A little Bookish Banter to get us through. Bookish Banter is a little bit of banter about our bookish thoughts as we have a friendly discussion over a nice cup of tea.
How many books do you like in your series?
Ash-
I think if it's meant to be a series, it needs to be no less than 3 books, I kind of don't really like series that are 2 books. And no more than 7 books.
But I think series that are 3 books are my favorite. Because you get a lot of the story, but it's not too much.
Anything over 7 feels like serious overkill. Even for middle grade books, I feel like more than that is just way too much.
Like, the Pretty Little Liars series. They have 15 million books in that series! Okay, more like 16 books total. But seriously, who needs that many books in the series!?
One of the only series that I do really like that's that many books, is The Cherub series by Robert Muchamore. That series has 12 books in it, and then they have a spin off series that has 5 books (As of right now, maybe more coming?)
Another series that I love that is long, is the Gone Series by Michael Grant. As of right now it looks like there is going to be 9 in the series. When I *thought* I finished the series, there was only 6. And I loved that. But then the author decided to add more to the series. So we'll see if it's too much for the series.
One of the series I wish they would just stop (With spin offs, more of the series, and prequels) Is the Mortal Instruments series. The first three are some of my favorite books EVER. But I read the 4th one, and I really did not like it. I also read Clockwork Angel, and honestly it felt like the exact same characters as the original and it was just too many. At this point I'm really tired of her just writing about the same stuff over and over again. I'm kind of tired of it.
The Mortal Instruments is the sequel to The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare.
Prequel: The Infernal Devices
Spin-off: The Dark Artifices
Manga adaptation: The Infernal Devices: Manga
Companion Book: The Shadowhunter's Codex
Spin-Off: The Bane Chronicles
Spin-Off/Sequel: Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy
ORDER TO READ THE SHADOWHUNTERS CHRONICLES
* City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1)
* City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments #2)
* City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments #3)
* Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, #1)
* City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments #4)
* Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices, #2)
* City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments, #5)
* Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices, #3)
* City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments, #6)
* The Bane Chronicles (#1-11)
* Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy (#1-10)
* Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices #1)
* Lord of Shadows (The Dark Artifices #2)
Found from Goodreads
See all of that!? That is just... that's ridiculous. Just stop.
Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I prefer 3 books, but there are a few series that have more than that and they're still pretty good.
Jenn:
This is a terribly hard question to answer. I think most of the time 3-7 is good but maybe sometimes 3 is too short and 7 is too long.
Some of my favorite series...
The Gold Seer Trilogy by Rae Carson
This series was so good. I loved it and though it felt complete and maybe all the story was out, I could really use more of these characters this world.
Jasper Dent series by Barry Lyga
This series had three books and I felt that it was perfect. It ended and though I would miss Jasper and his friends I felt very satisfied the story was over.
The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Oh how I loved this series. Four books without counting some novellas. I could use so much more of this world and these characters. The main story is done yes, but spin offs would be so great. Please
I love the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris... although I have only read two. I have only read two because there are so many. I just think this is way too many. I will read them only because I have a need too, but I could have done with less in this series. I believe there are 13 books.
So I will hold to my my answer of 3-7 for series, but it really depends on the series and the author and the story and the characters. I guess when the characters are done, they are done.
What are your thoughts on series? Do you have a number of books to a series that makes you happy?
I go back and forth on series; sometimes I like them, sometimes I don't and prefer a stand-alone book. I am reading a couple long series - Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series, which is up to 9 and probably could have ended around 7 books; the Outlander series, which is up to 8, with at least one more coming, I think (and these books are SO LONG, like 700+ pages each); and the Inspector Gamache series, which is up to 13 books, but I would continue to read that one as long as the author wants to write it!
ReplyDeleteI don't mind duologies and trilogies, at least they have definite beginnings and endings. I don't like when I think a new YA series is going to have 2 or 3 books, but then the first book becomes super popular and then the author decides to extend the series. It just becomes slow and has too much filler.
I think you are being spot on, no more than 7. Around 7 many start to drag, some already at 5. Then they might get better again and then drag. So stop at 7 peeps. Absolutely no more
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more about the MI series, enough is enough! I loved the I Hunt Killer series it was so much fun! I miss the characters.
ReplyDelete3 is my preferred number because all things must come to an end. I can do 4 sometimes, but nothing after 5 books. I think I only made it up to book 10 in the PLL series. I used to be able to read all of the long series (like Sherrilyn Kenyon's books), but I just get series exhaustion!
ReplyDelete