Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish.
This week’s prompt is “Top Ten Series I’ve Been Meaning To Start But Haven’t”. Let me tell you right now, I have never been able to choose all my picks so fast. There are so so many series I always intend to start. Soon. Or so I tell myself. For most of these, it’s been over 3 years since the first book made its way onto my TBR pile. I am such a horrible reader. ?
The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare
First Published: August 2010
You’ll find that I have no very little idea why I haven’t started all these series listed in this post. The Infernal Devices is not one of them. I know exactly why. Okay, so not exactly, but close enough. I still haven’t read City of Heavenly Fire. Don’t get me wrong, I really like The Mortal Instruments series, but I feel like that was such a long time ago. I’ve forgotten a lot and don’t feel like rereading it. I just want to leave it be. And I wouldn’t feel right reading TID without finishing TMI, which weirdly, I have no desire to do.
Legend by Marie Lu
First Published: November 2011
So many of my bookish friends cannot stop talking about Marie Lu and her writing. Of course, me being me is behind and has no idea what they’re talking about. I suppose its time to change that?
The Raven Chronicle by Maggie Stiefvater
First Published: September 2012
I loved Maggie’s other series, The Wolves of Mercy Fall, and have heard nothing but good reviews for this one. That being said, I vaguely remember picking The Raven Boys up and DNFing it? It was a very long time ago. I’m willing to try again, assuming that was an actual memory and not a hallucination. Or just me being confused. Like always.
Just One Day by Gayle Forman
First Published: January 2013
Gayle Forman was my absolute favorite author when I was 13 or so, about 6ish years ago. So of course, I want to read anything she writes. When Just One Day first came out, I was a mere freshman in high school. One of my older friends who read the book advised me I’d enjoy it much more if I waited a few years to read it so I actually took it off my TBR. And now that I’m 19, I think it’s time I add it back in.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
First Published: April 2014
A highly rated and recommended contemporary by Jenny Han with an Asian MC? Sign me up! Yeah, I don’t know why I haven’t started this series yet.
Embassy Row by Ally Carter
First Published: January 2015
Ally’s other two YA series, Gallagher Girls and Heist Society both rank high on my list of favorites. Out of all the series on the list, this is the one I’m most likely to actually pick up this summer.
Thunder Road by Katie McGarry
I loved all the Pushing the Limit books so naturally this series is on my TBR. Plus I heard some PtL characters make an appearance so you know I’ll be reading this series. When? That’s the big question.
Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
First Published: October 2015
I’ve owned the first book for a while. I got it right when it came out. It’s even signed by both authors. But I just cannot seem to bring myself to read. Everyone keeps telling me how great it is and then I look at this big book and get scared. I guess I’m just scared I’m not going to like it as much as everyone else.
Passenger by Alexandra Bracken
First Published: January 2016
I loved The Darkest Minds, her other YA series and the cover is GORGEOUS. So I brought it. Anndddd now it’s just sitting on my shelves collecting dust. Oops? ?
The Trials of Apollo by Rick Riordan
First Published: May 2015
Okay, I admit, I sorta peeked and started reading The Hidden Oracle. But I didn’t get to finish because I had to return it to the library and then life got in the way. What else is new? 🙁 I’m also low-key waiting for the series to be completed first. I learned the hard way while reading Percy Jackson and the Olympians and The Heroes of Olympus that Uncle Rick is very good at writing cliffhangers and is extremely fond of ending books with them. I’m not going to subjugate myself to that kind of torture if I can help it.
Which series should I read first?
Are there any I should just forget about?
The Infernal Devices series is also on my list. I did finished TMI and I’m currently reading Lady Midnight. I don’t know how I went from TMI to TDA.
All the series with prequels, sequels, and spinoffs always throw me off. Which one am I supposed to read first? Do you have to read Series A to understand Series C? I hope you enjoy TDA!
I feel you with TID, but it’s me with Magnus Chase, and even Trials of Apollo. I have to finish reading Blood of Olympus and IDK even how to squeeze it in or when I’m actually gonna feel like reading it.
I don’t plan on reading Magnus Chase, to be honest. I love Rick Riordan’s writing but I don’t have time to become obsessed with a new mythology. ? I put off reading BoO for a while too and it’s not my favorite in the series. But I love the characters so much! (And you know anything to do with Percy has to sort of lighthearted not matter how heavy the story is). 🙂
I also made my choices really quickly, but I could have easily picked thirty or forty series to talk about – I’m so bad at starting them, even if I’m great at hoarding them!
I should have put Illuminae and The Infernal Devices on my list, too. I’ve actually read a couple of books in the Embassy Row series, but I need to read the third and final book. I loved the first two, so it shouldn’t be this difficult to motivate myself!
I’m glad you like the first two books of Embassy Row. I’m thinking about starting it this week! I have All Fall Down checked out and ready to be read. But it’s also not the first (or second) time I borrowed it so… ?
My list really could have gone on forever, I’m terrible with series: starting AND finishing them. :< Great picks! I still have the last book of the Legend and Passenger series (though the latter is a duology, so that's not TOO bad, right?). Highly recommend both, they really transport you! Just One Day is amazing, loved it to bits, but I'm a bit biased since I'm a total Gayle Forman fangirl lol. I also had Jenny Han's series on my list, it sounds so good!
Cass @ Words on Paper
I’m horrible at finishing series too! Especially if I have to wait for books to come out. I have a horrible memory when it comes to plots so finishing a series usually requires reread of all existing books and I’m terrible at making time to do that. ?
Legend sounds like an interesting story to me as well.
I also have a big TBR list, Alyce. There are so many more interesting books out there than there is time to read them.
Here is my Top Ten Tuesday.
Great list! The Illuminae Files are honestly incredible and I highly recommend those. Here is my T10T!
I think Illuminae kinda reads fast because of the format. I hope you like it, I thought it was good but Gemina blew me away, I LOVED that one. So much going on in that story. And I want to try Marie Lu at some point.
I read The Raven Cycle books way after most people, and I really liked them. I’d say that series or To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. Just One Day is pretty good, but I didn’t love the sequel.
The Hidden Oracle is so good, you should definitely start with that first! The Raven Cycle is really good but it takes a while to get into. Embassy Row was also on my list this week 🙂
The Raven Cycle is probably my favourite series, so I highly recommend it! I actually DNFed The Raven Boys when I first read it too, but when I tried again it really grew on me. The first book is also my least favourite, and the books get better from there.
I actually started The Infernal Devices before The Mortal Instruments, not knowing they were a spinoff, and I still think TID is the better series. The final TMI book from what I recall has some large Clockwork Princess spoilers so you can always read TID and then go back to City of Heavenly Fire if you feel like it. But I get what you mean with wanting to complete a series but not actually wanting to read it.
I also need to read more Rick Riordan. I marathoned all of PJO and HOO all back to back a few years ago, and I have to say I don’t think I’d be able to deal with the cliffhangers either.
Wonderful list!
From your list I have read Illuminea and Thunder Road, I highly recommend both, depending on if you want a romance or a crazy scr-fi novel. Both are great! I hope you get a chance to read them Happy Reading!
Hallo, Hallo Emz!
Of this whole list, Jenny Han’s series is the one which interest me the most – however, Illuminae has been making so many rounds in the book blogosphere, I’ve had my eye on it as well. However, I mention the series by Han (actually I hadn’t realised it was a series?) as I remember when the first title dropped and I had thought to myself, I need to make this a purchase REQ at my library in order to read it – but time and tide took me away! IF it’s not purchased I’ll see if they can get it still – or I’ll ILL it (inter-library loan) to get it a bit faster. All in all – what is most surprising is how we get delayed from meeting the series which catch our attention, the most! I think we all find ourselves in this particular pickle at one point or another! :O Oy.