Hi everyone! How are you doing? How was September? Did you go back to school? Is summer break over where you live? It was still really sunny here in September and I’m really holding on to those last drops of summer! Holidays already seem so far away ugh.
I’m happy to be back on the blog today to talk about an issue I’ve been having for a little while. For one who used to LOVE series, well… lately, I can’t get seem to get into it anymore! Here’s why:
☂️ I’m afraid of commitment.
There are A LOT of books out there that I want to read and lately I don’t seem to be able to commit to 2, 3 or 4 books revolving around the same story. I just can’t.
If I like it, it’s going to last a while and I don’t know why but it bothers me, I feel like I’ll be stuck in the same story for too long (it really shouldn’t annoy me if the story is good!!).
If I don’t enjoy it, it will feel like I wasted my time a little bit and also like a bloody unfinished business (and I HATE unfinished business…). I mean, what if the first book ends up with a big twist? I’m going to want to know what happens next (and yes… even if the book wasn’t all that good). What if the next book is better? God, I already feel bad for giving it up.
☂️ Related blog post: I never DNF books: here’s why!
☂️ I already read so many good series.
Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Uglies, The Lunar Chronicles… most of my favorites books are series. I bet you’re thinking: is she serious right now??! But just hear me out…
So yes, most series I’ve read have become my all-time favorite stories but now… I can’t seem to get into another one because how the hell are they supposed to compare to those epic ones??! I’ve got SO much expectations, I just don’t want to be let down.
☂️ I don’t want to wait ages before the next one comes out.
I have the memory of a gold fish and the patience of a cat waiting to be fed. If I decide to start a book series, ALL the books better be already published. I’m not going to wait years or even a few months to know what happens next otherwise I’ll forget everything and I really don’t want to re-read the first one to be able to get back into the story.
Most of the time, I’ll just never pick up the next book (even if I enjoyed the first one!). What a shame really!
☂️ All books are not worth it.
It’s already super hard for one whole book to be awesome from the beginning to the end. I mean there is always some stuff that we don’t like, some boring chapters, some twist we don’t get, some annoying dialogue between characters. It’s SO much harder to keep the quality during 3 or 4 books.
Let’s see with trilogies. The first one can be overdetailed and slow to put everything in place or really really good and impossible to compete with. The second one can be disappointing compared to the first one or packed with too much action. And the third one can really drag the story on or have a really bad ending leaving you frustrated as hell. It’s not a set rule or anything but that’s what I see most of the time.
I like it when each book deals with one problem that helps move the plot forward toward the ultimate end which wraps nicely everything up. I do not like when it’s one long-ass story with hundred of characters that’s just chopped up into meaningless chunks. I need continuity and consistency and surprises!
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What about you? Do you prefer reading series or standalone novels? Why?
Do you have any awesome series I NEED to get into asap?
Let’s chat in comments ?
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My biggest reason is the first thing you mentioned, I don’t want to commit. I have been burned by some series too. I start them, and the author either abandons them or ruins them with terrible decisions. The wait is tough too, which is why I am glad that there is quite a backlist of series for me to read should I decide to do so.
Glad to see I’m not the only one feeling that way! The commitment is just too much, haha 🙈 Oh yees, sometimes the first one is so good and then it just goes downhill 😭
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on the subject! 😘😘
Wow, I didn’t realize I’ve been unable to read book series lately until I read your post! For me, I definitely relate to having commitment issues and I also hate the agonizingly long wait for the next installments, as I end up forgetting everything too 🤣
Haha, welcome to the club! 😁 Yeees, same here it’s so annoying 😅😅
Thanks for stopping by 😘😘
I’m the same way! When I was younger, I used to read a TON of series! Now, if I’m reading a book in a series, it’s usually me trying out book one, and then deciding not to continue on. I think there are a few reasons I no longer read series as much.
The first is a lack of time. I’m reading less now that I’m in college, and since like you, I don’t remember books after a few months, when it comes to series, I usually do a reread of the entire series that has been published at that point in time. And I just no longer have the time or desire to do that.
The next big reason that I’m no longer reading series is because I’ve pretty much stopped reading fantasy books, and 98% of series are in the fantasy/sci-fi genre. I stick to contemporaries and romances, where even if there are series, you don’t have to read the books in order, so it still feels like a standalone would.
I also came to realize that I don’t enjoy most finales, and straight up dislike most second books in trilogies. Basically, my enjoyment of series just started to disappear, and I realized that I was happier reading standalone books, so that’s what I do now!
Yaaay, I’m so glad to see I’m not the only one 🙈
That’s SO true about fantasy and sci-fi genre being 98% series!!
Good for you! I’m also a standalone books kind of girl and that’s just the way it is 😁
Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts! Happy reading 😘😘
For me it is definitely the commitment. I’m a slow reader and don’t read often so I lean towards standalones. But there are tonsssss of series I really want to read lol
I totally get that!
Haha, life as a reader is so hard damn it!! 😅
Thanks for stopping by and happy reading 😘😘
I do read series, but I read them much more rarely than I used to. The biggest issue I have with series is that, like you, I have no patience and my memory is terrible, so waiting for the next in an on-going series is such a pain. :/ I’m currently reading a few on-going series, but most of them are ending this year (or have ended, I just haven’t picked the final book up yet). I prefer reading backlist series I can get through in my own time, without having to wait. 🙂
I totally relate, such a pain 😔
Yeees, same here!
Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts 😘😘
I still love to read series but I agree with your point about, reading so many good series makes expectations too high for newer series and it’s pain to wait for next book release in series. Great post! Currently I’m reading old series. I started Robert Langdon and read first book Angels & demons. It was amazing even though I have already watched movie.
Yeees, glad you agree 😊 Thank you so so much! 🥰🥰
Oh, I need to check it out then 😊
I enjoyed reading series but most of the time, I only read until trilogies tops. I just couldn’t commit to long, 4 books 6 books series!
Yeees, I can totally relate to that!
Thanks for stopping by 😘😘
I definitely prefer standalone books! I really rarely read series because of the commitement it takes 😀 That’s why I haven’t read even the most famous series (Harry Potter, The Hunger Games…). Same goes with movies. I think I’m just not made for series 😉
Yaaay, I’m not the only one 😁
Well…I think that’s perfectly fine. Series aren’t made for everyone 😊 (You should still read Harry Potter and The Hunger Games…😏)
Thank you so much for stopping by 😘😘
I can totally see your points! PersonallyI love series, the longer the better haha! But I totally agree with you on the waiting.. I hate waiting between books and then forgetting what the previous book was about.
The best thing is to start a series when it is fully released!
(www.evelynreads.com)
Haha, I also get that, when the book is SO good you just don’t want it to end too soon 🙈
Yaay, glad to see I’m not the only one!
Totally agree 😁
Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts 😘😘
I read some series, but I definitely prefer standalones. Series can just be too hard to keep track of, when’s the next book coming out, what happened in the last one, etc.
YEES! Totally! Glad to see I’m not the only one feeling that way 🙈🙈
Thanks for stopping by and happy reading 😘😘
My biggest problem with series is definitely forgetting what happened in the last book. If I have to wait ages for the next book to come out then there’s almost no chance I’ll remember what had been going on! I usually look up summaries online, but they still usually miss out some important things and I end up confused.
On the whole I think I prefer series, but they’re definitely more of a commitment, and do have downsides!
Yeees, I have such a bad memory!! 😔
Thank you so so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts on the subject 😘😘
“I can’t seem to get into another one because how the hell are they supposed to compare to those epic ones??!”
A MOOD.
I have 3-4 series I may dedicate myself to in 2021, but I may have to stop after that. I can’t keep up. Also, it gets expensive… especially adult SFF series.
Haha YEES!
Oh my god yes! SO expensive that’s crazy 😱
Thanks for stopping by 😘😘
YES! I can relate to this. When Goodreads tells me that a book is part of a series, my brain kind of just skips past it and looks for another book. It’s rare that I like a whole series. I’ll read the first few books, and then they start going downhill, and I end up disappointed. Or the author never finishes the series, which is also disappointing!
Oh my god YES! It totally happens to me too!!
Too many disappointments, I’d rather stick to standalones or be really really sure to fall in love with the series 😊
I did FOUR posts on my blog about reading/not reading series. I think… I prefer not to read series.
Oh my god 4 posts??! Haha! 😂
Well…good for you! Series just aren’t a great fit for everyone!
Thanks for stopping by 😘😘
I am definitely more into standalones too. I’m afraid of commitment, afraid for my money spent on an entire series and i’m also horrible at waiting for the next one, because I will forget everything from the first book.
I do like the kind of series that can be read as standalones, but have some of the same characters or the same setting.
Great post Nyx! 🙂
Oh my god yes about the money!! I didn’t even mention it but yes!
Thank you so so much, I’m so happy you enjoyed it 😊
Happy reading! 😘😘
I understand about reading a series takes a long time to read. I got stuck on the Tommy and Tuppence book series by Agatha Christie. I thought it was just three books, but I found she wrote five books. I didn’t really like the last one she wrote. I’m also doing the Cotton Malone book series by Steve Berry. They really really good. He wrote some standalone books too. I currently waited on the one he wrote last year from Overdrive. Right now I’m reading the “newest” Twilight book. And then I will read the sequel to Bird Box.
Oh my…I think that’s such a bad surprise when you see there are WAY more books that you thought there would be 😱
I’ll need to check all those out!!
Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts! Happy reading 😘😘
I love a series and I love standalones, but one thing about publishing These Days is that so many books get purchased as a series that didn’t necessarily need to be one. Like, it could have been more satisfying to just do a standalone in that world and tell one complete story! So I often end up in situations where yeah, I liked the book and the worldbuilding and the characters, but maybe not enough that I want to spend the next two years of my life with them.
On another note: I would like serieses better if publishers made it standard practice to put a little “previously on” section at the front of all second and third books in a series. How useful would that be?
YEES! Totally agree with you there!
Oh my god, that would be awesome!! It would be so useful with my terrible memory!
Thank you so much for stopping by, happy reading 😘😘
Series are pretty much all I read and write! Lol. I don’t want my journey with characters to be over with just one book. 🙂
Haha! I can totally get that! 😊
Oh no, this post is way too relatable! I used to be SO into series, but it’s been so long since I’ve really gotten into one. Commitment is hard, especially when you read the first one right after it comes out and committing to the series means you have to wait multiple years for the whole thing to come out. And like you, I have a terrible memory, so if it’s a fantasy series with a complex world or magic system, it’s pretty much hopeless.
And yes, it’s so hard to find a series that’s genuinely good and satisfying all the way through! I can really only thing of a few that manage that for me. And I know that some series get better as they go along, but really, if I don’t love the first book, it’s tough for me to put the energy into reading the rest.
Well, good luck to us both 😭
Yaaay, glad to see I’m not the only one feeling that way 🙈
Oh my god yes, it’s terrible when it’s a fantasy series! I can’t remember how the world works, the characters’ names and who is related to who! 😅
Totally! If the first book isn’t good, you’ll just never pick up the next one no matter how good it is. It’s a shame really!
Haha, good luck indeed 😂😂
That’s a great post! It’s been a while too since I haven’t read any huge series, except for the Keeper of the Lost Cities’ one, but I started it at the beginning of 2020, so I have 8 books before getting to the “waiting” part (I’m at book 6 already!) It’s middle grade, so it’s not too much of a big of a deal, and it’s really nice to read when life gets overwhelming. But yeah, otherwise, lately I read standalones.
Thank you so so much! 🥰
Oh, I haven’t heard of this one! I’ll need to check it out 😊
Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts 😘😘
I have been reading fantasy series for a while now; I am definitely afraid of the commitment especially having been let down a few times! I’m working my way into reading more standalones. I hope that sticking to a TBR would help with this! I put off reading The Dragon Republic for a long while because I didn’t want to forget everything when The Burning God comes out hahaha hence why I also prefer reading a series that is already completed!
Yeees to reading series that are already completed! I do not like to be kept waiting 😂
Thank you so so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts on the topic! Happy reading 😘😘
I am totally with you on this. I reached a point of exhaustion with series a few years back and now I’m REALLY picky about the ones I do pick up. Like you said, it’s such a commitment! Especially as to really get the most out of it you have to do at least some rereading to refresh your memory along the way
Yaaay, I’m not alone! 🙈
Yeees totally!!
Thanks for stopping by, talk soon 😘😘
Ah I love this discussion Nix! I love series, but I love marathon-ing them so I think I have to agree with hating having to wait for the next instalment. I just read a book (an ARC actuallly) that is the first in the series and I adored it and literally hate that I have to wait a whole year haha
Aww thank you, I’m so glad 🥰
It’s SO much better when the series is completed! I do not like to be kept waiting 😂
The wait definitely kills it for me, but I’m still a sucker who starts new series. Fantasy series at that!
Totally! We don’t like to be kept waiting 😅
Oh yes, I can get that! Good fantasy series are 😍😍
Thank you so so much for stopping by 😘
I agree SO MUCH honestly. Especially with your first point! I am so BAD at the commitment lately, for the same exact reasons as you. If it’s good, I STILL feel some kind of obligation, even though I liked it, which is bizarre, and then if it’s bad, I hate the unfinished business but then I also don’t want to read the next one? Ugh. Writing off the series is so impossible for me! The wait is a biggie for me too, I think because half the time, by the time it comes out I have already moved on. Which, I know cannot be helped, but here we are!
YAAY! So happy to see I’m not alone 😁
Ughh yees! It’s SO annoying!!
Totally, I don’t like to be kept waiting I’m just going to move on and that’s that 😅
Thank you so so much for stopping, talk soon 😘😘
ooh I loved this!! I love series, and I always end up reading them, but I can also relate to my of these arguments and I believe they are the reason I don’t read *as many* series nowadays hahaha There are so many books and waiting for the sequels is the worst!!
Aww, thank you!! 🥰
Totally! God, I don’t like to be kept waiting 😅
Thank you so much for stopping by 😘😘
A lot of the books I’m reading these days are standalones or first books of a series, so I really liked this post, Nyx! The last time I finished a series, like actually finished one, was…months ago? I can’t seem to get into the headspace of finishing a series anymore, because like you said, reading in the same world for a long period of time (especially if the plot sort of drags) can be a little tiring, unless it’s really conceptually unique or such. And when TBRs are huge, it’s more interesting and pressing to read a variety of books rather than ones that are all in the same world. Glad to know that I’m not alone in not finishing series! Again, lovely post 😁
Thank you, I’m so happy you enjoyed it ☺️
Totally!! I’m glad to see I’m not the only one feeling that way!
Thank you so so much, happy reading 😘😘
Good post. I’m still enjoying two–the new books are annual fixtures on my calendar. At times though, I miss BIG books. That’s really what most series are today–a big book chopped up into little books. I supposed I will read a series again if I find it “late” and there are several books all ready out.
Thank you! 😊
Yeees totally! It’s exactly like that, a big book chopped up into little books!
I totally agree, if all the books are out and it seems promising I could give it a shot 😁
Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts on the topic 😘😘
I do still read series, but I read many many less than I used to for all of the reasons you listed. It’s really hard to wait a year for each book, but then I also have a hard time reading a series all at once if its all out because that’s a lot of bookish time to spend in one world with no breaks.
Yeees, that’s exactly how I feel! Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts 😘😘