Calendar Girls January: Best First Book in a New Series

SURPRISE! We’re still here!!! I was over the moon when Flavia, one of the original creators of Calendar Girls, offered to take over when Adrienne and I were needing to take a step back. Long-time Calendar Girls participant Dani will also be taking over hostess duties for now. It is with the utmost excitement that I leave you in their very capable hands.

Our theme this month is New Beginnings: First Book in a New Series. That means, it’s a FANTASTIC book in a series, but none of the sequels have been published yet. This … isn’t easy for me. I much prefer standalones, and I rarely read the rest of a series. However, I read several great first books in a series in 2019!

Quick honorable mentions. These two books I technically liked better and rated higher on my list last year, but in both cases I felt like they don’t quite fit the prompt. Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey was my favorite rom-com OF ALL TIME, and has a new book in the series coming out in 2020. However, romance series are typically loosely connected, so I just didn’t like it for the prompt. Enchanteé by Gita Trelease was also a favorite, however it felt like a standalone novel to me, and I understand Trelease originally intended it to not be a series. Anyway, I highly recommend both!

• 

• 

So, here it is! My favorite first book in a new series. A series that I (and I can’t stress this enough) actually plan on reading.

Discussion: Waiting to Read a Series

So it has come to my attention over the course of the past year that there are people who actively avoid reading unfinished series.

This is something that would never have even occurred to me. Possibly in part because I got hooked on the Animorphs series in the 4th grade, and the author didn’t finish it until I was in sixth, so I guess I’m just used to waiting. I also grew up waiting on Harry Potter, so there’s that too.

But mostly I don’t even bother to find out if a book is even a part of a series before I start reading. I pretty much assume anything is either a stand-alone or a part of a never-ending-mega-series-that-I-will-never-finish until told otherwise. Finding out how many books are in a series is so far removed from how I pick books that I would never have even considered that.

So I was a little shocked the first time I heard this. Not because I was appalled or anything, just because I’d never thought of it and it’s kind of weird to me. But over the last year I’ve just come to accept that there are people out there who won’t read a book unless they know the whole series is available to them.

And as I sit here, twiddling my thumbs and waiting for the conclusion of The Kingkiller Chronicles which may never come, I have to say, It kind of makes sense. But, at the same time, it kind of makes me feel icky all over. So, like I do, I thought I’d make a pros and cons list.

Calendar Girls November Wrap-Up

What a great November it’s been! I’ve been really enjoying talking about book series with you all. I’ve got several great ideas for future blog posts, so if you’re a fan of book series, be on the lookout! Even though right now I’m more into standalones, it’s been great reminiscing about old favorites and adding some new books to my tbr.

Best Middle Book in a Series Picks

The Mark of Athena – Katie @ Never Not Reading (that’s me!)
Queen of Shadows – Adrienne @ Darque Dreamer Reads
This Cruel Design – Teri Polen
Down Among the Sticks and Bones – Krista and Dawlyn @ Little Blind Book Finds
Down Among the Sticks and Bones – Samantha @ Modern Witch’s Bookshelf
A Court of Mist and Fury – Flavia @ Flavia the Bibliophile
A Court of Mist and Fury – Plot Monster
A Court of Mist and Fury and Heir of Fire – Sophie @ Beware the Reader
Charmed Things – Deanna @ Deanna Writes About
The Girl in the Tower – Lucinda @ Lucinda is Reading
The Heart Forger – Dani @ Mousai Books

Our Favorite Pick is…

Calendar Girls November: Best Middle Book in a Series

 

I’ll be honest with you guys, the actual answer to this prompt for me is not the book I’m going to be picking. You see, of the three The Lord of the Rings volumes, The Two Towers is my favorite. But I’ve always considered The Lord of the Rings to be one novel. It was published as three because at the time a 1,000 page novel was unthinkable, but Tolkien intended it to be one book. And the three books don’t really stand on their own. They’re meant to be read back to back to back.

So I’m not picking that.

Instead I had a very difficult time choosing between two books, both in the same series. It’s a five part series, and books three and four are both AMAZING, and I love them for different reasons. It’s so hard to choose!

So, as I do, I chose the one that made my heart gush all the romantic feels. Especially the end. Good gargoyles, that end!

My favorite middle book in a series is…

Calendar Girls November Theme

Thank goodness fall is finally setting in, am I right? I mean, it’s still 90 degree weather here in Texas, but at least it isn’t 100 degree weather anymore! So that must mean fall is right around the corner!

I love fall. Isn’t it just the best?

Speaking of fall, the polls are in, and we have decided on a Calendar Girls Theme for Nobember. Survey says…

Calendar Girls November: Best End of a Series

I gave basically zero thought to this post because I figured it would be so easy. Then I went to look at my bookshelf and realized that I had no idea what book to pick. Turns out I don’t read all that many series. And the first book is almost always the best one! The only two good answers were both a little obvious.

So, get ready for not the most interesting choice for Best End of a Series, but a good, solid choice nonetheless!