Devi Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 I couldn't seem to find a thread for this, so my apologies if there is one already made. Do you ever start reading a series or saga before having the complete collection? It's one of my little quirks, but I won't start reading a series till I have the complete set of books. Example, I have the latest Raymond E Feist book in the chaoswar saga, but I won't start reading it till I have the other two books have been released, and on my shelf, in paperback format may I add. Am I the only one who does this? I sometimes think I am haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawnbirduk Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 I don't have to own the whole series before I start, in case I don't like it, however, I MUST read them in chronological order Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 It depends for me. I have inadvertently bought a book that forms part of a series and then gone onto to get the rest, and then there's the continuing series aspect where I will get each book as it is published / released. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 No, I tend to get them one at a time. That way, if I find I'm not overly enamoured of an earlier book, I haven't wasted my money on the rest of the series which I won't read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted February 2, 2012 Author Share Posted February 2, 2012 I should add, I do tend to do a fair bit of research before buying a series, I ask around, read previews on iBook, and go through amazon reviews etc. I suppose it's easier for me because I do have a book barn around the corner that lets you trade books for credit, or other books. I also buy all my books from BD, I got the whole Brent weeks trilogy there for the price of one book here in Aus! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruth Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 It doesn't bother me either way. I'm not bothered about waiting for the next book in a series to come out before I read the first, but sometimes I don't discover a series until all the books (or at least 3 or 4) are already out. Even then, I usually only get one at a time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 It doesn't really bother me, either. I don't think I've ever bought a complete series in one go - I always buy the first book to see what it's like, then maybe a couple more to see if the quality continues etc. Strangely, though, with a trilogy I'll generally wait until all three books are out before even thinking about reading them (currently waiting for Patrick Rothfuss to pull his finger out so I can start his first book). That's probably because of my experience with Peter F Hamilton's 'Night's Dawn' trilogy, where I bought them as they came out and re-read the previous book(s) as each successive one was published, so I ended up reading the first book three times, the second book twice, and the final book just the once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted February 2, 2012 Author Share Posted February 2, 2012 (edited) I have always thought it was an only me thing haha. I did buy the first book by R.E.F before buying the rest. I enjoyed it so much so that I just kept buying till I completed a saga before reading it, and did the same thing with Robin Hobb. Someone asked me once if it was anything to do with keeping the flow of the story going, and when I thought about it, I guess it is. Edited February 2, 2012 by Devi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Someone asked me once if it was anything to do with keeping the flow of the story going, and when I thought about it, I guess it is. That's a good point, Devi. Sometimes the gap between books can be so long, with other books read inbetween, that you can forget what become important threads in later books. Especially difficult for me as I tend to borrow most of my books rather than buy (if I buy, I want to keep 'em, and I just don't have the room!). I recently read The passage by Justin Cronin, the first book of a, so far, unwritten trilogy. I know that when I get to book 2, I will have forgotten large parts of the plot and minor characters. But if I had a photographic memory, there'd be no fun in re-reading! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pickle Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 (edited) (currently waiting for Patrick Rothfuss to pull his finger out so I can start his first book). Ha ha good luck with that it took him over 2 years between the first and the second. Read the first and gonna do the second at some point this year though I may have to re-read the first it being such a long time between them. I am not really bothered but if I like a series I get on a role and get the whole series one after the other but don't worry if there are still books to come otherwise I might have to wait forever and I am not patient when it comes to books. Edited February 2, 2012 by pickle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 I've got quite a few series/saga's on the go at the moment . I'd bought nearly all the Sharpe books by Bernard Cornwell before I got round to starting the first because I kept seeing them in charity shops & adding on to my collection, good job I l liked them otherwise it would have been a bit of a waste of money. I usually wont read a whole series in one go even if I'm really enjoying it as I like to vary the books I read unless it's all in one big volume & then I'll read it from start to finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted February 2, 2012 Author Share Posted February 2, 2012 Yes, I tend to read in sagas if the author writes them so. I use the time between for all my other books, so the story doesn't get stale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Someone asked me once if it was anything to do with keeping the flow of the story going, and when I thought about it, I guess it is. I don't think I've ever felt that way - I find it extremely difficult to read a series one book straight after another, I just have to have a break between them otherwise I get 'author burn-out'. I must crave change or something. Even my favourite series, the Malazan books, I read the second and third books one after the other and by the end of the third book I couldn't wait to read something completely different. It kind of spoiled that book for me, and I only really appreciated it when I re-read it at a later date, so I learned my lesson there. Ha ha good luck with that it took him over 2 years between the first and the second. Read the first and gonna do the second at some point this year though I may have to re-read the first it being such a long time between them. Yeah, I know, he's taking aaaaaages. Still not as long as George RR Martin, though - he's taking so long between books that he's succeeded in doing what I thought was impossible: he's made me lose interest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 I used to buy the whole series, but then ended up with books that I didnt want to read because I didnt enjoy the first or second in the series. So now I tend to just buy one and read that and see how I get on. I normally keep the earlier books so I can re-read when the time comes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angury Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 (edited) I quite like reading a series which hasn't been completed yet and waiting for the next book to come out. Part of the fun for me is discussing the plot with other fans and predicting what will happen next to the characters. I usually get most of my books from the library, and will only buy a series if it's something I really enjoy reading and would read over and over again. Edited February 2, 2012 by Angury Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I do a bit of both. I generally buy most, or all, of a series before starting the first book. With more current series, I'll just buy them as they're released. Like Karsa, I can't read one series book after the other, with the exception of Harry Potter. Once I'm in Potter's world, I'm quite content to read the entire series to immerse myself completely. Any other series must be broken up by other reads. I try not to wait too long, but it can often be a year or so between books. It took me several years to read the Chronicles of Narnia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruth Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I can't read one series book after the other either. I like to break up my reading a bit. In fact, I don't like to read two books in a row by the same author (or even the same genre). No matter how much I love a book in a series, I still like to read a few different books in between. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I need a break from books in a series, otherwise I get a bit sick of them. I need to visit new characters and new places. I've been reading the Harry Potter books over the past year, and I've only read the first four. I like to space them out and give them room to digest. Also, I don't feel the need to buy the whole series before I get started. I usually don't buy the first book - I'll borrow it, just in case I don't like it, then I won't have wasted my money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyzenthlay Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Book at a time. I like feeling like I deserve the next one once I've ploughed through the previous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Bill Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 I don't read a lot of fiction but I much prefer to read a series in chronological order even if they can be enjoyed as "stand alone" books. I don't feel I have to buy them all at once though. Like others I like a change so rarely if ever have I read a whole series ne after the other. Funnily enough I lke to read an authors output in order of witin, even when they don't form a series as such. Not always feasible though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taïr Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 I only bought them one at the time. The main raison is that, if I don't like the serie, I don't "waste" to much money. But it's as well because, when I go to my bookstore I try (very very hard) not to bought all the books. So I put a limit : no more than three books each time. And since I always have so much books I want to buy, I end up buying very different books. Plus, like some other said, I need a break between two books of the same serie anyway and I don't mind waiting. The only saga I had trouble with was the wheel of the time, because there is so much characters and plots that I always forgot everything when the next one is out (and I feel lazy reading again all those big books, luckily the french official web site have very good summaries xD) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bree Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 I read the ones available - and when I get the next one, I read it only after re-reading the previous ones. I like feeling the continuity, I do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisman Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 I read them in the order they were published, as others have said, for continuity, and usually buy them one at a time (unless they are on promotion). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookGeek20 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 I find that with trilogies, if I like the sound of the first book and they are all published, then I'll buy the whole three books and read them all in one go. Then I take a looong break not reading much before I find something else to devour. The book I'm reading at the moment I started reading in December, and now its February, and I really want to finish it as I have my eye on a book I wish to re read, as I have yet to finish reading the sequel to that book. I also kind of read half a book then leave it and go and read something else. Is that weird? it's like I took a break from reading The Slap to read all of The Hunger Games books as I had heard that they were pretty good. (I loved them!) And then consequently had dreams about being in The Hunger Games, which was weird! Now I'm trying to desparately finish this book so I can move on to another book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knox Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 If I'm reading a series I like to have the next one to hand. But I don't buy the whole set first. I also read something inbetween so I don't bore of a series. I'm currently reading between the mistborn, Game of thrones & Michael connely series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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