Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Series I’d Like to Start/Catch up on/Finish.
I feel like I’ve done variations on this topic several times and don’t particularly want to repeat myself… but I’ll give it my best shot anyway. The following are series that I’ve started, but which I think I’ll probably never go back to.
(I only came up with eight… but that’s plenty!)
1) Poldark series by Winston Graham: I’ve read 7 of the 12 books in the series, and the 7th takes the story up to the point where the TV adaptation wraps up. And you know what? I think I’m good. As far as I understand, the next books start shifting the focus to a younger generation, and I’m just not as interested. Will I ever continue this series? Unlikely.
2) The Witcher series by Andrzej Sapkowski: I’ve read 4, and have 4 more left. I like the books, but didn’t want to get too far out in front of the Netflix storylines. Will I ever continue this series? I’d say it’s about a 50/50 chance.
3) Miss Peregrine series by Ransom Riggs: I read the first 3 books, when they were described as a trilogy, but lo and behold, the author continued the series! I felt like the story wrapped up pretty well with the 3rd book, so… Will I ever continue this series? Nope.
4) Discworld by Terry Pratchett: I had big plans to read all the Discworld books, in publication order, one per month. My ambitious goal lasted me for four books, and then I decided I’d had enough and needed a break. I know that publication order is NOT the way most people recommend approaching Discworld, so I haven’t written off the possibility of returning to the series and trying specific story threads. Will I ever continue this series? I want to say yes… but let’s leave this as probably, if I’m being realistic.
5) Murderbot by Martha Wells: I read the first four novellas, then stalled out when it came to book 5, which is a full-length novel. I didn’t stop for any particular reason, other than just not being in the mood at the right moment. Now I’m afraid that it would be hard to restart, without going all the way back to the beginning for a reread first. Will I ever continue this series? Probably yes. I liked what I read, so there’s no reason not to want to read more.
6) Maisie Dobbs by Jaqueline Winspear: I read the first two books in this historical mystery series, and thought they were okay. There are 17 books out so far! Will I ever continue this series? Probably not. I didn’t love the first two enough to want to keep going.
7) Grishaverse books by Leigh Bardugo: I read the first trilogy (Shadow and Bone), then read the first book in the next duology, but honestly, that felt like enough. Will I ever continue this series? I don’t think so (but I will keep watching the Netflix adaptation).
8) Cormoran Strike books by Robert Galbraith (J. K. Rowling): I read the first three books, didn’t quite get around to the 4th, and around the time I was considering reading it, JKR became a person I no longer wanted to support. Will I ever continue this series? Nope.
Are there any on my list that you think I should reconsider?
If you wrote a TTT post this week, please share your link!
Bookshelf Fantasies 
Fab list! I really loved the Grishaverse books, hope you do carry on with them (mainly for Nikolai 🤣)
Thanks for the encouragement! I think I’ve heard that people love Nikolai 🙂 — I’m not sure I could pick back up at this point… but maybe?
I am the same way with Murderbot! I have read up to the full length novel. I need to get to it!
Glad I”m not alone! 🙂 I really liked the novellas, and have no reason not to continue.
I also burned out on the Cormoran Strike books by JK Rowling. Maybe it was her as an individual, but I also found I didn’t like the two main characters as much after a few books. I also agree with you about Maisie Dobbs. After a couple of books I felt there are much better historical mystery series out there. I do think Murderbot is worth continuing with!
Glad to hear that Murderbot is one to continue! I liked the characters in the Cormoran Strike books (and the TV version was quite good), but the various crimes didn’t really catch my attention or interest, and basically, I lost all desire to keep going.
Discworld is such a big series. I guess the beauty of it is you can start which ever book you want and it doesn’t feel like you has to commit yourself to the whole series,
I agree — I think I bit off more than I could chew when I started reading the series, but I don’t think I want to fully give up on experiencing it in bits and pieces.
I haven’t picked up the Murderbot series, but I’ve heard so many good things. How odd that it goes from being novellas to a novel. Are the books after that all novels? I have no idea how many books in this series are out.
If I understood correctly, it’s just #6 that’s a full novel, and #6 is back to novella length. Weird!
Maisie Dobbs looks interesting.
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thank you!
It’s a good one to check out if you like historical mysteries.
Great post!! It’s always fun to recap series that you need to finish (if not a bit depressing haha). I love love love the Grishavwrse, the characters are incredible! I hope you get around to finishing it! Here’s my ttt 🙂 https://hundredsandthousandsofbooks.blog/2022/11/08/series-id-like-to-start-finish-catch-up-on/
Oh, I know so many people who love the Grishaverse! I did enjoy the books I read, so maybe it was just a question of timing for me — hopefully, I’ll get in the mood to keep going one of these days. 🙂
The Discworld series was on my list, too!
My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-series-i-should-read-someday/
I failed hard when it came to Discworld, but I haven’t given up entirely! Maybe I’ll aim to read a few more from the series in 2023.
You got farther in the Miss Peregrine series than I did…I only read the first two books before running out of steam. ;D
I think I ended up doing a refresher via audio of books 1 & 2 when book 3 came out, and was perfectly happy to wrap it up at that point!
I don’t know anyone from back in the day of the first Poldark show who finished them all, so don’t feel bad. Interesting list.
Thanks! I think I really did read enough of Poldark to see the main family through enough ups and downs… I doubt I’d go back to the series, even though I have copies of all the books.
I love that you’re honest about not continuing these series😁 I feel bad I never got past book 2 in the Murderbot series…
I think I ended up reading a few in a row, and that was just too much. But, I haven’t entirely given up, and hope to eventually get back to Murderbot!
I dropped the Coroman Strike series too – they got less interesting and, JKR…. I understand Discworld is quite a commitment and I’m on the fence about even starting. My son really loves it and keeps asking me – Hope you enjoy the books.
Terrie @ Bookshelf Journeys
https://www.bookshelfjourneys.com/post/ttt-books-in-series
Thanks! I know so many people who love Discworld — feels like a major gap in my reading life not to at least make an effort. 🙂
Loved the Poldark TV series and have seriously thought of starting the books. I too have Shadow and Bone on my list, my husband keeps pushing me to read that one.
The Poldark series (TV) was so good! I enjoyed the books as well, but it helped to have the TV scenery and characters in my head while reading.
The TV show was so good, especially the first few seasons. My daughter (teen at the time, she’s the same age as your son) and I had fun with it, we created a non-alcoholic “drinking” game with jelly beans— triggered every time someone got on a horse and galloped cinematically up the coast 😄
I only read the first Poldark novel but the show did such a superb job that I wanted my memories of that to be what I was left with.
Totally agree. Poldark is one of the rare examples where the TV version feels definitive.
Murderbot: no need in my opinion to go back for a reread. The full length book is a lot of fun. But if you stopped where you did, that’s all good too.
Terry Pratchet books set in The Discworld Universe: not a series, as you know. The only “true” series of the lot are the Tiffany Aching books, which I suspect you would love and are laugh out loud funny and well written. Pratchet’s later books are far better than the early ones. Start with Wee Free Men. [Crivins!!] 😄
Thanks for the recommendation! When I get my resolve back to dive back in, Wee Free Men and Tiffany Aching will be at the top of my list!
They are great as audiobooks, good narration!
I got a cheap copy of the 3rd Maisie Dobbs book, so I’ll give it a try, but unless it picks up more, I might not bother with any of the rest.
I listened to the audiobook for the 2nd, and I liked it well enough, but some of her quirks started annoying me. If you do read #3, I’ll be interested in hearing your reaction.
Not sure when that will be… I have been on a buying spree lately, picking up books in paperback that were denied me as ARCs on NetGalley and Edelweiss! But if/when I do, I’ll obviously post a review.
I read the first Miss Peregrine book and then never picked up the next one for some reason. Now I don’t remember anything about the first book and have no desire to reread it. 🙂
One is probably enough! It’s definitely enough to give a flavor for the storytelling and how the photos are incorporated into the plot, but I don’t remember very much of the details at this point.