Top 5 Tuesday is hosted by the wonderful Shanah @ Bionic Book Worm.
Sadly, I think it would be more efficient to list the series I have finished than the series I have! I am famous for reading and loving the first book in a series, but never continuing on with it. It is for this very reason that I rarely pick up series these days and stick to my trusty stand-alones. I hope this post holds me accountable and that I am motivated to finished these five series.
Red Rising
I know, I know… I have been saying I wanted to continue on with this series since I first read Red Rising in the summer of 2017. I have no excuses. I loved the first book, but for some reason I am just never in the mood to pick up Golden Son. I know that once I do, I will remember why I love the series so much and will want to binge-read it. Also, when I first read the book this was a trilogy.. now there are two more books! I am just falling more and more behind…
Crazy Rich Asians
I thought that Crazy Rich Asians was a lot of fun! It was such a quick read and I was entertained the entire time. I particularly adored Astrid and I am intrigued to see where her story goes. I have to say that this may be one of the few cases where I actually preferred the movie, but I am nonetheless inclined to continue with the series. This is definitely one of those cases where the mood has to strike me.. and I am just waiting for that day to come!
The Illuminae Files
This is probably the series on this list that I am most ashamed to admit I have not finished! I absolutely loved Illuminae and thought it was so original and compelling. A.I.D.A.N is one of my favourite villains of all time. I have been told time and time again that Gemina is even better, so why I have not picked it up? I have no answers for you! I even own Gemina and Obsidio so there is nothing stopping me from reading them. I am determined to finished The Illuminae Files by the end of the year.
Wayfarers
I know why I haven’t continued on with Wayfarers trilogy, and that is because I loved The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet so much that I am scared the other books in the series won’t hold a candle to it. I have heard so many mixed things about the other two novels that I am wary. The first novel is pretty much perfect, so how could the rest of the series possibly live up to that? I should give them a chance!
Winternight Trilogy
The Bear and the Nightingale is one of the most atmospheric novels that I have ever read. Katherine Arden is an incredible writer and made me feel like I was in the middle of the woods, somewhere in Russia, during the dead on winter. I can not wait to experience more of her writing and I am confident that I will finish the Winternight trilogy some time in the near future, hopefully this winter!
Have you completed any of these series? Which one should I make a priority? I am particularly curious about your thoughts on the rest of the books in the Wayfarers trilogy!
I’ve read all three Wayfarers books, and I thought they were all just as good as the first one. Actually, the second one is my absolute favorite! (Made me cry.) I’m not sure if this is true, but I think a lot of people struggle with continuing the series because they got so attached to the characters in the first one that they were disappointed that the next ones follow different characters? My advice would be to go into them as if they’re all standalones and not expect them to be linear. They’re each good for different reasons. For example I personally found that the first one has the best characters, the second has the most exciting plot, and the third is the most thought-provoking. 🙂 Good luck!!
That is so good to hear! I think it has been long enough since I read the first one that my attachment to the characters isn’t as strong and I am actually excited to read about different characters. You’ve convince me. Thank you!!
I’m terrified to read the third book in Red Rising! After the amazing Golden Son, I was just too chicken. Read it and you’ll understand 😏
I have heard that! I’m not ready!
I love the Winternight trilogy! The third one was the best, in my opinion.
That’s great to hear!
I need to read Red Rising but I’m super hesitant for some reason 😂
I was too when I first picked it up. Took a bit to get in to but was worth it!
I’ve yet to read the Red Rising series! Crazy Rich Asians series is so gooood. Hoping the mood will strike you soon! 😬
Is Astrid a big part of the other books in the series? I hope so! I have a feeling I will want to get to them soon!
YES! Especially in China Rich Girlfriend (2nd book) I LOVE LOOOOVE ASTRID! She’s such a strong woman. 😀 Have you watched the first movie?
That makes me so happy! Yes! I adored the movie!
So many AMAZING books on this list!!! I’ve read them all but the sequel to Crazy Rich Asians which I REALLY need to get to! That’s a series I thought I would hate but picked up because of hype. Turns out that book was incredible and I became obsessed! Good luck with these series 🙂
As I was putting the list together I was thinking that you had read all of these! I was so surprised by how much I love Crazy Rich Asians. So entertaining!
I have so many unfinished series! It’s so hard keeping up when there are so many books coming out.
So true! #bookloverproblems
Oooh we have Red Rising and the Illuminae files in common ! Can’t wait to read how they end !
Same! I hope we both get to them soon!
I own yet have not read Red Rising, so you’re at least one step ahead of me!
Haha I really loved the first book!
I loved Gemina, so I can’t wait to see what you think when you continue.
I have a feeling I will love it too!
🙂
A lot of these are probably on my list too. I’m terrible for not finishing series I start. I’m currently listening to Illuminae on audio for the first time and it is so good, I have no idea why I put it off for so long. I have really got to get Gemina and Obsidio lined up on audio too (I have the books but the audio is brilliant).
I’ve read Closed and Common orbit but not Spaceborn few and I think I actually preferred Closed and Common to the first book but it’s probably a personal taste thing. It’s a little simpler with fewer characters and I felt there was more of a story to it.
That’s good to know that the audiobooks are good. I wasn’t sure it would translate well considering how they are written. Maybe I will try Gemina that way!
That’s great to hear about Closed and Common!
The audiobooks are fantastic. It’s full cast with sound effects so it almost feels like a play. I have been flicking through the book too though as there are definitely bits that the audio doesn’t capture, the diagrams and visuals are amazing.
So many of these series are on my list too! I did finish Illuminae and Winternight though and I loved Winternight so much!
Ah I know I am going to love the rest of the books in Winternight!!
I also desperately need to finish the Illuminae Files and the Bear and The Nightingale trilogy, because I adored the first installments but still need to catch on the rest!
Same! So many books, so little time!
Oh I love the Illuminae series! And I desperately need to read the winter of the witch!
(www.evelynreads.com)
I don’t think I’ve heard one bad thing about The Illuminae Series. Can’t wait to continue on with it!
Loved the Winternight trilogy! And I’ve read the first two of the Wayfarers, but I need to read Record of a Spaceborn few. Illuminae is a series that I desperately need to start, I see so much love for it everywhere!
So excited to finish the Winternight trilogy!
Illuminae is completely original!
I’m terrible at finishing series, too. That’s part of why I mostly read standalones. I really want to read Crazy Rich Asians though
Same! Just can’t commit to series. Crazy Rich Asians reads like a standalone in many ways!
Oo I’ll definitely have to check it out then 🙂
You are not alone with the Red Rising trilogy. I’ve read the first two, but Morning Star terrified me. I think it’s because I know it’s going to be brutal. I gotta prepare myself for the onslaught of feels.
Haha someone else said the same! I’m kind of worried now to see what happens in Golden Son!
I loved the Winternight trilogy and had the same thoughts. I read the first one in early Spring and was like nope, next two I’m reading in winter! Enjoy all of them 🙂
Yes! They are perfect winter reads!
I’ve been hoping to get to the Red Rising and Winternight trilogies soon!
I hope you enjoy them!
Good luck with your series reading! I’m also in the middle of a couple of these, or am hesitating to start them because I know I should make time to just read the full series in one go, which is tough.
If it helps at all, Golden Son has been my favorite book from the Red Rising series so far! There is a BRUTAL betrayal in that one, and the plot really picks up. I hope you enjoy it when you get to it!
Thank you! Ah I am so not ready for Golden Son but I really want to read it!
I need to read Red Rising still! I’m glad you liked it 😀 I hope you like the rest of the series!
It was really entertaining and action packed. I hope so too!!
Omg you should DEFINITELY continue with the CRA series, especially if you love Astrid bc she features more prominently in the sequels! And I actually think the books get better as the series progresses 😍
💛 Ngoc
Yay! I love Astrid! That’s good to know. Thanks!
Red Rising is absolutely incredible! I just finished rereading it in preparation for “Dark Age”. It’s my favourite series in sci-fi, just so well written, captivating, and incredible world building!
I also loved the Winternight trilogy! It’s atmospheric, magical, and immersive. I definitely would recommend finishing both of those series as they just keep on getting better and better!
That’s awesome. I love a good SciFi series. Perfect Fall reads for me!
Immersive is the perfect word to describe the Winternight Trilogy!
The whole Red Rising series is incredibly captivating and you just wanna keep on going and learning more and more about the characters! Definitely a blanket, hot drinks, candles and hours lost in the book kind of read 😀
That’s exactly what I need right now!
Everyone has been talking about Pierce Brown books lately, and I kinda grew curious to try Red Rising… but I already have so many unfinished series, I don’t know if I can commit to another one 😀 #BookBloggerProblems
I need to finish the Bear and the Nightingale trilogy too. I only have the last book left.
Haha I totally relate to that!
I haven’t even STARTED Red Rising and I am ashamed of that lol
It took me ages to finally pick up the first one! It’s so good though!
I’ve only read the Illuminae Files… the others are all… on my TBR?! 🙈😓
Haha I so relate to this!
I absolutely LOVED Illuminae, but then it took so long for the next book to come out that I forgot about most of the story when I read the second book and I was really confused XD, so I would advise reading them all fast becasue there are a lot of characters and world-building stuff and it can get confusing otherwise!
I really want to read the Red Rising books omg, I can’t belive I still haven’t!
The same thing happened to me with The Diviners. It took years for the second one to come out and as much as I loved the first one, I don’t want to have to reread it!
Same here for Illuminae! I really want to finish that series as I loved the first book. A few of the other series on this list are also on my TBR to get to…at some point haha
Haha so many books, so little time!!