‘Tis that time of the year again where readers rush to finish their 2023 TBRs, remembering all the books they meant to read but didn’t get around to, and maybe even start planning what they’ll read in the new year.1

If that wasn’t stressful enough, publishing just keeps publishing books. With no thought to the poor readers trying to catch up. The audacity.

Obviously something has to be done about that.

We’re just going to have to read more books. I know, it’s hard, but we must make those sacrifices of our time.

Back in 2016, my to read list was completely out of control. I was buying more than I was reading.2 I needed something to remind me to read the books already out, the ones collecting dust on my shelves while I was distracted by the new shiny books.

So I created the Beat the Backlist Reading Challenge.

And now it’s going into its 8th year in 2024! The challenge could be in school reading its own books by now 😂

For those who follow me on social media or my blog prior to that, the challenge is likely familiar to you. For anyone new, I hope you’ll check it out and try reading more backlist books this coming new year.

the challenge

I’m a mood reader and didn’t want to create something too strict, a challenge that worked for any sort of reader and could be combined with other goals. There are two core rules:

1. The books must be published in the previous year or earlier (i.e. anything published in 2023 or earlier counts for next year).

2. You must start and finish reading the book in 2024.

That’s it. You can stop right there and just read. Easy!

Over the years, I’ve added optional reading prompts for those who want a bit of a challenge. They come in list and bingo format to suit different approaches to reading, as well as a simpler 24-prompt set (think 2 books a month) and a 52-prompt set (1 book a week).

Need even more? You can track your progress on StoryGraph through the reading challenge feature, and there’s a discord server to connect with other readers in the new year!

ready to join?

There’s no official sign-up for this challenge because everyone likes to track their reading differently (if at all) but we do have the #BeatTheBacklist tag on all major platforms (or Beat the Backlist on Threads with their new tag option). Would love to see your posts!

Looking forward to another year of great reading. I’d love to hear which books you’re excited to read in the new year in the comments! 

Here are a few of the ones on my 2024 BTB list: Godkiller by Hannah Kaner, Trouble the Saints by Alaya Dawn Johnson, and Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo.

Happy reading! 📚