Does anyone else collect the entire series before reading?

[Holly P]

I'm just wondering because I usually don't start a series until I have the entire thing just in case I want to read the entire series in one shot. I don't want to have to wait for the next book. I have the entire Harry Potter series on my shelf to read, The Sevenwaters Trilogy, and Philippa Gregory's Widacre Trilogy. I have the 1st four books in the Outlander series, all but one book in Jean Auel's Earths Children series and I'm waiting on 3 more to complete Jean Plaidy's 11 book Queens of England series. I think I need to read more books that are not part of series so I am not hanging on to so many WLed books at once! :)

[Sherry]

I used to do this too! At one point in time I had 10 or 12 Sherrilyn Kenyon (Or was it L.K. Hamilton?) books. I never did read them. My breaking point was when I had to move all of those books and realized that I was the single mother of a [then] 5 year old and pregnant with my daughter... I was NEVER going to have time to read all of those books!

I have slowly been letting go of the books I've been hording - including some great series had I ever gotten around to reading them. Now if I know I enjoy an author (like Kresley Cole) I'll collect the books in a series. Otherwise I get the first one and then if I see I'm getting close on the wishlist [for the second book], then I'll read the first. I have saved myself a lot of credits this way!

[Jackie]

I've learned not to do this. I did it with a few series and one or two books in. I'm regretting my decision because I'm not that into the series. So now I get the first and maybe second book and then decide from there. If I have to order or wait for the other books, I have plenty of other books to keep me company in the meantime.

[Collette]

I'm with Jackie, usually. I normally collect the first couple and make sure I like them before getting the rest of the series. I always have to read number one first though. I like to be that way in order of books written too so go figure. *shrugs*

[Holly P]

I guess I must be lucky so far because I've always done this and so far I've never found a series where I got the whole thing and then said "Egads! This is terrible!" and then had to get rid of them all. I did collect Philippa Gregory's Wideacre Trilogy and was all set to read it and had to put it aside. It wasn't because of disliking it though. It was because I had just read 3 800+ pg books before that and wasn't in the mood to read 3 more novels of that size at the time.

[Collette]

So do you read them all in a row then when you get a series? I just can't do that for some reason. I space my books out with other genres since I read several different ones.

[Holly P]

For me it depends on how long the series is. If its a trilogy I usually read them all in a row. If its somethink like Harry Potter or Dragonriders of Pern series then its usually read half, read a couple of books outside the series, read the other half. I was planning on reading the Harry Potter books all in a row but then I kept getting such good recommendations of the HF forum I kept getting books from the library and reading them in between the HP books. :)

[Melissa]

If it's a trilogy I definitely need to have all of them first. If it's a longer series (e.g. the "In Death" series by J.D Robb) I need a couple in order but not the whole thing. I tear through books so I like to have at least the next one in the series...

[Lanica]

I had a bad stretch where I read series that were never able to be completed because one author just quit writing, another two died and then a third was 'cancelled' or whatever you call it when a publisher doesn't choose to take a book. So now I wait to read trilogies or series with an end point in mind until they are complete, but not open ended series. I'm reading Jim Butcher's Dresden Files right now, and Robin Hobb's Soldier Son Trilogy. One of each.

The only problem I see with doing it this wasy is that when people talk about books with me I don't remember where one book stopped and another started. It's like I've just read one really long book. I can't tell you specifics of trilogy book by book.

[Nickie]

The only series I am holding before reading is the In Death books by J.D. Robb...

[Holly P]

I found a guy on PBS who has every single Dragonriders of Pern book on his shelf and I was so tempted to order them all but it would have taken all of my credits and I don't have any room for them right now. I think I am starting to get out of control with this collecting the whole series thing. I don't even plan on keeping any of them because I never keep my books its just that little voice in my head tells me I must have them all before I start reading :)

[Aerin]

OMG, I thought I was the only one who did this! Except for Harry Potter (I read each as it came out), I get entire series and read them all in one fell swoop. My favorite quartets to do this with are the Tamora Pierce Tortall books, but I've done it with others, too.

As for getting out of control...yeah, I'm PaperbackSwap out of control....*sigh*