Tag Archives: book series

Reading goals: Series to read in 2023

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Happy New Year! Here’s hoping 2023 brings joy and health for one and all!

As is my annual tradition, rather than setting a bunch of reading goals that I probably won’t actually try to achieve, I prefer to limit my bookish goals to series reading. There are so many series out there that I want to get to!

I absolutely recognize that I may end up changing my mind on some or all of these, but as of now…

My priority series to read in 2023 will be:

A bunch of carry-overs from 2022:

Children of Time series by Adrian Tchaikovsky: I own two of these books, and the 3rd comes out in January. I meant to at least start these last year… hoping to do better this year!

The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir: Another carry-over. I’ve read the first book (Gideon the Ninth), and have books 2 & 3 on my shelves, ready to go!

Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers – I finished the first two in 2022, and definitely plan to read the remaining two ASAP.

The Lady Janies series by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows: I read My Lady Jane in 2022, and want to read the next two in 2023.

Plus, some new additions to the list — series to start (and maybe even finish!) in 2023:

The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon: My daughter recommended these to me, and so far, I haven’t had any romance series on my annual series lists.

The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper: This is an older fantasy series that I really should have read by this point in my life! I read the first book years ago with one of my kids, but I think it’s about time that I give the series a shot, just for me.

Regency Faerie Tales by Olivia Atwater: This series slipped past my radar, but then I started seeing a lot of positive reviews. I think I need to give these books a try.

And finally…

A couple of series that I’ve been meaning to get around to for a while now. Who knows? Maybe 2023 will finally be the year that I give them a try. My “maybe” series for this year are:

  • The Kitty Norville series by Carrie Vaughn
  • Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny

Are you planning to start any new series this year? If you’ve read any of the series on my list for 2023, please let me know what you thought and if you have any recommendations!

A look back: Series reading in 2022

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At the start of each new year, I write a post about my intended series reading — which series I want to start, which I want to finish, and maybe even some that I want to devour all in one big reading binge.

Now that we’re at the end of December, it’s time to check back in and see if I actually accomplished any of my series reading goals for 2022.

So how did I do?

In 2022, my priority series to read were:

The Kingston Cycle trilogy by C. L. Polk:

Status: DONE! I read the trilogy straight through, and had mixed feelings about it as a whole. I liked a lot of the concepts and characters, but the continuity and worldbuilding didn’t especially work for me.

Children of Time and Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky:

Status: Nope. At the time when I wrote my post back in January, I thought this was a completed duology, but it turns out there’s a 3rd book coming out in early 2023. I really have no reason for not reading these books yet, other than juggling all the other books I wanted to read! These will go back on my series reading list for 2023.

The Expanse by James S. A. Corey:

Status: DONE! Wow. Just wow. I’d read books 1 – 5 prior to 2022, so this past year I read books 6 – 9 plus the collected stories. Fantastic series, start to finish, and I’m just sad that it’s done. Excellent storytelling with a powerful ending. A must-read series!

The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir:

Status: A little progress… I had just the first two books on my list at the start of 2022, but since then, a 3rd has been released. I finally read Gideon the Ninth about a month or so ago, didn’t love it… but remain interested enough to see what happens next. I intend to keep going in 2023.

Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers:

Status: Making progress! I’m currently on the 2nd book, and really enjoying it! I intend to keep going with the series, probably via audiobook.

Patternist series by Octavia Butler:

Status: Nope. As much as I’d love to read more Octavia Butler, I just never found myself motivated to start this series. I’d say that these books will remain on my maybe/someday shelf, but I don’t think I’m going to put them on my 2023 series list.

The Lady Janies series by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows:

Status: Baby steps. I read the first book in the series, and loved it! Just haven’t had time to continue yet, but I absolutely intend to.

The Witcher series by Andrzej Sapkowski:

Status: One and done (for now). My goal had been to make lots of progress in this series — maybe even finish it? I read one more book, The Time of Contempt, and even though I still have four more left to read (and actually own copies of them all), I feel pretty done at this point. Maybe after the next season drops on Netflix, I’ll feel inspired to continue with the books… but as of now, I doubt it.

That’s it for my 2022 series reading. How about you?

Did you read any series in 2022? Any particular favorites?

Check back in January, when I’ll set a new batch of series reading goals for the new year.

Top Ten Tuesday: Series I might (but probably won’t) finish

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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!

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Reading goals: Series to read in 2022

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Happy New Year! Here’s hoping 2022 brings joy and health for all of us!

As is my annual tradition, rather than setting a bunch of reading goals that I probably won’t actually try to achieve, I prefer to limit my bookish goals to series reading. There are so many series out there that I want to get to! My priorities change from year to year, but as of now, I have a pretty good idea of the series I want to tackle in 2022.

Most of the series I’m including here are completed, rather than ongoing series. I end up enjoying series most when I can read them either straight through or within a relatively short span of time, so everything stays fresh in my mind and I can feel like what I’m reading really connects.

I absolutely recognize that I may end up changing my mind on some or all of these, but as of now…

My priority series to read in 2022 will be:

The Kingston Cycle trilogy by C. L. Polk – I own copies of all three books, and have been wanting to start for a while now.

Children of Time and Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky: I’ve heard such great things, and what’s not to love about a duology?

The Expanse by James S. A. Corey: This has been on my list for a couple of years in a row, but I seem to manage to read only one book per year. So far, I’ve read books 1 – 5. With the TV series ending this month, I want to move forward and get through most (or all) of the remaining books in the series. There are 9 in all, and next up for me will be #6, Babylon’s Ashes.

Gideon & Harrow by Tamsyn Muir – This isn’t a completed series (#3 will be out in the fall), but I’m disappointed in myself for not reading these yet!

Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers – Another series that I should have read by now!

Patternist series by Octavia Butler: I’ve been wanting to read more Octavia Butler, and this series has been on my shelf for a few years.

The Lady Janies series by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows: These look like so much fun!

Finally, I do want to go back to The Witcher series by Andrzej Sapkowski. I’ve read a few, but the last two were audiobooks that just didn’t stick with me (I couldn’t keep my attention from wandering), so basically, I’d need to re-read two of these before getting to the rest:

Are you planning to start any new series this year? If you’ve read any of the series on my list for 2022, please let me know what you thought and if you have any recommendations!

A look back: Series reading in 2021

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In some ways, 2021 crawled by… yet at the same time, WHOOOOSH! Where did it all go?

Back in January (as has become my yearly tradition), I wrote a post identifying the series I wanted to get to in 2021. Now it’s time to check back in and see if I actually accomplished any of these reading goals.

So how did I do?

In 2022, my priority series to read were:

The Modern Faerie Tales trilogy by Holly Black:

Status: DONE! I read the trilogy straight through, but didn’t actually love it. Holly Black is amazing, but this earlier trilogy does not reach the heights of awesomeness seen in the Folk of the Air books. Still, I’m glad to have read these stories.

The Plantagenet and Tudor novels by Philippa Gregory:

Status: Nope. I didn’t read a single one of these, even though I got as far as holding the first book in my hands a few times. I do still intend to get to these… eventually.

The Expanse by James S. A. Corey:

Status: A little bit of progress… I read book #5 (Nemesis Games)… but there are still 4 more books in the series. Now that the 6th season of the TV show is airing, I expect to start book #6 shortly, and then we’ll see. I do intend to read all of these… it just may take some time.

Emily of New Moon by L. M. Montgomery:

Status: DONE! I loved these books so much! I listened to the audiobooks during a particularly stressful month, and they were like ice cream for my soul. I hope to read more L. M. Montgomery in the year ahead. (My wrap-up of the trilogy is here)

Inspector Gamache books by Louise Penny:

Status: Nope. Despite fairly good intentions, I didn’t even read one book from the series. Like the Tudor books, these are still “someday, maybe” books for me… but I can’t see myself picking them up any time soon.

I did end up reading a few other series that weren’t part of my original goals:

I read the entire Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn (so much fun)!

Also, the Shadow and Bone trilogy by Leigh Bardugo (although not the two duologies that follow). Notice a theme here? I guess I can thank Netflix for the inspiration!

Plus, I read the available books in a few new-to-me romance series that are ongoing, as well as new installments in some favorite continuing series as well.

That’s it for my 2021 series reading. How about you?

Did you read any series in 2021? Any particular favorites?

Check back in January, when I’ll set a new batch of series reading goals for the new year.

Reading goals: Series to read in 2021

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Welcome, 2021! I’m so glad you’re here at last!

I’m not a big fan of new year’s resolutions, and I generally don’t set a lot of reading goals. My reading north star is to read whatever, whenever, according to my whims and moods (although I do try to keep up with my ARCs, more or less according to publication dates).

I do like to plan ahead at the start of a year when it comes to my series reading. A new year is a fresh start when is comes to starting a series that I’ve been wanting to get to. For me, series are most enjoyable when I can read all (or at least, a bunch) of the books in a row, or at least within a few months of each other.

Of course, all of this is subject to change as the year progresses. Still…

In 2021, my priority series to read will be:

The Modern Faerie Tales trilogy by Holly Black – I read (and adored) Holly Black’s Folk of the Air series in 2020, and now I want to read everything else she’s written! I’ll start with these:

The Plantagenet and Tudor novels by Philippa Gregory – of the 15 books in this historical fiction series, I’ve read 5 at random times over the last several years. Nine more to go! (I’m inspired, having watched the Starz TV series inspired by several of these books.)

The Expanse by James S. A. Corey: This was on my list last year too! I seem to manage to read only one book per year. I’ve read books 1 – 4 already, and want to keep going! Hopefully, I’ll read more than one in 2021. Next up for me is:

Emily of New Moon by L. M. Montgomery – I’ve been wanting to read this trilogy since reading the Anne of the Green Gables books a couple of years ago.

Inspector Gamache books by Louise Penny – I want to at least start this series this year. There are 16 books published so far! Seems daunting, but I want to give them a try.

Also for 2021, I want to either start, get back to, or revisit some of these others:

  • The Witcher series by Andrzej Sapkowksi – I’ve read 3 books, 5 more to go
  • The Diviners by Libba Bray – I’ve read the first book, but at this point I’d need to re-read it before continuing (four books in all)
  • Wolfsong series by TJ Klune – I really want to read more by TJ Klune in 2021, and I’ve heard this series is great
  • Shardlake series by C. J. Sansom – I’ve been meaning to start this series for a long time, so maybe this will be the year
  • The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny – this is a BIG maybe for me. I read books 1 – 5 of this series ages and ages ago, but I’ve always meant to go back and read books 6 – 10… which means I’d need to start over from the beginning. I remember loving it at the time — so yeah, maybe.

Are you planning to start any new series this year? If you’ve read any of the series on my “priority” list, let me know what you thought!

A look back: Series reading in 2020

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Remember January? Those good old days when we left our houses? Didn’t think twice about breathing the same air as other people? Sigh…

Back in January, oh so long ago, I set myself some reading goals related to reading book series. And now that 2020 is about to expire (and good riddance!), I thought it was time to check in and see whether I met any of my series reading goals.

Here are the books I set as my priorities for 2020:

The Glamourist Histories by Mary Robinette Kowal – a five-book series:Status: DONE! I listened to the audiobooks, one right after another, and loved the individual books as well as the over-arching storylines. All-around excellent world-building and storytelling. I just wish there were more set in this world!

The Interdependency Series by John Scalzi – a science fiction trilogy:

Status: DONE! Such a fun sci-fi adventure. I’d been hesitant about reading these books, expecting them to be too much on the “hard” side of science fiction — but thanks to the author’s never-fail humor and snark, the books flew by and were totally entertaining.

The Expanse by James S. A. Corey: More science fiction! Prior to 2020, I’d read books 1 – 3, and my goal was to keep going.

Status: A little bit of progress… I read book #4, but didn’t go any further. Yet. I do intend to keep going with the series, and since the final book is due out in 2021, I suppose I’d better get moving!

Poldark by Winston Graham – 12 books in all, and as of the end of 2019, I’d read seven.

Status: Nope. I didn’t read any additional books in this series, and honestly, I doubt that I will. I’ve enjoyed what I’ve read, but now that the TV adaptation has ended, I don’t feel all that invested in continuing (especially since the books from this point out supposedly focus on the next generation of characters).

Folk of the Air trilogy by Holly Black – a fantasy trilogy:

Status: YES, YES, A THOUSAND TIMES YES! Not only did I read the three books early in 2020, all right in a row, I ended up listening to all the audiobooks toward the end of the year. And I loved them so, so much! Such a great story, with fantastic characters.

Those are all the series that I set as my goals at the beginning of the year. I also ended up reading one additional trilogy, not on my original list:

The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club by Theodora Goss: A fabulous trilogy starring the cast-off daughters of famous fictional men — the daughters of Dr. Jekyll (and Mr. Hyde), Victor Frankenstein, and more. The books are clever and funny, and feature strong, amazing women having great adventures. Totally delightful.

So, farewell to 2020! And onward to 2021!

Did you read any series in 2020? Any particular favorites?

Check back in January, when I’ll set a new batch of series reading goals for the new year.

 

Shelf Control #200: Still Life by Louise Penny

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Shelves final

Welcome to Shelf Control — an original feature created and hosted by Bookshelf Fantasies.

Shelf Control is a weekly celebration of the unread books on our shelves. Pick a book you own but haven’t read, write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up! For more info on what Shelf Control is all about, check out my introductory post, here.

Want to join in? Shelf Control posts go up every Wednesday. See the guidelines at the bottom of the post, and jump on board!

cropped-flourish-31609_1280-e1421474289435.png

Title: Still Life (Chief Inspector Gamache, #1)
Author: Louise Penny
Published: 2005
Length: 321 pages

What it’s about (synopsis via Goodreads):

As the early morning mist clears on Thanksgiving Sunday, the homes of Three Pines come to life – all except one…

To locals, the village is a safe haven. So they are bewildered when a well-loved member of the community is found lying dead in the maple woods. Surely it was an accident – a hunter’s arrow gone astray. Who could want Jane Neal dead?

In a long and distinguished career with the Sûreté du Quebec, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache has learned to look for snakes in Eden. Gamache knows something dark is lurking behind the white picket fences, and if he watches closely enough, Three Pines will begin to give up its secrets…

How and when I got it:

Picked up at a library book sale, sometime within the last few years.

Why I want to read it:

Talk about being late to the party. EVERYONE seems to love this series, and I can’t even tell you how many people have pushed this book on me over the years. And while I’m not a huge mystery fan, the small-town, remote setting absolutely appeals to me, and I’ve heard nothing but good things. In fact, the main reason I still haven’t started this book is the fact that the series is up to 15 books so far! I’m afraid that I’ll like it TOO much, will want to continue, and will end up with a new obsession. Call me crazy. I know I’m missing out, and just have to convince myself to dive in!

What do you think? Have you read this book? Have you read the whole series? And if I start, will I be able to stop?

Please share your thoughts!

__________________________________

Want to participate in Shelf Control? Here’s how:

  • Write a blog post about a book that you own that you haven’t read yet.
  • Add your link in the comments!
  • If you’d be so kind, I’d appreciate a link back from your own post.
  • Check out other posts, and…

Have fun!

Reading goals: Series to read in 2020

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I always see a new year as a clean slate for my bookish dreams.

I tend not to set specific reading goals, other than keeping up with the books I buy and the never-ending ARCs waiting to be read.

But where I do like to plan ahead at the start of a year is with my series reading. A new year represents a chance to tackle a series that I’ve been wanting to get to. For me, series are most enjoyable when I can read all (or at least, a bunch) of the books in a row, or at least within a few months of each other.

Bearing in mind that none of this is written in stone, since my reading plans change with my changing moods…

In 2020, my priority series to read will be:

The Glamourist Histories by Mary Robinette Kowal – a completed five-book series:

The Interdependency Series by John Scalzi – the 3rd book in the trilogy will be released in April, so this might be a good time to get started!

The Expanse by James S. A. Corey: I’ve read books 1 – 3 already, and need to get back into the story! Watching season 4 of the TV series is helping a lot with my motivation! Next up for me is:

And who knows, maybe I’ll keep going. There are 8 full novels in the series so far, all over 500 pages, so I have my work cut out for me.

Poldark by Winston Graham – 12 books in all, and I’ve read 7. My understanding is that book #8 jumps ahead quite a bit and takes place after the events of the complete TV series, so I’ve been less eager to move forward with this one. Still, I really should see how it all works out!

Folk of the Air trilogy by Holly Black – I just bought myself a copy of The Cruel Prince, and assuming I like it (and why wouldn’t I?), I’ll want to read all three books!

 

That’s it for my 2020 priority list… but wait, there’s more!

I still have my eye on a bunch of series/trilogies/what-have-you that I intend to read… eventually. Maybe 2020 will finally be the year… and maybe not. My will-get-to-at-some-point list of series includes:

  • Kitty Norville urban fantasy series by Carrie Vaughn
  • Parasitology trilogy by Mira Grant (because even though the subject is totally icky, I think these are her only books that I haven’t read yet, which is unacceptable!)
  • Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness
  • The Last Policeman trilogy by Ben H. Winters
  • Wayward Pines books by Blake Crouch
  • Inheritance trilogy and/or Broken Earth series by N. K. Jemisin

Are you planning to start any new series this year? If you’ve read any of the series on my “priority” list, let me know what you thought!

Shelf Control #176: The Stranger from the Sea (Poldark, #8) by Winston Graham

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Shelves final

Welcome to Shelf Control — an original feature created and hosted by Bookshelf Fantasies.

Shelf Control is a weekly celebration of the unread books on our shelves. Pick a book you own but haven’t read, write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up! For more info on what Shelf Control is all about, check out my introductory post, here.

Want to join in? Shelf Control posts go up every Wednesday. See the guidelines at the bottom of the post, and jump on board!

cropped-flourish-31609_1280-e1421474289435.png

Title: The Stranger from the Sea
Author: Winston Graham
Published: 1981
Length: 512 pages

What it’s about (synopsis via Goodreads):

The eighth novel in the legendary Poldark saga. Cornwall, 1810: The Poldark family awaits the return of Ross from his mission to Wellington’s army in Portugal. But their ordered existence ends with Jeremy Poldark’s dramatic rescue of The Stranger from the Sea. Stephen Carrington’s arrival in the Poldark household changes all their lives. For Clowance and Jeremy in particular, the children of Ross and Demelza, Stephen’s advent is the key to a new world – one of both love and danger.

How and when I got it:

I found gently used copies of all of the books in the Poldark series at my library’s big sale last year. Score!

Why I want to read it:

I started reading the Poldark books after watching the first season of the TV production. I have to admit this is one of the rare cases where I think I like the TV version better than the book — shocking, I know, but it’s just all so damned pretty! I do like the books, though… enough that I’ve been keeping up with the story in the books as each season of the TV production airs.

However… the show has now explored the plot of all the books I’ve read, and while there’s still one more season yet to air (*sob* the last!), my understanding is that the plot follows the events that come after the events at the end of the previous season. (Being intentionally vague…) In the books, when the story continues in the 8th book, years have passed and the Poldark children are grown up. So, possibly (if I’ve heard correctly), Ross and Demelza are no longer at center stage, but the focus has shifted to the next generation.

So that’s why I’ve been hesitant to start The Stranger from the Sea. If the plot has shifted that drastically, I’m not sure how I’ll feel about continuing the story. I’m thinking at this point that I should wait and watch the final season on TV, get all of those story threads wrapped up, and then tackle this book (and the others that follow).

What do you think? Would you read this book?

Please share your thoughts!

__________________________________

Want to participate in Shelf Control? Here’s how:

  • Write a blog post about a book that you own that you haven’t read yet.
  • Add your link in the comments!
  • If you’d be so kind, I’d appreciate a link back from your own post.
  • Check out other posts, and…

Have fun!