Today I want to talk about my inability to keep up with series (serieses? Seriessss?)!
I don’t know about you, but frankly, I’m awful at continuing basically every series I love. And yet, I do have the ability to complete a series: Harry Potter, Enola Holmes, the Abhorsen Trilogy, The Golden Compass. There are others, obviously, but I’m not here to post about every series I’ve completed.
I want to talk about the ones I’m not completing. I could likely spend a year reading only books in a series and still not finish the series I currently have going. This is, in part, because I wouldn’t actually make myself do that. But also, it’s been so long since I touched some of these that I’d have to start over, thus taking even more time!
Thinking about a longer set, like Katharine Kerr’s 15-book Deverry series, makes some sense. I think many of us would struggle to read that many books in a timely manner. Especially when they deal with character reincarnations across centuries and a really broad plot sprinkled with lots of mini-plots. And I’m sure, like, series fatigue is a thing. Just because you love the world and characters doesn’t mean you want to read 15 books in a row. And with an older series that like one, all the books are out.
Of course, when a series is still in the works, it’s obviously not one I can finish until the author finishes. But that leads to problems too because sometimes waiting a year or more between books puts me right back into the “I don’t remember what happened before and now I need to reread everything” boat. It’s a big boat.
Those things aside, what’s stopping me from reading the last book in the Lady Trent series by Marie Brennan? I bought it, in haste, from the UK because I didn’t want to wait for the paperback in the US (only to discover it was a different publisher and therefore slightly shorter than my other books, which will forever drive me nuts.) And that was *checks LibraryThing* oh, in APRIL 2017. One book – I just had to read one book – and the series would be complete. Yet, here I am, still not reading it!
All of this is to say, I really don’t know why I don’t keep up with series. Sometimes it’s waiting for the author, but more often than not, I have the books, I’m just not reading them! Sometimes I even groan with disappointment when I see a book that sounds interesting and then learn it is part of a series. Because I’ll probably never finish it!
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How about you? Are you good at finishing a series you start? Are there reasons why you don’t finish? You know I love to hear I’m not the only one with these “problems!”
The last book in the Lady Trent series is DEFINITELY worth reading. I love trilogies but find myself avoiding longer series now – too big a commitment!
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I really want to start the dang thing over cuz I’m not ready for it to end! Though I’m excited to see the spin off series is coming out.
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There are just too many series out there for me to keep up. And, honestly, a lot of books aren’t good enough for me to want to read more. Ironically, some of that may be because many books could be a tight standalone, but they get dragged on for three books so the publishers can make more money.
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I totally agree there. My problem is I still own many series I want to finish. But then I end up craving a stand alone or rereading a series I’ve completed.
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I hardly finish series too and I’m always surprised when I do complete one. Like this year I completed the Night Angel trilogy by Brent Weeks. I was so proud of myself! I never finish books, but I told myself to push on with this one because I really wanted to see how it’d end.
It’s never because a series is unfinished that I don’t complete it. It’s usually because (the MAJOR reason) I get distracted by other series or books, or because I love the world and characters so much that I don’t want the story to end so I don’t bother reading the last book. That would have happened with Robin Hobb’s Realm of the Elderlings if I wasn’t buddy-reading it. So I guess buddy-reading helps me complete series, lol.
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I do love reading series. Following characters and seeing them evolve, and not having to say goodbye to them is my favourite thing.
It’s hard to keep a series interesting though, and the wait sucks. I’ve been waiting for the new Game of Thrones book for years, and I was late to the series so I read the earlier books in one go and now the wait is killing me 😦
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Haha we’ve all been waiting for the latest GoT book and at this point, Idk if we’ll ever get it! That’s the worst part, I think.
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