In my reading career, I’ve read a wide variety of books. Typically, I am open to trying anything, but I also have some rules when it comes to reading.
I don’t read books that span multiple books. This is what I call ‘The dreaded series.’
Now, that is not to say I always read stand-alone books, but there have been few exceptions. For example, I read the “Twilight" series and the “Hunger Games” series. Those two were oddities though.
I have a variety of issues with books that span longer than a single novel.
To start off, I really don’t have time for stories that last longer than one book. I like to finish a book knowing that the character’s story is complete.
Branching off of that idea, I don’t want to worry and stress about what will happen in the sequel of a book. What will this character do? Will the character live or die? If you happen to read a book right when it was released, now you have to wait a long time for the next book to be published.
There are so many wonderful books in the world, and I don’t want to read a whole series just to be dissatisfied with the ending. Then I will feel like all my time was wasted.
I think that books in a series are just a moneymaking scheme. I think most stories can be told in one novel. Whether or not authors and publishers knowingly make multiple books to make money is something I will never know. But the thought of it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
I will admit that I do have a few books that are part of series on my bookshelf, but I really haven’t read any of them. I’ve tried to break my disposition to series for a while not because I’ve had so many friends tell me how great this or that series is.
“Divergent” has been sitting on my shelves for more than a year now. I bought it because a friend begged me to read it so she would have someone to fangirl over it with. I loved the idea of obsessing over a book with someone, so I gladly bought the book. There it sits.
Ansel Elgort, my favorite actor, is even in the movie adaption, and I still haven’t read the book.
Maybe one day I will finally read multiple books that follow the same storyline. Until then, I am thoroughly enjoying reading stand-alones.
