Play Book Tag discussion

Series. Do you like reading book series? Do you find it hard to give up on a series? Do you stay away from starting a new series? In your series, do you prefer a continuous story or one main character with individual stories?
What is your favorite series? What is a series you didn't like but finished anyway? How many series do you have going right now?

I read some series. Have to admit I try not to start new series, but there are some that interest me enough that I will anyway. I prefer when they aren't super-long! Though, I have started at least one I can think of off the top of my head recently that has way too many! (That's the JD Robb "In Death" series.)

I have given up on some series, usually after 2 or 3 books I don't like as much. I don't give up after only one, hoping it's an anomaly and will get better again.

Overall, though, I mostly prefer to stick with standalone books.

I really am a sucker for series books, but will not start one unless I think I will like it. I will give up on a series if I don't feel it is satisfactory to me.

I have never stuck with a series which I didn't like. Years ago I read Flowers In the Attic because my mom gave it to me. I'll tell you after reading it, I was a bit surprised by that. Iread the second one as well, but decided it was such trash and there were so many better books that I would never read another one.

I have many favorite series, the one I've stuck with the longest is Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch. I've been reading them for over 20 years.

I'll list others if anyone is interested.

But like LibraryCin, I prefer standalones, but I find series very comforting and I have a few which I will read as soon as a new one comes out.

I've also been known to read a whole series one after another.

I love a good series, but my problem with continuing a series is I get anxious to read something new, in a new universe with new characters, after 2 books, 3 at the most.

Even if I am reading a similar topic I will get bored or kinda burned out.

I like both kinds of series, one continuous story or individual.
I guess Harry Potter is a sort of mix of the two? Meaning, there is his continuing narrative but a new plot each book which is fun.

I do not think I have EVER finished an entire series!

I don't technically have any series going at the moment, although I have started and not yet finished Harry Potter, Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire Mystery series, and Twilight.

I've always wanted to read Jeff Linsday's Dexter series and Stieg Larsson's The Girl With The Dragon tattoo series.

I too love a good series. I follow Dan Silvia's Gabrial Allon series, one of my all time favorites-one main group of characters, new plots and adventure with each book.

I have been reading a lot of fantasy lately, and most of the good ones in that genre are series. I will give a series 2 1/2 books, if I am not intrigued by then I stop.

I love series, as long as they are well written, involve good character development and aren’t formulaic. The Vorkosigan saga (Lois McMaster Bujold) is a good example.

Where I have difficulty is if a series is an excuse to spin out a single idea across several books that would have been more effectively done in one (or at least fewer). It shouldn’t allow for bad writing or bad editing ... Or a series that starts strong but then has multiple characters disappearing down multiple rabbit holes without any sense of coherence (Game of Thrones - gah! I gave up on those books after #3 - the TV series was much more engaging, sigh).

I will never read series like Stephanie Plum's by-the-numbers. Just seems like lazy writing to me.

If a series is actually an actual long story, split over multiple books but still all to be read together, like Harry Potter, fine, I'll probably finish it if it's any good.

The Narnia books are a good series, because each adventure is relatively self-contained, but set in the same world.

Mostly I love world-building, getting to know characters. I don't know how many times I've put a series down after one book, despite cliffhangers (!), because I got what I wanted out of the story.

Once in awhile I'm not satisfied. I wanted to watch Ramona Quimby as a teen, as a young woman, as a mother or auntie, as a grandmother or still single & free mature woman.

I do have James Alan Gardner's League of Peoples set of seven books because I accidentally read a couple from the middle years ago and I know that I want to reread them after starting at the beginning.

I strongly avoid starting series that have more books coming, but those more books aren't out yet. E.g. Name of the Wind...

I love good series in fact I might like them even more than standalone books. If it's well done it can be great because you get to know the characters and the world it's set in more deeply. I am sometimes a little wary of them at first just because there seems to be so many badly written ones.

KateNZ, I just started reading Game of Thrones and I already am having similar feelings. There's just no cohesion and everyone keeps disappearing or dying. Glad to hear the TV series is better because I like some of it!

I enjoy a series if it's written well and the story is interesting - like any other book.

If it's a series that is not finished yet, I'm always scared of committing to it. what if the author dies or is bored with it?

Cant' remember which author it was that says that a fan send him a postcard with a teddy bear tied to a chair and a threat to finish the series or the teddy gets it...

I loved Game of Thrones so much that after checking out the tv show I stopped. The show just wasn't right (but I'm very fussy. everything has to be exactly right according to the way I imagined it).

The problem with series like GoT is that by now I will need to read it again by the time the next book comes. sooo much details and it's been way too long.

I really loved the Otherland series: City of Golden Shadow by Tad Williams, and read it few times.

I also loved the comics series Y: The Last Man, Vol. 1: Unmanned, and was angered by the ending - That's the other problem with series. You put so much of your time to them and they can really ruin it after you being loyal for few years

I should add that, even if I do read a series, I can go months, or sometimes years in between books. I read based on monthly challenges, so it may not fit, but not only that, I usually try to get to stuff that's been on my tbr the longest. The next book in a series usually doesn't get added to my tbr until I've finished the previous book. So, it can get left for a long time, unless it (and not much else) fits a monthly challenge.

To my mind there are two kinds of series - the seriously long books broken down into wrist friendly chunks - typically trilogies - and the open ended series where each installment can be read more or less independently.
The first type I try to read mostly in one go. I usually wait until the last one is out before starting. Though I did read The Name of the Wind... I’m tempted to replicate the Teddy incident...
The latter I really like to pick up well spaced apart. I will start anywhere in the series and purchase another one if I liked it well enough, but set it aside for later reading. I have no compunction to finish such a series. On the contrary I tend to save the last one as a treat if I really liked it.

Idit, if it sways you at all, the GoT series massively diverges from the books. I stopped reading the books because it was giving me a headache constantly comparing the two!

Instead, I am just enjoying the show for what it is.

Honestly, I am not convinced that Martin will ever finish the series. And after reading four books, each one getting more confusing and convoluted than the last, I don’t know that I’ll ever finish.

But, dang, the show is amazing.

Hahaha @Name of the Wind - I am soooo with you on that!

I have been looking forward to responding to this. I love a series. Even if I didn’t particularly love the first book, I have read on just to see what happens and how results. The divergent trilogy, the hunger games trilogy, all four of twilight, all seven of Harry Potter, all 15 of Philippa Gregory, all three of Ken Follet century trilogy, which remains in my mind as an extremely special experience. other than divergent an example of finishing up at trilogy or quartet that I wasn’t even all that enamored with was the discovery of witches trilogy. Now that one, all three of them could’ve fit in a shortened version of one of the box. And I did not like the main character. But did I want to finish it out? Surprisingly, Hell yes! I like sequels, and series, but sometimes I can’t fully remember the characters or plot lines. So the next has to feel like a standalone. One example of this is the clan of the Cave bear series, which I read 20 years ago maybe more. Maybe 25 or 30 years ago. About five years ago they came out with the sixth in the series 20 years later. But I thought to re-read them all before picking it up. That’s no longer realistic for me. I will read three or six of something, unless I totally despised the first and it’s out of my realm. In August for this group, I read red rising and enders game. Both are first in the series, but you can bet I stopped right there. Wasn’t going to happen. On the other hand I finished out twilight. I think it’s a great topic. I love a good series, and I really enjoyed it when it was our monthly tag. I knocked off the next and quite a few serious that were waiting for me. And some folks started one.

Amy,I think you would like the next Ender book. It's completely different. It's almost like the Enders Game is a standalone book then the series starts with Speaker for the Dead.

I am honestly not a fan of series. I have started many in the past that I have abandoned and then actually finished a few (oh Sookie, how did you keep me hate reading you for all those books?!)

In general, I can handle an occasional trilogy (I read lots of Nora Roberts trilogies), but I even avoid many of those.

I just prefer stand alones these days!

I think it stems from the fact that I am slightly OCD and must start series at the beginning and it is very hard for me to abandon them. I read a lot, but not in comparison to some of our really prolific readers, and I don't want my reading time dominated by series installments, which, in general, are of only average quality and tend to be written for purely entertainment value. My reading preferences are too diverse than that.

Having said that, I have ONE series I am currently reading: In Death series by Nora Roberts. Even then, I can only read 1 or 2 installments a year or they start to feel really repetitive.

I agree with Suchicat wholeheartedly that there are two kind of series: those that are a single story broken down, and those that are (virtually) stand alone stories linked together by characters and place.

I am more tolerant of the former than the later. Hence the occasional trilogy read and my love of Harry Potter!

I’m much more likely to finish a trilogy than a series. In fact, I can really only think of 1 or 2 series that I have read all the published books (one I think it still ongoing).

I like Sushicat’s distinction. I try not to start trilogies/series where it is an ongoing story unless most of the books are published (lesson from GoT). I usually don’t read straight through, but close enough that I remember the plot points. Often, I may read the first book and then put the whole series on the back burner until the last book is finished.

I can only think of one time where I read multiple books straight through and that was the Fever series. I was recovering from surgery and so had a lot of time on my hands. They were not very well written, but engaging. Most of the time, I don’t read multiple books by the same author in a row because I will start to pick apart their writing style.

Some of the series that I am interested in:
* Broken Earth trilogy by N.K. Jemisin (read 1)
* The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley (read 1st two book, not completed yet, will be 7 book)
* Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen (read most, I think still ongoing - great on audio)
* Sookie Stackhouse (read 4)
* Bright Empires by Stephen Lawhead (read 1)

I love series. That doesn't mean that I'm fanatical about finishing once I've started. I've only read 1 1/2 of GoT, might go back to it sometime, but I couldn't stand the audiobook reader.

And that's my thing with series. I listen to them. If I'm driving or doing something else that takes a portion of my attention, familiar chracters and plotlines are easy to follow.

I have too many favorites to list, but I like this site for keeping track of them, https://www.fictfact.com/

I love series of both kinds. From experience, I've found that you should give them a chance if the first books are not great, because a good author can develop characters a bit slowly, and once they blossom they become great. Case in point - Harry Dresden, Eve Dallas, Thomas Pitt, Kate Shugak, Cork O'Connor. In none of these did the first book impress me, but they were good enough to want me to read more, and they're all favorites now.

I'm not fanatic about reading them in order, though that's my preference. But I've been introduced to a series in the middle (I started Thomas Pitt with book #9, and Eve Dallas with #15) been blown away by the writing, gone back to the first books and been a bit disappointed, but knowing that there's better stuff down the line keeps me reading.

The long series I find are good comfort reading that I turn to when in a reading slump (Dresden Files are my current go to).

The trilogies (series that are really one long story) I like too. I don't feel a compulsion to finish if I am not drawn to pick up the next book. If it is a series I like and I need a refresher before reading the next one I will often listen to the audio book version of the earlier books to remind me of what happened. They are a great audio book choice when I need to get other things done (such as chores) while listening because if I zone out and miss something, it doesn't matter on a reread. I am thinking of getting the audio version of The Fifth Season and the Obelisk Gate to listen too before reading The Stone Sky. (The Fifth Season is on sale for 6.95 for Audible members).

A lot of fantasy (my preferred genre) is series so I read what I want and don't worry if it is a series or not (although since they are less common I will note stand alone books in a review). I will add a third category which I think is my favorite - series which are books that take place in the same world (usually science fiction or fantasy) but are about totally different characters so they can be read as standalone. I love world building and appreciate returning to a familiar world or learning about a different part of a familiar world. These are my favorite I think because I don't have to continue reading the series unless I want to (no unfinished story lines) but I can continue reading about interesting imaginary places that I love. I think Jemisin's 100 Thousand Kingdoms books is a good example of this. Lois McMaster Bujold's World of the Five Gods (Curse of Chalion, Paladin of Souls, etc.) is another favorite that does this.

Mistborn (by Sanderson) is great because it has a few trilogies that are traditional trilogies that are set in the same world in different centuries so it is a bit of a combination of those two types.

I think I prefer trilogies because there is a definitive end, rather than a series that is exceptionally long or never ending. I really enjoyed The Strain trilogy, the only one I can think of off the top of my head...

Jason wrote: "Series. Do you like reading book series? Do you find it hard to give up on a series? Do you stay away from starting a new series? In your series, do you prefer a continuous story or one main charac..."

Yes and no. There are many I give up on if I get tired of them, but then there are those I finish to see what happens even if I don't think they stay consistent.

Trilogies are better than long series, that's for sure, but if I start a series when it first comes out, that's more doable if I really like it. This is why I don't mind reading every books about Precious and Grace or the Flavia series.

Jason, Um... have we met? You know I was horrified by the treatment of a six-year-old in enders game. Tell you what, if there’s a sequel to his Majesty’s Dragon, maybe I’ll let you pull me along weather we like the book or not.

I love series books, whether they are trilogies or longer. I'm a fanatic about starting at the beginning. I like revisiting favorite characters in series but, that said, I've been known to drop some if they go too long or start to get kind of boring. However, I'll also put a big gap between reading them many times and then pop back in and enjoy the next one in line. Yes, just as I start at the beginning, I don't like to jump around. Series reading is not an exclusive for me though, I also enjoy stand alone novels.

Amy, he's not 6 in Speak for the Dead. It's almost spiritual. I wouldn't lead you wrong. Tell you what, you read Speaker for the Dead this year, I'll let you pick a book I don't think I would like but you do think I'll like it. You can't base Speaker for the Dead off Enders Game and vise versa. It's the only series I've ever read where it doesn't even feel like the same author.

My preference is for standalone books, but I do read some series. Usually I will try to start a series at the beginning as I like to see how the main characters change over time. I’m a big fan of the In Death series by J. D. Robb, having worked my way to about book 20. But I stretch out my reading of the series by picking one a couple of times a year. Loved Clan of the Cave Bear but stopped reading when book 4 or 5 spent a least 150 pages describing what had gone on before. Never went beyond those 150 pages. There are others I’ve tried and discarded somewhere in the middle as the writing degrades or it settles into a boring sameness, Kate Shugak by Dana Stabenow suffered this.

Nicole R wrote: "Idit, if it sways you at all, the GoT series massively diverges from the books. I stopped reading the books because it was giving me a headache constantly comparing the two!

Instead, I am just enj..."

It looks really amazing, but it's just not how it is in my mind
- to give you examples - I checked out the trailer for "Call me by your name" and the swimming pool is just not right. I can't watch it. :D
I gave up on the Harry Potter movies after the first two for similarly petty reasons. If i read the book first (and liked it) - The series/movie doesn't have much chance

But there is a good chance he will never finish GoT books...

Twilight series is an example for one that I persevered while hating.
I think by the time Jacob(?) fell in love with the toddler I actually did throw the book on something (but there few other occasions I felt like throwing the book away).

I gave up on a lot of series after few books -
Loved few of Dune books but at some point lost interest.
Tried Feist's Magician series and didn't like
Wheel of Time I really tried (since my husband swears by it) and was bored to tears. Not sure where I gave up. book 5? million? (it sure felt like that)

Lev Grossman's The Magicians series (trilogy?) I adored and will happily read again

The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever - I really liked and read 2 of the trilogies, but at some point stopped, and now I don't have a clue where I stopped so will probably never pick it up again

Meli wrote: "I think I prefer trilogies because there is a definitive end, rather than a series that is exceptionally long or never ending. I really enjoyed The Strain trilogy, the only one I can think of off t..."

I hadn't mentioned trilogies in my replies, but I am also ok with these and am more likely to pick one up (instead of a longer series) if I know it's only 3 books and will come to an end. I suspect I'm more likely to finish a trilogy than a longer series, as well.

I don't necessarily decide to read a series or not. If the book seems interesting, I will start. If I enjoyed it, I will go to the next. I have no problem putting things down once I get bored. Classic series like Little House or the Anne of Avonlea are near my heart, but was surprised that I became so engaged in the Divergent and Hunger Game series. Cinder, Scarlett, and others started off well enough, but I was just so ready for it to end by the third book, I just plowed through the last quickly to verify it would end the way I thought.
The Follet Trilogies, Midevil and WWI start off amazing, but again, by the third ones, I am pretty ready to move on from these people.
And sometimes its good to take a break from characters. Just like friends, sometimes you just need some space.

Nicole R wrote: "I am honestly not a fan of series. I have started many in the past that I have abandoned and then actually finished a few (oh Sookie, how did you keep me hate reading you for all those books?!)

I..."

What Nicole said.

Seriously, I have a strong preference for stand alone books, and that is in part because I'm compulsive and would have to start the series at the beginning, read it in sequence, etc. To me that's too much pressure and not terribly interesting.

I would consider a trilogy though . . .that's a bit different though I still prefer standalone. But a series that goes on ad infinitum. No thanks.

Harry Potter stands alone as the one series I've read and actually enjoyed. But I read it with my children . . .so it really wasn't something I picked up for myself.

I love well-written series. It feels amazing when I encounter a twist or a secret in the last part that's related to the first part. Harry Potter would be the best example. Amish Tripathi's trilogies too. The interconnections between the parts. I also like it when the flashbacks of a character take the readers too to the previous parts.

I love series books. I'm in the middle of several right now. I don't mind starting a new one. I don't think I've had any that I've given up on. There were a few that I read the first book and didn't care for it, so I didn't continue. Most of the ones that I'm reading right now I really like, like the Stephanie Plum series. I'm all the way up to 17 on that one.

I've loved series from childhood. I like them to be complete episodes with the characters carried over. Then I can pick the best and to hell with sticking to order. From experience writers don't reach their peak until several volumes in. One usually must read the first, but I will take its quality with a grain of salt if reviews are good for further along. I hate when the tale for one volume ends on a cliffhanger to get you hooked to buying the next to get closure. And that means waiting a year or even more while experiencing the uncertainties of a beloved character's fate and addictive withdrawal. (Like with the GoT).

Like Booknblues with Connelly and Kate with Bujold, the certainty of catching up with old friends and certainty each read will be a winner is the ideal situation. Ditto for Harry Potter. In other cases satiation can put me off, like with the Ender series, the Dresden files, or the Discworld series (over 50 like with Robb).

Meli wrote: "I love a good series, but my problem with continuing a series is I get anxious to read something new, in a new universe with new characters, after 2 books, 3 at the most.

Even if I am reading a s..."

Never have finished a series? Sounds like a challenge for 2019 if not sooner.......

LibraryCin wrote: "I should add that, even if I do read a series, I can go months, or sometimes years in between books. I read based on monthly challenges, so it may not fit, but not only that, I usually try to get t..."

For different reasons, I'm with you. It can be a long time between books. But then again, if its a really captivating series and a continuous story, I can devour them one right after the other.

I love series but starting a new one is always intimidating. It feels like a commitment. I stopped the Dune series after the first book and it still bothers me. I feel like I'm missing out. WHAT HAPPEN NEXT? WHAT HAPPENS TO ALL THOSE PEOPLE? I hated Red Mars but I want to read Green Mars and Blue Mars, just to see what happens. The not knowing is scary.

I do not like series where each book stands alone for one simple reason. That many major events never happens to 1 person. My exception of this is Robert Langdon in Dan Browns books and James Bond (though some of the stories link back to others).

I do have to start a series in order especially since I like continuous stories. I also like world building but that is hard to find outside of sci-fi, fantasy, and comic books. Any suggestions?

I have several series where I have started and finishing is on my to do list but it can be a long time between books.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
The Scarlet Pimpernel
Enderverse
Ringworld spinoff series
Shadow of the Wind Series
James Bond
Red Mars Trilogy
D'Artagnan Romances
Beartown
Confessions of a Shopaholic
Night Triliogy

That is all I can think of. Some I have only read the first book, others I'm almost finished.

Jason wrote: Never have finished a series? Sounds like a challenge for 2019 if not sooner.......

That's a great idea, I will just have to find the right series to start.

Would be a great challenge to start in the summer with a target to finish by the end of the year.

Start a Trilogy. I call them Mini Series. The Kingsbridge or Century Trilogy if you like historical fiction. Thick books though. 1000 page each.

Hunger Games Trilogy or Divergent. Easier to start and finish.

Jason wrote: "Start a Trilogy. I call them Mini Series. The Kingsbridge or Century Trilogy if you like historical fiction. Thick books though. 1000 page each.

Hunger Games Trilogy or Divergent. Easier to start..."

Good advice, and thank you for the suggestions.
I am not typically into historical fiction, but I will look into those titles as I am trying to venture more out of my reading comfort zone these days.

I just remembered a trilogy I have finished... The Strain trilogy.
I caught it when the first book was released and the subsequent entries were far enough apart I didn't get burned out.

BUT, still, that is the only one (I think).
So I will make this a challenge for the latter half of this year.

Now just to decide which series. :)

Do you like sci-fi? I recommend Ringworld.

I do, actually!

Just did a quick search on wiki of the plot and it sounds interesting.

Jason wrote: "Do you like sci-fi? I recommend Ringworld."
It's rare to find a Niven fan on Goodreads, and none are among my friends. I am almost complete with all his works over the decades. I liked those belated followups of Ringworld (Fleet of Worlds) more than the original Ringworld.

For some reason I hold out on the last of a number of series, lick the Green Mars end of Robinson's or the last of Pullman's trilogy. Maybe its a reserve to tap if God forbid I run out of sure bets.

I get tired of series where the titles are all similar, to the extent you can never remember which book is which. Think Grafton and the alphabet, the Stephanie Plum series in numbers, and Sandford's long run with "prey" in all the titles. From that perspective I love John McDonald's use of poetic phrases with different colors in them for his Travis McGee series. E.g. A Tan and Sandy Silence or The Dreadful Lemon Sky or The Emptry Copper Sea. Back on Shelfari we had a run of group members doing book title poetry, and I went to town with those titles.

I've never heard of book title poetry. What is it exactly? I'm very intrigued it sounds like at lot of fun!

Michael wrote: "Jason wrote: "Do you like sci-fi? I recommend Ringworld."
It's rare to find a Niven fan on Goodreads, and none are among my friends. I am almost complete with all his works over the decades. I like..."

I had someone recommend Ringworld. Then as the series went on I've become a bit of a cult fan. haha. I did read Fleet of the Worlds series but not the Man-Kzin Wars series. Ringworld was supposed to be just one book. It is interesting why he wrote a sequel. MIT students showed him that his Ringworld was unstable and would collide with the sun. So that is why he wrote a sequel. To save the Ringworld.