Friday Wrap-Up: Do You Read Series?

sanderson_memory_of_light

I’ll come right out and say it. I’m a huge Wheel of Time fan. I blame it all on Mr. BookPairing who has, unfortunately this week, been subject to his creation by a wife who refuses to do anything until she gets through all 900+ pages of the damned last book, A Memory of Light.

I say damned because not only did the original author, Robert Jordan, die before he could finish the series, (famously saying that he would finish the last book, “whether it is 1500 pages long, Tor has to invent a new binding system, or it comes with its own library cart”) but the author who took over for him, Brandon Sanderson, has had to write three books to cover all of the material, each of those books more than or around 1,000 pages each.

Can you sense my frustration with my use of italics?

That whole waiting period for the WOT series made me a firm non-serial reader for a while, but that’s now a tune I’ve changed in the last few months. Is it because WOT is actually finished? Maybe I’ve lost my bitter edge and become a wide-eyed hopeful? Or is it because I just needed some more epic fantasy series in my life?

In any case, I just finished Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind, the first in his Kingkiller Chronicles and oh my pants, was it fantastic. Love love loved it — but we’ll save that for another post. I’m also just about to start Hounded, the first in The Iron Druid Chronicles by an Arizona author, Kevin Hearne.

What about you? Do you stay away from series? Or are series your reading sweet spot? 

About nikki_steele

Freelance writer and editor. Creator of BookPairing blog.
by nikki_steele Posted on January 18, 2013
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  • http://twitter.com/JoannaInBxl Joanna Hennon

    I try not to start too many at a time, but I do love series. I’m trying to finish the Sookie Stackhouse series now and to advance in a bunch of others. And I’ll start some new ones this year too, no doubt! Maybe even The Wheel of Time!

    • http://www.bookpairing.com/ Nikki Steele

      Hahah don’t do it! :) It’s so good but will take up do much of your life for the following months.

  • Dani

    I’ve gone back and forth on series, and I’ve decided that I heart them. I had a writing professor who thought they were a cheap way for an author to make a quick buck at the expense of respect for his audience. I don’t agree that it is a bad thing for authors to make money doing what they do professionally, and no one ever said readers were obligated to buy books they don’t want to read (outside of school, anyway). But the art vs. money argument aside, I’ve decided I love (good) series because they hurt so good. If a writer can get me to shell out $25 or even $30 for the hardback because I can’t wait even for the tradeback, that means two things: a) the story is that awesome, and b) I get to have more of it. I remember getting to the end of “The Girl Who Played with Fire” and nearly throwing the book across the room because HOW COULD IT END THERE?! So when I picked up “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest,” my emotional state was not, “Oh, yay! I get to start a new book that looks interesting. Let’s see what story this nice author has to tell me.” It was more like, “ZOMG I NEED TO HAVE ALREADY READ THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW YESTERDAY ALL THE DAYS WHY AM I NOT SATISFIED YET.” Admittedly, starting with that kind of excitement and expectation can be dangerous because there’s always the possibility of being disappointed. But that disappointment is a different matter. The suspense of waiting is as much a part of the reading experience as the actual reading.

    • http://www.bookpairing.com/ Nikki Steele

      I definitely agree. A great series just allows you to stay in a loved world for so much longer and phooey to it to only being a ploy. Sometimes stories are too large to contain in one novel.

  • http://www.facebook.com/ailsa.ross.5 Ailsa Ross

    I love that you enjoyed the name of the wind. wait until you read the second book, its even better. but i swear to god i may kill someone if the third book doesn’t get released soon!

    • http://www.bookpairing.com/ Nikki Steele

      Oh man, I absolutely can’t wait to read the next one. It was so excellent!

  • Amanda @ On a Book Bender

    Series seem to be the thing to do with books now. (At least it is within the genres that I read. I don’t know if it extends beyond that.) I both love them (the world! the characters!) and hate them (the wait is terrible). I’m excited to see that you’ve picked up Hounded–I’m on the fourth book in that series right now. Hope you enjoy, too. :)

    • http://www.bookpairing.com/ Nikki Steele

      I’m finding the same with the books I’m reading — I’m trying to jump in at the end of series now so I don’t have to worry about the wait. I’m glad you liked them. My husband went through the first book in about two days, a record for him, so I can’t wait to read it.