7 Super Helpful Things To Consider When Reading Series

Once upon a time, I was told by Cait from Paper Fury that 'when I start a series I REALLY start a series' and it got me thinking about how and why I read so many series, and why I find it so easy to do. More so than ever before, I'm reading and loving series and rereading even more books because of my mental health conditions, and marathoning series is one of the better habits I've developed because of this.

Way back when, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, I got involved in the YA Midnight Reads Iron Fey Read-a-long, which not only introduced me to a really awesome series and encouraged my bad book buying habits, but also gave me my first taste of marathoning series, and I loved it. From that point onwards, I've loved the feeling of zooming through a series, going on another exciting adventure immediately after the first, staying with the world and the characters I love, and I've never looked back. Since then, I've read and marathoned an AWFUL lot of series -

• Skulduggery Pleasant (thrice!)
• The Faith Series
• The Dead Girls Detective Agency
• The Gallagher Girls
• The Curse Workers
• The Lunar Chronicles
• Heist Society
• Percy Jackson and the Olympians
• The Kane Chronicles
• The 5th Wave
• Thirteen/Adam
• Heroes of Olympus
• Alice in Zombieland

- and there's still so many that I've part marathoned and am yet to finish because of release dates, or part marathoned and then waited for finales. However, not everybody is a natural marathoner (and I mean the reading kind, not the running, although the phrase works for that too!) and it's impractical to think they are, so today I thought I'd share with some important points, both positive and negative on marathoning books so you can be as prepared as possible for the awesome heartache that is swallowing a series whole.

The Plus Side

You're Less Likely To Forget Things: Ever started reading a sequel and just thought: 'What?' I know I have and it's pretty darn frustrating. You might have waited weeks, months, or years for this book and start it and BAM! You've forgotten everything. Fear not, with marathoning, you don't forget anything - well, a lot less anyway. You won't forget that major plot point, you won't feel lost in the world, and you'll remember that James is in love with Julie and that Bob is your long-lost vampire grandfather. If your memory is slow and not up to scratch, marathoning could be for you.

Being Immersed in the World: Nobody likes being dragged away from a place they love, (I especially dislike being dragged away from the bookstore because Mum hates the smells of Costa coffee in Waterstones..) and this includes worlds in books. Why would you choose to read everything about this world over a 7 year period? You just, wouldn't, so wait. Collect all of the installments and stay in that world forever - well, a long time at least, and make that wait worth the while, but be warned, there are dangers that come with getting lost in worlds..

You Feel Like You're Reading A Lot: I don't know about you, but sometimes, I feel as though I'm not reading very many books and that sucks, because as you know, I used to blog specifically about books, so I kind of needed to read books before I did anything else, so marathoning a series can get you some quick, enjoyable reads and a handful of reviews in a flash. too.

When I marathoned Heroes of Olympus, I read them at the end of 2014, but didn't post the reviews until the beginning of 2015, which meant when I'd finished all five in the series, I had five reviews ready to roll, and I was able to join in the conversation and fangirling like I'd never been elsewhere. Marathoning reads can get you reading more books, preparing reviews ahead of time and joining those fangirling conversations quicker than you'd think.

The Dark Side:

Playing The Waiting Game: How many times have you read a book and loved it, and read it's sequel and loved that too, and then another and just - why did you wait so long to read this series?! and then the last one and- what? I sense a cliff-hanger.. But.. but it's the last one, there can't be more.. I don't have.. the.. next.. NOOOOOO. I suffered this with The Dead Girls Detective Agency; when I read the first, the mystery was wrapped up beautifully and I expected the sequel to be the same and it just - it wasn't, and there was a cliffhanger, and my world ended. I need that sequel, and yet it's still yet to be written, and if not written, then published, and although I can wait really, I can't. Make sure you have all of the installments, and I mean ALL OF THEM. Do the research people, avoid the cliff-hangers.

Not Knowing Whether To Continue: Investing time marathoning a series means that you're, well, investing time, and effort, you could be using on another book or series, so how do you decide whether or not continue? I suffered this with Vampire Academy, Alice in Wonderland, The Winner's Trilogy and most recently, Throne of Glass, and it's not an easy thing to decide. Do you lumber on and suffer, or drop and go? Decisions decisions..

Other Things To Consider:

The Hangover: You don't get beautiful things in life without a catch, and the catch to beautiful, wonderful, amazing series marathons is the hangover you get afterwards. You've just spent the last 72 hours in a world with wonderful characters, with fantastic powers, with amazing plot lines, with the most beautiful writing this world has ever seen, and now it's over. Finished. Gone. HOW DO YOU SURVIVE?! Easy, you don't. It will hurt. You won't feel like moving. You'll feel lost and alone and your other books will stare longingly at you, but they don't understand. You're grieving, you need time. Trust me, it's the kind of hangover a bacon buttie will not cure.

Neglecting Other Books: There's a tough truth to be told when marathoning books. You will neglect your other books. That to-be-read pile that's getting out of control? There's no hope, forget it. Those arcs that you've got to read before their release? You're going to kick yourself next week. You can't help, you get sucked in, you love the characters, the world is amazing - no mr fluffy contemporary, I cannot read you now, I'm kicking ass and falling in love with crazy, unhinged dragon demons, muwhaha.. ha. Say goodbye to your organised reading system people.

So what have we learnt? Marathoning books is without a doubt on of the best experiences I've ever had, and the rewards are absolutely amazing, however, the waiting and wanting, the research and avoidance of all things spoilery, the pain of knowing, just knowing something bad will happen and not being able to find out, they're proof that everything beautiful comes at a price. Alas, don't be afraid to marathon those series, it's an adventure you really don't want to leave half finished..

Do you marathon reading series? What's your favourite?