The Jasper Fforde Thursday Next series is one of the book series that I learned about from the Bitchery, one that I keep meaning to start reading already. Now that there’s another installment coming out 8 March, I think it’s time for me to get on with it already. I definitely have a habit of waiting to start a series until there’s at least a few books for me to read in a row – I did that with Julia Spencer-Fleming and with Ilona Andrews’ books as well. And then, when I know there’s a new one, I can go back and re-read all the prior installments and savor them all over again. I know Angela James is in the middle of a 40-book re-read of the In Death series, with the new one coming out at the end of the month. That’s a LOT of books to read – I’d much rather face down a series of 5 or so, even if it means I’ve missed out on something extraordinary by waiting until there’s a few in hand to enjoy.
I admit, when Viking contacted me about whether I’d review this newest Fforde book, I felt like a toolbag saying that as much as I’d heard that the series is one long fiesta of amazing incidents of literary awesomeness, the written equivalent of the best Bruckheimer explosion coupled with the nuances of a O’Toole performance and the stage craft of that guy in college who could build an entire set with clothesline and a paperclip, no, I hadn’t read them. But I know a lot of you have. So Viking sent over a copy of the latest Thursday Next book, all hardcover and sexy, because I said I bet one of you might like to read it early.
Would you like to win it? Just let me know what series you can’t believe isn’t the most-read series out there, the one that everyone should start reading NOW (including this one), and why we should hop on the readerly wagon, and you’re entered to win. If you would be so kind as to consider reviewing the book, it would be kickawesome. I cannot enforce that, or make you do anything as a consequence of winning (that would be douchey) but I would very much love to know what you think, whether you post it at GoodReads or on your own site or email me or whatever. You can step out on your porch in a bathrobe and deliver a soliloquy if you want, just please let me know in advance so I can
get that working inspiration on film
witness it personally. I’m going to start with the first book soon.
Standard disclaimers apply: I am not being compensated for this giveaway. No shirt, no shoes, no service. Open to international entries. Void where prohibited by law. You can’t kiss your honey when your nose is runny, because you might think it’s funny but it’s snot.
I totally just realized I probably should have run this on a Thursday. Oh well. Comments are open for 24 hours. Ready, set, series recommendations – go!
The Corinna Chapman series by Kerry Greenwood. Set in Melbourne (my home town!), they’re funny mysteries. And Corinna, who is a baker, has this wonderful young apprentice who three generations of my family (Grandma, Mum and I) all adore. In my family, these are known as the “muffin boy” books because the apprentice is like magic with his muffins. I wish she’d hurry up and write another one!
I cannot veer away from Mr. Fforde’s TN series. It’s the series I’ve most frequently recommended to friends, and with nearly embarrassing enthusiasm (though I prefer to think of it as infectious gusto). Yes, the series is seductively readable, fraught with allusions, and engaging to readers who have read the classics, and even those who haven’t. (Full disclosure: I read the Eyre Affair before I’d read Jane Eyre, and still enjoyed it immensely.) I would be honored to review the latest book, but have probably missed the 24hr deadline. Nevertheless, my Thursday zeal compels me to comment.
I agree with the mentions of Parker’s Spenser and Stout’s Nero Wolfe series, but my favorite of all time is Dorothy Gilman’s Mrs. Pollifax series. In a nutshell: a cute grandmother type with a penchant for absurd hats decides she is bored and unfulfilled with her life. So she does what any little old lady would do and joins the CIA when they need an Innocent Tourist. Ostensibly, she is just a courier but things always go Horribly Awry, leaving Mrs. Pollifax to step in and save the day in whatever remote corner of the world she happens to be in. Very funny, occasional subplots of romance, more warm fuzzies than I expected.
Romance series I have read and reread include the original Tots For Texans by Judy Christenberry, Jillian Hunter’s Boscastle series (not the last several, which were disappointing, but the original siblings), and of course, the Bridgertons.
I love the Thursday Next series, but my all time favorite series(es) come from Simon R. Green.
His Owen Deathstalker series is space opera at it’s finest.
His John Taylor series is magically fantastic private eye noir!
But my absolute favorite of his is his Haven guards “Hawk and Fisher” series. This one is fantasy and romance and horror all rolled up into one.
I will add my voice for George RR Martin and Jacqueline Carey – both very fine authors who understand the need for richness and depth in character, plot, and setting.
I also put forward Zoe Archer’s Blades of the Rose series – high adventure and romance in a rather Victorian setting.
For anyone who enjoys medieval mysteries with a hint of romance there are the Brother Cadfael books (very nicely adapted to television starring Derrick Jacobi if you would rather watch than read.)
And I still have a very soft spot for Marian Zimmer Bradley’s Darkover novels – soft sci-fi/fantasy with powerful psychics – that held my attention really well back in the late 70s and early 80s. Hmmmm…time for a re-read to see if they hold up.
I just finished rereading the Harry Potter series and am once again blown away by how good it is. Both of the established series done by Robin Owen should be read by everyone and she should be a best selling author. Sharon Shinn’s 12 houses series is some of my favorite to reread.
Oh, I love the Thursday Next series, and Fforde’s deliciously quirky ways, from the footnotes to the character names, and everything inbetween (and either side).
One other series I think everyone should be reading is Madeleine Urban and Abigal Roux’s ‘Cut and Run’ series -the third book came out in late 2010, so there isn’t loads and loads to catch up, but enough to be satisfying. I can’t speak for the veracity of the FBI-specific details, but they certainly feel right…well written, engaging leads who are bad-ass and damaged and need each other more than they’re willing to admit, but it becomes more obvious to the reader as they face an incredibly variety of perils (eveything from a Poe-obsessed serial killer to a mountain lion. A MOUNTAIN LION!)…siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh. So much love.
Without a doubt – George RR Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire. I ripped through what he has written so far in no time at all and those books just get bigger and bigger as you go along. He’s been writing the next one for years and I may rip it apart in my excitement if he ever finishes it! Plus it’s going to be on HBO this year with Sean Bean. Sigh…so good. Fantasy, magic, dragons, betrayals, political intrigue, family drama, crazy sex, knights on horses with big-azz swords, a girl assassin, giant wolves for pets – it has everything!
That being said – I also agree with everyone who said Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. Especially the sub-series about teen witch Tiffany Aching. But they are all magnificent and more people need to read them.
These aren’t romance, but I also love fantasy, and the Song of the Lioness quartet by Tamora Pierce was one of my favorites growing up, as well as the Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede. Some of my favorite books of all time.
Oh I love these books!
The Eyre Affair especially was so nuanced and sharp and surreal. Love love love! (Although sad that Uncle Mycroft had to die).
Other series I adore?
The Hunger Games (amazing but sooo far out of my usual comfort zone)
Megan McCafferty’s Jessica Darling quintet (one of the most appealing romantic lead dudes EVER EVER EVER.. crushworthy even beyond Lloyd Dobler in Say Anything..)
I’ll read it. I’ll review it. I’ll try to sound very smart!
I’m really quite taken with the Ricky and G-Man books by Poppy Z Brite. Food culture, New Orleans, crime an corruption, and a really wonderful, solid relationship between the two main characters.
Liquor, Prime, Soul Kitchen, D*U*C*K (and the prequel: Value of X)
Don’t enter me in the contest (I’ve never read these books, so I’ll start from the beginning) but since you mentioned my In Death re-read in the main post, I thought I’d chime in. I am re-reading it, I started at the beginning of the year and am just over halfway through the forty books now. This would probably be my first series that I’m always surprised when I hear readers (romance readers particularly) haven’t read.
My other romance series would be Nalini Singh’s Psy/Changeling.
But I’m always surprised by fantasy readers who tell me they haven’t read David Eddings’ Belgariad series. I re-read it all the time and it’s such great reading.
I read all of the comments, and I do agree with a lot of the others mentioned here! Though I had to make a list because there were quite a few I hadn’t read or even heard of!
Well, it’s not exactly neglected around here, but my current fave is the Lady Julia Grey books by Deanna Raybourn. That said, I love the Fford books and would love to get the new one…
Anne of Green Gables… probably the first romance series I ever read. and re-read…
I *love* the Thursday Next books. (Although I can’t imagine that Fforde will ever be able to top the sheer excellence of the third one, Lost in a Good Book; it is the quintessence of the Next series.)
For a series that everyone should read…it’s a toss-up. For people who just love literature, this series is my standard recommendation. For people who love fantasy more specifically, I recommend either the Young Wizards books by Diane Duane (awesome development of characters & ideas, and it’s a YA series that doesn’t ever condescend to its readers) or the Chalion books by Lois McMaster Bujold (a number of people here have mentioned the Vorkosigan and the Sharing Knife books, which are also excellent, but I’ve got a sneaking preference for these).
And yes, I would happily write a review.
Whoops. I meant The Well of Lost Plots, not Lost in a Good Book. My mistake.
No need to enter me in the contest. My TBR list is huge right now. Just wanted to add my two cents:
You’re not the only one honey. I love series. LOVE THEM. But they need to come to a natural and satisfying end. The ones you listed just drag on and on and become very repetative. The best are 5-6 books long.
My favorite series:
Anything by Richelle Mead: Vampire Academy (my favorite series ever), Dark Swan Series, and Succubus Series, in that order
Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse books (but she is in danger of the running on and on if she doesn’t tighten it up some—the last one was disappointing)
I recently finished Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series. Good, but angsty.
I even liked the first few of J.R. Ward’s books (I know…whaht the heck whas I thinkhing??)
two really great series:
Jasper Fforde’s ‘Nursery Crimes’
and one i can’t believe I don’t hear people talking about more:
Lindsey Davis ‘Falco’ series in ancient Rome
Both wonderful!
I can’t believe that Sarah Caudwell’s four books haven’t been mentioned. So I am mentioning them. No, not because I think I have a whelk’s chance in a supernova of winning something (me? it is to laugh) but because they need to be mentioned.
Plus, everybody’s already mentioned the Vorkosigan series 🙂
I wanted to share a link with you guys. I heard about it from a fellow librarian. Did you ever start a series and not know what order the books came in?? I recommend this website: KDL What’s Next Database at
http://ww2.kdl.org/libcat/whatsnext.asp
You can do a search by genre, title, author…and then call up the list of books in a particular series and what order they come in. Love it. I use it all the time.
Another series I forgot to include earlier (though it’s mystery rather than romance): Karin Slaughter’s Grant County Series. Great characters and well-developed plot lines.
OOh! New Thursday Next? Want. I’d be happy to review it too.
My series recommendations:
Kitty and The Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn – it has werewolves, vampires, a dash of romance, mystery and snark! Plus actual character growth and plot development! 8 books out, #9 due in June so you’ve got time to catch up.
The Vampire Files by P N Elrod – funny, dark, bloody vampire detective / gangster series set in Chicago in the late 1930s. Individual copies of the early books can be hard to find but they’re available in reprint collections.
It would be easy to say Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy. It was simply amazing to read. He’s gotten so much press lately, and so much buzz though, I find it hard to believe there aren’t many people who haven’t read it yet. If you haven’t though, you should. Greed, Love, Lust, Friendship, Assassins, Government Conspiracies, Murders, Human Rights Violations, Psychological Drama, Computer Hacking, Mystery, Spies, Gangs…I could go on and on, it TRULY has it all. Just outstanding works of fiction.
Most of mine have been mentioned already:
Dresden books (Jim Butcher)
Lord of the Rings (JRR Tolkien)
Discworld (Terry Prachett)
In Death series (JD Robb)
Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe series (Douglas Adams)
Nerd series (vicki Lewis Thompson)
Millennium Trilogy ((Stieg Larsson)
my two favorite series that i am CONSTANTLY explaing to my friends who havent read them (despite numerous proddings by myself) are:
The Pink Carnation series by Lauren Willig, and
the Mary Russell series by Laurie R King
I see a lot of mentions for my faves, including Gail Carriger and the Dresden files.
Not mentioned above that I pre-ordered a good 8 months in advance?
The Jaz Parks books by Jennifer Rardin. Terrible that she left us so soon, but wonderful that she left us with the final book in the series coming out this summer.
Zodiac series by Vicki Pettersson, a mix of sci-fi and comic books with a heroine who (literally) kicks ass.
Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series. I read all 11 books in a week (yes, I’m unemployed so have plenty of time). Also a sci-fi series with witches, sorcerers, ghosts, necromancers, half-demons and who knows what else.
Lilith Saintcrow’s Dante Valentine and Jill Kismet series. Women with the power to battle the dead, the demon and the in-between. Kick-ass sci-fi.
Don’t enter me in the competition, since I haven’t read this series, but I can’t resist adding my recommendations.
I agree with a lot already recommended, including Douglass Adams, Diana Wynne Jones, and Sharon Shinn (whom I discovered through this blog!). I have to add Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea cycle and Charles De Lint’s Newford stories.
De Lint’s Newford stories are not exactly a traditional series – they’re all set in the same fictional North American town of Newford, with overlapping supporting characters, but mostly with different main characters. Some of the novels are more stand alone than others. De Lint writes beautiful urban fantasy, with a little romance thrown in (in the novels at least, if not in all the novellas). He avoids the usual vampires and werewolves and draws from Celtic and Native American and other myths. The first short story collection, Dreams Underfoot, is a good place to start.
Please, pretty please PICK ME to review the new Thursday book. I’ve read the entire series and the Nursery Crime series, and Shades of Grey. Love them, but I can be objective too. Probably.
For trilogies:
Philip Pullman: His Dark Materials. Forget the movies. The books actually make me cry in parts they are so good.
Guy Gavriel Kay: The Fionovar Tapestry. One of those series that when I finished the second book at eight one evening I had to drive across town, to two different bookstores before closing, to get a hold of the final book in the trilogy.
Longer series:
Arturo Perez-Reverte: Captain Alastriste series. If you love Dumas, cranky sword fighters, and period detail this is a fabulous series.
CS Harris: St. Cyr mysteries. I particularly love the heroine in this series and the relationship with her family.
OMG I would like make out with a troll’s even trollier troll stepbrother to have the new Jasper Fforde. These books are AMAZING!
And I can’t believe they’re not known very well here. They’re huge in the UK, as they should be!
Another, insanely intelligent UF novel that’s as literary as you can get and still be genre, is Scarlett Thomas’s The End of Mr. Y. It’s one of the best books I’ve ever read, but no one has ever even heard of it, it seems.
I have never gotten over Anne Bishop’s The Black Jewels Trilogy (although technically more than a trilogy at this point). It’s both one of the most twisted and disturbing series I have ever read and one of the most surprisingly erotic. Through the series we see the development of the heroine from traumatised girl to the most powerful women of her age in a social hierarchy entirely dependent on the level of magical power you possess and shifting attitudes towards women. There’s a trio of very compelling men who form a darkly empathetic triangle around this girl. It sounds so epic and melodramatic, and it really is, but somehow it never feels like the power dichotomy issues are being shoved in your face. Possibly because the series contains the point of view of all of the main characters, with enough bad-guys and even semi-bad guys to give you the complete understanding of what it takes to shift the society.
It’s a series I first discovered in high school when an entire hand bell choir full of girls couldn’t make it through a week without buying enough copies for everyone to read it at once. Still one the series I’m compelled to re-read at least every two years. You won’t even notice the time.
For best series, I have to say Patricia C. Wrede’s Enchanted Forest Chronicles. Although the books are usually marketed as Young Adult (probably because they’re a bit short), this is an excellent series for all. Featuring a strong female heroine who’d much rather live with dragons than be rescued by a succession of stupid princes (though she does get her own romantic storyline, but never gives up doing spells and being awesome), this series doesn’t get as much recognition as it deserves.
I would review a paper bag if you gave it to me, so it would be no hardship to review the next instalment in a series I adore! Thursday Next is genius!
[peers into eerily quiet space]
I think tomorrow is Thursday….