Dealing with middle of the series books

[Angelof]

Aside from visiting traditional bookstores, I like going to stores that sell cheap books that have been sourced from clearance sales and second hand markets.

It's always a thrill to visit these stores because you don't really know what you'll find every time you visit. But as a result I often end up getting books that are part of a series. My thinking is, it's cheap so it's worth trying to read at least.

I don't mind when I get the first book in a series but I've taken a chance on a few middle of the series books. While I've read a few, I'm curious how you guys deal with this situation? Do you guys stay away from getting into a series midway or do you take a chance? How has the experience been for you? :)

[Caron]

I've done it a few times simply because I didn't realize it was part of a series (maybe I'd missed my coffee that day?). Anyway, authors tend to deal with information from the previous stories in different ways. Anne McCaffrey put a prologue in some of her series that recapped what happened in the previous book(s), so a reader could pick right up. But I've noticed that the latest trend is to just soldier on and in the story the various characters will recall some of the aspects of the previous book(s) so that you know what's going on.

Either way, usually it's easy to tell what's happened and easy to pick up on the story, so it usually doesn't bother me. But if I like the story, I tend to go back and read the first ones too. Then I'll pick back up and finish the series.

[Aaron]

I live in a small town so I don't hit up actual book stores much, but I like to check out garage sales, or used book sales at local events. I've had decent luck at finding some good sci fi titles this way, though you really have to do some digging sometimes. I've also run into the middle of the series issue. Sometimes I know about it when I buy the book, but I've have a few times where I don't find out until I add it to Goodreads. I much prefer reading a series in order, so when I run into this situation I put it in my to read list, and try to find the first book elsewhere. I recently found Pattern Recognition by William Gibson at a garage sale, and was excited because I've had Spook Country on my shelf for about a year waiting to be read.

[Riley]

It doesn't usually bother me much if I come into a series in the middle- like Caron I find that most authors will put enough reminders in the later books (in some form or another) that I can understand what's going on without needing to read the previous books. Generally, though, I try to avoid starting in the middle- if I buy a book and realize it's not the first in a series before I start reading it I'll usually try and find the previous installments first.

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon]

I think I've only ever started one series in the middle, and that was Discworld and, at the time, I didn't even know it was a whole series and it didn't matter all that much that I just picked a random book.

I can't think of any other series I ever picked up in the middle, and it's not something I would do.

Also, I sometimes see reviews of later books in a series with people giving it a low rating 'cause they didn't understand what was going on and they hadn't read the earlier books. Personally, that sort of pisses me off. You can't hold the book at fault 'cause you decided to read a continuous series in the middle. I mean, sure, some series you can get away with it but some you can't and I don't see how you should hold the book accountable 'cause you didn't start from the beginning.

[Margaret]

The one time I really missed out, doing this, was when I read Zelazny's The Guns of Avalon out of the library without having read any of the Amber series before. Needless to say, reading Nine Princes in Amber for the first time, afterwards, was not nearly so much fun as it should have been.

[Kevin]

One of my friend does that all the time by reading the middle books first or even the end of a series before reading the first ones. He then usually goes back and read the previous books.

[Carolyn]

I can't stand reading a series out of order. If I pick up a promising-looking book and then find out that it isn't the first in it's series, I just can't read it, I put it down until I can get a hold of the earlier books. (my personal OCD showing, I think)

[Angelof]

I just finished reading the Dragonlance Chronicles and I feel like I need an interim book before finally reading Eye of the World of the Wheel of Time series. I'm going to take on a middle of the series book, Magic's Promise by Mercedes Lackey. Let's see how this goes hehe.

[Snarktastic Sonja]

I will say that I will not read a series out of sequence. Also, I hate, hate, HATE having to wait for the next book. Especially if and when the last ends on a cliffhanger. When the NEXT book comes out, unless I have just read the previous one, I find the recap annoying, but if I haven't just read the previous one, I find the recap inadequate (in whatever form it takes). (Though, I do admit to the necessity.)

Therefore, I typically re-read a series when the next comes out. This has caused great consternation to me. I started the WoT, ASoFaI, and SoT series all as the very first books were published. The first and last are now so long as to be to unwieldy to do this with. And, they have all lost me. I no longer care. :D

As a result, I will very rarely start an unfinished series. And, I ALWAYS start at the beginning. I get really annoyed when I cannot find the first book. And I get really irritated when the last few are available as ebook, but the early ones are not.

If a series is a story of tales following the same characters that is not really a continuation of the story that never finishes, I will make an exception. I still prefer to read them in order. I don't want to read something in a later book that may spoil something in an earlier book.

Yes. I am old and stuck in my ways. :D

[Evilynn]

It depends. Some series worked just fine starting with a middle book. I read the Sookie Stackhouse books starting with book 3 before picking up book 1, and I'm happily reading both the Discworld books and Charles DeLint's Newford books in the wrong order too.

On the other hand, I'm also very wary about picking up a new series unless the author is finished (or almost finished) with it, I'm still waiting to finish WOT and ASOIAF.

For me it depends on whether or not the books are one continuous story broken into separate books (WOT, ASOIAF), or if they can stand alone (Newford, Discworld) or if they're fluffy enough that I don't care if I miss out on details/everything can be picked up quickly enough anyway (Sookie Stackhouse).

[Sharon]

I just finished a book that is obviously well down the road in a series. Several recommendations here on GR and I'd not read this author before, so looked for a book the last time I went to the library and picked this one up.



I liked the book quite well but really did feel like I was missing a lot of backstory and the ending definitely was leading to the next book.

I will pick up others at the library when they are available, but not 'hooked' enough to buy more of them. If a middle of the series book has a definite beginning/middle/end ... a completed story within the book ... and the characters are interesting enough, I will buy the additional books in the series. The ones that are too obviously a continuation of an ongoing story I tend to have less interest in continuing with.