booksbooksbooks discussion

What are your thoughts on stand-alones vs. trilogies vs. long series? Any you prefer or do you not care as long as the story is good?

I don't really like a series to be longer than 5 books unless it has a very clear base (likes if its set in a school and each book is a year - Malory Towers or Harry Potter). When the series is book after book after book it just feels like the author doesnt have a clear idea of where the story is going. The good thing about long series is that if you love the characters you dont have to say goodbye for ages!

I love trilogies (if done well). You have to think when writing a trilogy, the first book is an introduction to the story and the 3rd book has to be a good ending. In between you have to somehow transition from the 'easy' first book to the 'dramatic' third book. Hunger Games is a great example, in the first book it's just the 74th annual hunger games, then in the 3rd book you have a big war (much darker). In between you have the (imo perfect) transition. From the 75th hunger games which is similar to the first book but slightly darker and then the thing that happens which transitions to the 3rd. Trying not to spoil!

Stand-alones are great too. You don't have as much time to attach to the characters and hear the storyline but well done they're very fun to read (and you can get through a lot more different books!). A lot of the time stand-alones don't tie everything up and your left to decide some things for your self. Is this good or bad? You decide.

Most of my favourite books are series but I think if I had to choose I would say stand-alones are my favourite. Like Soph says, it's easier to get through more books and they're easier to look back on and judge as a whole (not to mention easier and more fun to review - or at least that's the case most of the time for me).

Series are amazing but, yeah, sometimes it can be a pain to have to read like ten books about the same story and characters when there are so many different books out there that you could be spending your time on. Still really enjoy series though. Sometimes I find it hard to let go of the characters I love and just wish the series could go on forever!

I never really read trilogies but they sound like the perfect bridge between stand-alone and series, so I am definitely going to try and read some more of those in future!

The only long series I like is the True Blood series because it's awesome lol! Or the Georgia Nicolson confessions! But I prefer trilogies or stand alones :)

Nah wait. It goes

1. Trilogies
2. Stand alones
3. Long series