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Do you prefer to read a series all in one go?
I tend to read many different series at a time. I rarely read more than 1 or 2 books of a series before jumping to something else. Part of that is just my general lack of focus. I think I have about 15 books on my "currently reading" list. I do plan on finishing all of them at some point, but it could be a while. If I have too long of a gap between books (say a few years), I will often do a reread. That is particularly true if I really enjoyed it the first time through. I've probably read each of the first 8 books in the Wheel of Time series 6 times, and I still enjoy rereading them, and in that case I'm not rereading because I forgot the plot.
Ideally I'd prefer to read the books in a series one straight after the other. Where I've had to wait for books to be published I find I end up loosing track of the plot (Some say I lost the plot years ago)
I like to skip around, always switching from one genre to another. So if I'm in a series, I'll read one of them, then read something completely different, something else unrelated, then back to the series. It is like switching TV stations. I like the change of pace.
Remember that if you want the publisher to PUBLISH all the volumes of the series, then waiting until they are all out will defeat your purpose. Without sales numbers (and $) to show that the books are selling, the publisher will bail out.
My preference is to read them all in order, but I don't often have that opportunity, so yes, I forget wide swaths of character's journeys, while I'm catching up with other characters in other series...
Brenda: I didn't mean to imply I would not read a series until it's done, I have read several series that are incomplete but its still good to read them in one go I think
I really love being able to read them all in one go. That being said if a series is ongoing I'll generally pre-order the ones coming out so that I have them the day of. I used to have a Borders nearby but now there's just a mall Barnes and Noble (yuk!). However... with my kindle ebooks are available at midnight so I can get started right away! :-D
I also love being able to get books on Kindle without waiting or raiding the bookstores. Paperbacks go for about us$25 to $35 here so yet another reason to buy on kindle.
I do know of highly disciplined readers who buy the series, and line them up unread on the bookshelf until the series is complete! I can't imagine doing this.
I never read a series one after the other. I need diversity in my reading. If it's been years since I last read a book in a series I expect there to be some redundancy in the new book as a reminder. I also read out of order at times and need to be filled in on background from earlier books in that circumstance too. Sometimes I discover a writer and become a fan, but even then I don't read everything the author wrote at once. I would lose interest. Instead the next book by that author will go on the bottom of my pile and I will probably get to it the following month.
I prefer to read a series at once, or at least the first few. Which is usually how I come to them, since I rarely get in on the first few books in a series.That said, I did start A Song of Ice & Fire with the first book. Got burned with waiting there. But in the Dead World series by Joe McKinney and Peter V. Brett's Warded Man series I started at the beginning and so far so good.
I will begin to read a series before it is complete. But then, sometimes I will put aside a FF game for a year and take up where I left off, too.
Depends on the series. I've been burned so many times with series not ever finishing, I try very hard not to get sucked into a new series just starting out. Series that work like some of the detective/mystery series ... a complete story in each book ... I will start and continue with as they are published.
I try to stick to trilogies or quadrilogies...but I do mainline them, yes.
For me it really depends on how much I like the series.Often, if I find a new-to-me series that has several books out already, and I really like the first, I'll snatch the next several and want to gobble them up.
And there are some series where, for a reread or something, I can't just read one or two. I just have to continue.
But there are other series that I can only take in small doses. Like Dresden. When I first started Dresden I think there were 4 or 5 books up, and I liked the first and sort of gobbled the next. But, after awhile, I kinda got burned out with the formula, and now I can only take one a year or so.
Like many here, I prefer to read a series all the way through mostly because I can't stand cliffhangers. Reading the books in order, one after another, keeps characters and story arcs fresh in my mind; it also helps to spot plot holes and continuation issues. This is why I prefer completed series and usually stay away from series that are still being written.
I try VERY hard to read a series all the way through, but I rarely can read only one series and nothing else. there's too much out there to read. I have to have another book to read right away, whether it's the next book in the series or not.
If it's a captivating series, like Rogue Squadron or the Sacketts, by all means. If it's not, I'll probably just meander through it when I get the time or even forget about it if it's too long between books coming out.
I'll often try to read a trilogy in one go. I have a reading list spreadsheet where I write down all the books I've read. If I read three books in a row, I color code those cells. I have different color combinations the more books I read by a single author in a row. It's kind of a weird incentive to keep reading books by the same author.If there is a particularly long series, I'll have to put some thought into how I want to approach it. If the series is finished, I can start reading with no problems, knowing that I'll be able to get the whole story without any serious lapses or wait times for the next book.
If a series is ongoing or new, I'll sometimes take pause and think whether I really want to start in on it now, or wait until all the books are out. Patrick Rothfuss and his Kingkiller Chronicle is a good example of this. I read the first book a few years ago, but I'll probably wait until the last book is out before I pick it up again, probably reading the first book again.
I've read the WoT books 3 times, and George R.R. Martin's books 3 times as well. I hate long breaks between books because it's almost inevitable that I'll forget some things. I'm kind of envious of those just picking up the WoT; they won't have to wait for the next volume like I had to (many times).
Greg wrote: "I've read the WoT books 3 times, and George R.R. Martin's books 3 times as well. I hate long breaks between books because it's almost inevitable that I'll forget some things. "Yes, waiting years for the next book can be torture. I do, however, like reading ongoing series because it gives me things to look forward to.
My problem isn't so much forgetting things in the books, it's forgetting to check if the new book is out. Amazon has a new feature where you can go to the Author's page (usually tied to one of their books on Amazon) and you can sign up to be notified when the author releases their next book. I've signed up for a few of my faves, so we shall see how that works.
C.E. wrote: "Greg wrote: "I've read the WoT books 3 times, and George R.R. Martin's books 3 times as well. I hate long breaks between books because it's almost inevitable that I'll forget some things. "Yes, w..."
Good tip on the author notification. I'll have to check that out.
No. Not to sound vain, but I have that good of a memory so reading the whole series together is not neccessary. Plus, since I read Wheel of Time and a few other long series comprised of very thick books, it actually gets...ahem, boring...after a while to be stuck in one world day after day. It would be like watching the same TV show all day, every day. Like TV, I like my adventures to be episodic (is that a word?), a book here, a book there.
I'm much too promiscuous to read a series all the way through in one go, I like to start one and come back to it every now and then, which for really good series allows me to stretch out the joy.
Like Hannah, I read across several genres, including a lot of non-fiction, so I'm always mixing up my queue. I will rarely read a series all at once. The one exception I can think of is TLoR, back when I read it for the first time on my own, in middle school.
I jump between a lot of books at once. Sometimes my memory is not the best though, I am gonna read Spook Country soon but have forgotten a lot about what happened in book one so will have to re-read that one at least real fast. Seriously though, I am getting concerned over how fast I forget some details in books... must be old age :-p
LOL. I'm this way too. I hear people complain all the time about forgetting what happens in previous books and for me it's just not a big deal. Sometimes there's a few details I don't remember perfectly, but it's nothing that makes it impossible to enjoy the book. Wish my memory were that sharp with other things! ;) Primula Brandybuck wrote: "No. Not to sound vain, but I have that good of a memory so reading the whole series together is not neccessary. Plus, since I read Wheel of Time and a few other long series comprised of very thick ..."
If I start a series and I like it, I have to read it all the way through until completion or until I'm caught up.
It's almost impossible for me not to read them that way. I've tried inserting other books in-between series books and it never works.
It's almost impossible for me not to read them that way. I've tried inserting other books in-between series books and it never works.
Yes and no for me. I prefer to read all of the books in a series right in a row so I don't forget what happens, but I am terrible about actually doing it. I find that I can read a trilogy without interruption, but with longer series, I tend to take breaks and something else.The best I've done is the Dresden Files--I read 8 in a row without interruption.
I find that if I read to many books from a series I get bored and stop. It may be a great series but it just won't keep me engaged.Even if it is a week or two - I'll wait between books.
I like to wait at least a few months between series books. I would like to think I'd probably be burned out if I read all of it straight.
Back in the Olden Dayz (before internet), I used to write little plot summaries on pieces of paper that I could later read to refresh my memory prior to tackling the next book. Now there are plenty of wikis that do all that work for you!
I think my problem is that I have a number of series I have started but I am afraid if I don't mainline them I will never get through them. Reading the last 6 books of Dresden over a 1 week vacation worked really well and I could then move on to something else. God help me if I get keen on wheel of time though, the first one was a freakin tome
Depends... If its something like Mistborn there's simply no holding back, going all the way through. Then again if its something like Malazan I would need break...
Definitely, especially if it is a trilogy.
I break them up because I get tired of a single author's voice pretty quickly. Reading one book in a series is like watching a season of a favorite show. Let the story settle and come back to the world fresh.
My tendency is to wait until I have purchased all books in a series before reading them, although there is the occasional exception. If it is a new author, I will read the first, and if I like it, wait until the rest are published and re-read the first followed by the rest. If they are long books or more than 3 in a series, I tend to read one or two others in between.
It depends. If it's a series of epic proportions with a large number of characters and plot lines, then I tend to try to finish the series all in one go. If I wait awhile to read the next book, I tend to forget alot and find myself needing to reread all the previous books. Such instances have occurred with Malazan Book of the Fallen and Wheel of Time too many times to count.
I prefer to mix up my series. Too much of one author in a row can get a bit samey, no matter how great they are.
Yes, there are authorial tics that you can really spot when you read a great deal of one writer.
I'll find myself getting into one author for awhile, reading many of his books in a row, and then putting him down for awhile. Usually I won't pick him back up again for some time after that, if at all.L.E. Modesitt, Jr. comes to mind. I read about 5 of his books, at least 3 in a row at one time, enjoyed them all, but got to kind of an end point in the ongoing series. The Death of Choas was where you could tell it was just time to stop.
I am obsesive compulsive and have to finish things, which is so frustrating when I pick up a series that hasn't been finished. I'll buzz right through, then get caught up, and then have to wait for the next books to come out. If I come across a series in the middle, then I often have to re-read the previous books right before the next one comes out! I re-read the first three books in the Harry Potter series too many times ;)
That is why I was so excited when I found out that author Mike Dunbar is publishing an eight-book sci-fi series and each book will be released only three months apart! The first book, The Hampton Summit
just came out in April, and the next one will be out in July! I don't have to re-read when there is only three months in-between!
W.H. wrote: "My tendency is to wait until I have purchased all books in a series before reading them, although there is the occasional exception."oh, you took the line right from my mouth. epic series are too hard to pick up again without a descent reread first. before starting A Dance With Dragons I had to read again two previous books.
Actually it's more to do with the series than what I want. If the books are THAT good, you really can't put it down, what other book may be nagging you.
i like to read a book or two/three in between books of a series.if its a fantasy series then i read some sci-fi or the other way about.
Yes. I hate waiting for the next book in the series to come out, especially if it was left as a cliff hanger. I'd prefer to wait, especially if I know it's a trilogy. I can wait for the omnibus/boxed set.
I think it depends on the series. If it's a 14 book saga, then I can read them one at a time, but if it's a trilogy I tend to read all three back to back.If it's a trilogy that is still being written and released, I read it as it comes, but I'm losing my patience for this. I think it might be easier to wait until the series is finished before starting because the frustration of wanting to know what happens next is rather annoying at times.
That said I've just started A Game of Thrones :P I plan to read the first three back to back, then wait until the rest of the series is written before reading books 4-7.
You and I and George R R Martin may not live long enough to see the series finished at the rate he is going
Either/or. It often depends on whether the entire series is "done" yet. I just finished the Wheel of Time series (I picked up and devoured the first four books in the series almost 15 years ago now... and eventually I hope to re-read them all in one fell swoop... but that wasn't possible, and I couldn't stop myself from reading each new one as it came out, even though there were years between release dates). Same with the Harry Potter universe. I came to it later in the game, but books 6-7 weren't out yet when I started and I had to wait.
If the books are finished, I will often read them all in one fell swoop, though, if they hold my attention (and if there aren't a bajillion of them). With series like the Star Wars books or the Dragonlance saga I tend to read 1-3 at a time and then take a break with a few other books for a while.
Of course, every so often I have 2-3 books that I'm reading concurrently, so it all depends....
Chris wrote: "You and I and George R R Martin may not live long enough to see the series finished at the rate he is going"I know right! At least he's given the major plot points to the producers of the show. I'm not overly thrilled at the prospect of the show overtaking the books but I can't really see how they won't at this point. I've only seen season one and I've only read the first 200 pages or so, but the differences are big enough to notice and I much prefer the book so far. I'll be bleak if the show gives us the plot of books 6 and 7 before they're published. I don't know what they've agreed to regarding this though.
Sorry, kind of derailing the point of this thread a bit :P
SciFi and Fantasy Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Fever Crumb (other topics)Everlost (other topics)
God's War (other topics)
A Game of Thrones (other topics)
The Hampton Summit (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Ilona Andrews (other topics)Patricia Briggs (other topics)
Kim Harrison (other topics)
Chloe Neill (other topics)
Joe McKinney (other topics)
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How do others feel about reading series? Do you read every book in a series in one go and put your other books on hold until you are finished, or do you read lots of different series a book at a time?