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Sugar
Member
08-15-2000
| Friday, June 02, 2017 - 2:33 pm 
I was wondering what series of books people might enjoy reading. I read quite a few series and find most of them entertaining, interesting, well written and/or perhaps thought provoking. There are a couple I continue to read out of habit but aren’t particularly that well written, good or have just run their course some titles back.*
I determine a series as having at least 3 books with the same main character. Here is my list of authors and the main characters I enjoy. I will no doubt awaken in the middle of the night remembering others.
The Classics:
Agatha Christie: Miss Marple, Tommy & Tuppence I was never a fan of Hercule Piorot
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Sherlock Holmes
Mysteries:
Jeffery Deaver: Lincoln Ryhme
John Sandford: Lucas Davenport, Kidd and Virgil Flowers
James Patterson: Alex Cross This series took a sorry turn for the worse at one point but has improved
Marcia Muller: Sharon McCone, Joanna Stark and Elena Oliverez
Linda Barnes: Carlotta Carlyle
Jan Burke: Irene Kelly
Susan Elia MacNeal: Maggie Hope
Jacqueline Winspear: Masie Dobbs
Silly Mysteries but worth a few chuckles:
Janet Evanovich: Stephanie Plum and Lizzie & Diesel
Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg: Fox & O’Hare
Joanne Fluke: Hannah Swensen* I really don’t know why I waste my time
Fiction Fun:
Ann B Ross: Miss Julia
Craig Lancaster: Edward
Sophie Kinsella: Rebecca Bloomwood
Graeme Simsion: The Rosie Series
Catharina Ingelman Sundberg: The Little Old Lady
Fannie Flagg, Rita Mae Brown, Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark have all had books with continuing characters that I was fond of once upon a time.
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Jimmer
Moderator
08-30-2000
| Saturday, June 03, 2017 - 6:51 am
Great idea for a thread. I like series as well.
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Tresbien
Member
08-26-2002
| Saturday, June 03, 2017 - 12:21 pm
My favorite series of recent years is Diana Gabaldon's Outlander time-traveling romance novels.
Harry Potter, of course! JK Rowling
Jean Auel's Earth's Children series (began with Clan of The Cave Bear)
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Sugar
Member
08-15-2000
| Saturday, June 03, 2017 - 2:39 pm
Harry Potter!
How on earth could I have forgotten J.K. & Harry? One of the best series ever in spite the disappointing book 7.
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Sunday, June 04, 2017 - 7:06 am
Tana French's books are great. Each book contains some police detective from the other ones.
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Mameblanche
Member
08-24-2002
| Sunday, June 04, 2017 - 7:31 am
Alexander McCall Smith, Ladies Detective Agency series
Any and all of Nora Roberts various series trilogies Etc
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Sunday, June 04, 2017 - 10:56 am
Anne McCaffrey.. Dragon series, Crystal Singer series, etc.
James Herriot All Creatures Great and Small, rest of series
R F Delderfield.. Series or Sagas as they were called.. God is an Englishman, etc.
And other series..loved those that went through WWII.
Craig Lancaster's Edward books.
Beverly Jenkins' Blessings series.. Eagerly await each new one.
Jean Auel.. The first several were smashing but then the quality dropped, but Clan of the Cave Bear was wonderful.
Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware books.
Harry Potter.. I actually had all of them, but wasn't that taken by the actual writing. I was able to give them all to a patient who was terminal and had to make the heart wrenching decision to turn custody of her daughter over to her brother and sister in law, though it separated them. Her daughter was interested in HP and my patient was able to give her the books.
They got so many kids and adults into reading, so they were significant.
That is off the top of my head.
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Ladyb
Member
12-29-2007
| Sunday, June 04, 2017 - 2:10 pm
Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series... if you enjoy 1) classic literature (the first book is The Eyre Affair using characters from Jane Eyre) and Hamlet shows up in a later book, 2) Harry Potter (magic, time travel & werewolves) or 3) Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Blum ... you'll love these. They're the BEST.
Miss Fisher Murder mysteries by Kerry Greenwood are ok - Good summer read
Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz.
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Sugar
Member
08-15-2000
| Sunday, June 04, 2017 - 5:33 pm
This is fun. I forgot some of the series mentioned that I enjoyed such as:
Alexander MacCall Smith: The #1 Ladies Detective Agency
James Herriot: All Creatures Great & Small
Kids books in no particular order:
Beverly Clearly: Both the Ramona & Henry series
Nancy Drew
The Dana Girls
Cherry Ames
The Bobbsey Twins
The Maida books
Little House On The Prairie
My mom reading to us:
The Lonely Doll books with Edith and Mr. Bear
I also remember there was a series of books about twins, The Dutch Twins, The Irish Twins, The Spanish Twins... These were old outdated books when I read them. (Small town, small library). I knew they were not right/correct when I was in grammar school. It really puzzled me.
I never read any of the horse books, Trixie Belden, Black Stallion... Likely due to my never successfully staying on a horse.
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Monday, June 05, 2017 - 9:31 am
Ladyb, I love the Thursday Next books. Such fun!
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Tuesday, June 06, 2017 - 12:58 am
I love series. If they are well written and good, the longer the better. I like getting to know characters over time. This goes all the way back to when I was little and reading Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys.
Oh boy, I haven't read Anne McCaffrey in years. Funny enough I was just thinking about pulling those out not that long ago to see if Darren wanted to try them (The Dragonriders of Pern series that is.)
I love the Harry Potter series, not just cuz I love it, but anything that got kids to beg to go stand in line at midnight for a book release! was pretty exciting in the day and age of tv and video games.
The absolute longest running series I've been reading, Sue Grafton's Kinsie Millhone series. I'm behind a couple books. That was a lucky accident for me, lol, I forgot the book I was reading one day at home while I was working, and wandered into the retirement homes library to find something to occupy my lunch break. Came across G is for Gumshoe. Read that over a few days at work, then had to get A-F and have followed along since. I also got my mom, my aunt, and my sister into that one, lol.
Right now I just started book 3 of Faith Hunter's Jane Yellowrock series. Latest book just came out and I'm doing a reread of the series. Love that one, it's one of my top 3 Urban Fantasy series, though I describe it as dark urban fantasy cuz some of it is really dark.
Other favorites are Ilona Andrews Kate Daniels series and Kim Harrison's The Hollows.
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Littlebreeze
Member
02-18-2001
| Tuesday, June 06, 2017 - 9:53 am
Lee Child - Jack Reacher series
Michael Connelly - Harry Bosch series
Kathy Reichs - Bones series
Three of my favorites, read every book in each series.
I believe there was a TV series made from the Bosch book series but I've never seen it, nor would I ever watch it. Bosch has been created in my mind through Connelly's writing and it'll stay that way.
Also would never watch the Jack Reacher movie with Tom Cruise cast as Reacher. Anyone who knows Reacher through Child's books knows that casting Cruise as Reacher has to be the worst miscasting to ever take place.
I think there might've been a TV show made from the Bones book series as well, not certain. If there is/was, I've never seen it.
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Wednesday, June 07, 2017 - 8:15 pm
I second the Outlander series - have been reading (and waiting on new books) since 1995!
Love Andrew Greeley's Nuala Anne series as well (starts with Irish Gold) - she's a modern day lass who is "fey" and solves mysteries with her husband that connect to historical events as well as the modern times.
Huge fan of Nelson DeMille, and his John Corey series has been a hit with all of us in the house.
Philip Rickman's Merrily Watkins series are fantastic - set in UK with a female priest and the mystery typically involves the supernatural.
Thoroughly enjoying a new to me series: Tana French's In The Woods - Irish detective again with cold case connection to modern case.
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Sugar
Member
08-15-2000
| Tuesday, June 20, 2017 - 5:50 pm
Elizabeth Peters: Vicky Bliss series
Carl Hiaasen: I don't think of his books as a series per see but there are returning/continueing characters.
Charlotte MacLeod: Sarah Killing & Max Bittersohn series
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Sugar
Member
08-15-2000
| Saturday, June 24, 2017 - 2:38 pm
Sarah Kelling was the character not Sarah Killing. Frickin' tablet auto correct.
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Mameblanche
Member
08-24-2002
| Saturday, June 24, 2017 - 11:03 pm
Lawrence Block's hilarious Bernie the Burglar mystery series... the only title I remember off hand from the series was The Burglar Who Painted Like Mondrian. If you google Lawrence block you'll find his website and the whole series listed. He also has other series that are grittier mysteries which I do not follow.
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Sugar
Member
08-15-2000
| Monday, June 26, 2017 - 12:27 pm
I think I will look for those Mame, they sound fun. Reminds me of Donald Westlake and the Dortmunder series of books I enjoyed.
Another series I liked:
Lisa Lutz: The Spellman Books
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Sugar
Member
08-15-2000
| Wednesday, September 06, 2017 - 8:52 pm
Another author with a couple of series that are fun reads:
Carolyn Hart
Death on Demand
Baily Ruth
I did not care for the Henri O series.
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Sugar
Member
08-15-2000
| Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - 8:58 am
I have enjoyed most of Adriana Trigiani's books.
Series:
The Big Stone Gap
Valentine
I have also enjoyed many of her stand alone titles.
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Katycat74
Member
07-17-2014
| Friday, September 22, 2017 - 10:56 am
J.D. Robb's "In Death" series with policewoman Eve Dallas is great
JD Robb is actually Nora Roberts writing under a different name.
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Rvon
Member
12-11-2003
| Thursday, October 19, 2017 - 9:30 am
I have been reading the Poldark series by Winston Graham. I'm on book #11 out of 12 books.
I started reading this after I watched this show on PBS. Right now they have Season 3 on PBS.
I would really love start reading the Outlanders series, as everyone who has read these books say they are wonderful, but I am also in a book club and have to make sure I have time to get my monthly book choice read in time.
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Sugar
Member
08-15-2000
| Sunday, October 29, 2017 - 1:46 pm
The Mitford series featuring Father Tim by Jan Karon.
The Harmony series and continued tales by Philip Gulley.
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Denecee
Member
09-05-2002
| Monday, February 19, 2018 - 2:25 pm
Earth's Children series by Jean Auel<<<love them all!
Red Rising series by Pierce Brown
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Sugar
Member
08-15-2000
| Wednesday, May 16, 2018 - 8:14 pm
A couple of children's series:
The Five Little Peppers
Anne of Green Gables
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Lyn
Member
08-06-2002
| Friday, July 19, 2019 - 12:26 pm
E. H. Reinhard - The Lieutenant Harrington Series
I'm enjoying these books so much, I think I just might have to invest in his other 3 series
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