I Love to Read Series
Posted by Gail | Filed under Gail Pleasures
I blast through about 200 books a year and read everything from sci fi to mystery, romance to non-fiction. What I never do is finish books I’m not enjoying. I don’t have the kind of discipline to wade through a book just because I started it. I have been known to turn to the middle of a book and read a couple of pages to see if the writing grabs me. Failing that, I dump the sucker and move on.
When I find a writer I really like, I read everything he or she has written. And when I find characters that repeat that I like, it’s a bonus.
Mike Carey has created a character named Felix Castor who I love. Felix Castor is a freelance exorcist, and London is his stamping ground. The humour is British, the tale totally believable, if you like fantasy. In The Devil You Know, a book of what turns into a series, Castor accepts a seemingly simple ghost-hunting case at a museum – just to pay the bills, you understand. But what should have been a perfectly straightforward exorcism is rapidly turning into the Who Can Kill Castor First Show. Castor knows how to deal with the dead. It’s the living who really tick him off.
Fever of the Bone by Val McDermid is the sixth in the Tony Hill and Carol Jordan crime series. Given the depressing regularity with which paedophiles stalk the pages of crime novels, it’s something of a relief that this monster is a rarer beast. McDermid is another Brit writer, this time in the who-dun-it genre.
One of Our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde Over the past decade, British novelist Jasper Fforde has established himself as a master of metafictional suspense stories. His original series of Thursday Next novels continues to be the crown jewel in his career. One of Our Thursdays Is Missing is the sixth book in this series as well as the second book in the sub-series known as BookWorld, a sub-series for which Fforde has said he plans to write two additional books. So this sixth effort is deeply embedded within the mythology and history of the Ffordian universe, where fictional and non-fictional characters from books interact with each other and the real world. FABULOUS!
Soulless is the first in Gail Carriger’s delightful series the Parasol Protectoret, Soulless introduces Alexia Tarabotti, a parasol-wielding Londoner getting dangerously close to spinster status. But there are more important things than finding a husband. For Alexia was born without a soul, giving her the ability to render any vampire or werewolf completely powerless. SMART WRITING, WITTY DIALOGUE, ENGAGING STORY… I’ve already devoured Changeless, Blameless and Timeless, so now I’m waiting for Gail to write me a new series.
February 20, 2013 at 8:27 am
I recently ‘devoured’ the first five books of the Fire & Ice Series (Game of Thrones) by George Martin. Now I am stuck waiting for a year or two for the sixth book
I highly recommend reading it before you watch the series. Although HBO has done a great job with the show version, a lot of detail & sub-plots were left out for what I assume are time restrictions.
February 20, 2013 at 8:49 am
Thanks for the recommendations. I read voraciously as well, (and toss the ones I don’t like!). I am always looking for new authors and series and it turns out that my local library has all the titles you listed.
February 20, 2013 at 8:49 am
Although I read a lot I tend to choose mostly individual books. I have authors that I return to regularly but who don’t write series. I do have some series I enjoy. I like the Inspector Dagliesh mysteries by P.D. James, Rebecca Tope’s Cotswold mysteries, Sara Paretsky’s V.I. Warshawski mysteries, and, for fun, Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series.
February 20, 2013 at 9:05 am
Gail Carriger has written a new series. It is rated YA, but still very good. The first book is Etiquette and Espionage. So good I read it in one afternoon.
February 20, 2013 at 9:20 am
I collect tones of Series so I won’t give you a list. But truly, is there anything worse then waiting for your favourite author to finish their next book?
February 20, 2013 at 9:49 am
I love Sue Grafton’s alphabet series – A is for Alibi through V is for Vengeance. The main character is Kinsey Milhone, a private detective working in California. The entire series takes place in the 80’s before internet and computer searches. I think you’d love her Gail. She’s a no-nonsense, completely independent (and frugal) woman who relies on her wits and instinct solving cases and navigating her life. Highly recommended reading!
February 20, 2013 at 9:51 am
I agree that waiting for the next book in the series is tough! I check Chapters regularly waiting for the next book to get published!
February 20, 2013 at 10:01 am
I read books by Louise Penny, Anne Perry, Kathy Reichs, James Rollins, Deborah Crombie, and Steve Berry. I also read other books that interest me but these are the authors that I follow. I buy their books for my e reader. Fortunately they all have books coming out soon. While I wait, I can find a good selection of e books from my local library to read. I love to read.
February 20, 2013 at 10:09 am
Ditto on the “A Song of Ice & Fire” series. George Martin has been called the American Tolkien.
February 20, 2013 at 10:19 am
My daughter and I Eat Books. I have been known to chuck a book halfway or worse, with 4 pages left .That was a waste of good reading time. I will read Anything. If I hit an author I like I will see what I can find, but more often than not I will wander the aisles of the library with my library bag in hand and drop books in that look interesting. (I do judge a book by its cover,sorry writers).
“The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society” strange name, but beautiful read. (judgeing this one by the cover, I probably would not have picked it up, but my step-mum dropped it off for me and I am So Glad).
If I just need something light and fluffy, I always enjoy Sophie Kinsella (Undomestic Goddess, Shop-a-Holic series,Remember Me?)
Is there anything as wonderful as a Chapters Gift Card and 2 hours to yourself? I think not!
February 20, 2013 at 10:34 am
Giles Blunt is a Canadian author who has some wonderful stories set in Algonquin Bay….which is the fictional name for North Bay. Really good….
February 20, 2013 at 11:11 am
I love reading series too! I have recently finished the Fire & Ice series by George Martin, as well as the The Immortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, now onto the the Internal Devices by Cassandra Clare. I’ve recently discovered that my local library system will allow you to reserve books they have on order way before they come out. Already reserved the new ones by Dan Brown, Steve Berry and Daniel Silva. Can’t wait for the new Diana Garbaldon to come out this year too. Nothing better than discovering a new author you love and finding out they have written tons of books. Other great authors and series I’ve enjoyed are: Sins of the FAther series by Jeffrey Archer and The Century Triology by Ken Follett.
February 20, 2013 at 11:16 am
I too read voraciously and I also enjoy series – or just all books by a single author.
A couple of series that I’d like to recommend are the following:
.Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden series – Harry is a wizard living in Chicago and hiring himself out as a detective. Much more in depth and complicated reds than you may think from my description – hate having to wait for the next instalment.
Alexander McCall Smith’’s Isabel Dalhousie series – he writes the #1 Ladies detective series – this is about a philosopher and editor of an ethics journal who lives in Edinburgh. Gentle stories that make you think but full lovely humour and real progress in Isabel’s life.
Jacqueline Winspear’s Masie Dobb’s series. Masie progresses from poor servant girl to nurse in WWi to investigator in 1920’s and 30’s Britain. God mysteries combined with thoughtful insights in to the world of working women and people in general of this time period.
Enjoy
February 20, 2013 at 11:22 am
Well for fantasy lovers, I strongly recommend The Malazan Book of the Fallen series by Canadian author Steven Eriksen. It is far and away my favorite fantasy series of all time (to me, even better than Song of Ice & Fire). The initial 10 book installment is complete (so no waiting!), and a couple of spin-off series set in the Malaz world are being written by both Eriksen and ‘world’ co-creator Ian Esslemont (sp?).
February 20, 2013 at 11:59 am
Dear Gail
Thanks for your recommendations. I like a good mystery. I have read the Diana Galbadon books about a woman that goes back in time to long ago Scotland to meet a Scottish Laird. Wonderfully romantic, suspense, and historical all rolled into a great series. Dragon-fly in Amber in one of the books in the series. I look forward to reading some of your recommendations.
February 20, 2013 at 12:18 pm
I too have been reading Diana Gabaldon (seven books and have started reading it for the second time around and am on the third book waiting for her next book in the series coming out this summer). Wonderful descriptive pieces, terrific characters, love escapades, historical passages, humour, insight. Just lovely. But I will write down your suggestions Gail, and keep them in my purse. I go to as many yard sales and consignment shops, second-hand book sales etc. so will definitely keep a lookout! Thanks.
February 20, 2013 at 1:20 pm
I love this blog post! I can’t think of a better way to wile away the winter months than to bury myself deep in a pile of books! I’ve already added a slew of recommendations from this post to my library list.
For those who enjoy the Fire and Ice series, I highly recommend Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind, and it’s sequel The Wise Man’s Fear.
For those who enjoy a fun mystery, I recommend the Flavia DeLuce books by Alan Bradley (The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie; The Weed that Strings the Hangman’s Bag, etc.)
February 20, 2013 at 1:39 pm
Try Diana’s Gabaldon’s Outlander series. Book 8 is about to come out this year and it is possibly going to be made into a TV series. (Her books are more successful than Martin’s, FYI.)
February 20, 2013 at 2:02 pm
I also enjoying reading, these days I have three books on the go – one for the train, one for bedtime, and whatever shows up on the tablet reading list from the library.
I don’t really do series, mostly authors. If you like mysteries I recommend Linwood Barclay (a former Toronto Star columnist) and Dennis Lehane. Although I did enjoy the Dragon Tattoo series a few years ago.
I also love Nick Hornby (About A Boy, High Fidelity), Douglas Coupland (Generation X, Girlfriend in a Coma), Jonathan Lethem (Motherless Brooklyn, Fortress of Solitude).
February 20, 2013 at 2:07 pm
I read everything and all the time.
I got halfway through the George R Martin series and stopped. I have no intention in picking it up again. I totally lost interest in the series.
When there are books and series that I Love I will read them over and over again. I have finished a series then immediately started at the beginning again.
Grew up reading Gordon Korman, Anne McAffery, now anything by Eric Flint and the sci-fi military authors. Also Christopher Moore. Check out baen.com (sci-fi) they have a free library section where you can download many of their books for free.
Highly recommend Anne Bishop, Patricia Briggs, and Shelly Laurenston (fantasy) and they are all coming out with books in March. Sad to say $16ish dollars is too much for my budget for kindle. I will probably cave since the waiting list at the library is over 20-30 people long for all 3 books for all 3 libraries in my area. And since they are in the series that I will read again and again and again. I will get my money’s worth eventually.
I could go on and on about many different books and authors I have read over the years
February 20, 2013 at 2:45 pm
I LOVE Gail Carriger! I’m so glad you love her too!
Did you know her new YA series debut just came out: Etiquette and Espionage?
February 20, 2013 at 2:46 pm
Also, I forgot to say: You might like Kathy Reichs series. Starts with Deja Dead and is by the author who created the Bones tv series. Though the characters are not the same.
February 20, 2013 at 3:18 pm
I love Jasper Fforde and I recommend the Thursday Next books to everyone who will listen. Glad to know you’re reading them.
February 20, 2013 at 5:08 pm
I am with Kelly (above comment) regarding Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series. Loved it! There are even some spin off books and novellas that follow some of the side stories!
February 20, 2013 at 8:17 pm
My absolute favourite author right now is Patrick Rothfuss. He has two books of a trilogy published, and they are fantastically written. My top recommendation for anyone who loves a good story – The Kingkiller Chronicles. Book one is called The Name of the Wind, and the second is Wise Man’s Fear. Not sure when the third is coming out, but I’m hungrily waiting for it!
February 20, 2013 at 10:25 pm
Definitely adding my support to the Dresden Files recommendations.
Another author-love of mine is Naomi Novik: her Temeraire series (starting with “His Majestey’s Dragon”) is a Historical Fantasy about the Napoleonic Wars…WITH DRAGONS. It’s even more amazing than it sounds
February 20, 2013 at 10:27 pm
Ooh, and forgot to mention that I also strongly approve of the Patrick Rothfuss plug directly above my previous post. If anyone in this particular part of the blogosphere is a Whedonite/Browncoat, you’ll be happy to know he’s “one of us”
February 20, 2013 at 11:54 pm
Alexander mcall smith is a good writer too!! I’m reading: corduroy mansions and others.
As well as Jeffrey Archer. I was bummed last week when I realized I gave a box of books away that I wanted to keep. Kane and Able was in the box.
February 21, 2013 at 1:24 am
Skimming the responses, I noticed many did not finish books they were not enjoying. May I just put in a plug for your local library? You can borrow without paying or maybe donate the ones you are done with!
February 21, 2013 at 6:35 am
When I find an author I like, I make it my mission to find every book they publish, and try to read them in order, particularly anything in a series. James Patterson, Jonathon Kellerman, Iris Johanson, Tami Hoag, Patricia Cornwell, Michael Connelly, David Baldacci, Kay Hooper, Robert Ludlum (the Bourne Identity batch), William Diehl, and so many more. I have made myself a master list of what I have, so when I hit the semi-annual Library sale, I don’t buy books I already have! Between two jobs, my quilting obsession and a dog, there’s not much time for reading, but when I get into a really good one, forget about anything else!! I also have almost all of the Sue Grafton and Janet Evanovich books… will get around to reading them one of these days.