Anything Goes discussion

What is your favourite series of books?

Love the Susan Hill "Simon Serrailler" series of well written crime fiction. Also, Lian Hearn's tales of the Otori and Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth. My recent guilty pleasure is the Dark-hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon, but they are a tad too saucy to read one after the other!

Currently reading back to back Alison Croggon's Pellinor series, better than Jordan's eye of the world in my mind.

Ice wrote: "Currently reading back to back Alison Croggon's Pellinor series, better than Jordan's eye of the world in my mind."

I enjoyed it too, and though I'm not sure if you could call it my favourite, it was certainly good enough for me to read twice. In the same vein, another fantasy series I really rated for its sheer inventiveness and internal consistency is Garth Nix's Old Kingdom series (Sabriel etc), sometimes called the Abhorsen series. Again, good enough to read twice.

I should say current favourite ! I was possibly answering a post from Bridgette about giving up on Eye of the World - and this is a suggested alternative. Happy for Moderator to move me ... so to speak !

i have many favourite series of books. i liked the hunger games triology as they were well written. i loved the harry potter books as i grew up with them, i have read all the books and watched all of the films as well. i am currently reading the demonata series from darren shan in which i am on book 8 out of ten, which should lead me to his cirque du freak series of books. but i am hoping to find similar serieses like the one i am reading.

I haven't been reading much in the way of series lately, but some of my favorites are:

The Deverry Cycle by Katharine Kerr (Daggerspell, et al)

Harry Potter

The Vampire Chronicles of Anne Rice (Interview With the Vampire, etc)
(also her Mayfair Witch series, which eventually combined with the vampire books in the later part of the series)

The Everworld Series by K.A. Applegate (a YA series by the same author that developed the highly successful Animorphs series)

I hate it when I see next to a title '#5 in such-and-such series' as I'd rather discover a series of related books for myself than be encouraged to buy the previous four (or whatever) titles. I tend to avoid those whether or not I'm potentially missing out, especially as it just seems a marketing ploy.

Having said that, I'm a sucker for SFF series. Currently I'm revisiting Asimov's Foundation series, having just read his final book (one of the prequels as it happens). Robert Silverberg's Majipoor sequence (as much fantasy as SF) also had me hooked for a while, and will do so again.

I also like YA series like the Philip Reeve's steampunk Mortal Engines quartet and prequels (just finished Scrivener's Moon) and Diana Wynne Jones' Chrestomanci series (re-reading all those again), and will probably eventually get around to the dreaded but admirable Harry Potter sequence for the second (or is it the third?) time.

Re-reading series gives me a chance to savour the details I missed when just following the storylines, and writing reviews helps me to distill my responses to them; hope that's the same for all you others!

Kyle wrote: "Love the Alex Cross series by James Patterson.[bookcover:Pop Goes the Weasel (Alex Cross, #5)|13143..."

Hey Kyle--just noticed something else we have in common--love the Alex Cross series and can't wait for my name to come up on library's hold list for "Kill Alex Cross"--I really like almost anything James Patterson writes.

Favourite series

Harry Dresden series by Jim Butcher
Sigma series by James Rollins
Payne & Jones by Chris Kuzneski
Scarecrow & Jack West by Matthew Reilly
Nic Costa by David Hewson
Harry Hole by Jo Nesbo
Roy Grace by Peter James
Dr Siri by Colin Cotterill

Have to narrow this down:

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Earth's Children by Jean Auel
Hercule Poirot & Miss Marple by Agatha Christie
Jack Ryan by Tom Clancy
Lincoln Rhyme by Jeffery Deaver
The Chronicle of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R. Donaldson
The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice
Amelia Peabody by Elizabeth Peters

The Dark Tower by Stephen King
Harry Potter by J K Rowling
Stephanie Plum by Janet Evanovich
Midnight series by Lara Adrian - my guilty pleasure.
The Sword of Truth by Terry Goodkind

My favourite series so far are harry potter series by j.k Rowling, shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella and Maximum Ride series by James patterson

My favourite is the Merrily Watson series by Phil Rickman. The first is The Wine of Angels if I remember correctly. They started out as very supernatural with a bit of crime (Merrily Watson is a female priest and exorcist in the Diocese of Hereford), but they've evolved into an intruiging mix of crime, tensions caused by a lot of "outsiders" coming to live in a rural area with a supernatural twist.
It's not unusual for the first two or three books in the series to be shelved as "horror" in libraries and the later books as "crime". I think "horror" is overdoing it. If you are OK with The Woman in Black, you'd be Ok with these.

I have a new favourite series since I last posted in this discussion in November last year, and some of you may be getting a tad tired of my constant enthusiam for Gail Carriger's Soulless series. They are great fun and I wish there was more than 5

I've thought of another favourite series: Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce series (It starts with The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie). They are a humourous cozy crime series with an 11 year old heroine who is fascinated by chemistry, especially poisons. I think most people will either love them or be intensly irritated by them.

Lynne - The Book Squirrel wrote: "The Dark Tower by Stephen King
Harry Potter by J K Rowling
Stephanie Plum by Janet Evanovich
Midnight series by Lara Adrian - my guilty pleasure.
The Sword of Truth by Terry Goodkind"

If we're talking guilty pleasures definitely Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series. Came to it very late on and have now become obsessed.

There are so many, to choose from! But the ones close to my heart are, James Patterson's The Women's Murder Club books, J.R.WARD Black Dagger Brothers Series, Christine Feehan's "Dark" series about Vampires (sorry I can't remember the titles completely) just to name a few, of course I don't want to leave out Norah Roberts 'Death' Series, with Eve and Roarke. ok will stop here.

I just thought of Ben Aaronovitch's series "starring" Peter Grant. The first is called "Rivers of London" or "Midnight Riot" - it's one of those books which has two titles. I think I can get away with calling this a series, the third book Whispers Under Ground will be published next week (on the 21st I think).

Claire Gulliver Mystery Series
1. Tea Is For Terror (2004)
2. Washington Weirdos (2005)
3. Intrigue in Italics (2006)
4. Cruisin' for a Bruisin' (2007)
5. Malice in Mexico (2008)
6. Carnage Goes Coastal (2010)

By Gayle Wigglesworth

JackieB wrote: "I just thought of Ben Aaronovitch's series "starring" Peter Grant. The first is called "Rivers of London" or "Midnight Riot" - it's one of those books which has two titles. I think I can get away..."

I love these too and another I like is the Brenda and Effie series by Paul Magrs, which are very funny too.

I loved Thursday Next series too by Jasper Fforde.

JackieB wrote: "I just thought of Ben Aaronovitch's series "starring" Peter Grant. The first is called "Rivers of London" or "Midnight Riot" - it's one of those books which has two titles. I think I can get away..."

Jackie, I've been looking forward to this for ages, I'm concerned about the various delays though and the reason behind them (was it poor compared to the others and needed several re-writes?); I have such high hopes for this one, having enjoyed the first two so much. I've had it pre-ordered for months - fingers crossed it doesn't disappoint

Have to admitt, being a big noir crime fan, Philip Kerr's 'Bernie Gunther' series is a must have. P.I. style crime fiction set before, during and after Nazi Germany period

Also a big fan of the Jo Nesbo 'Harry Hole' books at the mo

I like the Phil Rickman series mentioned by Jackie and also the first two Ben Aaronovitch books that feature Peter Grant. I also loved The Farseer Trilogy and The Tawny Man Trilogy by Robin Hobb.

I'm half way through Kevin Hearn's Iron Druid Chronicles and I'm finding they really are great fun. I love that they're a bit silly. I've also been meaning to start Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden books.

Is anyone about to embark on a new series??

My favourite series is definitely The Morland Dynasty by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles. Thirty Six books so far charting the lives of the Morland family from the 14th century to the present day.

I was wondering if if the group would like to start a group-read of a long(ish) series, and read throughout 2013. If there is enough interest, we can pick a series from a couple of different genres.

Joan wrote: "My favourite series is definitely The Morland Dynasty by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles. Thirty Six books so far charting the lives of the Morland family from the 14th century to the present day."

I'm really enjoying these books. I've only read a dozen so far, so need to keep going. I was at school with Cynthia Harrod-Eagles - she was in the year above me - and I felt so excited when I discovered them!

Angela wrote: "Joan wrote: "My favourite series is definitely The Morland Dynasty by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles. Thirty Six books so far charting the lives of the Morland family from the 14th century to the present d..."

So pleased you like the series. I really admire Cynthia H-E, she must do so much research for each book. I've learned so much history from the books.

I'm into my chick lit series so I'd say

Carole Matthews - Chocolate series
Sinead Moriarty - Emma Hamilton series

I am enjoying reading the four books in the Shetland series by Ann Cleeves. Now onto the third one.

Joan wrote: "I am enjoying reading the four books in the Shetland series by Ann Cleeves. Now onto the third one."

Good to know you are still enjoying those Joan, I ordered the Raven Black for my kindle at the weekend

Joan wrote: "I am enjoying reading the four books in the Shetland series by Ann Cleeves. Now onto the third one."

I think I've got all of these too - charity shop buys and one on my kindle. Will have to start them soon, I think!

Who wants to do a series read a long starting possibly in febuary and lasts until next Christmas. :)

Just finished Fated, .
It's the first in the Alex Verus series by Benedict Jacka.
It's very similar to The Dresden Files, but not quite so witty or sarcastic. I like it enough to order the next book Cursed; .

One of my favorite book series is Mrs. Pollifax. Enjoyed the whole series and it didn't loose steam at the end.