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Topic: Anyone else suffering from series overload?

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Subject: Anyone else suffering from series overload?
Date Posted: 10/21/2011 10:43 PM ET
Member Since: 8/23/2007
Posts: 26,510
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I have too many series going at once.  I read a lot of genres and I'm overloaded with series.  I just can't seem to keep myself from starting new ones or making myself finish all the ones published for all these series I have.

I'm really thinking about boxing up a bunch of my books and leaving out just a few seires at a time.  Maybe 1 from each genre.  I can leave out my stand alones.  Maybe that will force me to finish some up.  I have a bunch of plastic bins filled with my daughters out grown clothes.  I've been meaning to haul them to the thrift store. (the clothes not the bins).  I have plenty of room in my basement for them.  If I do that should I put anything in the bins for preservation? It's actually a pretty dry basement.  I don't need to run a dehumidifier or anything.  My clothes never smell musty when I rotate seasons.

Or does that sound like a completely dumb idea? I kind of feel like I have too many choices. 

 

Date Posted: 10/21/2011 11:28 PM ET
Member Since: 7/31/2006
Posts: 14,634
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I've thought about doing the same thing with a bunch of my tbr not just series(minus the basement since I don't have one of those) I'm overwhelmed with choices too but at least we'd get exercise going up and down stairs(mine would be stored in a closet/bedroom upstairs) and yours in the basement! you're a fast reader though so you may be getting a lot of exercise

Date Posted: 10/22/2011 2:08 AM ET
Member Since: 5/3/2006
Posts: 6,436
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Just my experience/opinion, but I think it's better to just thin them out than hide them away. I used to have a special bookcase just for the books I didn't really want to read until I realized how insane that was. For me, either two things would happen, you'll forget you have them, in which case what's the point, or they'll still nag at you, in which case what's the point? But that's me, might work differently for you.

Date Posted: 10/22/2011 8:13 AM ET
Member Since: 8/30/2008
Posts: 2,207
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Personally I've been against the series thing for years - I miss the days of single-title books, read it and move on. No worry about having the rest of the books, no worry about missing subsequent titles.

A time or two in the past I've thought about gathering up all the books I have (assuming they've been catalogued so I can find them) in a particular series and banding them together so I can tackle the books. Not necesarily back to back but at least being 'able' to read them all.

I think about 95% of the category romances are part of a series, some are loosely connected, some more closely tied-in, and I'm not even contemplating the big books that are a series. It's overwhelming, isn't it? Reading should be fun, not this challenging!

Let us know what you decide, Mary; or if anyone has suggestion on how I could handle the situation - I'd love to get to some of the series but they're scattered over the house, in various boxes and bookcases, and it seems an impossible situation.

Gail - who's in a reading slump which isn't helping at all

Date Posted: 10/22/2011 8:15 AM ET
Member Since: 8/30/2008
Posts: 2,207
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Just happened to think that I have so many started but unfinished books that I've often thought about dedicating December as a clean-up month: either finish the books or dump them. Some I really want to finish but had to set aside to read PBS  books to mail, or had library books to finish first, and I just never got back to my own stuff.

Gail

Date Posted: 10/22/2011 9:27 AM ET
Member Since: 8/23/2007
Posts: 26,510
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I'm making 2012 my series clean up year.  Finish all the dead ones, catch up the ones I've started but put down for some reason.

I have a list of about 50 books now where there's a lot of copies at the library. I'm going to donate all those.  I'll probably take some time to look up some others that the library is likely to have and donate those too.  Post any that are WL since I'm down to 4 credits.

In our house in WA, I kept the bulk of my books in plastic tubs in the garage, sorted by genre.  It didn't stress me to have them out there. Having them sorted by genre made it easy to find one when I was looking for something specific.

What I really need to do is not join anymore games and to put myself on hold in the VBs I do for a few rounds. 



Last Edited on: 10/22/11 9:28 AM ET - Total times edited: 1
Date Posted: 10/22/2011 10:18 AM ET
Member Since: 4/25/2007
Posts: 11,442
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I don't worry about series.  If I have a book from a series, I will read it.  I don't care if I read them in order.  If I can get my hands on them in order, great, I'll read them in order.  If not, I'll just read what I have.

Date Posted: 10/22/2011 12:01 PM ET
Member Since: 5/3/2006
Posts: 6,436
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I think I'll start Sinful in Satin today, I'm reminded that's a series i'm trying to clean up. How sad is that, when I have to go to special effort to finish books by my favorite freakin' author?  I'm obviously seriously out of control.

Date Posted: 10/22/2011 4:38 PM ET
Member Since: 2/24/2006
Posts: 5,498
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I quit reading several series in 2011.  I've got the first books in two different series I haven't started yet and I have a few beloved series I can't quit.   But for the most part, I try to either love a series or quit reading it.  2012 is going to be a different kind of reading year for me I've decided.  Along with being more ruthless in culling bad books, I've also decided to read what interests me and not what's popular and I feel like I "have" to read.

Date Posted: 10/22/2011 7:15 PM ET
Member Since: 5/3/2006
Posts: 6,436
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"Along with being more ruthless in culling bad books, I've also decided to read what interests me and not what's popular and I feel like I "have" to read."

I'm still working on this. I keep getting books because everyone else is reading them and then having no interest whatsoever. It just adds to my stress level. Heh, this is turning into the TBR reduction thread.

I like your resolution for a different reading year in 2012!

Date Posted: 10/22/2011 9:18 PM ET
Member Since: 5/3/2006
Posts: 6,436
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Well, never say I don't practice what I preach -- I culled 16 books/10 series!

Date Posted: 10/22/2011 9:35 PM ET
Member Since: 11/15/2005
Posts: 273
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Well I'm definitely in the minority! I love series and will wait to read the whole in order , even several years. I just get so much more enjoyment with everything fresh in my mind.

Date Posted: 10/23/2011 12:16 AM ET
Member Since: 8/23/2007
Posts: 26,510
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I only read what interests me but everything interests me.  I don't worry about reading a lot of romance or myster series in order.  Most can be read out of order. But a lot of the paranormal/urban fantasy series have to be read in order to follow them right. I've noticed romantic suspense series are getting that way too.  With a continuing story line.

I'm going to put myself on hold in my VBs for a few rounds. See if I can get some books read ahead of time and to read without worrying about mail by dates.  Hopefully  I can keep from joining any new games as well.

Date Posted: 10/23/2011 12:19 AM ET
Member Since: 8/23/2007
Posts: 26,510
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Feel free to list your opinions on series you know can be read out of order or are much better in order.  We can help eachother out.  I'm too tired to think of many right now.

I think the Black Dagger Brotherhood and Midnight Breed books are best in order. I've read a few TFlac books by Cherry Adair out of order and had no issues following.  Same with the McKettrick/Creed books by Linda Lael Miller.

 

Date Posted: 10/23/2011 1:36 AM ET
Member Since: 10/30/2006
Posts: 8,426
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I think it just goes back to the basic thing you laid out and I have followed since you did: don't but the next one in the series until you have read the one you have. That right there has saved me so much time and money. The only time I have broken that was at the Borders going out of business sale when books 2 and 3 were there for 80 cents each.

Date Posted: 10/23/2011 1:58 AM ET
Member Since: 7/29/2008
Posts: 1,520
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I both love and hate the whole idea of books in a series!!!  I love reading a series...some evenings it's nice to curl up with a cup of tea and old friends; but, at the same time, I like the stand-alones, so I don't have to become obsessed with finding the entire series!!!  And, I can become OBSESSED!!!!  LOL  I swear I will only get the 1st one in a series, read it and decide if I really like it enough to get the next one...and so on.  Then, I find the 3rd, 4th (or whatever) at my favorite Goodwill store for 50 cents...of course, I buy it.  Then, discover that the 2nd one has a semi-long WL, so I have all these "orphans" hanging around!!!I doubt there is any cure, but, isn't it interesting how books can end up almost controlling our lives!!!!!  LOL

Date Posted: 10/23/2011 9:09 AM ET
Member Since: 8/30/2008
Posts: 2,207
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One thing I'm obsessed over is when reading a book, having a secondary couple pop up and wondering if they have their own book. Sometimes they're so interesting that it's disappointment when I find out they DON'T have their own story.

And I should realize by now that virtually every book I buy will be part of a series, that if it's an author I've just discovered, then I know I'm in for a search.

OR......maybe I should just not buy the book so I can concentrate on the books I already have.

Books do almost control our lives.

Gail

Date Posted: 10/23/2011 10:54 AM ET
Member Since: 8/18/2009
Posts: 2,920
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I tend to be very author specific and it takes me along time to of reading other peoples reviews before I take on a new author. I have really found some awesome books that way. If I read one that doesn't strike my fancy then it goes back to the UBS or PBS and I don't pick up anything else by that author. There are too many great books out there to waste time on one that doesn't work for me. I wish some authors would stop their series, they have wore it out. Case in point, Jayne Ann Krentz, her Arcane series is done...put a fork in it. Kay Hooper's Bishop's Specialists...I love paranormal, but it is time to move on.  There are so many other authors that I just quit buying.

Date Posted: 10/23/2011 12:25 PM ET
Member Since: 2/24/2006
Posts: 5,498
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the Black Dagger Brotherhood and Midnight Breed books are best in order.

Definitely!  I would also add to this list:

Patricia Brigg's two series: Mercy Thompson and Alpha & Omega

GA Aiken's  Dragon Kin series

Deborah Cooke's Dragonfire series

Rose Gordon's Scandalous Sisters series

Thea Harrison's Elder Races series

Lisa Kleypas's Wallflowers and Travis series and Hathaway series

Nalini Singh's Psy Changeling series, as it has an ongoing back story

 

Date Posted: 10/23/2011 5:17 PM ET
Member Since: 8/23/2007
Posts: 26,510
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I read the first few Arcane Society and Harmony books by Krentz/Quick/Castle out of order and had no problems following it.  I read the later ones in order but that's mostly because I had caught up and acquried them as published.

I just asked to be put on hold in 2 of the VBS that I do. Just to not have a reading deadline for them.  The other two are in mid-play and I'll do my best to pass this round and then ask to go on hold. 

 

 
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