Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Forgotten Backlist Titles (Spread love for books that people don’t talk about much anymore!).
I’m not sure that I’d consider these books “forgotten” — but I’ve put together a list of earlier books by authors with more recent books making a big splash. Here are my ten:
1) Green Creek series by TJ Klune: This may be a bit of a cheat, since this series is being reissued this year and next. TJ Klune broke into bestseller stardom with The House in the Cerulean Sea in 2020, but before that, his books included this outstanding werewolf series (of which, I’ve read books 1 & 2 — Wolfsong and Ravensong — and can’t wait to dive into 3 & 4!)
2) Lord John books by Diana Gabaldon: Sure, everyone knows about Outlander, but die-hard fans also read the Lord John books, which fill in critical pieces of LJ’s story and help a lot by the time you get to later books in the Outlander series as well.
3) Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid: This was my TJR gateway book! Before Daisy Jones or Evelyn Hugo, I read this one, then all of her earlier books. These books deserve love too!
4) A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T Kingfisher: I loved this magical fantasy! My first introductions to T Kingfisher were horror novels, but going back and reading her fantasy stories is a total kick.
5) River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey: This author has had some big hits since, but I will never get tired of talking about the American Hippo books!
6) The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black: I’ve since read many more Holly Black books, including the Folk of the Air series (my favorite) — but I remember loving this one, and have been thinking I should go back for a reread.
7) The Android’s Dream by John Scalzi: You really can’t go wrong with a Scalzi book. I don’t know many people who’ve read this one, but it’s hilarious (especially if you listen to the audiobook version).
8) The Pact by Jodi Picoult: This author is a huge bestseller, but of all her books, this is the one that’s really stayed with me across the years. It’s the first of her books that I ever read, and maybe because of the combination of subject matter and the particular time in my life that I read it, it’s haunted me ever since.
9) Rosie Hopkins series by Jenny Colgan: I love this author’s books, with their sunny outlook on life, quirky characters, and cakes, cookies, and candies to die for! I feel like this series is very under-the-radar, but I thought it was a stand-out.
10) Newsflesh series by Mira Grant: Mira Grant is one of Seanan McGuire’s pen names, under which she writes terrific horror. This series is outstanding, and I don’t know that I’d consider it forgotten in any way… but I just don’t see it getting mentioned very often. I love these books, and recommend them whenever I get a chance.
Have you read any of my backlist books? What backlist books do you wish more people would read?
If you did a TTT post this week, please share your link!
Bookshelf Fantasies 
Feed was excellent!
Here is my Top Ten Tuesday post.
I agree, obviously 🙂 — at some point, I’d like to do a reread of the series.
I was so happy to see T. Kingfisher on here! I want to read A Wizard’s Guide so bad but it’s one of the books I put on my list for my IRL book club. I’m very excited for Thornhedge soon! Great list! 💚
Thanks! T. Kingfisher’s books are all so good — I loved Thornhedge, and hope you do too!
I loved Feed! That was such a good book. And I think I have to check out River of Teeth. That Scalzi one looks really fun, too. Great list! 😀
Scalzi books are always fun! 🙂 Really can’t go wrong with any, but this one was so silly and made me laugh the whole way through.
Excellent tweak to the prompt!
Thanks!
I loved The Pact and The Darkest Part of the Forest when I read them. Just thinking about The Pact makes me sad.
Same here re The Pact (and the fact that the girl has the same name as my daughter really felt like daggers to my heart when bad things happened)
Jenny Colgan is an author I turn to when I want to read something that feels good and cozy.
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/summer-2023-additions-to-my-tbr/
Absolutely! I know I can always count on her books to lift my spirits.
I am currently reading Nettle & Bone, my first T. Kingfisher fantasy novel and am loving it so much! I have a feeling I am going to love all of her fantasy books.
So glad you’re loving Nettle & Bone! I haven’t been disappointed by any of her books!
Omg! I read Newsflesh during the height of the pandemic, which was both a good and bad idea, lol.
And I totally forgot about River of Teeth! I still need to read that. I like that it’s inspired in part by the govt seriously considering to bring over hippos for the swamps… something like that. I’ve since forgotten the news article.
Ha, reading Newsflesh during the pandemic — what a trip! Those books freaked me out even without a killer virus on the loose. Yes, you’re right about River of Teeth, there really was a proposal to import hippos!
I’m pretty sure I have a copy of The Android’s Dream, but I haven’t read it yet. I must do that!
Yes!! It’s so silly, but it made me laugh so much. And with the audiobook, all it took was hearing some of the character names said over and over — amazing.
I used to consider Picoult my favorite author because I loved her earlier books so much. Her more recent ones haven’t seemed as appealing to me, although I still consider her a very skilled author. Her books always make me think!
Happy TTT (on a Wednesday)!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
I agree about Picoult! Always thought-provoking, although like you, I loved her earlier books more than some of her recent ones.
The Pact is one of my absolute favourite books and I think it was the first of hers I ever read? I read that one and My Sister’s Keeper around the same time and I borrowed both from the library so I can never remember which one was first! I think if I was going to recommend one of hers that was maybe a bit overlooked, I’d probably go for Second Glance as it’s a little bit different from some of her others and I don’t think it gets talked about anywhere near enough for how good it is.
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2023/08/01/top-ten-tuesday-431/
Hmm, I don’t think I’ve heard of Second Glance– I’ll have to check it out.
It’s one of her slightly more obscure ones but it’s really good!
I haven’t read any Mira Grant in ages, I might have to rectify that. and Wizards Guide To Defensive Baking is going on my wish list!
Mira Grant books are so good! I loved the mermaid books (especially Rolling in the Deep).
T Kingfisher is one of those authors I really want to try, their books like very much like my kind of thing. I discovered Mira Grant last year, and Feed is on my Kindle waiting for me to read. I also adore Jenny Colgan though I haven’t read Sweetshop of Dreams so that needs to be rectified. I read SO much Jodi Picoult when I was younger, I think my first was Salem Falls, but I haven’t read any of hers in years, so she may need to jump back onto my TBR
Glad we have so many authors in common! T. Kingfisher is wonderful — I think I’m going to go for one of her backlist books for my next audiobook listen. 🙂