Importance of Reading Series books in strict order??

[Ladyacct]

How important is it for you???

I DO NOT read books out of order NO MORE period.

What about you???

<=..=>

[Terry (Ter05 TwiMoms/ MundieMoms)]

I absolutely agree! I would never read a series out of order.

[Ottilie]

I believe in order, there was one time i did not do so but I wasn't as lost as I probably should have been since the author [ut a lot of the first 2 books main points in the beginning. She got me the book as a gift. It's one of my ocds with books

[Daria]

I never read a series out of order, and I think everyone else should too, because it bothers me when in, say, a 4th book in a series, the author will explain what happened in the previous books. Whoever needs that explanation should just go read the previous books.

I think the only series I've read out of order are the Young Royals series by Carolyn Meyer, and only because they're more like companions then sequels.

[Heidi]

They have to be in order for me. I skipped one of the BDB books and had to ask my GR friends what the heck happened just to catch up.

[Ottilie]

Emily wrote: "I never read a series out of order, and I think everyone else should too, because it bothers me when in, say, a 4th book in a series, the author will explain what happened in the previous books. Wh..."

i'm okay with a brief reminder if it's been awhile between books

[Kurukka]

I never read them out of order either. It happened when I discovered Harry Potter, they made us study the third at school and it upset me because I really felt I'd missed a lot. I immediately asked my mom to buy the two first.

Honestly, it seems silly to me to do otherwise. I love to know about a story fully and I can't imagine trying to read it by beginning in the middle, I'd feel frustrated. Same thing with movies, when I watch, lets say, the second or third movie of a series with a friend who didn't see the previous installments, it just upsets me to be asked tons of questions about what happened before. xD

I agree with Ottilie for the brief reminders. I read books that explained what happened before but it was really too long and I think it's unnecessary. Those who have not read the previous books, well, go read them !

[Ottilie]

Ahh movies! I my ex would start a movie and I'd be like I dind't see the first!! Drove me nuts!

[Heidi]

Brief reminders help me because I do not read most of mine back to back. Last summer I read Linger and there was no reminders and I felt lost. I will say that some authors go a little overboard on their reminders though.

[Daria]

Like in the Vampire Academy series...

[S.S.]

Like Heidi, I like brief reminders because I'm always reading two or three other books.

Yes, I've read books out of order, but sometimes it does give away things. if I like the book, I'll go back and read from Book # One.

[Gwennie]

I agree Catie, I also recognize when an author has subtly given us a reminder, without that one chapter of nothing be recap.

I never read books out of order.

[Julie]

I always read series books in order. If I pick up a book and then realize it's part of a series I have to go get the ones before it and start those first. I do find it majorly annoying when there are so many recaps from the previous books (House of Night series by PC Cast) though.

[[deleted user]]

Reading books in order helps the world become more familiar and allows readers to grow with the characters. This often has the greatest impact when something unexpected occurs and we feel for those we come to know.

[Daria]

The Little House books don't really need to be read in order. There are so many recaps from the previous books that you can start from book #4 without being confused at all.

But all other series I read in order.

[Miranda]

I agree with reading in order but I must say that when I read Twilight I could not get through the second book until I had read the 3rd and the 4th. Second book was too heartbreaking but I appreciated it when I finally did read it.

[Victoria]

I could never read books out of order! It just seems so.....inappropriate! I believe that the only books I read out of order were The Babysitter's Club, Nancy Drew, and Goosebumps when I was younger.

[Gwennie]

I read those all out of order too. Those don't truly count though because they don't really read like a 'series'. Each book could be considered a standalone.

[Laraine]

The only series that I can remember that I ever read out of order (aside from those that Victoria mentioned) was . I had already finished the fourth book first before I realized it was a series. After that I read whichever part of the series was available at the bookstore until I finished them all, and then re-read them in order the second time around...I was in my teens then. I'd never read a series out of order now. :p

[Julie]

I did read all the Goosebumps, Babysitter's Club and The Boxcar Children books out of order. Another series that I'll read out of order is the Hank the Cowdog books, my dad and I both love them...they are hilarious! If you've never read one I highly recommend them!

[Bill]

Ladyacct wrote: "How important is it for you???

I DO NOT read books out of order NO MORE period.

What about you???

"

No way! I don't even read an author's works out of order.

[Rebecca]

I read The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series out of order. I bought the first and second the same day, went on a trip but never read them (i had a bunch if other books). So when I had no books to read (and I was on my way to school) I could only find the second one... I liked it but I was soooo lost. So i went back and read the first then the third (i never read the fourth).

I skipped one book in the Fearless this one... . Because it's titled "sex" and my mother saw it and made me return it (not really, she is the one who returned it to the library). I was pretty upset but that was about 5 or 6 year ago so im over it now...

Anyway end of rant. Long story short: I dont like skipping around.

Addition: I like what Lisa Lutz does with her series The Spellman Files (not YA but really funny) when ever she refers to something that happened in a previous book she has a footnote that says somethig like "see previous document(... now in paperback!)"

[Sandra (I don't read, I devour.)]

It really depends on the series for me. Like I could read several things by out of order... as long as I read the mini-series in order and I think you would be fine reading any of the 500 Kingdoms series out of order.

On the other hand, I would get really confused really fast if I read some others out of order. Unless it is dealing with new characters, you really need to read series in order.