So with all of the
new wave of books coming out that are the end to trilogies/series, it's really
got me thinking: I suck at completing
series. Seriously, I can probably list off a handful (less than ten?) of series
that I've actually completed. No joke. And I've compiled a list of reasons as
to why I never get to finish series, because I really truly want to. I
sometimes get the tugging in the back of my brain, and it's nagging me,
constantly whispering, "Don't you want to know what happens to _____ in
the end?" I always read the first book in the series… and then I never
read the rest. And it's not like the first book is so horrible that I don't
want to know what happens after--because frankly, there are a lot of books
where I want to know what happens next. Without further ado, here are my
thoughts on why I don't finish reading series.
It seems like it's
mostly the debuts, but I love starting a
new series. There's the sense of a fresh, new start and meeting new characters
that is just fascinating. And I usually end up enjoying the first installment.
So reason number is… I have to wait too long for
the sequel. This seems to be a common issue among all readers. WE NEED
THE NEXT BOOK, NOW. Whether it be left on a cliffhanger or not, we like to know
what happens next! Maybe I'm just impatient, but I'm curious. And it's not even
just that I'm curious, I also start forgetting what happened and all of the little details.
Most of the time, what happens for me is that when a sequel comes out, I get really pumped to read it. But then… I get a
little wary of picking the book up again because I'm like, "Wait, what was
the main character's name again..? AWK." And then I'm thinking, hmm, I'll
just put it off. Because honestly, I have a hard time enjoying books when I
have no idea who so-and-so is, or what a dadada is. AND THEN I NEVER GET TO
FINISH THE SERIES.
And oh, I've tried
to remedy this. My thoughts consist of: I'll
re-read the first book in the series, and it will jog my memory. The
problem is, who has time for re-reads anymore? There's always review books and
the books that's hot at the moment, there just isn't time to read a book that you've already read! So of course, this
detracts my need to read a sequel that
I've seriously been anticipating. I honestly don't remember when I re-read a
book (besides Harry Potter). I've thought about series long and hard for awhile
now. Should I not start series until they are
completely done? But then I have to wait for SUCH a long time for all
three to be out, and by then, ERRRbody's already read them and I'll be so
behind. And plus, there's always that situation where I read a full series and
there's that ONE AUTHOR who decides to add more books to the
supposed-to-be-done series. Dilemmas, dilemmas.
Of course, I've
still been reading the first books in series because I want to. Recently, after I finish reading a book and I write the review, I write a summary and a bullet point list of spoilers for myself. It sounds COMPLETELY dorky, but it really
helps me rethink the entire book through, and maybe next time when the sequel
for a particular book comes out, I can refer to my notes that I took after
immediately completing book one.
I guess my main
issue with not completing series is that I forget what happened in the previous
books, and then I'm too lazy to jog my memory. But tell me:
Do you tend to finish series? Do you read them
immediately after the release date, or do you read them all at once, once
they're all published? Do you have any strategies to help remember what
happened in the previous books? Or do you just go into the sequel, hoping that
it will jog your memory immediately? Should I wait patiently for entire series
to come out to read them? Talk to me, people! <3
In case you're
curious, here are just some of the series/sequels that I haven't finished
(a.k.a, your chance to slap me silly for not finishing these)
- The Chemical Garden Trilogy (Fever, Sever)
- Angel Trilogy (Angel Burn)
- Hex Hall Trilogy (Spellbound)
- Revenants Trilogy (Until I Die)
- Across the Universe Trilogy (A Million Suns, Shades of Earth
- Unearthly Trilogy (Hallowed, Boundless)
- Divergent Trilogy (INSURGENT….)
- Angelfire Trilogy (Wings of the Wicked, Shadows in the Silence)
- Hush, Hush Saga (Finale)
- Mara Dyer Trilogy (The Evolution of Mara Dyer)
(You get the idea.
*hides in corner*)
Happy discussing (and reading series!),
Jen xx
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