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View Poll Results: How to read series? | |||
Read the entire series from start to finish. | 60 | 38.71% | |
Read until fed up, read another book, and return. | 52 | 33.55% | |
Read one book from series, then another, and return. | 33 | 21.29% | |
Read two or more series at once. | 10 | 6.45% | |
Voters: 155. You may not vote on this poll |
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02-05-2013, 01:24 AM | #31 |
Wizard
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I read what ever books are out in a series. Then wait for the next book in a series. Now days a lot of authors are releasing 10-20 book series or even if they are a 3 book series they are part of a universe that keeps on going. I am reaching a point where if just read a new released book from a series I am following I would barely keep us as currently I am following 50 or more series that have not ended yet. And most of the authors release a book a year not counting the short stories.
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02-05-2013, 03:41 AM | #32 | |
Grand Sorcerer
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Quote:
But yes... Heritage, Voyage, High Druid, Genesis, Legends, Dark Legacy ... all these "sub"-series are one story simply (and often brutally) split over multiple books. You could probably read any of the sub-series in any order you wanted to (though there would be a few spoilers along the way if an entirely chronological approach was taken by a first-time reader), but jumping into the middle of one of those sub-series might certainly lead to a lot of confusion. Brooks has always maintained that first-time readers should read the books in published order ... chronological is fine for those who may be "revisiting." |
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02-05-2013, 04:28 AM | #33 |
Zealot
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I answered "read the entire series from start to finish" but that is how I prefer to read them.
The truth is that most of the series I've read over the years were done in the "one book now and another in a year's time or more" because the sequels were simply not published yet. And of course I read other books in between. I have also read series out of sequence. I would pick up a book that was,say, the second or third book, read it and if I liked it then read the whole series. This is in fact how I read Pratchett. I remember even now that I started with "Small Gods" and I was hooked. I then read and bought his books in whatever order I could find them and they were perfectly enjoyable and understandable. For me Pratchett's books are not really a series or many series, they are just tales that share characters. Back on topic, if the series is complete and I have it all then I will read all the books, one after another. This is how I read Patrick O'Brien's Aubrey-Maturin series or Cornwall's Sharpe. If the series is not complete I'll just read what exists (e.g. George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire). |
02-05-2013, 05:06 AM | #34 | |
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02-05-2013, 06:03 AM | #35 | |
Wizard
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02-05-2013, 07:50 AM | #36 |
eBookworm
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My best reading experience of 2012 was when I read book one of a tetralogy, got hooked, bought books 2 and 3, and book 4 was released as I was finishing book 3. I felt so lucky that I had discovered the series so late in the game!
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02-05-2013, 07:59 AM | #37 | |
Guru
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There's a few series where fans and in some cases authors have suggested alternative reading orders. I tend to read in series order if books are numbered, otherwise it's a coin toss over whether I'll find a page that lists a preferred reading order before finding the published date order |
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02-05-2013, 08:28 AM | #38 |
Wizard
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I almost never read two related books back-to-back. In fact, ideally I'll completely change genre and style with every book.
If I'm enjoying a series I like to savour it, and space it out with other books between installments. It's a rare cliffhanger that will make me go straight into the next volume. I do still have to buy all volumes in advance, though. That's probably how I ended up with this TBR. |
02-05-2013, 08:32 AM | #39 |
Grand Sorcerer
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Every now and then I will read a couple of books in a row from a series, but I usually like interspersing my series reading with other titles. I do tend to read series from book one to the end though without side-trailing. I think I've read all of the Brooks' Shannara series except the last triology that is on book two now in order.
Discworld is the one series I haven't read in published order. |
02-05-2013, 08:35 AM | #40 |
Wizard
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Once I am immersed in a world, I like to stay immersed. When choosing the next series to start reading, I will favour a series that is complete over one that isn't, but that isn't always a rule. If I have too many unfinished series on the go, I tend to forget the details of the ones that didn't grab me as much and lose interest in finishing them. I currently have about 14 open-ended series that I follow.
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02-05-2013, 08:56 AM | #41 |
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I'm working my way through several different series at the moment. I always read a series in order, but I read other standalone books in between, to give me a bit of variety. Also, I try to vary the genres, so I'll read a crime novel (in the Ngaio Marsh "Inspector Alleyn" series that I'm working through), then perhaps a fantasy novel in the "Rucluse" series, and then maybe a standalone SF before I go back to the next Alleyn book.
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02-05-2013, 09:19 AM | #42 |
Wizard
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For me it depends on the length of the series and if the series is finished or not. I have no problem reading all the Harry Potter books, Lord of the Rings and Harry Dresden Files back to back.
I'm currently reading the Jack Reacher and Harry Bosch series' but I've stopped and am reading other books before getting any more from those 2. I've only completed 5 books in each series so far. I figured I should take a break so I don't get sick of them. I won't even bother re-reading A Song of Ice and Fire until it's completely finished, and if that doesn't happen, oh well. I try to read a series in publication order since that's usually the way the author intends them to be read. |
02-05-2013, 09:56 AM | #43 |
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Yeah. When a writer is writing something such as a trilogy, I will never buy the books as they are released. I'll wait until the trilogy is finished and buy all three at once (after seeing on the internet that they get good reviews, or I won't buy any of them).
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02-05-2013, 10:02 AM | #44 | |
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I think it best to write trilogies in which the books span one story, or are three stories that are related, but follow up one another, if one wants to keep publishing in a world. And don't start an quintology when you're 86 years old. Bad idea. I won't buy it for fear that it'll never be finished. |
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02-05-2013, 10:42 AM | #45 |
Omnivorous
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Yes Jon. We know you're opinion on reading the Discworld books. The problem is that it is just your opinion. Many of us *have* read the books out of order and do just fine.
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