Do you have a favorite book in a favorite series? Do you love a series or stand-alones? Today, I’m listing 10 series I’ve enjoyed and highlighting a favorite book (or two) from the series.
Favorite Book in a Favorite Series
I appreciate a good series and I usually binge-read my favorites (if they are already published). I’m also a diehard “read in order” reader! Today, I’m listing 10 series I’ve enjoyed and highlighting a favorite book (or two) from the series.
I’m linking up today with That Artsy Reader Girl for Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Books in a Series
***This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
(In no particular order)
“Beartown” Series by Fredrik Backman
# of books in the series: 3
Series completed.
# of books I’ve read in the series: 3
Favorite books in the series: #1, Beartown and #3, The Winners
Genre/Categories: Literary Fiction; Contemporary Fiction; Sports; Team Dynamics, Community
“Chief Inspector Armand Gamache” (Three Pines) Series by Louise Penny
# of books in the series: 18 (#19, Oct 2024)
Series is ongoing.
# of books I’ve read in the series: all
Favorite books in the series: #7, A Trick of the Light; #9, How the Light Gets in; #13, Glass Houses; #16, All the Devils are Here
Genre/Categories: Crime Fiction; Mystery; Community; Friendship
“The Wartime Book Shop” Series by Lesley Eames
# of books in the series: 4
Series is ongoing ???? (not certain of this…but I hope so!)
# of books I’ve read in the series: 4
Favorite book in the series: #1, The Wartime Book Shop
Genre/Categories: WWII (home front) Historical Fiction; Women Supporting Women; Friendship; Community, Books About Books
“No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” Series by Alexander McCall Smith
# of books in the series: 24 (#25, Oct 2024)
Ongoing Series. Series is tired and needs to end in my opinion.
# of books I’ve read in the series: 24
Favorite book in the series: Although they all average 3 Star reads for me, one that stands out is #18, The House of Unexpected Sisters
Genre/Categories: Gently Told, Character-driven Fiction; Botswana, Diverse Read
“Library Girls” (of the East End) Series by Patricia McBride
# of books in the series: 3
Ongoing Series (?) Hoping for at least one more
# of books I’ve read in the series: 3
Favorite book in the series: #1, The Library Girls of the East End
Genre/Categories: WWII (home front); Friendship, Women Supporting Women; Books About Books (libraries/librarians)
“Chronicles of Narnia” Series by C.S. Lewis
# of books in the series: 7
# of books I’ve read in the series: 7
Completed Series.
Favorite book in the series: #1, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Genre/Categories: Fiction, Middle Grade Classic Literature, WII (home front); Fantasy, Siblings
“Gilead” Series by Marilynne Robinson
# of books in the series: 4
# of books I’ve read in the series: 4
Series is complete.
Favorite book in the series: #1, Gilead
Genre/Categories: Literary Fiction, Family Drama
“The Emmy Lake Chronicles” Series by A.J. Pearce
# of books in the series: 3
# of books I’ve read in the series 3
Series is ongoing ? (I hope for one more at least!)
Favorite book in the series: #2, Yours Cheerfully
Genre/Categories: WWII (home front); friendship, women supporting women; books about books (libraries/librarians)
“Lilac Girls” Series by Martha Hall Kelly
# of books in the series: 3
# of books I’ve read in the series: 3
Series Completed. (she did write a spin off to #1, The Golden Doves)
Favorite book in the series: #3, The Sunflower Sisters
Genre/Categories: WWI, WWII, Civil War
“Harold Fry” Series by Rachel Joyce
# of books in the series: 3
# of books I’ve read in the series: 3
Series Completed.
Favorite book in the series: #1, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
Genre/Categories: Contemporary Fiction, Character-driven
QOTD:
What is your favorite series? What is your favorite book in that series?
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I loved Mary Alice Monroe’s Lowcountry Summer Series starting with Summer Girls . There were 5 books, and I enjoyed them all. Great beach reads!
Oh thanks for the rec! I need a new series!
Nooooooo!!! I look forward every year to Precious and Grace!!! Don’t take away my ladies!!
Good post–otherwise, lol
Lol! 😂😂😂 I love them as well (I keep reading)! but I wish he’d put a bit more effort into the stories!
I like that they are like cozy mysteries–you don’t need your brains, you just let it peacefully wash over you! Perfect for listening to as I drive to/fro work (hour each way)
Some great series on here that I have read, but some I have not, Carol. I do have The Gilead on my TBR for this year, so I sure hope I at least get to the first book.
Warning! It’s heavily character driven! But so thought provoking! One of my fav quotes is in that book…
Robinson
“I’m writing this in part to tell you that if you ever wonder what you’ve done in your life, and everyone does wonder sooner or later, you have been God’s grace to me, a miracle, something more than a miracle. “
(written to a son at the end of life)
~ Gilead, Marilynne Robinson
I don’t mind character driven, unless the characters are unlikable.
I adore the Armand Gamache series. I’m not caught up yet, but so far, my favorites are #9 (same as you) and A GREAT RECKONING (#12). Such a great series!
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
Her most recent haven’t been as enjoyable for me…we’ll see what this year’s installment looks like. She used to be auto buy but I think I’ll read reviews for her newest one first. Overall I’ve enjoyed the series.
Ooh, I love lists and I love being invited to participate! I can’t pick just one series and I bet you couldn’t either! I have read some or all of some of your series (No 1 Ladies 22 of24, Louise Penny, 3/18, Narnia–all, Gilead, 2/4, and all of Backman’s EXCEPT the Beartown series). My favorite series include No. 1 Ladies, the Master and Commander series (20/20), Sue Grafton’s Alphabet series (25/25), Martha Grimes’ Richard Jury novels (23/24), The Thursday Murder Club (4/4), Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley (10/11), The Rosie Project (3/3) and Eliz. Strout’s My Name is Lucy Barton series (3/3).
So many good series! I never started the Grafton series….hummm…. Now there’s a reading project!
Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon, is probably my favorite series, even though I haven’t gotten around to reading the last several books.
Book 1 was a dnf for me for a couple of specific reasons …but the series is so popular! It’s nice to think you have the remainder waiting for you!
I love the Armand Gamache series, Carol, and the Harold Fry – Queenie remains my firm favorite. I also love Elly Griffiths Dr Ruth Galloway series and Alexander McCall Smith’s Isabel Dalhousie series. Thank you for this lovely post. 💕📚
Thanks for contributing to the list! So many wonderful series to enjoy!
I talked about a Narnia book this week, too. 🙂
Here is my Top Ten Tuesday.
Yay! 🙌 so good!
Such great choices! I was going to say that I couldn’t pick a favorite from the A J Pearce series, but in thinking about it, I think you’re right that #2 is great. 🙂 I realize, looking at this list, that I never did go back and listen to the 3rd Beartown book, and I probably should. I think I was put off by the length, to be honest.
#3 Beartown is amazing and more like #1. #2 was too agenda driven for me.
I was meh about Mrs. Bird until I read #2! The themes were great! #3 was more like #1.
Fab list Carole! I love The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe with The Voyage of The Dawn Treader coming a close second, because of Reepee Cheep the mouse! 😂
One of my fav quotes is from Dawn Treader”….”Courage, Dear Heart”
First that I heard that there are more books about ol’ Harold Frye, is it worth reading beyond the Unlikely Pilgrimage?
Harold is still my fav, but yes the next two are good and tbr worthy! The second is from Queenie’s pov (as she waits for Harold) and the third features Maureen as she grieves the death of her son and examines her relationship with Harold. If you enjoy Joyce’s character driven stories you will enjoy the trilogy.
[…] in Books—This passed my notice last month. Glad I fixed that. (thanks, The Write Reads! Favorite Book in a Favorite Series—Decision paralysis prevented me from posting a list for this Top 10 Tuesday, I was glad to see […]
I read quite a few of the Ladies’ Detective Series but stopped after #17, I just couldn’t stand Mma Makutsi anymore.
From your others, I read the first ones of Gilead and the Harold Fry, but I didn’t really care for either, so didn’t carry on. Glad you liked them. We can’t all love the same books.
I’m sure you find some on my list that you didn’t like. Here it is:
https://momobookblog.blogspot.com/2024/08/top-ten-tuesday-favourite-books-from.html