FINISHING A SERIES - DO OR DON'T
When I first started reading books that
I had purchased myself I was into series. I would go down to my local
independent book store with the little money I had left over and buy
myself either a new Christine Feehan book or a J.R Ward book. Those
books are still sitting on my shelf almost 8 years later and I am not
even anywhere close to done with them. You might ask why, but I am
fairly sure we all know the wonderful temptation of a new book and
with a new book comes a new series or trilogy and over time if you
are like me and keep collecting and starting new ones soon enough
your older books are collecting dust and you forget what even
happened in the series you started a while back.
It got me thinking about some questions
I wanted to ask myself, and questions I wanted to ask fellow readers
and bloggers. In journaling these questions I began to evaluate not
only the way I read, but the way I buy books, collect books and share
my passion for them through reviews and hauls. What if I truly could
sit down and do something as amazing as a marathon. Granted it would
take me a few months of reading, but I could do it and finish some
series in a matter of months rather than years. How wonderful would
it be to be able to look at a pile of books and say – yes I
finished that series and it was an amazing ride. I imagine that
feeling every time I start the first book, the second and sometimes
even the third if I get that far. Now I don't just want to imagine
it. I want to make it a reality.
I have talked about what a commitment
it would be do take on something like finishing a series. It would
mean really picking and choosing to start new books and new series
over getting back into older ones. Recently I was reading the fourth
book in The Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R.Ward [granted it
has taken me a few months of dipping in and out of it] and while I
was enjoying the pleasure of finally sitting down and reading a lot
of emotions were rekindled while I reintroduced myself to the
characters and the world I had initially fell in love with. It was in
that moment, flicking through the pages and falling deeper in love
with characters that felt like old friends that I knew I didn't want
to wait another eight more years to jump into the next book. But how
could I do that when alone there are more than ten books in the
series and I have so many other books waiting for me to read.
The answer is simple – I just do it.
It is not going to be easy. Nothing
ever worth doing comes easy. I am in for the ride though. No pressure
on myself. Keeping it simple. The way to change a habit or a thought
pattern is one baby step at a time.
In the meantime check in next week
where I will be answering these questions and feel free to take
sometime to read them and think about your reading life. I might even
come back with a TAG video.
Make
yourself a cuppa – Grab a pen and Journal your thoughts...
Do
you only read the first book in a series and is so why?
Do
you like a quick rehash of the previous books in the series before
you jump into the next one or do you prefer longer backstory?
What
are some of your favorite series and why do you continue to read
them?
If
you are/ were a writer - How do you plan to keep your reader
interested in continuing your series?
What
makes you want to continue a series?
What
makes you not continue with a series?
If
you pick up a book that is not the first in a series, will you read
it anyway and go back to the first later? Or go to the first and
start from there?
What
would make you read a series out of order?
What
series do you wish could go on forever?
What
series do you wish had ended at book one?
I
also found some interesting articles that corresponded with the
questions. Happy reading and writing readers !
http://badassbookreviews.com/series-i-need-to-continue/
- Series I need to
continue - perspective on reading a series out of order.
