8.08.2017

Why We Love Series


I read a lot. And I read fast. Thankfully I've built up my TBR list to such a huge scale that I'll never run out of books.

What I love the most is book series. Most readers feel the same way. As a writer, I can't help but wonder why people love series so much. Stand alone books can be fantastic reads, but series of books attract me much more.

First, and most obvious, is that we can't get enough of what we love. We want more. Series of books fill that need. Finding characters I love make me want to follow them through their whole lives. Exploring wonderful new worlds can have me reading for hours, and I get excited when new parts of the world are revealed as the series goes on.

I get deep into plots that slowly unfurl over time. With a story just in one book, it all has to be tied up at the end, but in a series, there is a longer buildup for the over-arching plot. I want all the details, to wonder what might happen next, and to be taken on all sorts of twists and turns.

Another reason we love series is familiarity. We know the characters and the world. There's comfort in that, and when the author manages to surprise us with something new in our favorite series, it reinforces the adoration.

Choosing from the countless shelves of other books can be overwhelming. Something in the same series makes our next read an easy choice. Less stress is good for us all.

What are your favorite things about reading a series?

I'm celebrating my urban fantasy series, Totem, with the release of the 8th and penultimate book today!

Some say the moon is for lovers, but wise folks know to fear it.

Kinley Dorn must be strong for her family in these dark times. Sometimes she feels she’s all that’s holding them together. But when the frightening Moon Man attacks and bestows a burdensome gift upon her, Kinley might have to do more than simply help her family. She will have to battle a god, but which one? If it’s the sly man hunting her in the astral plane, Kinley might not make it out alive.

23 comments:

  1. Hi Christine - I think as you suggest ... the story lingers and then develops with, as we know, new blooms ahead. I'm sure it's a good way for some authors to write and get known; so they can be easier to plan and write, as well as for readers they know what to expect and are happy to read another in a particular series. Cheers Hilary

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    1. If I like a series, I will eat it up! It is definitely a good way to keep readers happy.

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  2. I do like series but also like the stand alones. Except when an author's voice becomes so familiar that even their stand alones feel like a series (if that makes sense).

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    1. I think Dean Koontz is a good example of what you're talking about. Most of his books are standalones but the story arcs are so similar and his voice so distinctive, you know what you're getting. I think it's a case of wanting something familiar but different.

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  3. I love a series and rarely pick up a stand alone. I'm invested in the characters and want to know how they're doing. It's like they're old friends :D

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  4. I prefer reading series because I enjoy spending more time with the characters. Of course, I need to get better about reading all the books in a series. I've gotten bad about reading one or two and then putting off the rest.

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    1. That's because there are so many good ones out there!

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  5. Congratulations!
    I like both. Sometimes I want a tidy wrap-up. Sometimes I want to revisit familiar faces. I've done both as a writer and they each have their advantages.

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    1. Thanks, Alex. That's a good point. It's nice as a writer to be able to move on to a new world.

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  6. Congrats, Christine! I enjoy both series and standalones, but series do have that special attachment to the world and characters which makes them like comfort food - familiar and cozy. :)

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    1. Thank you, River! Yes, comfort food like chocolate and cookies. Mmm...

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  7. I can literally live inside a story/book I love. When I was young, it grew my imagination. I eagerly read the Island Stallion, Black Stallion, Nancy Drew, and Anne of Green Gables series. Stories that weren't series, I ended up reading about 100 times or more. I read Man O'War about 300 times as a kid. In fact, the checkout card was filled with my name. Since it wasn't a series, I made up my own stories. :) As an adult, I like series and singles equally. If I like the writer, I'm willing to read all their books.

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    1. I do the same thing. I have all these worlds in my head inspired by books I love. I miss writing in that little card and seeing who had the book before and after me.

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  8. I like both standalones and series. I'm drawn to series for many of the same reasons you mention - wanting to see what happens to the characters next, revisiting the setting (especially for sci fi/fantasy novels), the overall story arc.

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    1. Oh yes, sometimes the setting is as much of a character to me as the characters!

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  9. Christine, you are a master of the series book. I admire that. I have stuck with a few series books, and when I did I got a lot out of it.

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  10. Congrats on wrapping up your series, Christine. What do you think of a series that has no overarching story arc? The Conan stories are the ones that come to mind first.

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    1. Thank you, Jeff. I don't mind episodic series, but I do prefer the bigger story arc going through all the books. I'm a character writer and reader, so to spend all that time with the characters, I want to see growth.

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  11. There's a few series I read pretty faithfully! There's this series called, "Cheese Shop Mysteries" and I LOVE the recipe ideas in it. The food descriptions are so vivid. I'm also a huge fan of paranormal YA stories or scifi/end of the world type of series in YA format. :)

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    1. Mmmm, cheese. YA is very popular, especially those series.

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