Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2020 Challenge - Advanced
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09 - A book from a series with more than 20 books
Nicole wrote: "I was thinking maybe a Discworld book by Terry Pratchett.https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/4..."
I'll always recommend DiscWorld anyway, but as soon as I saw this prompt I was super happy. I now have a reason to pester people about DiscWorld, haha
Sherrilyn Kenyon Dark Hunter Series has 25+ books plus she has several other series that have multiple books
Time to re-read a childhood favourite? Goosebumps, Sweet Valley High or Babysitters Club all work :D
Sara wrote: "Well, this should be challenging. Anyone else tempted to read a Magic Tree House book?What are some really long series?"
This is what immediately crossed my mind! I mean, with a 7 year old daughter I think that's totally reasonable, maybe I should encourage her to start a Magic Tree House bookclub and I can 'read along' ;)
Milena wrote: "I think I am going to go with a Hercule Poirot."Now that is good thinking! I'm not a big fan of overlong series and was dreading this prompt.
Poirot is perfect for people who don't actually want to read a series. Any of them are perfectly good as a stand-alone.https://www.goodreads.com/series/5113...
I'm going with the Dirk Pitt series by Clive Cussler. It has 25 books so far and I'm on book 23. Although if I have extra time next year, I might need to revisit Sweet Valley High!
The Redwall series by Brian Jacques was always a childhood favorite, and I actually never got through it!https://www.goodreads.com/series/4034...
Yay! Another place to fit a Poirot novel. I'm trying to read one a month next year.They can be read in pretty much any order. My favorites (so far) are The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Death on the Nile, Sad Cypress, and The A.B.C. Murders.
I did not particularly like Murder in Mesopotamia.
Alexander McCall Smith has at least 20 No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
The Cat Who... series by Lilian Jackson Braun, starting with The Cat Who Could Read Backwards, has more than 20 books, and they're quick cozies. (The series gets old pretty quickly, though, but the first dozen or so are fun.)
If you read to elementary school kids, this one is probably in the bag (Junie B. Jones, anyone?). I like the Poirot recommendation. I would also consider Star Trek and Star Wars to work. Even though they are not one continuous series, they have at least 20 in a shared continuity/setting.
Also thinking along the lines of childhood favorites. First one that popped into my head was Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective.
Jeniece wrote: "Also thinking along the lines of childhood favorites. First one that popped into my head was Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective."Not that this has anything to do with the challenge, but when I was a kid I thought that Enclyclopedia and Charlie Brown were related.
Darn it! I want to read the latest book the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency (and I will read it; I'm sure it'll fit another prompt) but it is number TWENTY in the series. So, I'm guessing that doesn't count as "more than twenty". :-(
Donna Leon's Commissario Brunetti series has 28 booksAndrea Camilleri's Inspector Montalbano series has 24 now with the 25th releasing in the US in May 2020
The Xanth books (which I haven't read) A Spell for ChameleonDoctor Who (classics or new series)
I'll go with one of those or Discworld.
If you like mysteries that include the paranormal, Heather Graham's Krewe of Hunters series currently has 29 books in it. I've only read a few books in the series so far, but I've really enjoyed them.
If we count the .5 books, Kathy Reichs Temperance Brennan series is over twenty (first book is Déjà Dead). They are great if you love mysteries or are a fan of the show Bones (the novels/author herself is the inspiration for the show). She is a forensic anthropologist, so from what I understand, they are very accurate books when it comes to the science.
Does manga count? Tsubasa:Resevoir Chronicles by CLAMP is crazy long.Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE, Vol. 1
The Inspector Montalbano books are great, and there are 20some now in translation. The Shape of Water is the first in the series, but I don't think it's crucial to read them in order.
I'm wondering if Anne McCaffrey's Pern series would count. I'm not sure how many books ended up being in it
Seanan McGuire's InCryptid series has 43 "total works" which I think includes short stories and such. Only 9 actual books, plus a couple of those .5 novellas.And while I don't recommend going much farther than the first handful of books 5-10, Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series is beyond 20 at this point. Starts with Guilty Pleasures.
There's the Jack Reacher series - my dad has a ton of them so I might see if one of them appeals to me!
Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter has more than 20 in the series. If you're not familiar with her work please be aware that it's adult content.
Ah! I forgot Bernard Cornwell's Richard Sharpe series! Starts with Sharpe's Tiger. This is what I'll be reading - 21 works total.
I have one Discworld book still to read (Raising Steam - I read the last book out of order) so maybe I'll bring myself to do that in 2020. Otherwise I don't mind a Poirot mystery.
Going to read a Nancy Drew book, since I adored them as a kid. This list ranking them is a great read in itself for the commentary: https://theweek.com/articles/869414/all-56-classic-nancy-drew-books-ranked
Ellie wrote: "I have one Discworld book still to read (Raising Steam - I read the last book out of order) so maybe I'll bring myself to do that in 2020. Otherwise I don't mind a Poirot mystery."I have a random copy of Eric sat on my shelves. Do you know if I can read it without ever reading any of the other Discworld books?
Thinking of reading another of the Valdemar books by Mercedes Lackey or one of the Shannara books by Terry Brooks. I assume either would fit, since there are over 20 in each world?
Sarah wrote: "I have a random copy of Eric sat on my shelves. Do you know if I can read it without ever reading any of the other Discworld books?..."OMG, I just found out I have not read Eric! How did I miss that one? But most the Discworld books work fine as standalones (except maybe the Tiffany books), I didn't start out reading them in order anyway.
Ellie wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I have a random copy of Eric sat on my shelves. Do you know if I can read it without ever reading any of the other Discworld books?..."OMG, I just found out I have not read Eric! Ho..."
Haha, I happen to have the one random one you haven't read? What are the chances?
Any of the Aubrey/Maturin series would work, I think there were 20 finished books and one incomplete book that Patrick O’Brian was working on when he died.
The Toby Peters mystery series by Stuart Kaminsky would work for this. They’re short, fun books that work as stand-alones.
I read the last Sue Grafton Alphabet books for a serial challenge this year, but will read the next in the Hannah Swensen series which is going to be number 25. It's never more than 3 stars for me, but sometimes just the reading break I'll take.
I could go with Poirot or Nancy Drew, but I've got some other options on my tbr as well. The Murder She Wrote novelizations have something like 50 books in the series. I personally have found them to be hit or miss, but if you like the show, give one a shot. They're not strictly speaking direct plotlines from the show, but some of them are heavily inspired by episodes.
Sadly, one of my favorites, the Anna Pigeon mystery series, is just shy with only 19 books. Since the author just released an unrelated thriller this year I doubt we'll see #20 next year but you never know.
However, the Daisy Dalrymple series has 23 books, starting with Death at Wentwater Court. Very classic mysteries in a 1920s English setting.
The Dorothy Martin series has 21, and I recommend this to people who like Murder She Wrote; present day setting with nosy older female protagonist who moved from the US to the UK after the death of her husband.
Some mystery series that I haven't started but would qualify include: Crocodile on the Sandbank, A Morbid Taste for Bones, Enter a Murderer, The Crime at Black Dudley, A Case of Bier, The Sign of Evil.
The prevailing wisdom of cozy mysteries seems to be if it sells, keep writing it until it doesn't.
Sarah wrote: "Time to re-read a childhood favourite? Goosebumps, Sweet Valley High or Babysitters Club all work :D"The Boxcar Children
James Patterson has the Alex Cross series that is well over 20+ books and his Woman’s Murder Club series releases book 20 next year so that would qualify too!
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Lilian Jackson Braun (other topics)Agatha Christie (other topics)
Kelley Armstrong (other topics)
Alexander McCall Smith (other topics)
Gertrude Chandler Warner (other topics)
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What are some really long series?
Listopia link: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...