale of early parenthood, I devoured it and it gave me much to think about. If you are interested in reading a portrayal of postpartum depression and anxiety, check out this one. I really need to sit and write a review.
Prompt: Friend’s Choice
Book Name: On a Night of a Thousand Stars by Andrea Yaryuna Clark | Goodreads
Quick review: I let Ariel pick our next buddy read so this worked perfectly with satisfying a prompt and being an older review copy I could add towards the backlist challenge. Though I read about Argentina in Our Share of Night, On a Night of a Thousand Stars gave historical background through a young girl’s quest to rediscover her father’s past before he left his home country. A great book club read! Stay tuned for our discussion.
Prompt: A Fantasy Novel
Book Name: Murtagh by Christopher Paolini | Goodreads
Quick review: I spent the last couple months of 2023 rereading the Inheritance Cycle to appreciate this follow up. Murtagh has the feel of a standalone novel though truly it is a set up for something big to come and I love that! I had never imagined exploring post-war Alagaësia with Murtagh and Thorn and this journey was singularly heartwarming and heartbreaking. Read my full review here.
What have people been reading?
The Backlist Bingo Community has now read read 93 books across 24 prompts as part of the challenge.
Here are the new books that made it to our spreadsheet in June and July:
- More than 400 pages – Court of Thorns and Roses
- A book of your choice – Yellowface
- A physical book – The Clackity
- Added to the TBR With a year – The House with Chicken Legs
How was June and July for your backlist? Tell us in the comments or add to our spreadsheet. 🙂
As always, we love reading with you and even if you didn’t sign up before, you can join us for this challenge now. 🙂 Add your name to the list of participants here. In the same spreadsheet, you can add your books through the year so please bookmark it. You can tag us on X, BlueSky, Facebook and Instagram (Ariel, Kriti) with your updates. Download a printable copy of the bingo, Instagram story templates and post here.
Check back for updates at the end of next month!
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