Since I had the blog tour post on Friday, I missed out on this post. I decided to do it today instead and put the week’s question and next week’s question. I have family coming this week and will take Friday off to spend the long weekend celebrating my hubby’s birthday with family.
Do you prefer to read standalone or series books? Have you ever been enticed to read more by an author of a book?
(submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)
My Answer:
I don’t care if a book is a standalone or part of a series. You all have seen me even go so far as treat books in a series as stand-alones even if I really shouldn’t.
Before I started blogging and doing IG, I would binge read entire series without a thought and, to answer question 2, if I found an author I liked, it was very normal for me to binge read all of the books that they had written up to that point.
Now, of course, I can’t do crazy stuff like that, but on the flip side I am discovering so many new-to-me and debut authors and I love that.
Do you prefer to read standalone or series books? (&/or) Have you ever been enticed to read more by an author of a book?
I decided to try and change my reviews so that the whole review fits in an IG post. This will make things so much easier for me. So, you will see some changes taking place (which is nothing new for me 😂) but hopefully you’ll think they are good or interesting changes. I also on a whim totally revamped my graphics. I have no idea why…well…that’s not totally true – it’s still all about making the blog and the social media thing consistent but I didn’t think it out – I just started doing. I’m sure there will be changes in that area too 😂
I have daughter #1 coming back for a week and my MIL flying down for 5 days in order to celebrate my hubby’s birthday. Everyone comes on Wed./Thurs. and leave again on Tues./Wed. I’m trying not to stress too much but stressing over things like this is totally a “me” thing to do.
As I mentioned at the top of this post – I did two questions because I’m not posting on Friday, so that I can spend some quality family time over the long weekend.
- Monday, Aug. 14, 2023 – Blog Tour Book Review – Her Husband’s Secret by Ann O’Laughlin
- Tuesday, August 15, 2023 – Book Reviews of None of This is True by Lisa Jewell and Dark Corners by Megan Goldin
- Wednesday, August 16, 2023 – WWW Wednesday and Book Haul
- Thursday, August 17, 2023 – Book Review of Tilly in Technicolor by Mazey Eddings and The Witch is Back by Sophie Morgan
- Friday, August 18, 2023 – Blog Tour Book Review of The Marriage Retreat by Laura Elliot
- Monday, Aug. 21, 2023 – this post
- Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023 – Book Review – I’m Not Done With You Yet by Jesse Q. Sutanto (thriller)
- Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023 – WWW Wednesday and book haul
- Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023 – Book Review of Dead and Gone by Joanna Schaffhausen
- Friday – taking a long weekend. Be back next Monday 😊
- Monday, Aug. 28, 2023 – Book Review of My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine
- Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023 – Book Review of The Love Plot by Samantha Young
- Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023 – WWW Wednesday and Book Haul
- Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023 – Blog Tour Book Review of Big Little Spells by Hazel Beck
- Friday, Sept. 1, 2023 – Book Blogger Hop and weekly updates
24 responses to “Let’s Discuss Bookish Things plus my weekly updates”
Love your revamp! I love standalones and a series and if I discover a new author I definitely want to read more by them! Hope you have a lovely time with your family and that your husband has a great birthday! x
Thank you! I kind of miss having the reading time to binge read series or author backlists. But I do love discovering so many new to me authors.
I love the new graphics. So pretty! I love books in a series and will definitely read more by an author if I find a book that I like. Have a great weekend celebrating your hubby’s birthday!
Thank you! I love series too. I’m not particular about whether it’s a series or stand-alone just if it’s a good story.
I’m such a series reader I won’t even pretend otherwise. But I love my standalones, too. Sometimes it’s just a good feeling to be one and done, satisfied with the ending. Series reading offers me the opportunity to revisit beloved characters and communities. I’m all in when I’m reading a good story and sometimes it’s hard to let go.
Oh, I definitely will go explore a new author’s backlist if I’m blown away with my first experience. A great example is Lisa Jewell. After I read her for the first time, I loaded up my shelf with her titles and dug in. It paid off, too. I’ve many other examples but she’s the first to come to mind. That’s the beauty of trying out new-to-me authors…opening the door to more wonderful reading opportunities!
Have fun with family! And, I’m liking your changes to your posts.
I just like a good story, too, whether it’s told in one book or several. And thank you!
I’m always bereft when I finish an author’s back catalog. I hope you have a lovely week with a full house x
Me too! Or I used to be when I could do that. Thank you!
I don’t mind. Sometimes I will read a book out of a series and think, I would love to read the other book connected to this one.
I prefer series more than standalone and if I like one or two books by the same author I definitely would try to catch up books I missed or get future books.
Series provide more time to develop characters and settings which is always great!
I think I agree with what I’ve seen (here and elsewhere) on the subject: Sometimes series are great, especially if the worldbuilding is done well, because you really get to love the characters and the world they inhabit, and want to know as much as you can about them. On the other hand, stand alones can be great too, and much less intimidating than a long series if you’re not sure you want to commit to multiple books. Of course, sometimes I’ve wished standalones had sequels if they’re really good!! Or that duologies of trilogies had more books in them! And sometimes I only read the first book or two of a series and then decide I’m not interested in any of the rest.
As for reading more of an author’s works, it is something I will definitely do on certain occasions. I think that’s really the point of getting to know who’s writing what. Finding more books you’ll like. At least hopefully. (It doesn’t always pan out). I often am not really aware of who the author of a book is unless it’s one I really, really like. Then I go looking for more by that author. I’m typically more drawn into the story than I am who is writing it – unless, of course, it’s an author I already know I like. Even then, sometimes it takes me a long time to broach the wider selections of an author’s writings, especially if they do multiple different types of series. And other times I’m perfectly satisfied reading what I know I like, and don’t explore further. After all, with the mountain that my TBR list always is, one has to draw the line somewhere! 🙂
Definitely!
Hope you have a great week! I much prefer standalones, as I worry about finding sequels in a series disappointing. There are a few series I enjoy though.
That’s interesting. I never looked at it that way.
Series or standalones–I’m fine with either. Just give me a good story and the rest doesn’t matter.
Wishing you a great time with family (and minimal stress!)
Why are family visits always so stressful? I guess just the break in routine.
Your new graphics are really pretty, I love them. I hope you have a lovely time with your family, I am just catching up today after a week away with mine 😊
I do shorter reviews myself, usually keeping them under 300 words. I do reviews for Historical Novel Society, and they limit them to 200 – 300 words, so I just got used to doing it that way.
That’s what I’ll need to do. They are coming out to about 250 words I think.
Oh, such pretty new graphics! And, by the way, not much for series, but sometimes I get caught up in them. I don’t look for them, that’s for sure!
Stand alones are nice. I do like having the complete story in one book.
I’ll do both, but it sure is nice to get a standalone occasionally. Like you, before I started posting reviews, I’d read authors’ whole backlist if I liked them. Have a great time with your family!
I miss that sometimes – just that being able to go where the books take you. But then I think of all the new authors I’m exposed to and I love that too.