Ten(+) Great Series I've Finished

I'm linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl for another Top Ten Tuesday.

This week we're talking about series! I've written about series I want to start and series I don't plan to continue, so today I thought I'd share some great series that I've actually read all the way through.

1. The Belgariad and Malloreon series by David Eddings
These two series follow a core band of characters through several great quests to save the world. I read both of these series in middle school, and they ruined me for other high fantasy because they have so many great female characters with such sharp, witty banter.

2. The Binti trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor
Admittedly I was less of a fan of the third book in this trilogy, but on the whole this is a great series, with engaging plots, interesting world-building, and significant themes packed into novella-size stories.

3. The Clubhouse Mysteries by Sharon M. Draper
My older kid and I both enjoyed this whole series about four boys in Ohio, which was published in the 1990s and 2000s but didn't feel outdated most of the time. I'm not sure it's accurate to call them all "mysteries," but they all involve some combination of action, suspense, and learning, with age-appropriate discussions of everything from slavery to wildlife rescue to homelessness.

4. The Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French
I don't know if French has said for sure that there will not be any more books in this series, but she's turned to writing other things in recent years. Although every book except the last one infuriated me with its resolution (or lack thereof), her writing is so incredibly good that I couldn't stop reading these.

5. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder trilogy by Holly Jackson
Not only is each book in this trilogy brilliantly plotted, but they build on each other such that minor details from each book end up weaving into a larger narrative in subsequent books. The third book goes in a different direction than the first two, but it's equally well done and I'm still thinking about it weeks after finishing it.

6. The Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, and Tommy and Tuppence series by Agatha Christie
In my quest to read Agatha Christie's complete works, I've now read every novel featuring these detectives. (I've started on the Superintendent Battle books next.) Although most of these books don't have to be read in order and thus maybe they don't constitute a "proper" series, I've enjoyed reading each detective's books in publication order for those moments where there are recurring characters or references to previous solutions.

7. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series by Maryrose Wood
I had a very rough first half of 2022, and these six books, beautifully narrated on audio by Katherine Kellgren (except for the last one, which came out after she died), got me through it. Take Mary Poppins and put her in the Victorian era educating three children raised by wolves and you've got the gist of this ridiculous, hilarious, and heartwarming middle grade series.

8. The Mysterious Benedict Society series by Trenton Lee Stewart
This is a middle grade series that I adore, even more than the previous one. Four children, each gifted in very different ways, solve puzzles and save the world. The Disney+ adaptation of the first book was fantastic and the second season looks great as well.

9. The Raven Cycle series and the Dreamer Trilogy by Maggie Stiefvater
The Raven Cycle series is one of the few examples of YA fantasy that I love, and while the sequel trilogy that takes place after they graduate high school was completely bananas, it was enjoyable as well. I listened to every single one narrated by Will Patton and wouldn't have wanted them any other way.

10. The Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers
The first book in this series is by far the strongest — the rest become progressively less plot-driven and more exercises in world-building as Chambers plays around in the universe she created, but it's a great universe and I enjoyed all the time I spent in it.

What series have you enjoyed?

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Wholehearted Faith, Monsters and Mold, and Muse of Nightmares
Five years ago I was reading: Birdsong and The World According to Garp
Ten years ago I was reading: A Year of Biblical Womanhood

Ten Series I Didn't Continue

I'm linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl for another Top Ten Tuesday.

This week we're talking about series that you decided not to continue with. In most cases, I know after the first book in a series that I don't want to read any more. Here are ten series I won't be finishing.

1. Divergent (Book 1: Divergent by Veronica Roth)
The first book was fine but a little too predictable. I read the preview of the second book in the back of the first one, but I didn't care enough to want to continue it.

2. The Dune Chronicles (Book 1: Dune by Frank Herbert)
I read the first one just for the cultural background knowledge since it's such a popular book, but I found most of it super boring and had zero desire to continue with that universe.

3. Flavia de Luce (Book 1: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
I know my opinion of this book/series is unpopular, but I couldn't stand it. The main character's decisions made no sense and the entire thing was painfully predictable. I'm still trying to understand what the appeal is for the people who have read the whole nine-book series.

4. The Maze Runner (Book 1: The Maze Runner by James Dashner)
The writing in this book was so, so bad. The plot was honestly compelling enough that I briefly considered reading the second book just to see what happened, but I couldn't subject myself to the writing anymore.

5. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Book 1: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs)
There were so many little things that annoyed me in this book, despite finding it fairly compelling plot-wise. The writing was more "telling" than "showing" and seemed forced at times to fit with the found photographs, there were inconsistencies in how the character's weird abilities worked, and I had too many logistical questions about the time loop thing. Knowing how many people have read the sequels is the only thing that's tempted me to pick them up, but I don't think I will.

6. The Mortal Instruments (Book 1: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare)
I actually liked Clockwork Angel and would consider finishing that series someday, but for this series I couldn't get past the first book. The writing and editing were sloppy, the romance was not believable, the plot twists were so predictable I wasn't sure if they were supposed to be twists, and the character diversity was badly handled. I did not want more of any of that!

7. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Book 1: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith)
I wanted to like this one more — I love detective stories! — but I couldn't get over the fact that a main character is described as having never married, and then later in an aside he is described as being a widower. That kind of blatant consistency error sours the whole book for me.

8. Perry Jackson and the Olympians (Book 1: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan)
I liked the premise of this one, but the book was a little too predictable and the main character just seemed way too shocked at every. single. thing. Like isn't there a point at which you say, "Guess I'm living in a weird fantasy world now, I'm just going to roll with it"? Maybe it's just because I'm not the target age group, but I had no interest in continuing with this series.

9. Robert Langdon (Book 1: Angels and Demons by Dan Brown)
This is the only series on the list where I've read more than one. I actually really liked this first book. The Da Vinci Code was fine, not great, but The Lost Symbol was terrible and I gave up at that point.

10. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Book 1: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares)
I read this in high school, and I think I may have been moderately interested in reading the sequel, but I never made it a priority. As time has gone on the only things that have stuck with me from the first book were the things that bothered me, so I haven't gone back to this series.

Which series have you abandoned?

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Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Everything Leads to You and Vanity Fair
Five years ago I was reading: Crossing to Safety and The Guinea Pig Diaries
Ten years ago I was reading: Gone with the Wind

Ten Books I'm Eagerly Awaiting

I'm linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl for another Top Ten Tuesday.

This week's topic is "Books I'd Slay a Lion to Get Early." In past years I haven't really kept up with upcoming releases very much, but this year I have holds on a bunch of yet-to-be-released books, mostly from previously loved authors. I'm not necessarily anxious to get my hands on all of them now — I already have too many books I'm trying to get through at one time — but I am excited for when they come out.

1. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green (Release Date: September 25, 2018)
I have no idea if Hank's book is going to be anywhere as good as his brother's books, but he certainly has the resources and connections to make sure it's polished. As a longtime Nerdfighter, of course I'm going to read this.

2. Ask a Manager by Alison Green (Release Date: May 1, 2018)
I am a huge fan of the Ask a Manager blog and new podcast, and I'm looking forward to reading her book as well. She promises it will have new content and stories that aren't on the blog. If you aren't already reading her, you should be!

3. From Twinkle, with Love by Sandhya Menon (Release Date: May 22, 2018)
I loved When Dimple Met Rishi, and I can't wait for Menon's next book!

4. Inspired by Rachel Held Evans (Release Date: June 12, 2018)
I really appreciate Rachel Held Evans' perspectives on faith, and I've been a longtime reader of her blog, which has mostly gone quiet since her son was born. Her books have been hit or miss for me, but I know she's continued to learn and grow as a writer, and I'm especially interested in what she has to say about learning to appreciate the Bible again.

5. Lethal White by Robert Galbraith (Release Date: Unknown)
Supposedly the fourth book in the Cormoran Strike series is done, but there's no concrete publication date yet. I hope it doesn't take too long!

6. The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel (Release Date: 2019)
This one's been a long time coming, and supposedly it will finally be out next year. I think I'll probably have to reread the first two books, or at least the second one, before picking this up.

7. On the Come Up by Angie Thomas (Release Date: February 5, 2019)
It's going to be hard for Thomas to top the blockbuster The Hate U Give, but she certainly has the talent! It's a bummer the pub date got pushed back for this, but I'll read it whenever it comes out.

8. The final Shades of London book by Maureen Johnson (Release Date: Unknown)
The second book in the series was a disappointment, but the third one was much better. The next one is supposed to wrap up the series, and I hope it ends strong!

9. A Suitable Girl by Vikram Seth (Release Date: Unknown)
I really enjoyed A Suitable Boy (despite its size and lack of digital formats), and a sequel set in present day has been in the works for a long time. Apparently Seth was supposed to have it done in 2016 but separated from his partner of 11 years and missed his deadline with his publisher. If it ever gets finished, I will read it!

10. What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera (Release Date: October 9, 2018)
I adore Becky Albertalli's writing and want to read everything she writes! Of Adam Silvera's work I've only read More Happy Than Not, which I had mixed feelings about, but I'm just guessing that their joint effort is going to be amazing.

Which books are you looking forward to?

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Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Husband's Secret, and The Church of Mercy
Five years ago I was reading: American Gods and Basic Black
Ten years ago I was reading: The Devil Wears Prada

Top Ten Series I Haven't Read Yet

I'm linking up with The Broke and the Bookish for another Top Ten Tuesday.

This week is series we've been meaning to start but haven't yet. I last did this topic in October 2014 and talked about how rarely I read book series anymore. And surprise, surprise, I still haven't read half of the series from that list! It just seems like such a commitment to start a whole series when there are so many standalone books I want to read, you know?

Here's a quick review of what I have read since last time:

Famous Five: I read the very first book in the series, and it was cute! I don't have much motivation to pick up any others right now, but I think they'd be fun to read with my kids down the road.

The Infernal Devices: I read Clockwork Angel and actually quite liked it. I got Clockwork Prince on audio and the narrator was so awful I had to stop it, and I never got around to picking it up in print. Oh well.

The Lord of the Rings: I finally read this whole series last summer! Hooray!

The Mortal Instruments: I read the first book. Didn't like it. Didn't read any more.

Persepolis: This is packaged in two volumes in the U.S., and I read both of them and enjoyed them.


Here are the series I'm still interested in reading:

1. Discworld by Terry Pratchett
I have actually read two books in this series, first Going Postal (which I remember fairly well) and then The Color of Magic (about which I remember nothing). So many of the different books in this series have been recommended to me at one time or another that I figure I might as well read them all through in order eventually.

2. Dublin Murder Squad by Tana French
I mentioned that I had hoped to take the first two books on my recent vacation, but the holds still haven't come through from the library! I don't read enough crime fiction for how much I love it.

3. The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini
I'm not much of a fan of epic fantasy, but Eragon has had staying power and the whole series has good ratings, so I want to give it a try.

4. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
All the books in this series have crazy high ratings! I'm not sure how I'm going to feel about the books' world (I'm a reluctant SF/F reader in general), but if I like Cinder I'd be willing to read the others.

5. March by John Lewis, Nate Powell, and Andrew Aydin
This three-volume graphic novel series has been on my radar for a while, but John Lewis has been more in the spotlight in the past year, and I'm especially interested to read these now that more people are picking them up.

6. Mark of the Lion by Francine Rivers
Rivers' Redeeming Love is one of my favorite books, so when I saw that this series had incredibly high ratings on Goodreads, I decided to put it on my to-read list.

7. Outlander by Diane Gabaldon
With the TV series still going strong, I feel like I need to get caught up on these books I keep hearing about. It's been recommended I read it as an audiobook to experience the Scottish brogue, so that's probably what I'll do.

8. The Sandman by Neil Gaiman
I'm a little hesitant to pick these up because they're supposed to be dark, scary, and violent (three things I'm not a big fan of!) but I got through Watchmen OK and really liked it, so I think I could tackle these. The series contains some of the highest-rated books on Goodreads, so there has to be something there worth checking out.

9. A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin
Nothing I've heard about this series (e.g., high fantasy, violence) makes it sound like my kind of books, but so many people have read it that I might as well tackle it eventually. I think I'll wait until Martin's finished writing it, though.

10. Starbridge by Susan Howatch
Several of the people I follow on Goodreads have highly recommended Glittering Images, and it looks like the other books in the series are well-liked as well. Suspense, scandal, and church history? It sounds like something I would like.

Which series are you hoping to start?

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Top Ten Hyped Books I've Never Read

I'm linking up with The Broke and the Bookish for another Top Ten Tuesday.

What's this? I actually found time to do a Top Ten Tuesday again? Yes, believe it or not, I'm finally done KMing our belongings, I've finished all the major projects leftover from that process, I'm no longer working two jobs, and we're back from vacation. It's like I have a life again! My reading has picked back up and now my blogging can too.

This week's topic — top ten hyped books I've never read — is similar to a recent conversation at Modern Mrs. Darcy about books everyone but you has read. (Obviously, the "everyone" is an exaggeration, as indicated by the number of repeat titles in comments.) That conversation was focused more on so-called classic books, many of which I want to get around to reading eventually. For this I want to mention some books that have been popular in recent years but which I haven't read and am not particularly anxious to read. Feel free to try to convince me otherwise :)

1. 11/22/63 by Stephen King
I've never read anything by King because as an HSP I stay far, far away from anything classified as horror, but I've heard this book is something different, more like fantastical historical fiction, and a lot of people I know have really liked it. However, I have a weird aversion to most time-traveling plots, and especially time-traveling plots that involve interfering with past events, so I don't see myself ever picking this one up.

2. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
I considered picking this up after it got rave reviews, but I was so scarred from reading The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle that I couldn't bring myself to try it. I also read an interview with Murakami where he admitted that he included symbols and clues in his novels and didn't have any idea what they actually meant, which I can't stand — I hated Wicked and Son of a Witch because they were full of all sorts of mysterious threads that the author didn't even attempt to tie up.

3. Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James
Nothing about this book appealed to me anyway, and then I read Jenny Trout's hilarious and depressing teardown of the whole series and it made me sad that these books not only exist but are so popular. From what I could gather from the copious excerpts, the writing is atrocious and the plot celebrates a frighteningly abusive relationship while stigmatizing and misrepresenting BDSM. So... no thank you.

4. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
I do hope to read this whole series eventually, but I'm not going to start until Martin is done writing it. Before I invest that much time in a book series I want to know that the entire series is worthwhile and it's not going to end on a stupid note like The Dreamers, and the author's not going to die before finishing it, like with The Wheel of Time. Once it's all done, someone tell me if it's still worth starting it.

5. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
It's unusual for a book or series to be as popular as this one was without my picking it up, but I actually didn't know many people who read it, and those who did read (and knew me) said it would probably be too graphic for me. OK with me — I skipped it.

6. Inferno by Dan Brown
I loved Angels & Demons. The Da Vinci Code was OK. The Lost Symbol was formulaic and the reveal made no sense. By the time Inferno came around, I was no longer on the Robert Langdon fan train. Somehow this book was still a bestseller, but I never heard any reviews that made me want to pick it up.

7. Insurgent/Allegiant by Veronica Roth
I read Divergent, and years ago I would not have started a series without the intention to read the whole thing, but I did not love the first book enough to continue with the series. The reviews I heard of the sequels didn't change my mind about reading them.

8. Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg
I do want to read this book eventually, if only to have more cultural fluency about the contents of a book that so many people have read and like to talk about. From what I know about it, I don't think my own approach to work or level of ambition matches Sandberg's, but I'm still interested to read what she has to say, particularly as I'm now a "working mother."

9. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
I have considered reading this just because it is so mind-blowingly popular, but there's really nothing about it that sounds appealing to me. I'm not a big fan of fantasy, I can't stay poor writing or editing, and the take-home message, from what I hear, is questionable at best and dangerous at worst. So I've continued to take a pass on this series.

10. Wild by Cheryl Strayed
I may or may not eventually read this one. I know it's super super popular, but the handful of people I trust who have read it have said that they were way too annoyed with the author to get much out of the book. It sounds like a painful reading experience, honestly, so I'm not too keen to dive in.


What super-popular books have you never read? Do you plan to?

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