March 05, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday: Series I'd Like To Start But Haven't Yet

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is about series that we'd like to start but haven’t yet. I love good series and there are many I’ve read, but there also are many I haven’t read yet. Some series I haven’t and didn’t want to read because everybody else wanted to read them. I used to be afraid of reading books that are too popular. I am a non-conformist at heart, which also entails that I like to discover and read books that most people never heard of. But this year, I decided to become more open minded, which is why I am going to read some series that I abandoned before. There are also some series that I’ve been looking forward to read for ages but simply haven’t had the time yet. I hope that in the next two years I will be able to start and finish those too.

So, here are the Top Ten Series I’d Like To Start But Haven’t Yet:

01. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
This series falls definitely into that category of series that I haven’t read because of the hype surrounding it. I mean, can it really be that good? Is it really possible that everybody without exception loves this series? And, are all books equally good? Really? I’m still not sure and I still hate the thought of giving in :-D, but I am reading this series this year, no matter what. It also occupies a crucial role in my chunkster challenge; so, I MUST read it, if I want to be able to complete that challenge!

02. The Unearthly series by Cynthia Hand
This series is completely new to me and the final instalment of this hasn’t even been published until recently. Even though I love to read YA novels, I usually read young adult classics or YA books set in 1960s–1980s Hungary. I am not necessarily a fan of paranormal fiction either; although I have read one book with angels and demons in it—This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti—and I really liked it. Anyway, there was such a widespread enthusiasm for this series in the blogosphere (read especially this open letter on Epic Reads) that even I couldn’t ignore it and became intrigued to buy this series. It’s sitting on my shelf now and waiting for me to finish The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. . .

03. The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
I do not read science fiction. I do not read science fiction. I do not read science fiction. But, I try to keep my bookish resolutions for 2013 and I want to try to read outside the box. As this series received many good reviews, I am going to read it this year, unless I come across some kind of bookish obstacles on my way. :-D

04. The Forsyte Chronicles by John Galsworthy
The Forsyte Chronicles consists of three mini-series, which fall into three to five parts each. I am not sure about wanting to read the third mini-series, which is the End of Chapter, because it is less about the Forsytes and more about some distant relations of those. I’m, however, determined to read the first mini series, The Forsyte Saga, and the second mini series, A Modern Comedy. The former is also on my Classics Club list. I've wanted to read these two for a long time, because both my mother and my maternal grandmother have always praised these books. And, when I was a child/young adult, our family used to watch the BBC mini-series from 1967 on Sundays. So, I have some nostalgic reasons for wanting to read this series. It is scheduled for 2014. . .

05. The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien
I am somewhat ashamed of not having read this series so far, but I had and still have so many other books on my TBR pile. This series is also scheduled for 2014, because I don’t think I will be able to read it this year. As I am, despite my “old” age, very much in love with fairy tales I am sure I will love this series.

06. The Sara, Plain and Tall series by Patricia MacLachlan
As I told you in the post about my favourite settings, I love stories about farmers, pioneers and similar. I’ve also very much loved the movie adaptations of Sara, Plain and Tall (1991), Skylark  (1993), and Winter’s End (1999) with Glenn Close and Christopher Walken in the title roles. I don’t know what it is that makes me adore farm life, as I’ve never lived on a farm. But, I am simply charmed by such stories.

07. The Emma Harte series by Barbara Taylor Bradford
Have you ever heard of this series? Have you ever seen the British mini-series A Woman of Substance  (1985–) with Jenny Seagrove, Deborah Kerr, Liam Neeson, and other outstanding actors and actresses in the cast? It’s one of my all-time favourite period drama series! It tells the story of Emma Harte, who IS a woman of substance, and her way from being a servant carrying the child of her master to building a huge empire, becoming a successful business woman, and finding true love. Of course, on her way to the top Emma Harte encounters many obstacles, suffers many tragedies, and has a lot of disappointments in love matters, but one thing never changes: Emma remains strong! I want to read this series for the same reason as The Forsyte Chronicles: my mother and my grandmother recommended it to me.

08. The Jeeves series by P.G. Wodehouse
As I told you in my post about my favourite characters in crime fiction, there are at least three Agatha Christie books that were inspired by her admiration for P.G. Wodehouse. The three novels in question are: The Secret of Chimneys, The Seven Dials Mystery, and the Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? Even though I had heard about Wodehouse before, it was these novels by Christie that inspired me to turn to Wodehouse. I’ve already read the first book in this series, which contains only one short story that features Percy Jeeves, the valet and Bertie Wooster, his master. But I did like it. So, I decided to read the whole series, which is pretty impressive, considering the fact that it consists of 18 books!

09. The Passing Bells series by Phillip Rock
To be honest, I’ve never heard of this series until recently. But a month ago, I came across, over at Austenprose, with Laurel Ann’s review of the first book in the series and it caught my interest immediately. Apparently, the plot of these books bears close resemblance to that of Downton Abbey! And, based on my post about my favourite settings you must know how fond I am of that period drama series! Laurel Ann rated The Passing Bells, the first book in the series, with 5 out of 5 stars, and also many readers who commented on her post highly praised this series. So, I need to read this one!

10. A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
I’m a bit unsure about the last series on my list. I found the title very intriguing and the author’s pen name very imaginative, but opinions of readers differ widely on this series. Some almost hate it and criticize Snicket’s writing style and his adopting an apparently unserious approach to the topic of child abuse, while others are completely taken with it. I’m as yet undecided whether to read it or skip it; thus, I would be glad to hear your opinions about it, if you have read it.

These are the series I am going to read rather sooner than later. Have you ever read any of them? Did you like those? Are there any other series that are similar to my selected ones and you’d like to recommend to me?

7 comments:

  1. Great list! Read Harry Potter, they're amazing!!!! New follower! Here's my list:http://book-nerdandcritic.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/top-ten-tuesday-top-ten-series-id-like.html

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  2. Oooh I loved The Forsyte Saga, I haven't read the rest of the series though. I should at some point.
    Harru Potter is brilliant!

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  3. Excellent list. I really want to read The Passing Bells... and I LOVED The Forsyte Saga!

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  4. I really enjoyed A Series of Unfortunate Events. It's entertaining and can be used as a learning tool when reading it to children. I think it's definitely a series to read with your child, versus letting them read it on their own.

    I don't think the Harry Potter books are all equally great. I do know of a few people that didn't love the series like the majority, but it's definitely a series worth a try.

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  5. Harry Potter is so amazing. There is a reason why so many people absolutely love it. And the Unearthly series is awesome as well; it does have paranormal elements, but it feels very much like a contemporary.

    Also, there's very little science in The Hunger Games. It definitely leans more towards dystopia than sci-fi.

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  6. Woah! You havent read Harry Potter and Hunger Games yet? You should go read those two really amazing series soon! :D
    Top 10 Tuesdays
    Waiting on Wednesday

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  7. Great list! My sister has read some of the Jeeves books and enjoyed them. I should go put them on my TBR list. Until this year I never knew there were more Sarah, Plain and Tall books!
    Here's my TTT.

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