David Estes Fans and YA Book Lovers Unite! discussion

Which do you prefer reading? Series or standalones?

In the past, I've always loved series, especially long series, because I love getting addicted to characters and worlds.

The problem is, I generally don't like to read a whole series at once (or all the books aren't out yet). So, I start a series and it seems rare lately that I finish them! I made a list, and last time I checked I have started over 140 series and not finished them!! This is starting to bug me.

So lately I get real excited about a standalone!! The one and done is really awesome, as long as its written well enough to "tie up" all the loose ends!

I like both, but I'm less fond of a series if the characters are in danger when a book ends. I also like books where each book is a primary story, but there's a consistent backstory that crosses all of the books. You can jump around in those, but I still like to read them in order.

I will say that I've been waiting to read Game of Thrones until he finishes the series. Thinking that might not happen now, so something of a problem.

I prefer standalone books but there seem to be way more series books in the YA world - even books that start as standalone books often become series if they are popular.

I'm a fan of both, to be honest. Standalones don't allow me to enjoy the world or characters as long as a series does.

A series allows mW to enjoy it longer, but if it's too long, that can get pretty annoying sometimes. I might love the world and the characters, but there's only so much I can handle for long.

Honestly it really depends on my mood. Overall, I prefer series slightly more. I really like delving into the continuation of a world and learning more about characters and their relationships. However, standalones can sometimes be more satisfying for me because sometimes they disappoint me less than series, such as a series going in a direction I don't like/agree with.

I don't really have a preference. There are pros and cons for both, after all. With a stand alone book, things are more likely to be tied up neatly at the end, but if you grew to like the characters and the world, you have no oppertunity to read more. With a series book, on the other hand, you get to spend plenty of time with the characters and world, but you have the risk that the author will either take forever to write the next book, or treat the books like giant chapters, and leave you with a cliffhanger ending at the end of each book... Maybe even both!

I generally read series more than standalones. I feel like in series you have the option for more world building and getting to know the characters better. however sometimes series get to heavy for me and I just need to break it up with a contemporary standalone. it's nice to have an ending.
my main problem with series if the books are too spaced out or if there are more than 3 or 4 books is that I often just find myself losing interest in the story.

I like both, but I enjoy nothing more than finding a series I love and getting lost in the characters and the world. So, I guess I would say series are my favorite.

99% for series. 1% for standalones. I love, love, love, a good long series. Trilogies are okay but anything longer is my groove! :D

I like both -- I go for stints where I read series for so long that a good standalone is a breath of fresh air!

I think it really depends. With a good series, there can be so much extensive world-building and characterization, and I love that. But with a series, the author also risks getting repetitive, stretching out the story for no good reason, throwing in random plot twists, etc. and that can be frustrating. So I also appreciate that standalones are concise and just tell the whole story in one go. In either case, they have to be really well-crafted and planned out for it work. :)

I have and have read way more series than standalones but recently I'm looking for more standalones. There's something satisfying about finishing a story in one book.

Yes, it's definitely nice to not have to wait a long time to find out what happens. I keep making the mistake of starting series that haven't been finished yet!

I like both but with a series I want them all ready to read so no waiting and then forgetting most of the past one(s). I read a lot in similar genre so easy to lose track of previous ones in series. Also love stand alone novels. It's all there, one and done.

I also have a problem with forgetting everything that's happened in a series, lol. That's partly why I'm re-reading a bunch of my favorite series this year.

It depends. If I like book one, I will keep reading the series. Lately so many books are coming out in a series though that it is getting tiresome. I starting to avoid books if it says book 1 or even hints at being a series.

It makes it easier to read a series if they are all written. For me, anyway.

Brigid *Flying Kick-a-pow!* wrote: "I also have a problem with forgetting everything that's happened in a series, lol. That's partly why I'm re-reading a bunch of my favorite series this year."

I have this problem all the time. I am also not good about reading series books back to back even if the entire series is out. I like to mix up my reads from book to book.

Same, same. I almost never read books in a series back-to-back or else I just feel totally overwhelmed. I need to spread it out, haha. :)

Heidi (Yup. Still here.) wrote: "Brigid *Flying Kick-a-pow!* wrote: "I also have a problem with forgetting everything that's happened in a series, lol. That's partly why I'm re-reading a bunch of my favorite series this year."

I ..."

Me too! I rarely read a series all at once!

I like series, but I would also like to kind some good stand alones.

Great discussion everyone! Either has their pros and cons I guess!

Series for me! I am and always have been a binge reader! I get in the mood for a certain world or genre and totally immerse myself for a while. :)

Hm.. It's a tough question.
I read a lot of series because you get to hang out with your favourite characters for longer. You get to build deeper and stronger connections with the characters and the story. There are some series that I wish would just go on forever!

But writing a series is also very risky because there's more chances for the author to screw up, or at least, lose the attention of the reader. For example, a series might suffer from middle book syndrome and lose your interest (i.e. The Testing series by Joelle Charbonneau). Or perhaps the entire series builds to a climactic finale but doesn't end the way you want it to (i.e. Allegiant by Veronica Roth or The Trap by Andrew Fukuda). Maybe the series simply drags on for too long and becomes a chore to read (how I felt about the Throne of Glass series by Sarah Maas).

With standalones, you have less time as a reader to build a connection to the characters, but there are also less risks involved. You don't have to worry about middle book syndrome- you don't have to churn through 5 books only to be sorely disappointed by the conclusion.

I'm not sure which type of book I PREFER reading, but I will say that my most treasured reads are usually series, simply because, again, I've had more time to grow attached to the story. However, most of the books I am most bitter about are sequels or series finales that have not at all lived up to my expectations. Standalones for the most part sit somewhere in the middle for me- I don't despise many of them but I don't treasure too many of them either. In that way, turning a novel into a series can be a brilliant or a fatal decision as an author. It's certainly an interesting topic of discussion.

Well said Daniel!! I wholeheartedly agree!!

Agreed with everything you said, Daniel! That's a good point, I feel like there's a much greater risk of being disappointed by sequels/series finales. With all the build-up in a series, it's really difficult to avoid the ending feeling anti-climatic.