Are You an Obsessive Series Reader?

If you read and enjoyed Book One of a series, do you then have to read all of the rest? I just finished reading all eleven books in JR Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series–I started on March 29, and chewed through all of them by this past Saturday.

As I step out of this Ward fog, life is still going on around me. And I’m kind of relieved actually. I really have other things I need to be reading, but more importantly–doing. Because when I get my teeth on a series like this, I’m reading when I don’t normally read. Barring something unusual going on, I read every day, but within certain time allotments. But this past month, I was reading in the mornings on weekends, or coming home from work and reading, when I should be concentrating on writing or revisions.

But I also miss the Brothers! I love getting immersed in a world like that, with an author who delivers. I’m not usually someone who tears up reading romances, but man, the emotional rollercoasters she executed were quite something, and more than once had the ol’ tear ducts working. I think my favorites were V and Z stories, and my heart just broke for Qhuinn. And Lover At Last was my first M/M Romance. I think my least fave was Phury’s, which was disappointing because I was really looking forward to his.

Reading them also had a side benefit–they were a great lesson in Deep POV writing. If you’ve been wanting to see Deep POV in action and don’t mind walking on the dark side for your romance, you can’t go wrong reading these.

What about you? Do you chew through a series that grabs you to the exclusion of other things you should be doing? Have you read the BDB series? Which were your faves?

11 Replies to “Are You an Obsessive Series Reader?”

  1. I’m not too much of an obsessive series reader because there are series I start and the books become worse, so I don’t feel it’s worth finishing (like The House of Night series). But then there are others I do chew through and am happy to do so because it’s always nice to find out that a book you love has more. And I haven’t read the BDB series. I’m currently reading Grave Assassin (His Fair Assassin).

  2. I’ve only read 1 JR Ward book, so haven’t read the BDB series. And yes, when I discover a series which interests me, I try to read them all. Anny Cook’s Mystic Valley; Cindy Spencer Pape’s Gaslight Chronicles and her Motor City saga; Nora Roberts’ Key, Sister, and Born trilogies; Sabrina Jeffries’ Heiress School series. Gotta have them and reread them multiple times:)

  3. When I find a series or an author I love, I go deep & obsessive & read everything there is until I’m done and then I’ll re-read it all again. I did that with the BDB series, and most recently with Kristen Ashley: Colorado Mountain series, Rock Chick series, Unfinished Heros series, and everything else she’s written.

  4. When I find a series, or author, I like, I will definitely find everything and read it all. I was that way with Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark series. But lately I try to dole things out as treats. LOL That’s why I haven’t read all of the BDB books yet, so I know I’ll have something to look forward to. It’s kind of a motivational tool. 🙂

  5. I confess, I have to start the series at the beginning and read till the end. If all the books aren’t out, and I found the writing to be not exactly what I like, I probably won’t finish, but if all the books are out, I will. Sad but true. Tweeted.

  6. I have been wanting to check out this series. You might have just tipped me over into want to “need”. Thanks, Angela!

    I was obsessive with Laruell K. Hamilton’s Merry Gentry series. Once I started that series, I had to plow through. I found most of the books at Half Price Books in paperback and supplemented one, I think, on my Kindle. It’s a hot, fun, fae infused series with lots of hot menage and a pretty fascinating plot involving the court of the unseelie queen. I liked this series better than Anita’s series, but I do like the early Anita stuff (around Obsidian Butterfly L.K. started losing me).

  7. I tend to read an entire series, but always allow myself the out that if the quality of the writing starts to decline, I’m outta there.

    The first series I remember plowing through was the Hornblower saga by C.S.Forester. Great imaginative books for an adventure-seeking teenager. I was probably sparked to read that series after having read “Treasure Island,” by R.L. Stevenson, one of my favorite books as a kid, and still a first-rate adventure.

    Haven’t read the BDB series, but am currently working my way through David Baldacci’s work. So far, after about 10 books, his quality remains high.

    Chris

  8. right now the only series I’m reading is the Jeanne Frost night huntress series. Bones is too hunky not to read. But I don’t read them in one go. I like to save the good stuff when I need something good to read. The Ward books were recomended to me but I glanced at the blurbs and something turned me off –maybe I should try again?

    though after I read Discovery of Witches one of the best I’ve ever read, I did run out and get book II (not quite as good)

  9. Oooo, love, love, love the Brothers! 😀 And I’m a total series nut. I can’t just read the first book and put it down. I have to read all of them (well, all that are available at the moment).

    V and Z are also my all-time favorites (I totally agree with you Phury. I really had to push myself to finish that one). But Tohr and Quinn’s stories were so heartbreaking and wonderful that they almost bumped V and Z from their spots at the top.

    The Deep POV is one that I’ve always loved about J.R. Ward. She really knows how to get into these guys’ heads. Whenever I’m stuck or having a hard time getting into the POV of a character, I usually pull out one of the BDB books for a bit and it helps. 🙂

  10. I’m the same way, Angela! I just discovered the Dresden Files series last month and I’m already on #7 (or 8?). I definitely am reading when I should be doing other things. But I can hardly stop myself! I’ve done the same w/ a few other series & it’s always a disappointment when I get to the end, b/c then I have to *wait* for the next one!

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