Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Backlist Reads of 2021

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is a freebie, so I thought I would share some of my favorite “older” reads from this year (published before 2021 and not a reread). While I read a lot of new titles, I’m trying to read backlist books as well. There are so many I’ve enjoyed that I can’t believe I didn’t read them sooner! Anyways, here are ten backlist books (or series) I read this year.

Hunted by Meagan Spooner: Just when I thought I couldn’t find another Beauty and the Beast retelling that does something new, I read this one for a book club. It was definitely fascinating and I love all the ties to Russian folklore.

Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee: I love all of Stacey Lee’s books but now that I’ve read through all of them, I think this one is my favorite. Cowboys, girls in disguise, soft and sweet romance, danger and high stakes, music… it’s so beautiful.

Fable by Adrienne Young: I’ve been back and forth about Adrienne Young’s books thus far, but Fable blew me away completely. The world felt so lived and the characters were so memorable.

There You’ll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones: Another book club book, we read this and watched the movie adaptation, Finding You. It’s such a fun, unexpected story.

Rebel of the Sands trilogy by Alwyn Hamilton: Why did I take so long to read these? The concept is so freaking cool and each book just gets better and better. I love it so much!

Race to the Bottom of the Sea by Lindsay Eagar: A friend gave me this as a gift and I loved every moment of it. Such a fun, inspiring middle grade novel.

Ivory and Bone by Julie Esbaugh: I wasn’t sure if I’d like this one since the narration style is a little odd, but I appreciate how well this follows the Pride and Prejudice story line (it’s a loose retelling). Book two was fascinating as well.

Clash of Kingdoms trilogy by Erin Summerill: I’ll admit I picked this series up because of those gorgeous covers, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked them as well!

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh: I should have read this book ages ago, but it just always seemed to circle back onto my TBR list instead. I love the world and the concept. I wish it was a standalone instead of a duology since some aspects of book two weren’t my favorite, but I’m definitely going to read more of her books in the future!

Kasie West books: This year I decided to read through all of Kasie West’s YA contemporary romances. While not all of them are great, there are a few that I enjoyed! Plus, the banter is amazing.

What backlist books have you read this year that you would recommend? Don’t forget to join the link-up!

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