Y'all, while I enjoy a good standalone as much as the next person, there's really nothing like a good, long series. A story is built from the ground up and made ever more complex and intricate until the reader is fully separated from reality and now lives in the books.
I've read many a series over the past several years since I really started reading a lot, and I wanted to share some of my very most favorite series of all time and recommend that you guys read ALL OF THEM. Please. :)
Harry Potter series ((Queen) J.K. Rowling)
We all saw this one coming, did we not? I started reading the Harry Potter series in 2003 (I think) because my neighbor's mom told me I should read them. I remember going over to her house while reading the first book and asking how in the world I would pronounce "Hermione". Luckily, she knew. I devoured this series and read the books over and over til every spine was broken in multiple places and most pages in each book were dog-eared. I went to the midnight release of the last book and started reading it immediately and finished it in record time. In middle school, my mom actually took my Harry Potter books away because she thought I needed to read other things (side note: I'm glad she did because I might still be in that cycle today if she hadn't). So basically Harry Potter is my favorite series, with no contest, of all time.
Anne of Green Gables series (L.M. Montgomery)
Yes, I know, this is a children's book series. But really, it isn't. The first book takes place when Anne is a young girl but the 6-book series lasts til Anne is a grown and married woman with several children! Call that a children's series! And it is all so, so good. Anne is a spunky, opinionated girl from the get-go and she has this wonderful outlook on life that I often find myself thinking about. She is whimsical and dreamy and I want to be like her even now after college. For those of you who haven't read these books, the series starts with Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, somewhat elderly siblings, who have adopted a boy to help them around their house. When Matthew goes to pick up this boy from the train station, he is shocked to find a little red-haired girl named Anne, who says she is the one to be picked up by a Cuthbert. Not knowing what to do, Matthew takes her with him. Upon arriving home, Marilla is even more appalled at the situation. The two finally decide to keep Anne, and antics and shenanigans ensue from there! Anne does a lot in her life, not all of it good, and the story is so sweet and darling that you cannot help but keep reading.
The Frog Princess series (E.D. Baker)
Another children's series, but what do I care? Children's books can be read by anyone at any time, and don't let anybody tell you otherwise. This series starts out pretty standard: the story of the frog prince. But you can imagine, in a 4-book series, things get a little more complicated than just that. Princess Esmeralda is not the most "princessy" of princesses. She's clumsy and a little awkward and doesn't always do the right princess thing. Obviously, this is unfortunate for her because she is supposed to be completely different than who she is naturally. She runs away into the forest one day and meets Prince Eadric...the frog. These two go on adventures around their kingdom and others, saving the day (most of the time) and having fun (all of the time). The series is so clever and fun, and I highly recommend it for any fairytale retelling lovers out there.
The Lunar Chronicles (Marissa Meyer)
Speaking of retellings... This is hands-down, without-a-doubt, the best retelling series on the planet. And I think anyone who has read these books would tell you the same thing. This is a 4 (or 5 or 6, depending on which novellas you include)-book series in which each book is a retelling of a different fairytale: Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Snow White. The first book, Cinder, is about a cyborg (human with robot parts) and mechanic who is enlisted by the crown prince Kai to help him solve this mystery that has been plaguing him. And that is all you get to know. Trust me, that's all the plot you want to know. The story takes place on Earth, in space, and on the moon (where there are people living... a special kind of people). There are androids and cyborgs and super soldiers (think Captain America, but... hairier?) and spaceships and amazing adventures. This series is mind-blowingly amazing and YOU MUST READ IT (or at least move it to the top of your TBR).
The Selection series (Kiera Cass)
This series is so hyped, but in my opinion the hype is totally justified. This series is captivating and addictive like nothing else. In case you don't know, this 5 (or 6)-book series is about America Singer, a girl from a lower status in life who gets chosen to be in the Selection. What is being selected? The bride of the prince. Who is selecting? The prince himself, Maxon Schreave. America does not want to be there at first, because she is in love with someone from her home, but things change rapidly as America meets people and learns things and discovers who she is. I know this is a controversial series because of one reason: lots of people broadcast hate for the main female characters of each mini-series within this collection. Here's my rant about that: Kiera Cass wrote these characters intentionally, and if we don't like them, perhaps we were supposed to! Perhaps we were supposed to feel frustrated and annoyed at them so we could see them grow and change and we would change along with them. Or perhaps you just don't like them at all, and if that's you, don't read the books. SO, for all of you who haven't even tried this series, please do. Give it a go. And remember that authors are smart and do things for reasons we are never going to know. I love this series, and I love all the characters!
Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus / Trials of Apollo (Rick Riordan)
(Confession: I haven't read Apollo yet. But I imagine it will fall under all the same praise as the others once I do.) I consider all of these series to go together, therefore they are one series in my mind. AND I LOVE THEM. If you've never read a Rick Riordan book, I give you permission now to click away and go get one and start reading immediately. His books are hilarious (as in, you'll likely actually laugh while reading) and his characters are so lovable. They are fun to read and entertaining and never too slow or too fast with always the right amount of sincerity and seriousness when needed. This series starts with Percy Jackson and the Olympians (The Lightning Thief), just so you know. Percy is a normal teenage boy one day, and the next he is being attacked at every turn by monsters from myth and villains from legend... and he has no clue what is happening. Then he finds out he is the child of a Greek god, so making him a demigod. What a life-altering finding! This leads him to Camp Half-Blood, where he realizes he isn't the only one and that this is a lot bigger than him. And the series goes from there, every book being a non-stop adventure and keeping you on the edge of your seat and sometimes rolling on the floor laughing at Percy's one-liners (these books are worth reading just for those, I do declare). Please try it. I really do not think you will ever regret it!
And those are my favorite series of all time! Woohoo! Maybe sometime I'll do a favorite trilogies or standalones because I have a lot of those, too.
What are your favorite series or just series recommendations?
Happy reading!
