In a Dream World... Thoughts for 2014

I never really make reading resolutions or any of that, but I can't help thinking about things I would love to finally get around to doing. I own the entire In Death series by J.D. Robb and I have only read like ten of them. I went through my Terry Pratchett collection and I almost own them all. I started Lois McMaster Bujold's books a couple years ago, keep buying them when I see them at the second hand store, and then promptly let them lie around my shelves. Then there is Dragonlance. I love the books by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. I haven't read any books in that series since I read three of them in a row one year for the Once Upon a Time challenge. Another series I collect that just sits on my shelves. And, the thing is, this is just a small selection of the series I am in the midst of that I seem never destined to catch-up in. I have issues.

I am wickedly excited that Robin Hobb is returning to her roots and writing a new book that may come out in 2014. But, why? I haven't read all of her books yet. I consider Patricia Briggs one of my favourite authors out there... I haven't read all of her books yet. I was devastated when Sara Douglass died, but, yet have only read like 3 books by her and own all the rest. I could go on here... It's just getting overwhelming and I think that is why 2013 was so quiet for me. EVERYTHING IS A SERIES! And not a nice, manageable series. They say it will be a standalone or a trilogy or whatever and then next thing you know there are 'companion' books. Susan Carroll supposedly was done her Cheney Sisters series and then suddenly in 2014 a sixth book was released. So, now one of the few series I was caught-up in... I am behind in...

So, what is this leading up to? I need to catch-up on things in 2014... The problem is I lack the ability to not start a new series. I have tried to be very strict about it and get to the end of a book only to find there is not a conclusive ending. Or companion books are announced. Or I just really want to read a book and forget my rule of not starting a new series... Let's look at December for an example:

Level Two by Lenore Appelhans - Book 1 in a new trilogy.
Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan - Book 1 in a four book series.
Hogfather by Terry Pratchett - Part of the Discworld series, so at least working at it.
The Diviners by Libba Bray - Book 1 in a new trilogy.
Exit Strategy by Kelley Armstrong - Book 1 in a trilogy.

Currently reading:
A Study in Silks by Emma Jane Holloway -  Book 1 in a series. (I think. Could also just be a trilogy...)
The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells - Book 1 in a trilogy.
Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold - At least part of the Vorksogian series so working on an on-going series.

See... No wonder I can't finish anything. It would be so nice to do something productive in 2014. I have been toying with catching-up in Terry Pratchett, but I take breaks between series books and then something new and shiny comes along and I never seem to get back to them... I know I am not alone with this, but I also know there are bloggers that actually read all the books in a row and then don't have to be behind all the time.

This all leads up to one thing I would really like to do in 2014... Reread, and read for the first time, as much of Lucy Maud Montgomery's books as possible. Here is the list of what I consider my goal for 2014:

Anne of Green Gables (1908) (Reread.) - Own
Anne of Avonlea (1909) (Reread.) - Own
Kilmeny of the Orchard (1910) (New read.)
The Story Girl (1911) (New read.)
Chronicles of Avonlea (1912) (New Read)
The Golden Road (1913) (New read.)
Anne of the Island (1915) (Reread) - Own
Anne's House of Dreams (1917) (Reread) - Own
Rainbow Valley (1919) (Reread) - Own
Further Chronicles of Avonlea (1920) (New Read)
Rilla of Ingleside (1921) (Reread) - Own
Emily of New Moon (1923) (Reread)
Emily Climbs (1925) (New read) - Own
The Blue Castle (1926) (New Read) - Own
Emily's Quest (1927) (New Read) - Own
Magic for Marigold (1929) (New Read)
A Tangled Web (1931) (New Read) - Own
Pat of Silver Bush (1933) (New Read) - Own
Mistress Pat (1935) (New Read)
Anne of Windy Poplars (1936) (Reread) - Own
Jane of Lantern Hill (1937) (New Read) - Own
Anne of Ingleside (1939) (Reread) - Own
The Road to Yesterday (1974) (New Read) - Own

Firstly, I used to own both Avonlea books and I know I had Emily of New Moon. I wonder where they wandered off to... Anyway, if I can read these 23 books in 2014 I get to get Lucy Maud Montgomery's collected journals at the end of the year... They were released separately, but last year and the year before the Collected Editions started appearing. I also might do audio for some of them... Maybe the rereads? What lead to this entirely was listening to Stiff by Mary Roach on audio. The narrator was awesome and that lead me to see what else she narrates... Lucy Maud Montgomery, apparently. (Sadly just the first two Anne books, so I will return to reading after listening to those two.)

So, what are your thoughts on series? Do you feel overwhelmed at times like me? Do you have any projects for 2014?

New Books in Series - 2012

These are just some of the books I am looking forward to in 2012 that carry on a series I am currently reading. I am sure there were be a few more in the end, but this is a start:

November 13, 2012

April 24, 2012

(Cinderella: Fables Are Forever)

August 7, 2012

May 15, 2012

May 1, 2012

May 1, 2012

February 14, 2012

February 7, 2012

Days of Splendour, Days of Sorrow by Juliet Grey - August 7, 2012

What Books Are You Looking Forward to in 2012? Are there books like Bitterblue and Fair Game for me that you have been waiting forever for?

Series, Series Everywhere

Series stress me out. I love them essentially, but everything is a series nowadays. Or, you think you are finished a series and next thing you know there is a 'spin-off' series that makes a trilogy 6 books long at least. I have way too many series on the go. I couldn't even begin to tell you how many because I haven't always kept track. Sometimes I read the first book in a series or trilogy and never read on because the first book wasn't enough to catch my interest.

Let's take a look at just my recent reading. I am rereading Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. Technically, this is a large series. I have never read on in it, but one day may plan to. Then, I finally am reading A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin. It's a great book, but there are three sequels out now and a fourth out in a few days. For the Once Upon a Time challenge, I finished The Tawny Man Trilogy by Robin Hobb. Then, I turned around and started The Farseer Trilogy by her. I had intended to read this trilogy in a row, but I can't locate my copy of the second book. So, I am stalled. Oh, yes, and I am also reading Dune by Frank Herbert, which is the first in a series. My friend said she read it and wasn't inspired to read on in the series, but we will see what happens.

With this in mind, I really want to finish some series to alleviate stress. In my vlog the other day I held up The Charnel Prince by Gregory Keyes. This is the second book in his series. I also held up the third book in The Black Jewels Trilogy. Yes, I am aware that this is one of those series that started off as a trilogy and is now a series, but I would at least like to finish the original trilogy that has been on the go pretty much as long as I have been blogging. I didn't hold the book up, but another book I really want to read is the final book in Sara Douglass' recent trilogy. I was so excited about it, but still haven't read it. I just know that when I finish, I am going to want to go back and read her other books finally.

I also have resumed using the library a bit. I had been slacking off as of late, but I requested the sequel to Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld. I also meant to buy that, but still haven't. I requested the sequel to Shiver and her other series I requested Ballad.

The thing is I would also like to read on in Jack Whyte's Camulod Series, read more Terry Goodkind, finally get back to reading Naomi Novik, read the last two books in Melissa Marr's series, finish Kelley Armstrong's young adult trilogy so I can read her new book, read some more Charles de Lint, read some more of the Morganville Vampire series by Rachel Caine, read the sequel to Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones, get back to Dragonlance, and the list goes on and on. I will probably only get to some of this over the rest of the year and then I will likely start even more series in the process. It is just on-going, and yes, it stresses me out to have so many started and not finished projects.

What do you think about series/trilogies?

Me and My Series - An Update

Okay, I decided it was time to look at my series progress for this year so far!

Fairy Tail Series by Hiro Mashima
Volume 1
Volume 2
Not in a huge hurry to read more... Have to wait and see!

Legends of the Dark Crystal
The Garthim Wars
Volume 2 - Out March 17, 2009
Completed: 1/1

Fables Series:
Legends in Exile
Animal Farm
Storybook Love
March of the Wooden Soldiers
The Mean Seasons
Homelands
Arabian Nights (And Days)
Wolves
Sons of Empire
The Good Prince (Still Need to Buy)
War and Pieces (Still Need to Buy)
The Dark Ages (Out August 11, 2009)
Completed: 9/11 (Not counting the prequel)

Maus Duology:
My Father Bleeds History
And Here my Troubles Began
Completed: 2/2

The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme Series:
The Floating Island
The Thief Queen's Daughter (Been waiting for this book from the library for like a month.)
The Dragon's Lair
Completed: 1/3

Mercedes Thompson Series:
Moon Called (Read 2006 and Reread 2009)
Blood Bound (Read 2007)
Iron Kissed (Read 2008)
Bone Crossed (Read in 2009)
Completed: 4/4

Women of the Otherworld Series:
Bitten (Read 2007)
Stolen (Read 2007)
Dime Store Magic (Read 2007)
Industrial Magic
Haunted
Broken
No Humans Involved (Read 2008)
Personal Demon (Read 2008)
Living with the Dead
Men of the Otherworld (Read 2009)
Frostbitten (Released October 13, 2009)
Completed: 6/10

Maisie Dobbs Series:
Maisie Dobbs (Read 2008, never reviewed)
Birds of a Feather (Read 2009)
Pardonable Lies (Read 2009)
Messenger of Truth (Waiting to Come in at Library)
An Incomplete Revenge
Among the Mad
Completed: 3/6

The Unwritten Book Series:
The Unwritten Girl (Read 2009)
Fathom Five (Need to read soon!)
The Young City
Completed: 1/3

The Uglies Series:
Uglies (Read 2009)
Pretties (Read 2009)
Specials (Read 2009 - Review forth-coming)
Extras
Completed: 3/4

Crank Trilogy:
Crank (Completed 2009)
Glass (Need to Read Soon)
Fallout (Released 2010)
Completed: 1/2

The Annals of the Western Shore Trilogy:
Gifts (Read 2009)
Voices (Read 2009 - Review Forth-coming)
Powers (Just Came in at the Library)
Completed: 2/3

Kitty Norville Series
Kitty and the Midnight Hour (Read 2009)
Kitty Goes to Washington (Really Need to Read This)
Kitty Takes a Holiday
Kitty and the Silver Bullet
Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand
Kitty Raises Hell
Completed: 1/6 (Not very good...)

The Giver Trilogy:
The Giver (Read 2007)
Gathering Blue (Read 2009)
Messenger (Waiting to Come in at Library)
Completed: 2/3

The Women's Murder Club:
1st to Die (Read 2008 - Didn't Review)
2nd Chance (Read 2008)
3rd Degree (Read 2009)
4th of July (Read 2009)
The 5th Horseman
The 6th Target
7th Heaven (Waiting for Paperback)
The 8th Confession (Released April 27, 2009)
Completed: 4/6

Wicked Lovely Trilogy:
Wicked Lovely (Read 2009)
Ink Exchange (Read 2009 - Review forth-coming)
Fragile Eternity (Released April 8, 2009)
Completed: 2/2

The Dreaming:
Volume 1 (Read 2009 - Review forth-coming)
Volume 2 (Read 2009 - Review forth-coming)
Volume 3 (Read 2009 - Review forth-coming)
Completed: 3/3

Mistress of the Art of Death Series:
Mistress of the Art of Death (Read 2007)
The Serpent's Tale (Read 2008)
Grave Goods (Read 2009 - Review forth-coming)
Completed: 3/3

The Mysterious Benedict Society Series:
The Mysterious Benedict Society (Read 2009 - Review forth-coming)
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey
The Mysterious Benedict Society Book 3 (Released October 14, 2009)
Completed: 1/2

That's a lot of series...

A Look at Series

Back in January I posted about how I was making out on the series that I had on the go, and the new ones that I started this year. I think I will make this a monthly feature.

I read the first two books in Fairy Tails. Started the series this year...

I read the first book in the Legends of the Dark Crystal series... So, started that series this year...

I discovered Fables. I have now read seven of the books in the series, so I am over half done! I only started the series this year, though. Books eight and nine are going to be arriving with Patricia Briggs' book.

I read books one and two in the Maus graphic novel series! That means that is done, so there, I finished a series... That I only started in 2009. *cough*

I turned around and read Elizabeth Haydon's book which is the first book in a series. I have the second book requested from the library, but it seems to have gotten lost... The library only has three books in the series. So, that means I have two more to read...

I reread a book in Patricia Brigg' Mercedes Thompson series. I am just waiting for the new book to arrive in the mail, and when I read it I will be all caught up in that series!

I read Men of the Otherworld, which is in the Kelley Armstrong series. I started this series in a previous year, so this is working at finishing it up. I still have four books to read in the series, I believe.

Last year I read the first book in the Maisie Dobbs series. This year I have already read books two and three! I have two more on-request from the library, and then there is another one due out soon. There is a good chance I will catch-up in this series this year. Yay!

I read the first book in The Unwritten Book trilogy. I have the next two books here to read, just have to do so! Another trilogy started in 2009, though.

Actually, then I read Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (book one in a four book series), Crank by Emily Hopkins (book one in a trilogy, but book three isn't out until 2010), and Gifts by Ursula K. Le Guin (book one in a trilogy). I have the next books in the Westerfeld and Le Guin series requested from the library. My friend is going to lend me the second Hopkins book next time I see her.

Then, I got all five Kitty Norville books from the publisher. I figured I should at least start the series, so I read book one in that series. I have four more to go! I was going to read book two, but I am waiting for Patricia Briggs' book and don't want to get burned out on paranormals beforehand!

Feeling like I was accomplishing nothing, I decided to start some series clean-up. I read The Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry, which is the sequel to The Giver. Just have to read The Messenger, but I don't own it.

Then, I did an amazing thing and read TWO books in James Patterson's Women Murder Club series. That's a very rare accomplishment for me. They were book three and four. I have book five and six here to read, but seven I will wait until I can get it in paperback at the second-hand store. I read book one and two last year.