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 a freebie, which means we all come up with our own topics. I’ve done freebie posts focusing on backlist books a few times (here are my lists from 2025 and 2024), and thought I’d come back with some new and updated picks.
Below are backlist books from favorite authors, all of which I’d like to make time for. I’ve read these authors’ more recent books, and now want to go back to earlier books and see what I might have missed!
- TJ Klune: Murmuration was originally pubished in 2016, and is being reissued in November 2026. How could I possibly resist? I love this new cover.
- Kelley Armstrong: After finishing her Rockton and Haven’s Rock series, I’m curious about her supernatural series, Women of the Otherworld, starting with Bitten.
- Jenny Colgan: I have a handful of her early books to read — and while some that I’ve tried feel pretty dated, I’m still up for trying Amanda’s Wedding, and possibly others as well.
- Colleen Oakley: I’ve enjoyed several of her books… and this earlier one is sitting on my bookshelf.
- Sally Hepworth: The Secrets of Midwives is the only one of her books that I haven’t read yet, and I think I need to fix that.
- Ariel Lawhon: I’ve now read two of her more recent books with my book group. I Was Anastasia sounds like something I’d find appealing.
- Rachel Koller Croft: I loved her disco vampire book, We Love the Nightlife, and definitely need to read this earlier release as well.
- Jennifer Weiner: Every time I read a book by this author, I’m eager to read even more. Mrs. Everything was released in 2019 and I’ve been meaning to read it ever since.
- Katherine Center: I believe I have only two of her early books yet to read. The Lost Husband is the one I’m most likely to pick up.
- Julia Quinn: I gobbled up the Bridgertons series, so why not read the prequel series too?
Have you read any of my backlist picks? Any you especially recommend?
If you wrote a freebie post this week, what topic did you choose? Please share your link!
Bookshelf Fantasies 
May you enjoy them all.
Thank you!
This is a great topic. I want to do this for a few authors and Katherine Center is one of them. I hope you get to them and enjoy them.
Thanks! I’ve been picked up Katherine Center’s older books here and there over the last few years — it’s been fun to try to catch up!
Great idea for a tbr list! I hope you discover some gems!
Thanks!
Murmuration would defo be on my list too!
I’m really excited for that one — the new cover is practically calling my name!
I haven’t read any of these, but I would like to try that TJ Klune book.
It does look so good!
Ariel Lawhon and Katherine Center! Defintely read Ariel’s earlier books. I need to read her newer ones. I’ve got a few backlist titles from Katherine to read yet. I’m working thru Nevil Shute’s long slowly. I’ve done this with other authors. It’s fun to see how their writng evolves.
Nevil Shute! I definitely should have put him on my list! After rereading A Town Like Alice, I’ve been building a list of more of his books that I want to read.
I’ve reviewed several. If you are on your laptop you get the search feature on my blog–sorry for some reason it doesn’t show up on your phone. If there’s a certain one of his books let me know–I’ve pretty much loved all of them though.
I have copies of a couple already — The Breaking Wave and The Far Country, so I’d probably start with one of those!
Both are good
So many books…so little time! 😀
Exactly!! If I could just sit and read for five or six hours per day, all my reading problems would be solved! (And it would make me so happy…)
I’m a big Katherine Center fan but haven’t come across that one.
I was in charge of my community’s One Book last month and we chose The Frozen River and had Ariel Lawhon join us to discuss it, which was very enjoyable. She could not have been nicer.
That’s amazing! I read The Frozen River with my book group and we loved it — what a treat that must have been to be able to talk with the author!
It’s always tough to make time for our backlist. Honestly, I removed al Jenny Colgan’s books from my TBR. Although easy and enjoyable reads, they don’t do much for me so it’s time to bid them farewell haha.
My TTT: https://laurieisreading.com/2026/04/28/top-ten-tuesday-royal-books/
It’s all a matter of time! I love Jenny Colgan, especially her more recent books, but I get having to make choices and say good-bye to books we’re not excited about!
The Secret of Midwives is good, I read it back in 2015.
Thanks for sharing your #TTT
That’s great to know, thank you!
Well, I can very warmly recommend I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon (well, I can warmly recommend ALL her books, to be honest). What she does here with the dual timelines is fascinating, and how each timeline is in a different POV is just… genius! And the ending! O.M.G. one of the best I’ve ever read!
Fantastic! I know you’re a fan, and I appreciate hearing what you love about this book! Eventually, I’m hoping to read ALL of her books.
They’re all excellent, and each one is different! I’m hoping to get the ARC of her upcoming book as well.
I would love to read Stone Cold Fox too!
I’m going to try to get to it this year (although my intentions seem to have a way of getting lost when it comes to books…)
I love your choice of topic! I hadn’t heard of that TJ Klune title before…
I’ll be honest — the previous cover version of it would not have called to me at all! But now that it’s being reissued with such a cute cover, I have to read it!
I know what you mean! The same happened with The Bones Beneath My Skin.
I havent read any of these but a few are on my TBR. It was I Was Anastasia that first brought Ariel Lawhon to my attention. I always loved the animated movie and discovering the story of someone who claimed to be her sounded fascinating. How I havent picked it up yet I do not know 🙈 I also really want to read Bitten, particularly to get to the witch books set within the world. I have so many books by Kelley Armstrong on my TBR that I never know where to start though I guess. I hope you enjoy all of these 🥰
Thank you! I’ve loved every single thing I’ve read so far by Kelley Armstrong, so I really don’t think you can go wrong!
I’ve only read the Birdgerton books from the books on your list. Not my favorites, but a fun read regardless. Happy reading! My TTT https://readwithstefani.com/top-ten-tuesday-on-a-thursday-an-epic-book-haul/
Thanks for sharing your link! I had a lot of fun back when I read the Bridgerton books 🙂