Maintenance Monday
Series vs. Stand-Alone
A while back, aurillia asked me if I prefer books in a series format or stand-alone. I had to think about it, and frankly, I realized I have no real preference. Some readers avoid books that are part of a series because they don't want to get hooked on something else they have to keep up with. I understand that stance, as I tend to think that way when it comes to television series, but when it comes to books? I really don't have a preference one way or the other. If the book interests me, I get it, unless it's the second or third in a series I haven't started, and then I take a long look at the first book to determine if it's gonna be right for me or not. Often, I'll hold off on getting such serial books right away, because I want to get a good feel for the reviews across the board.
But really, there's not a whole lot of commitment in starting a series. If I like the book, I'll likely get the next, but that doesn't mean a different series I'm already reading will keep me entertained, so I may drop that one while picking up the new one.
So I really don't mind starting something new, with one exception: fantasy. And by fantasy, I don't mean modern or urban or anything like that, but EPIC FANTASY. The kind where each installment is its own door-stopper. There's so much COMMITMENT involved with just a single book it's hard to justify starting the series until you know how well it's going to be received once it's finished. That doesn't mean I haven't started a few: George R.R. Martin, Jacqueline Carey, Diana Gabaldon (who's actually time-travel romance, but the size issue still stands). I've liked them, and gotten the other books. It's just hard to want to keep reading due to the commitment because each book is an EPIC DOORSTOPPER.
On the other hand, stand-alones are kind of nice. You know going in that you're getting a complete story, so you can enjoy it fully. Of course, there's always the chance that the author intends for the book to be stand-alone when it really needs a sequel, but we can't help that, can we?
That's me. What kind of reader are you? Series books only? Stand-alones only? Or a healthy mix of both?
Also, if you have a question you'd like to see addressed in "Maintenance Monday," just comment!
Book Club Selections
December: The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
January: The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
Book Sale: I'm selling bunches of books out of my collection. Interested to see what's available? Just click here for all of the details!
Upcoming Reviews: Give Up the Ghost by Megan Crewe, Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
Currently Reading: Skin Game by Ava Gray
Book Meter: 7 books to go before we hit the big 100! I've got until the 31st. What about you, how many books have you read this year? How many do you want to read?
A while back, aurillia asked me if I prefer books in a series format or stand-alone. I had to think about it, and frankly, I realized I have no real preference. Some readers avoid books that are part of a series because they don't want to get hooked on something else they have to keep up with. I understand that stance, as I tend to think that way when it comes to television series, but when it comes to books? I really don't have a preference one way or the other. If the book interests me, I get it, unless it's the second or third in a series I haven't started, and then I take a long look at the first book to determine if it's gonna be right for me or not. Often, I'll hold off on getting such serial books right away, because I want to get a good feel for the reviews across the board.
But really, there's not a whole lot of commitment in starting a series. If I like the book, I'll likely get the next, but that doesn't mean a different series I'm already reading will keep me entertained, so I may drop that one while picking up the new one.
So I really don't mind starting something new, with one exception: fantasy. And by fantasy, I don't mean modern or urban or anything like that, but EPIC FANTASY. The kind where each installment is its own door-stopper. There's so much COMMITMENT involved with just a single book it's hard to justify starting the series until you know how well it's going to be received once it's finished. That doesn't mean I haven't started a few: George R.R. Martin, Jacqueline Carey, Diana Gabaldon (who's actually time-travel romance, but the size issue still stands). I've liked them, and gotten the other books. It's just hard to want to keep reading due to the commitment because each book is an EPIC DOORSTOPPER.
On the other hand, stand-alones are kind of nice. You know going in that you're getting a complete story, so you can enjoy it fully. Of course, there's always the chance that the author intends for the book to be stand-alone when it really needs a sequel, but we can't help that, can we?
That's me. What kind of reader are you? Series books only? Stand-alones only? Or a healthy mix of both?
Also, if you have a question you'd like to see addressed in "Maintenance Monday," just comment!
Book Club Selections
December: The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
January: The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
Book Sale: I'm selling bunches of books out of my collection. Interested to see what's available? Just click here for all of the details!
Upcoming Reviews: Give Up the Ghost by Megan Crewe, Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
Currently Reading: Skin Game by Ava Gray
Book Meter: 7 books to go before we hit the big 100! I've got until the 31st. What about you, how many books have you read this year? How many do you want to read?