I would like to make a proposal that could revolutionize reading and solve a serious problem facing today’s bookworms.

A brief aside: No, I’m not suggesting an approach on the magnitude of curing the common cold, solving the Middle East crisis, or ending world hunger. But believe me, I can’t be the only reader out there plagued by this issue.

The issue is this: In a world with so many books to read, how is a devoted reader supposed to keep plots and characters straight when a year or more elapses between publication of volumes in a series? I typically read 100+ books in a year. I don’t care how much I loved book 1; if a year goes by before book 2 is available, there’s a really good chance I won’t remember how the first book ended.

It’s not that I don’t care (usually) or that my memory is getting a bit shabby (well, let’s assume that’s not the case). Just think about how many other book plots I’ve followed in the intervening year, how many other characters’ lives I’ve become enmeshed in. How can I possibly pick up where I left off a year ago with no loss of detail? And if I don’t remember all the details, how can I possibly care about what happens next? As a result, one of three scenarios is likely. One, I will read the book anyway, remember just enough to get by, and hope to figure out whatever I’ve forgotten as I move along. Two, I start the book, realize I don’t remember enough of the storyline to really enjoy it, and walk away. Or three, since it’s been a year, I realize that I’m no longer interested in finding out what happens next, and don’t even bother starting book 2.

I’m sure none of these outcomes are what the publisher or author is hoping for.

My solution? Hey, here’s where all my hours of TV viewing prove useful. You know how each episode of your favorite one hour drama starts off with a “Previously on…” segment, giving a brief recap of the major plot points that have already happened so you can start the new episode with the relevant details fresh in your mind? Well, why not provide something like that in books in a series? Wouldn’t it be helpful to have a “previously” page when you pick up book 2? It could be a one-page cheat sheet, a bullet-pointed list of what you need to know, what happened at the end of the previous book, and what the unresolved issues are.

Take, for example, The Cat In The Hat Comes Back. You don’t remember what happened in The Cat In The Hat? Well, a previously page included in book 2 could identify:

• A boy and his sister were left along in a house for the day.
• A mischievous cat came along and entertained them, but trashed the house.
• Drama ensued when the children’s mother appeared about to enter the house.
• The cat saved the day by cleaning everything up at the last minute.
• The cat promised to return another time for more fun.
• The children’s mother had no idea that anything unusual had occurred during her absence.

See? Now we’re all ready for book two. (Silly example, I know, but you get the point).

I had a fortunate experience with a very gracious author recently. When the 2nd book in her most recent series was released, I realized that I couldn’t remember exactly what had happened to each character at the end of the first book. I figured, it’s better to ask than not to read the book at all, so I sent a message to the author via Goodreads asking if she had a synopsis available anywhere on her website so I could refresh my memory. She sent me quite a lovely response, with a list (bullet-pointed!) of about 15 major facts to know from the conclusion of the 1st book. She also pointed out that she’s gotten that same question from a  lot of readers (so Ha! it’s not just me) and that she should really find a way to put something online — with big, huge spoiler alerts plastered all over it — so that returning readers could access the information if they wanted. Because she sent me this information, I picked up book 2, was able to jump back in to the story without feeling at a loss, and ended up not only enjoying the book, but very much looking forward to book 3.

I could name several series that I’ve started but haven’t continued, and it’s largely due to the same issue: Too much time has gone by and the story from the first book is no longer fresh in my mind. Granted, for my favorite authors and series, I’ll always re-read the previous book because I don’t want to lose a single detail. Examples that come to mind are Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series, George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, Deborah Harkness’s All Souls Trilogy, and the Harry Potter series. But in most other cases, my mantra of “so many books, so little time” holds true. I’m just not going to spend time re-reading a book unless I absolutely loved it. And so, in most cases, my sequel-phobia kicks in, and the odds of my sticking with a series are not that great.

So come on! Wouldn’t you love a “previously” page in all your sequels and series? Would having an easy reference like that make you more invested? Would it make you more likely to continue with a story that you read over a year ago?

Listen, what do the publishers have to lose? A few people who maybe would have started the series at book 1 but now figure they’ll just jump in at #2? Seems unlikely. But by providing easily accessible “previously” pages for ongoing series, there’s a lot to gain — namely, returning readers who can reinvest in a series and carry on without feeling disconnected or losing interest altogether.

Do you remember this terrific Sesame Street song?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnoJwfnzmqA

“Every story has a beginning, middle, and an end…”

Words to live by… except nowadays, when just about every other book I pick up is part of a series. Seriously? Whatever happened to starting and ending a story within the covers of a single book?

It’s frustrating beyond words, especially when you don’t know what you’re getting into from the outset. I remember picking up a copy of The Hunger Games when it first came out, and wondering, as I approached the end, how the author could possibly wrap things up with so few pages left to go. The answer, of course, is that she didn’t. Yes, I’ve since read and loved the entire trilogy, but I wish I’d read the reviews more carefully ahead of time so I wouldn’t have been taken by surprise. Same thing happened to me just a couple of years ago when I read Haters by David Moody. I absolutely had no idea that the story wasn’t complete in one book until I saw those dreaded words on the last page: “to be continued”.

Why so many series, trilogies, sequels? One cynical answer is that there’s more money to be made from three books than one. I especially wonder when I look at the young adult fiction shelves: does every story need so many parts? Or is this an after-effect of the Twilight phenomenon, which proved that teens (and adults) will get hooked on a story and then buy more, more, and more?

And then there are the series that just never seem to end. Charlaine Harris has announced that next year’s Sookie Stackhouse novel will be the last… but in my opinion, this is a series that passed its sell-by date a few years ago. Whether the blame lies with the publisher, the marketing team, the agents, or someone else entirely, it’s hard to see the stretching out of this series as anything other than good business sense. You’d be hard-pressed to claim that these books still have much to offer in terms of plot or character development; in fact, in the most recent few installments, I firmly believe that if the author had cut all the pages devoted to Sookie’s daily beauty routines, we might have been able to condense it all into one decent book instead of three or four mediocre ones.

Even when the writing is excellent and I’m immediately engrossed in the plot, it’s the year or so of waiting in between installments that really drives me nuts. And at my “advanced” age, who knows if I’ll even remember what happened in book one by the time book two comes out?

My new resolution, which I’m trying to keep without too much waffling, is to begin a new series only if I know that the entire series has already been published. A friend had been after me to read Jim Butcher’s Codex Alera series for quite some time, knowing how much I enjoy the Dresden Files books. I resisted and resisted – “I don’t need another series in my life!!” – but when I heard that the sixth and final book had been released, I started from #1 and read all the way through the series, barely coming up for breath in between. And you know what? It was fantastic! I enjoyed the books, and I loved being able to follow the characters along their varied trajectories in a seamless journey, without losing the thread of the plotlines due to the long intervals in the publishing schedule.

The same friend has been urging me to read Patrick Rothfuss’s Kingkiller Chronicles. I’m sure I’ll love the books… but for now, I’ve declined my friend’s entreaties. My response so far: “Tell me when there’s a publication date for the third book in the trilogy, and then we can talk.”

Not to say that I don’t have series that I faithfully follow and adore. Give me a never-ending supply of Outlander novels by Diana Gabaldon, and I’ll be happy as a clam. (So what if Claire and Jamie are in their 90s? I bet they’ll still be one hot couple!) Likewise, I’ll wait as long as it takes until George R. R. Martin publishes books six and seven in the amazing A Song of Ice and Fire series.

But picking up a new series at this point? I think I’ll pass. Give me a beginning, middle, and an end, all in one tidy volume, and I’m yours.