1. Books in a series.
So, this week I spent a few hours in the car with my daughter. She was listening to the audiobook of The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. I read it in 2011, the year it was published. After enjoying it immensely I had to wait for each of the sequels, Days of Blood and Starlight (2012) and Dreams of Gods and Monsters (2014.) With the start of each sequel I'd struggle to remember the characters and the plot lines from the previous book(s). It was so frustrating. As I listened to the book as a captive audience with my daughter, I realized that I had forgotten so many of the details from the first book that would have helped me in understanding subsequent action in later books. It made me think that I should have reread the first book before starting the second, and so on. Who has time for that?
This is not an isolated case. With the popularity of books in a series, I find this to be true with just about everyone I attempt to read. Carly, my daughter, refuses to read books UNTIL the series is complete. That is why she is starting The Daughter of Smoke and Bone now. The third book in the trilogy came out this Spring so now she can safely read one book after the next, if she likes the first book.
I don't know what to do. I want to read the "hot" YA titles so I can be a "hip" librarian, but I don't want to spend all my time reading and then rereading them before I move on.
What do you do about books in a series?
2. Book Challenges
Summer is rapidly coming to an end and with it comes the end of my own 30 Books Summer Challenge.
I am currently reading and listening to three different books which means I'm working on books 25-27 toward the challenge. Not that it matters, but I do like to accomplish what I set out to do and it sure doesn't seem like this one is going to get done.
I'm just barely working on any of my other challenges, too. Why do I sign up for them (or start them myself) when I know how much stress they put on my life?
How about you? How do you handle book challenges? Do you participate in them. Any secret tips you've got for me that will help me avoid them in the future?
3. Can you tell that I am gearing up for school to start next week? You'll notice that my blogging rate goes way down in September, it has already started.
This meme is hosted by Bookishly Boisterous.
Oh, I have noticed that about series books, too. I have been following a series by Wendy Wax, and love it, but with each new book, I have to struggle a bit to remember who the characters are to one another. I spend a good part of the book doing that.
ReplyDeleteAs for challenges, I used to do several, but this year I only signed up for two, and one of them was easily completed and rather quickly. I am thinking of only doing one next year! Who needs the stress?
Thanks for stopping by my blog.
I may have to abandon my challenges next year, too. Even though I "want" to read this book or that I don't need more pressure to read other books.
DeleteSome series I read each book as they are published, for some I wait until I can read them all in a row (and for series I really like, I try to reread the previous books before reading the newest addition). I think I prefer to be able to read all books in a series straight after each other.
ReplyDeleteI used to do a lot of reading challenges, but now I don't quite have the time. I still sign up for way too many challenges, but only finish some of them. I try not to be too upset with myself if I don't finish them all, and remind myself that they are just for fun.
marelden.com
That is often why I wait and read the entire trilogy when the final book is released. It saves a lot of problems and frustrations, like the ones you've mentioned.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the author of The Daughter of Smoke and Bone is Laini Taylor, not Veronica Roth who wrote the Divergent series.
Good luck with your challenge though. I think people sometimes forget how fiercely competitive readers can be. Cheers!!!
Woops. Thanks for pointing out the author problem. I even went to Laini Taylor's website and Tumblr to take a look around and then I didn't give her credit. Good save!
DeleteI'm always tempted by reading challenges but limited myself to a handful this year - don't really mind if I don't meet the challenge if I keep in mind why I picked the particular challenge eg. for reading diversity. As long as I make some effort!
ReplyDelete