I used to gobble up the various books of a series as they were published, but I don't anymore. Partly because I absolutely HATE cliffhangers -- it's the most overused marketing technique that requires the least amount of literary talent to employ -- and partly because I no longer enjoy long, sprawling, never ending series in the speculative genre. "THE SERIES" has become a crutch for readers, authors and publishers alike. I like a Beginning, a Middle, and an End to take place between two "covers"... then I like to move on to something new. Unfortunately, most readers and authors in my favorite genre don't share my views.
Stand-alone seems to be a curse word in the SciFi/Fantasy genre anymore. Thank god for the likes of Guy Gavriel Kay, Tim Powers, Michael Stackpole, Dan Simmons (later works), Charles de Lint and the like!