Tuesday 14 March 2017

Update on my book series.


I haven't updated my list of the series I'm reading in quite a while, not since 2015 in fact. I find it very useful to do this as every now and then I peer at it to see which series I haven't read in a while and should get back to. Or maybe don't want to get back to at all... this happens quite a lot with me as I'm quite fickle. Embarrassed to admit it but I am. Extremely subject to moods in reading, like a butterfly flitting from one theme or place to another... vintage crime, ancient Rome crime, US based crime, Scottish crime... The Lake District, Canada, France! It seems there's no end to my finickyness. Ah well, never mind.

Anyway,the books:

Crime - modern and historical:

Charlie Parker - John Connolly - (read 11... up to book 12)
Matthew Shardlake – C.J. Sansom (read 3)
Flavia de Luce - Alan Bradley (read 6)
Daisy Dalrymple - Carola Dunn (read 21)
Rizzoli and Isles - Tess Gerritsen (read 8)
Ruth Galloway - Elly Griffiths (read 7)
Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes – Laurie R. King (read 5)
The Lewis trilogy - Peter May (read 2)
Lord Peter Wimsey - (read 6)
Gordianus the Finder - Steven Saylor (read 2)
Medicus - Ruth Downie (read 2)
Kate Burkholder - Linda Castillo (read 2)
Reverand Clare Fergusson - Julia Spencer-Fleming (read 3)
Temperance Brennan - Kathy Reichs (read 2)
No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency - A. McCall-Smith (read 11)
Kate Shugak - Dana Stabenow (read 6)
Sea Detective - Mark Douglas Home (read 2)
Hannah Scarlett - Martin Edwards (read 6)
Jacquot - Martin O'Brien (read 3)
Armande Gamache - Louise Penny (read 5)
Dangerous Type - Paige Shelton (read 1)


Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror - both adult and young adult:

Mercy Thompson - Patricia Briggs (read 6)
Jackelian - Stephen Hunt (read 2)
Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch (read 4)
Liveship Trader - Robin Hobb (read 1)
Astreiant - Melissa Scott - (read 2 1/2)
Hyperion - Dan Simmons (read 1)
Pern - Anne McCaffrey - (read loads but need to get back to them)
Books of the Raksura - Martha Wells (read 1)


Series I want to read: (mainly fantasy)

The Wit’ch series – James Clemens
Alpha and Omega - Patricia Briggs
Worldmaker trilogy - Lucy Hounsom
Lady Trent - Marie Brennan
Outlander - Diana Gabaldon
All Souls trilogy - Deborah Harkness
Todhunter Moon - Angie Sage
The Tawny Man trilogy – Robin Hobb (in fact all of the rest of her books.)



The Coldfire trilogy – Celia Friedman
The Fionavar Tapestry trilogy – Guy Gavriel Kay
Swordspoint - Ellen Kushner

As I noted back in 2015, what's really striking is how I've moved from being a fantasy/horror/sci-fi reader to being a reader concentrating on all kinds of crime stories. I never ever thought this would happen. I did read a bit of crime years ago, I used to love Ellis Peters' Cadfael books for instance, but converting to crime as a main genre, no I didn't anticipate that at all. Never say 'never'.

~~~oOo~~~

12 comments:

GeraniumCat said...

I've got the Lady Trent books on the TBR list (I mistyped there, "lust") as I love the covers. Have you read Garth Nix's Old Kingdom series? They are excellent. I am waiting for the very last Robin Hobb book in her extended series, due out soon - can't bear the thought of finishing them! Oh, and there's Jodi Taylor's St Mary's series - makes you laugh and cry in the same breath.

Kay said...

Well, of course, I think you need to continue reading Louise Penny's books. That's just me though. LOL

Yes, I think it's interesting how our reading preferences change over the years. I'm finding that as I list all my notebooks of books read from prior years, I'm seeing types of books that I rarely read now. But I did in years past. I don't think I had realized how I trend from one thing to another. Wonder what will come next?

DesLily said...

I blame Carl! RIP sent me reading Gothic Mysteries and I think since fantasy is about as far away from crime and mystery it's hard to read both! I like more history books now too... sheesh.. but mostly it's probably because of you being my sis! lol

Kailana said...

My list would be insane. I am in the midst of so many series. lol Fantasy is still my main one, but I have branched out a lot over the years.

Nan said...

What amazes me is how very many series there are out there!! The only one on your list that I have read every book in the series is the AMS. I have read quite a few DLS books but not all... yet. This was fun to read. I think 'eclectic' is a good word to describe your reading. And what knowledge of the world you get with every book!

TracyK said...

I want to do this. I can never keep up on what series I am getting far far behind on. (Most of them.)

I did recently get the fourth Rivers of London book, finally.

BooksPlease said...

Impressive! I've read some of the books in some of these series. It's daunting how many there are, especially reading them in sequence. My reading preference has changed a bit too - I'm reading more crime fiction but also getting back into historical fiction. I've read some of the Outlander series, but got a bit fed up with them and gave up on them - I'm fickle too. I used to love the Cadfael books as well.

Cath said...

Geranium Cat: I shall read the first Lady Trent series for Once Upon a Time which should start in a week or so. Yes, I have read the Garth Nix series, really liked them, especially Lirael. I'm waaay behind with Robin Hobb... again plan to read a couple for OUaT. I shall look into the Jodi Taylor series, thanks for the rec.

Kay: Judging by The Brutal Telling *I* think I need to continue with Louise Penny too.

I didn't realise how much I trended from one subject to another either. Even within genres how much shifting I do. Things I never thought would interest me, like a crime series set in the south of France, I can suddenly be fascinated by. And that leads me to wanting to read non-fiction about that region. It's a strange thing, the power of books.

Pat: It looks to me like any kind of reading... fantasy, crime, gothic novels, can lead you to wanting to read non-fiction about some subject. Look at you and Thomas de Quincy... and that just came from those David Morrell books! It's pretty amazing the way this happens. I've been reading the Jacquot crime series by Martin O'Brien so now I'm reading non-fic books set in and around The Med.

Kelly: My list seemed a bit too long to me but I realise others would have much longer lists. LOL! Love it.

Cath said...

Nan: I know, it's incredible just how many series exist and new ones being written all the time. I still have a few AMSs left to read and also DLS. I'm sort of spreading them out as I don't want to finish them, especially DLS. I think one thing that constantly surprises me is how much armchair travelling you can do, not with non-fiction, but with 'fiction'. It's wonderful.

Tracy: I *need* to do this as I just can't keep all of these series in my head or how far I've got with them. It's not really possible to do this on Goodreads, unless you start a shelf for each author which is cumbersome. A blog post that you can constantly update is ideal.

I'm up to Foxglove Summer with that series... it might be good to read it for Once Upon a Time.

Margaret: It is daunting to see how many series there are. I ought to stop starting new ones but you know how that goes...

I'm not sure why I bought the first Outlander book. I must have wanted to read it at some stage (I've had it years). I should have waited and just borrowed it from the library, but now I have it I feel I should at least try the series. People absolutely love them so there must be something about them. The trouble is, like you, I suspect I will get fed up with them so do I actually want to even start? What a dilemma. I read Cadfael about 20 years ago. Zoomed through them via the library and enjoyed every single one.


Val said...

It has never occurred to me to look at my reading in this was... but it would probably be a valuable thing to do..because thinking about it, I do follow a pattern of books read either by author or authors series.
I love perusing your lists as you tend to introduce me to new authors and it seems like a pretty high percentage of those authors I'll enjoy too. Not all of course but a lot. So I shall have fun studying your choices and then sampling some of the new to me series. Thank you.
I think I might also look at the books I have read in this way and see how it informs my choices.

Val said...

For was please read way (no wine yet and I can't type ...they'll be no hope for me after one glass)

Cath said...

Val: I don't know why but I seem to read in series these days rather than standalone books. (This could be because there are so *many* series.) Thus, in order to keep them straight in my head, I find a blog post like this is so helpful. I update it every time I read something from one of the series on the list and find it really works for me. Glad you like looking at the lists... we seem to have quite similar tastes in books, which is nice.