How to read a series

[[deleted user]]

I have read some trilogies, but never really read a big epic fantasy series. So, how do you read a series? Do you read one and then take a break and read others, or do you start with the first one and run right through. I just finished with A Game of Thrones and have A Clash of Kings. I feel compelled to read on, but I was curious what most of you do.

[Jess]

I tend to read my way through, but thats with trilogys (or near that number) with everything larger I tend to read other books in between. I don't plan it that way, it just happens.

I'm working my way through Pratchett's discworld series (the series is like +30 books by now), Dragonlance (ditto), and some others slowlyyyy but surely.

[Jeff]

If the subsequent books are available and I really like the first book then I will continue in the next one. Most recently I did with The Malazan Books of the Fallen... until I overloaded on the world and had to take a break. On the other hand I read The Briar King and while I like it well enough, I had something else I wanted to read and so there was a break of a couple of books before I read the The Charnel Prince and I'm now taking another break before reading the next volume.

So I supposed what I'm really saying is that it depends on what the series is, how I'm feeling as I finish a volume and/or whether I've something else I really want to read like... The Bards of Bone Plain which I'm really looking forward to reading.

[Chris]

Interesting question, Stephen.

I think it depends on the series, as well as my mood at the time. If there's something else pressing, like a group read or such, that might bump the next book out of the way temporarily.

But as a general rule, again it depends. With Game of Thrones, I had no choice but to plunge into Clash of Kings. By the time I was 100 pages into GoT, I was obsessed with the book. I finished it in a single weekend. The next week, I bought the HC edition of Clash and went after that too. At the time, that's all there was in the series.

I read Wheel of Time in 2008 for the first time. Late getting on that bandwagon, yes. But I pretty much read them straight through. Not strictly. I think I read the first four, then took a break for a short book or two, then picked it back up. I might have had four non-Jordan reads during that stretch of 12 (11 plus the prequel) Jordan books.

I think it depends on how well the books stand alone. With Martin's series, they do not stand alone well. He likes to end them on cliffhangers. Jordan didn't with the first three or so, but after that they didn't stand alone well at all - just ran together like one long story.

[Sandra]

I'm generally compulsive, and if I like the series, I will continue until I'm either sick of it or I'm finished. But I think it's highly personal whether you read them back to back or take breaks between.

If I don't like something, I generally cut my losses early. Like they say, life's too short to read bad books.

[[deleted user]]

Well, this all started because I was about to finish A Game of Thrones. I enjoyed it so much I wanted to dive right into the next book. I got Clash and the moment I finished, I picked it up and kept on reading. I have to say that I am really enjoying Martin's series, too bad it isn't finished yet. I want to eventually read The Wheel of Time series and that one is a little more daunting, but I guess I will simply let my mood dictate. I just wasn't sure if you lose a lot by not reading them straight through.

[Carrie (Care)]

For series I really love, I read them all at once. When I read the Wheel of Time, I read it straight through to 7 (that just came out in hardcover when I read it). Mostly for series I think are 3 or even some 4 star reads, I read them broken up. That is mostly because there are so many books I love where the next book is coming out and I want to read it instead. Or because I do challenges and need to read a variety to meet the needs of the challenge.

Sometimes when you read books all in a row they can get mushed together where you forget what happened in what book for me anyway). But sometimes if you wait to read the next one you can forget things. It really is a personal and book by book basis.

[Bill]

I really like to read a series when it is complete and the books back to back. It is getting more difficult with the arrival of a new generation of good fantasy writers, like Weeks and Sanderson, since the epics are in progress. I sometimes wonder if I will live long enough to read the end, esp when they are 10 book series. If a series is going to be massive, I would much rather have several standalone trilogies than one massive, continuous series.

I stopped reading Stephen Erikson since I forgot too much between books in this complex work, but am looking forward to reading the intact series all at once. Another example of this is Ricardo Pinto's also complex First God trilogy. It was 7 years between book 2 and 3. I should have re-read the 1st 2 over before taking on the 3rd.

Also, I am more one to find new (to me) established authors and read all their works, than to read new bestsellers. There is just so much good stuff I have missed over the decades. EG, I just discovered James H. Schmitz whom I intend to read in toto. I also enjoy the hunt for reasonably priced, used hardcovers with DJs, 1st editions if possible.

[Karen]

I seem to be similar with most of the people here. If it's a series I really love like The Lord of the Rings or Eragon then I read straight through. You just get so into the story that you don't want to stop reading. It also helps that they're short series.

If it's a longer series, like The Wheel of Time or Xanth, often time I, as well as other people, will get sick of the same writing style of a single author, and a single world. If you want to get through a large series, my suggestion is to read til you're sick of it, read one or two books by different authors, and then go back to your series. Repeat that until you've pushed through!

[Jeanette]

It really does depend on the series, how many books there are in it and when you start. With Wheel of time, I started when the first book came out, The same with many of the series, Like Game of thrones, so I read, and then wait and read and then wait. Often re-reading the entire series before a new book comes out. If I do find a series that is complete, I tend to read them all, or as many as there are.
I would say I prefer to read them all at once.

[Sarah]

Usually I like to separate the reading of a series, but with some series I just felt it wasn't possible for me to not read on.
A Song of Ice and Fire I didn't read in a sequence, though it was probably one of the best series I ever read.
I guess it takes more than liking (or in ASOIAF's case really liking) a first book to move on to the second right after.

[Reggie]

You really just have to go with how connected you are to the book; most the time when I read, I fall in love and instantly move onto the next book - although I usually realize that I'm in the middle of a to-be-written series -_-'.

If the book isn't too good, I usually stop instantly through it and decide I'll pick it up again when I'm either bored, more mature, or less against whatever is wrong.

Personally, I prefer reading back-to-back, because I have a really short-term memory to the point I don't remember yesterday's meal, so I would much rather journey on through the descriptions and keep updated enough that the characters stay with me.
Also because movies approach me more like a movie, so I hate having to restart and slowly get back into the writing style sometime after a break.

[Captain Sir Roddy, R.N. (Ret.)]

With respect to my epic fantasy series, I tend to read them back-to-back. For example, with Martin's ASoIaF, or Jordan's WoT series, when the newest volume is released, I'll back-track and read the previous book to refresh my (aging) memory. I just did a re-read of the entire WoT series (starting with the prequel, "New Spring" and finished up with the recent Jordan/Sanderson collaboration, "Towers of Midnight."

[Jim]

Alex wrote: "I like reading the whole series at once, to keep the story and characters fresh. Most of the time I find myself so hooked that I have no choice but to continue with the series...."

I agree, but sometimes authors just don't work fast enough, do they?
;-)
I read the Belgariad & Mallorean one book a year for a decade. I wound up doing a re-read every so often because a year between books just made me forget too many of the details. I think my wife is on her 3d read through WoT by Jordan. (I keep count by how many times she throws book 6. That's where Jordan has an archer stick a bow into the girth & the horse doesn't care. )

[Jonathan]

I'm not usually one to re-read a book, unless I just really loved it and want to experience it again. And I hardly EVER read series back to back. I always take a break between books.

What I've found works best for big epic series (like WoT) is once I'm ready for the next book, I go online and find a detailed synopsis. I find that brings me up to speed on all the plot details, or at least enough that I'm not totally lost when I start the next one. By doing that, I remember all of the main plot points, and the subplots come back to me as I read.

I'm only on book 5 of that series, and have been at it for a couple years now. I'm pretty new to fantasy and there's just so many great books I haven't even discovered yet.

Can you tell I'm a tad A.D.D.? LOL

[Jea0126]

I tend to be similar to most of the other people here. If I'm really enjoying a series, I tend to stick with it but sometimes it depends on how many books are in the series, whether they have been released or not, whether I have the next one on hand and sometimes the length of individual books. I started WOT in the early 1990's and so had to wait as individual books were slowly released. At the time, same with the Death Gate Cycle. With trilogies I usually just read one after the other as long as I have them all.

[Charles]

Nicki wrote: "I read a series straight through, to the extent that it's been published. I don't wait for the entire series to be published (if it isn't already) before I start it though. I'll just read up to the..."

Nicki, I read a series just like you do. Guess I'm pretty pedantic myself (retired literature professor). The only difference I see is that I love to reread a series if it really smokes me, and has complexity, like Lord of the Rings (12 times) or Wars of Light and Shadow (4 times). Otherwise my series reading method is just like yours.

[Sandra]

Well, I forthrightly admit to my compulsive nature! Once I start a series, I can't stop -- unless it's a dog, of course. And if I love it, I reread it, mostly because I'm so sad when it's over.

And not only that, I apparently repeat myself, as I've posted the same thing above :D

[Charles]

Nicki wrote: "I'm glad I'm not the only one, Charles! I think people who have to read a series straight through like us are in the minority.

Whether or not I reread is mostly based on my mood at the time. I cer..."

Nickie, I've read every discworld. It's actually my favorite comedic fantasy series. Great slapstick satire by whimsical misdirection.

I can't really get my head around reading a series any other way, IF personal circumstances allow. Some folks lives actually get in the way of their reading addiction LOL.

[Traci]

I used to read straight thru but since joining goodreads I have too many new authors to try and Iam a little anxious to get to them all. So I've been juggling a few. :)

[Matt]

I seem to always be reading one series at a time, and if the series is long enough (Dark Tower, Wheel of Time, etc.), I'll read a stand alone novel in between every couple in the series so I don't get burned out.

[Maggie]

I am one of those people who has to be reading constantly...so if I have the next book I usually will go right to it, otherwise I start on something else while I work on getting the book.
If it is a lighter series I usually read as much as I can. Some heavier series (like Malazan) I need the emotional break of reading something else in between

[Joy]

As a Library patron I often have to wait a year between installments of a series soI do find myself going back on the outstanding (& complex) ones and rereading simply because I've forgotten so much. With older publications I will check out all of the books at once and read the story straight through. However the advantage to the library is I can take a chance on some Urban Light on the side to read as a break. Most of those only take a day at the most and I'm back to the epic.

[[deleted user]]

I tend to read a series straight through, often waiting for an author to finish the series before I start reading for this very reason. I read Terry Goodkind's eleven books in eight weeks because I just got addicted. I've tried Robert Jordan's, but could never get past the first book. That's the way it tends to be. If I'm hooked at the start, I will go all the way through. If I'm not hooked, I'll never get to the second book. On the whole, I prefer trilogies simply because I don't have to wait forever and a day for the final installment.

[Katinkia]

I have to keep reading the series. I couldn't read other books in between but I've always been fond of epic tomes. Books I can get really into and enjoy for a long time.

I also prefer TV over movies for the same reason. A film is just too much flash in the pan for me.

[Bronwyn]

It depends on what it is and how I'm feeling. With the Discworld, I'll generally read through one mini-series (the Watch, the Witches, Death, etc.) and then read some other stuff before moving on. With the Thursday Next books I read them straight through. There were only 3 then though. When I reread them (hopefully this summer), I'll probably read all 6 in one go, but we'll see. I read straight through the 2001 books, but I'm not sure if they're technically a series. Not fantasy/sci-fi, but the Anne of Green Gables books I can only read 2 or 3 before I need to read something else, and I love those books. It has more to do with the writing style I've found, than the content of the books.

[Joseph]

Bronwyn wrote: "It depends on what it is and how I'm feeling. With the Discworld, I'll generally read through one mini-series (the Watch, the Witches, Death, etc.) and then read some other stuff before moving on. . . ."

This. A lot of it is about momentum -- sometimes (the
Deathstalker books by Simon R. Green) I'll just kind of run out of steam midway through; other times, if the series is dauntingly large (I'm reading some Star Wars books currently), I might approach just a single, more manageable subset).

I think the other defining question is: What is the proper order of the Narnia series? When I was young, once I figured out that The Magician's Nephew showed the origin of Narnia, I always had to read that first. (And I note that recent boxed sets have renumbered the books accordingly.) Now, though, I prefer to take them in publication order because of the way they're written -- the narrator in Magician's Nephew will make allusions to events in previous books, for example.

[Kevin]

Joseph wrote: "Bronwyn wrote: "It depends on what it is and how I'm feeling. With the Discworld, I'll generally read through one mini-series (the Watch, the Witches, Death, etc.) and then read some other stuff b..."

I always feel like reading a series when the books were published not in chronological order made more sense. It allows the reader to see how the author as a writer develops and why the series started in that order then why it continue to become a series.

[Keryl]

It's funny, I've never really thought of Diskworld as a series. I see it as a collection of series, (the Watchs, Tiffany Aching, the Witches, Death, etc...) and a few stand alones.

I read them that way, all the Death, all the Witches, all the Watch, with the stand alones sprinkled in as I felt moved. I did DragonLance that way, too.

For more traditional series, where the collections are bound by more or less one story line as opposed to one setting, I tend to read them in publication order, and back to back. If I wander off to another book between the parts of a series, it's a pretty good indicator that the author's lost me as a reader.

[Bronwyn]

That's an interesting thought on publication date vs. chronology... Narnia, my set starts with The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, so I always read it that way. My Anne books go chronologically. I never thought of reading either set differently, even though I know there is the other option.

[Jim]

L.E. Modesitt Jr.'s Recluse series was purposely written & published out of chronological order. He prefers the series to be read in published order. I can understand that for the first read. The understanding of the world & magic grows best that way. For re-reads, I prefer chronological order, though.

Steven Brust feels the same way about his Vlad Taltos series, I believe.

[Joseph]

Jim wrote: "Steven Brust feels the same way about his Vlad Taltos series, I believe..."

Yeah, even trying to place the Taltos books into an internal order would be challenging. Although I'm sure it's been done.

One (non-fantasy) series that I do read in internal order is the Hornblower books by C.S. Forester -- for those ones, it feels more correct to me to follow his progression from midshipman to captain to admiral.

You also have situations like the Valdemar books by Mercedes Lackey or the Deryni books by Katherine Kurtz where she wrote an initial series set at time X, then went back later and wrote a new series set some centuries before X. Those I think need to be handled on a case-by-case basis -- will reading the "prequels" first spoil part of the story in the original books?

[Jim]

Joseph wrote: "Jim wrote: "Steven Brust feels the same way about his Vlad Taltos series, I believe..."

Yeah, even trying to place the Taltos books into an internal order would be challenging. Although I'm sure ..."

Off the top of head, "Dragon" spans a couple of books & makes it impossible. The rest will work, though. It's been a while since I last read them.

[Ray]

Lately, I've tried to never read books in a series back-to-back, as a way of trying to force myself to exercise my memory & try to recall details in earlier books. I don't know if it's working though...

[James]

When I got back into reading, I read them back to back (that's how I read Sword of Truth, Dresden Files, and the Taltos series). Now, I pick 4 series and alternate between reading 2 and audiobooking 2. I'm currently reading the First Law trilogy and the Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone and audiobooking Codex Alera and Dexter.

[Helen, I·ᴍ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪʙʀᴀʀʏ]

I like to read a series in one go, I actually get cross if I read something and realise I then have to wait for a sequel to be written and published. This seems to be happening to me more and more too! I read Narnia stories years ago and we always started with Magician's Nephew.

[Katie]

If the series is a trilogy or fast paced, I tend read the books back to back. However, if it is a long series, I need breaks. Usually I will try to read a book or two in between so I do not get burned out. It helps me take a step back and think about what I read before plunging back in for the next book.

[Timberwolf]

I am on the last book of the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb. I have read that the Live Ship Traders Trilogy come next in the series and then The Tawny Man Trilogy.

Would like to know your opinions on the Live Ship Traders Trilogy. Is it worth reading or should I skip it and go directly to The Tawny Man Trilogy?

[[deleted user]]

I read whatever I'm in the mood for at the time. If I'm not in the right mood for a certain book I cannot get into it. Sometimes I will read a series straight through, if I have all the books available, sometimes I won't.

[Joshua]

It depends on how good/great a series is but usually I rarely read a series straight through. I like to read a different book between each book or two in a series so I don't get burnt out. Plus, it gives me more time to think about what I previously read.

[Bill]

One of my problems with reading a series as the books are published is my compulsion to re-read the prior books before starting on the new one. I forget too much in the year(s) between books. So with a 5 book series I'll have read the 1st book 5 times, the 2nd 4, etc. As I get nearer the Otherworld, I'm feeling time pressure, so prefer a series that is complete.

[Jim]

Kernos wrote: "One of my problems with reading a series as the books are published is my compulsion to re-read the prior books before starting on the new one. I forget too much in the year(s) between books. So wi..."

I can really relate to that! Pre-Internet, we tended to re-read more because books were more difficult to find & afford. Our local libraries & book stores weren't big on fantasy. We read & re-read Eddings' Belgariad & Mallorean like that as they came out, one book per year for a decade.

With so many books to read now, it's sometimes a difficult decision whether to re-read or not. I've given up on a couple of series in the past few years because, while they were good, they weren't good enough to re-read with so many other books clamoring for my attention. They were a bit too complex not to re-read after a long wait for the next. Sometimes I keep collecting the books anyway because both my wife & I will likely read them in another couple of years when they're more like a fresh read.

(No, that's not just an excuse to pack the house with books!)
;-)

[Bill]

Jim wrote: "I can really relate to that! Pre-Internet, we tended to re-read more because books were more difficult to find & afford. ..."

Indeed! I live in a rural area with only 1 bookstore and 1 library an hour away, so got almost everything from the Science Fiction Book Club. They had lots of good books, but there is so much I've discovered that they did not offer—all this after the internet. And, this doesn't include non-genre literature.

And Goodreads has ruined me. Sooo many books I've discovered and accumulated waiting to be read. I still have the last 3 of Steven Erikson's series to read, but need to read the prior books. That's a BIG undertaking. Still, I want to do it. And there are old series I'd like to re-read some day, like Feist, Salvatore, Xanth, Eddings etc. They're like going to visit old friends.

[Paul]

I've only read a couple of series back-to-back -- usually ones that were rather light reading (i.e. David Eddings's fantasy series). With series that are longer than 5 or so books, I need to take a break at some point lest it all start blending together in my head. I'll usually stop for one book out of the genre and then go back to the series. I also read series in the published order not the internal chronology order.

[Jelmer]

I prefer reading series back to back. But thanks to the atrocity that is called Bol.com. I often find my self waiting for books that should have arrived a week earlier. But if not for that the preferred way of reading is back-to-back. I usually get confused when reading everything mixed up.

[Jelmer]

I think the only exception I made for not reading a book series back to back was with the ASoIaF series, because I bought it for pc and it's annoying to read on my pc.

[Razmatus]

with ASOIAF I read it like first I read the appendix (aka character info and such stuff), then studied the maps a little so I have at least a slight notion of where is what, and then started reading... did this before reading every book in the series

[Scott]

I used to think nothing of spending hours a day reading a book and had a much easier time finishing a series. Nowadays as responsibilities grow I have to logically assess which series are worth my time, and am grateful for goodreads as well as recommendations from friends and other sites as to what I might want to read next.

[Eli]

I have never read a series out of order. That is just not an option in my head (it would probably mess up everything in there). First things first, that's my philosophy. And this does not only apply to series, also, if I have several books by an author I will always try to read them in the order in which they were written.

[Paul]

I've found that one of the hardest things to do depending on the author is to re-configure a series that has an internal chronology into a published order list. This is especially true when more than one book is published in the same year. They might be from different subsets within the overall universe but I tend to prefer reading them as the author published them.