More book recommendations?
Dec. 8th, 2009 10:03 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
readsintrees.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
queensthiefYes, another post requesting book recommendations. I don't know why I'm even doing this; my "To Read" list on Amazon is four pages long....
Anyway, I've been diligently considering all of the book recommendations that folks have named here (hence the really long reading list), and although there are many books that I'm excited to read, there is one thing that is bothering me...
Trilogies. And series.
Don't get me wrong, obviously I love a good series such as (*cough cough*) The Queen's Thief, His Dark Materials, Abhorsen, Airborne, etc......but what ever happened to single, stand-alone books? Fantasy in particular seems to have this fetish with trilogies. It's kind of driving me crazy. Not to insult fantasy writers, but it often seems to me that writing a series is a cheap way to sell a bunch of books without having to go through the trouble of developing new characters. Just come up with one set of characters and settings, and then spread a plot over three books, and then readers are duped into buying three books instead of one. OBVIOUSLY, this doesn't apply to all series and trilogies.....but seriously, I get a little tired of the same main character after a few books. (Thank god that MWT's characters are so awesome)
For example, I haven't even touched Tamora Pierce since finishing The Lioness Quartet. I mean, Alanna was a fun character and everything, but FOUR books felt a bit stretched to me, and now there are companion series?? Just looking at the Tamora Pierce section of the bookstore makes me feel exhausted. *prepares to be lynched*
When I go to a library to pick out books, series drive me nuts because often a library doesn't have all of the books (or only the middle ones), so I end up not checking out any for fear that I won't end up reading the rest. *sigh* My To Read list is littered with unstarted trilogies and series that everyone has recommended, but I haven't been able to commit myself to read for fear that I won't be able to read all three straight through and I'll get side tracked and never finish the series. *SIGH*
So, fussing and complaining aside....
What are some STAND ALONE books that you'd recommend? I don't mean books in a series that CAN stand alone...I mean pure, simple this-is-the-only-book-with-these-characters stand alone books.
And is anyone else tired of trilogies?
Anyway, I've been diligently considering all of the book recommendations that folks have named here (hence the really long reading list), and although there are many books that I'm excited to read, there is one thing that is bothering me...
Trilogies. And series.
Don't get me wrong, obviously I love a good series such as (*cough cough*) The Queen's Thief, His Dark Materials, Abhorsen, Airborne, etc......but what ever happened to single, stand-alone books? Fantasy in particular seems to have this fetish with trilogies. It's kind of driving me crazy. Not to insult fantasy writers, but it often seems to me that writing a series is a cheap way to sell a bunch of books without having to go through the trouble of developing new characters. Just come up with one set of characters and settings, and then spread a plot over three books, and then readers are duped into buying three books instead of one. OBVIOUSLY, this doesn't apply to all series and trilogies.....but seriously, I get a little tired of the same main character after a few books. (Thank god that MWT's characters are so awesome)
For example, I haven't even touched Tamora Pierce since finishing The Lioness Quartet. I mean, Alanna was a fun character and everything, but FOUR books felt a bit stretched to me, and now there are companion series?? Just looking at the Tamora Pierce section of the bookstore makes me feel exhausted. *prepares to be lynched*
When I go to a library to pick out books, series drive me nuts because often a library doesn't have all of the books (or only the middle ones), so I end up not checking out any for fear that I won't end up reading the rest. *sigh* My To Read list is littered with unstarted trilogies and series that everyone has recommended, but I haven't been able to commit myself to read for fear that I won't be able to read all three straight through and I'll get side tracked and never finish the series. *SIGH*
So, fussing and complaining aside....
What are some STAND ALONE books that you'd recommend? I don't mean books in a series that CAN stand alone...I mean pure, simple this-is-the-only-book-with-these-characters stand alone books.
And is anyone else tired of trilogies?
