We skipped doing a poll last week, but here’s a fresh one for this week. We’ll be talking about series versus stand alones.
But first the results of the last poll, where I asked how many books a week you guys read. Can I just say “wow”? Damn, you are voracious readers, haha! Look at these numbers!
These show that the vast majority of you reads 4-5 books a week and a quarter of you reads more than 7 books a week! Dayum. I love this!
Here’s this week’s poll: “Do you prefer series or stand alones?”
A lot of series books end in cliffhangers and if they do I won’t read any. I want a complete story but interconnected series books are ok; just don’t like being left hanging.
I look at it from the point of view that my all time favorite series (so far still number one), The Lord of the Rings, ended each of the first 2 books with a cliffhanger but it was the same one that bound the books together. Each book wrapped up the major plot point of that portion of the story but still left the overarching story cliffhanger to pull you forward into the next book. That overriding story line is what binds the series together. However, if a series is a group of completely individual (and sometimes unrelated) stories set in the same universe, then I would expect each book to end with no cliffhangers. The exception would be if we were to meet the main character(s) of the next story in this book but he/she/they were not really a part of this story to any great extent. But, if there is a cliffhanger just to be a cliffhanger and serves no higher story purpose rather than to allow a second book, then I would most likely not continue with that series.
I love series because you get to see characters change and grow while their relationships deepen over time. Plus ancillary characters often have their own stories develop more fully. I have been known to read every book in a series by an author, or every book in a series by a variety of authors. Sometime I even read every series by a single author.
Then again, I love stand alones since I can visit lots of places, experience more genres and savor the writing styles of many authors. If I love an author and the characters and plots, I may read every book that author has ever written.
I’ve been told I’ve been a ‘plot junky’ in the past, so I’m all about variety. I’ve stopped reading mpreg for that very reason. It’s like I’ve OD’d on that genre… but I may go back to it in the future. I read what interests me depending on my mood.
I like series, but I want each story to be self contained. I do enjoy references to and catching up with, past characters throughout the series.
Both! ^_^
I love series that keep the story going but hate it when the series end up being different couple same story.
I love series that focus on the same characters over time in different books, but I also love series that focus on different characters in each book that surround a world built by the author. I guess I’m saying I love all the type of books you write! What I love most is when I can listen to book and follow along with the reading, so are any of your other books going to get an audible version (fingers crossed)?