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Thoughtful Thursday – Magic Number – July 10, 2014
Reading Is Fun Again created Thoughtful Thursday. Each week, she posts a new bookish thought that she discusses.
Everyone is welcome to join.
July 10: Is there a magic number for the number of books in a series for you? Will you only read series with four or less books in a completed series? Do you prefer long series (10+ books)? Does the number of books in a series matter?
Well, I might get some backlash for this, but I don’t DON’T want to sift through generations worth of loosely related characters whose only common thread is their home planet or story universe. I guess that means that although I actually adore the first few books in the Dune series I will likely never read the whole thing (Muad’Dib’s great great great cousin twice removed? Naaaah. Not interested). I’m also not a fan of extra super long series like those in the Star Wars universe; I haven’t read any of them. As long as you’re consistently using the same characters (Sookie Stackhouse, The Dresden Files, etc), I’ll probably keep reading. But if I get all attached to the characters in the first few books and you kill them all off <ahemGameofThronesahem> you’re going to have trouble convincing me to continually reinvest.
Be sure to check out the other posts on this topic at Reading Is Fun Again.
3 Comments
by charliegirlteachergirl
I’ve never thought of how I select series…My two favorite series sets currently have 8 and 12 books. It’s not necessarily that I like longer series, it’s just I loved the characters in these two series, and the storylines, and the authors just kept writing! In face, I thought both the authors were done with the series last year, and found out one published three or four more books, and the other published another one as well. I am extremely hesitant to actually buy a book in a series without conducting a thorough investigation with sneak peeks. I don’t think the number of books in a series matter, except when the author continues to drag and hash it out in new books that serve no obvious purpose, except for a few more bucks….and maybe movie rights. That, I don’t like.
by Melissa Ruiz
I agree… it’s all about the characters! I’ll follow a few great characters through a hundred books!
by Reviews from a Bookworm
Great answer, definitely agree that it’s all about the characters. I don’t like series where they are loosely linked. I like a series that follows a set of characters on their journey, not one that’s just set within the same world. I do prefer shorter series to longer ones, but it depends on the quality as well. Here’s my answer.