So this week the Top Ten theme is Top Ten Series you want to start reading but for some reason haven’t got around to yet. I thought this would be piece of cake but it turns out that I have read the first book of a lot of series – without reading any further. So such a Top Ten would have been easier. Especially because – we already did that one. Back in September: Top Ten Series I Haven’t Finished. And I actually made a bonus list back then of 4 series, I hadn’t started yet – so that did make this post a bit easier, well, not so hard. And then I looked a bit closer at my book shelves and well, turned out it was rather easy to put this Top Ten together.
As always, the Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. There’s about a billion participants each week so go check out some of the many others if you are keen to find a new series to read.
I already own at least parts of the first 7 series mentioned below so really, I have no excuse for not starting to read them sometime soon!
- George R.R. Martin: A Song of Ice and Fire. Do I really have to explain myself here? Maybe rather try to explain why I, a self-proclaimed fantasy lover, haven’t read this one yet? Or watched the tv series? Well, I have no explanation and now, I own all the published books of this so I hope to get around to at least start reading it sometime this year.
- Robin Hobb: The Farseer Trilogy. This is about a boy and his dog, roughly put. I have been told that it will make me cry. Not just a little bit, but full on ugly cry. That’s why I have put it off. But I have also been told that I will absolutely love this story of the bond between human and animals – so we’ll see which one will win out. Maybe it will be both!
- Patrick Rothfuss: The Kingkiller Chronicle. I’m trying to wait with this one until the final one in the trilogy has been published. I have been told that it has quite a bit of cliff hangers and that it’s insanely good so I’m really trying to not read it before they are all out. It’s the story of a powerful wizard, how he became to be so powerful and how he ended up a fugitive.
- Ken Follett: The Century Trilogy. Whatever I have forgotten or never known about 20th century history, politics etc, I expect to learn from reading this novel. I really enjoyed The Pillars of the Earth, so I expect to enjoy this one quite a bit – especially because I find the 20th century of more interest than the building of a cathedral in the Middle Ages… – even if that turned out to be rather exciting!
- Deborah Harkness: All Souls Trilogy. This is supposed to be the intellectual’s Twilight. I like Vampires (Buffy, anyone?) but I have no intention of reading Twilight, ever! So this book about a young woman, a witch I think, who stumbles upon a bewitched manuscript which unleashes hordes of vampires, demons and witches, sounds right up my alley. I have heard both good and bad about this one so not sure if it will be a good read but I’m definitely going to give it a go!
- Jasper Fforde: Shades of Grey. I have the first one of this trilogy – and it’s the only one published so far and the next one is not due out before 2015. So I have no guilt about not having started this one yet. Only thing is – I really want to read it soon because it sounds so cool. A society where your social status is determined by your ability to see colors? Fascinating!
- Neal Stephenson: The Baroque Cycle. I own Quicksilver, the first one of this trilogy of huge books. It’s historical fiction, it’s about philosophy, religion and history and I don’t know what’s not a part of this book. I think it’s a very demanding book and that’s probably why I have put it off. But I want to give it a go – I think it will be a rewarding, though difficult, read.
- Margaret Atwood: Oryx and Crake, The Year of the Flood, Maddaddam: I don’t know if this series has a name. But it doesn’t really matter, does it? I just want to read these – in part, because I want to explore Atwood some more since the two novels I have read by her (Alias Grace and The Handmaid’s Tale) have been really good, but also because Oryx and Crake is another post-apocalyptic tale from Atwood, this time about possibly the last human – and it just sounds really interesting.
- John Updike: The Harry “Rabbit” Angstrom series. I just wrote about this one the other day when I rented the first one at the library. I’ve been wanting to read this for years! You just keep hearing about this one! It’s supposed to be so good and Updike is supposed to be one of the best contemporary (although now dead) American authors. I have only read one of his novels, Terrorist, so I really have not much of an impression of Updike. He is another author I want to explore so really, it’s about time I get around to the Rabbit books.
- Jacqueline Carey: Phèdre’s Trilogy. This erotic fantasy about a young woman, part spy and part courtesan, is supposed to be really, really good. I have been hearing about it for years but am yet to buy and read it. I almost bought it last time I was in Paris and saw that W.H. Smith at Place du Concorde had the entire trilogy – but I ended up not buying it because I thought it would be easy enough to get it later and I had already picked out way too many books… I will read this one at some point!
Quite a bit of fantasy on my list, I think. It’s great because I love fantasy – I just don’t feel I have the time to commit to reading three books (or more!) in a row (which is silly since I can easily enough commit to reading huge, difficult books that take way more time than reading a fantasy trilogy). Anyway, I hope the making of this list will make me remember, that I actually really want to read these books!
Which series are on your list?
Related posts:
The Literary Bunny 
I haven’t got into reading All Souls trilogy, too. And Year of the Flood. But definitely read A Game of Thrones. 🙂
my TTT
Oh, you should definitely read the Song of Ice and Fire Series…highly recommended! I tried to read the Kingkiller Chronicle, unfortunately, I didn’t love the first book, so I put off reading the 2nd book. Too bad because I already bought a copy before deciding not to read it 😦
I should have actually put a Song of Ice and Fire because I received them as a present ages ago and still haven’t started them. They are just so DAUNTING!
High-five for Margaret Atwood. I can’t wait to start Oryx and Crake .
Tonile @ My Cup and Chaucer.
I am refusing to read the Song of Ice and Fire series until the whole thing is published. I saw how angry/depressed my husband was (still is) knowing he has to wait for the next one, and I’m not putting myself through that.
Rothfuss’ series is good–we’ve read the first two–and rumor has it the last one is supposed to be out this year.
Atwood’s trilogy is really good, and the last one in that series comes out in the states on my birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!
There are others on your list I want to read, too (naturally, since we’re book twins).
He should look through the Westeros forums online. It kind of takes the ache away 🙂
Thanks! I’ll tell him.
Another vote here for getting to the Song of Ice and Fire series – although I think watching the tv series is just as good as reading the book.
I definitely need to get started in A song of fire and ice!
Top 10 Tuesday – Mel@thedailyprophecy.
*ice and fire..
A Song of Ice and Fire made my list as well, though I have watched the series on TV. I absolutely loved the first book in the Phedre trilogy, just need to make the time to finish it. I would highly recommend picking them up next time you see them, make sure you buy all three because you will want to pick up the next one as soon as your done the first.
Check out my TTT.
I should have put the Rabbit books on my list… the firs one is on my shelf, too. I read Fall of Giants earlier this year and really liked it. Can’t wait to continue with Winter of the World!
I need to start reading George R.R Martin & Margaret Atwood soon!
I have two books form the Atwood series that I bought like… THREE years ago and I still haven’t read them. I know the 3rd book is about to come out so I will just wait. I am not a big series person except for Cronin’s The Passage trilogy, the Nesbo books and of course the Dragon Tat books. Okay, maybe I do like series.
The Kingkiller Chronicle and Margaret Atwood’s series are both on my list to read! I really enjoyed the first installment of Deborah Harkness’s trilogy but have yet to dive into number two. Great list! New follower. 🙂
Good luck getting some of these knocked out! My Top Ten Tuesday!
Beginning of this year, I thought I’d devote about 4-5 months on A Song of Ice and Fire series. I thought it would take even longer considering the size of the books. Well, what do you know, I got hooked and finished all the books in 2 months itself and am in fact on a re-read of all the bits I liked best. It’s very high-quality thrilling fantasy and now I’m left hanging waiting for GRRM to finish his next book.
I haven’t read most of the series books you mentioned, I should try them sometime, but I am going to be smarter and wait till the full series is published before starting on it 🙂
In some ways I’m in no hurry to start A Song of Ice and Fire because I know how long it takes GRRM to finish his books. But then – I really want to read them! Not sure if I can – or want to – wait…