The Perils of the Serial Series Reader

Anyone else a "series" reader?  As in, you pick up a series of books, in which you discover characters with whom you deeply identify, grow to love, devour their stories in book after delicious book, and even miss when you finally finish and have to put the book down. So then you pick them up again and read them all over?

I'm that kind of person; I always have been.

My first "series" was Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie books.  From the time my grandmother gave me the first book in 1988 to the day I graduated from high school in 1998, I read and re-read this beloved series a total of ten times.  Not a typo--I re-read every one in the 9-book series an average of once per year throughout my childhood and adolescence. I had favorites, sure, but every time I'd start at the beginning, and end at the end, and relish in every single minute of it. I grew up in a rural, desert-like place that often seemed quite removed from the rest of the world. Her stories of the West, of survival,family, and love helped me to romanticize the place where I lived, imagining how I could learn to be self-sufficient, how people could survive in a time without modern amenities.

When I was 11 or so, I was introduced to Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, another famous series for girls.  And as with my first series love, I proceeded to re-read these obsessively.  To date, I have read this entire series 7 times, the last time while I was in college.  And, as I write this, I'm feeling the urge to re-acquaint myself with that spunky, brave, intelligent and strong Anne that I tried to emulate. I loved that she didn't take any crap off boys, that she was smart, caring, and had a crazy imagination.  This beautiful little character single-handedly assured me that I was not alone, that there were indeed "kindred spirits" and "bosom buddies" in the world. Believe me, I needed that kind of reassurance.

Probably because of those positive experiences as a child, I've continued as a fan of series books.  Unfortunately, as an adult, I've come across an unexpected and disturbing phenomenon-- the unfinished series.  Few things have caused me more angst and frustration than starting a series, falling in love with it, speeding through as fast as I can, until suddenly I realize that I've come to a precipice and now have to teeter on the edge, cling on by my fingernails until the next book is released.  

This happened to me, and the rest of the Universe, with Harry Potter.  Before that, however, I dragged myself for the better part of a decade through Stephen King's twisted masterpiece The Dark Tower Series, which I picked up as a freshman in high school, and suffered through until it came to a most-unsatisfying-yet-somehow-completely-perfect-end in 2006. To say I have a love-hate relationship with the author is an understatement, and I never intend to re-read these books, not if my life depends on it. (Don't even get me started on this "new" book in the series that came out this year. I'm pretending it doesn't exist.) 

Today, I find myself again in the familiar process of re-reading a favorite series; Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, featuring the ultimate battle between good and evil.  Mr. Jordan passed away from a long-term illness several years ago, and fulfilled one of my worst fears--an author dying before he could finish his books, leaving us without the tiniest closure after so many years of devoted reading. Luckily--for us and for his legacy--he hand-picked an author to finish up the last three books of his series.  The last book is due out within the year, so now I'm re-experiencing it all, and let me tell you--reading something at 18 and reading it again at 31--I kind of feel like I'm reading a totally different book. Or maybe it's just that I'm a totally different person.

Ultimately, through the ups and downs of being a serial "series" reader, I think it is all worthwhile.  When the series is done right, the level of storytelling can reach new heights, and you get to visit your friends for extended periods of time. And unlike in life, where there are moments you wish you could take back or live all over again, a series of books can take you back in time. Take you back to who you were when you discovered them, bring you back into a warm, familiar place. And who knows, maybe this time you'll discover something new about them--and about yourself. 

Other Recommended Series, worth reading and re-reading:

The Outlander by Diana Gabaldon  This series is satisfying on about a hundred levels.  Fantasy? Check!  Romance? Check! Well-researched history? You betcha!  Male lead that you'd leave your husband for?  Yup!  Unfinished series?  But of course. Sigh.

Series for kids & teens:

Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis.

The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkein.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline l'Engle.

The Hunger Games by Susanne Collins

Nancy Drew Hardy Boys Super Mysteries-- don't ask me why I never got into either of these series in their original formats. All I know, is that Nancy and the Boys have amazing chemistry, and I have read and own almost every single one in the series.

Tell Me!  What are your recommended series?