Though I am a standalone gal, I am still drawn to many series. There's no denying that a series can tell a really complex story and answer more questions than a standalone can. There's also a stronger ability to connect with the characters and with the world, because you're immersing yourself in their lives for several thousand pages.
Don't get me wrong, I've done some trilogies/series. The Hunger Games, Divergent, Twilight, and Shatter Me are the ones that come to mind.
But let's talk about now. For Christmas, I asked for The Mortal Instruments (seen above) box set. I tried to read City of Bones a few years ago but didn't really like how info-heavy it was. With all the hubbub of Shadowhunters coming out, my curiosity was sparked once again. The spines are SO FREAKIN' GORGEOUS and I thought, why not give it a try now? So I started.
Before I finished book 3, City of Glass, I largely considered taking a break after. I thought about reading something else, just to break it up, but I started to feel guilty. If I stopped, what if I never started again? Would the series go unfinished? Was I just giving up?
So here's the bind: I want to read book series but I am terrified of the commitment.
The commitment, especially in a fantasy-heavy setting like the Shadowhunter world, is intense. I don't just need to remember character names but certain laws of the Shadowhunters, what their weapons do, and what all the "made-up" words mean. If I stray, I'm worried I'll forget. But if I keep reading, especially since I've included The Infernal Devices into this series dive (glutton for punishment, right here!), I might get burnt out.
By starting TMI, I set the next 6 books I'd be reading. By realizing reading TID would help round out the world of the Shadowhunters, I increased that number to 9. I've already spent 3 weeks on just 3 of the books because they aren't exactly quick reads. Do I really want to be reading about Shadowhunters for another month and a half?
Another thing I do, I've realized, is put off reading a series until most or all of the books are published. I think I do this because I'm scared of forgetting all parts of previous books (which, again, is why I binge-read) or needing to re-read to get the full effect (I am not much of a re-reader). This is silly! So many other people do this and are totally normal about it. But this is like long-term commitment. Double-terrifying.
Mostly, though, I think I'm terribly nervous about the constant guilt I feel having so many books that I haven't read yet. How dare I focus on the same characters and stories when these books I just had to buy are still sitting there, unread, and will take less time to read than 9 books?
I'd love to know how you approach reading book series.
Do you take the time to read them all at once? Do you take breaks? If you do read them as they are published, do you re-read the books beforehand or do you have a technique for remembering key parts?
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