Are Some Series Better Off Read Separately?

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

I have an aversion to reading any series out of order. Even when the author says the books "stand alone" I find that to get the full richness that series reading can bring that I have to read them in order.

That said I know plenty of people who read series, especially Mystery/Thriller series, in what ever random order they run across the books. I can't do it, but it seems to work for them.

Probably because most of us grew up on Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys.

[grumbles]

I generally try to read a series in order. One series that never failed was Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe. The stories were sometimes a little uneven but they were always a pleasure to read. There is a sense of continuity over the whole series. Goldsborough's continuation isn't as good and much more uneven but there's still a sense of continuity from book to book

I've been reading Ellis Peters' Felse Investigations series.Since the books take place over a period of tome the character development really requires them to read in order.

[Blossom]

I'm with Brian. I can't read a series out of order. I feel like everything is going over my head. Last time this happened I was reading Robin Carr's Virgin River and realized some details were missing. It turns out it's a spin off series of her Grace Valley series. So I had to stop and start that series but then stopped all together. Someday I'll go back to it.

The Stephanie Plum series I was told the in between numbers series was a separate series by several. It's not. I wish I had read them in order. So much happens in the Diesel books that effects the numbers books. I read the numbers first and it was only after I read the Diesel books that it cleared a ton of missing details in the number books.

If a series is a spin off you are going to miss alot if don't go back and start at the beginning series.

I'm currently making my way through Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooter series. I can't imagine reading them out of order.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Probably because most of us grew up on Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys.

Not sure what you mean. I read a ton of Hard Boys growing up (and a few Nancy Drew) and read them in order.

[Cinisajoy]

I just read whichever ones were in the public and school libraries.
I started reading them in 3rd grade.
Oh and I have to say I agree with your typo. Shaun Cassidy was Hard.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

It could be I just grabbed random ones in no particular order.

How many ways can you Kill a Character?

Her books are about the chase

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Probably because most of us grew up on Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys.

[Froide]

Binge-readable: Charlie Higson's seven-book series, The Enemy.

[Penforhire]

I had this sort of complaint after reading too many Jack McDevitt books in a row. He writes some decent SF but the structure of his stories start looking too closely matched, like writing to a formula. It really started bothering me. I do not think it would have been such a big deal if I took longer breaks between his books.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Penforhire

I had this sort of complaint after reading too many Jack McDevitt books in a row. He writes some decent SF but the structure of his stories start looking too closely matched, like writing to a formula. It really started bothering me. I do not think it would have been such a big deal if I took longer breaks between his books.

That's true. I rather like McDevitt (for one thing, there are no boring space battles in his books ), but I cannot quite force myself to binge-read him. Alternating between McDevitt and other authors, however, I find I'm really enjoying his writing.

[Nate the great]

I saw the Tom Cruise Jack Reacher movie and read half of the first novel, and that was enough for me.

I could see how it was going to end.

[rkomar]

I almost always prefer interleaving books by various authors, but I made an exception with the Lone Wolf and Cub manga series. I read all 28 volumes in about a month, and got more amped up as the series went on. As @issybird pointed out: "Series where the books are comprised of relatively discrete situations and where there's less overarching plot fair much better. They also don't have the problem where the reader forgets plot points over time, as they're not as important." That certainly holds true for this series.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

JD Robb tends to have a lot of sameness.

I assume that many writers who seem to write a book every two months are bound to have some/a lot of sameness. (I don't know how it is with this particular writer.)

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

No "should" at all. You won't enjoy characters and relationships in the same way, but mysteries are good on their own.

I disagree. Should is very appropriate. As you said you do miss out on the development of the characters and their relationships. Also, you can spoil other books in the series.

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

I have an aversion to reading any series out of order. Even when the author says the books "stand alone" I find that to get the full richness that series reading can bring that I have to read them in order.

I find that when someone says yes, this book (not the first in a series) is stand alone that it's not. I read in order for the same reason you do.

That said I know plenty of people who read series, especially Mystery/Thriller series, in what ever random order they run across the books. I can't do it, but it seems to work for them.[/QUOTE]

One thing some people don't realize is that by reading out of order, you do get spoilers sometimes.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

I saw the Tom Cruise Jack Reacher movie and read half of the first novel, and that was enough for me.

I could see how it was going to end.

The problem with the movie is that it spoils the series because it's not based on the first book.