Favorite series, by genre. I’m trying to keep it down to 3 series per, or I’ll be here all year. Note, however, that I cleverly separated out SF and fantasy, allowing me to include both The Coldfire Trilogy and the Fionavar Tapestry as #1 without compromising myself. :)
My criteria here are not necessarily that these are the *best* series I’ve read, but rather that they’re my favorites. These are the ones that I have re-read and will re-read over and over again. Comfort food, rather than brain food. I may very well create a list later of the best series I’ve read, which will have some crossover with this one.
YA:
1. The Dark is Rising Sequence, Susan Cooper
Comprised of: Over Sea, Under Stone, The Dark is Rising, Greenwitch, The Grey King & Silver on the Tree
2. The Damar Chronicles, Robin McKinley
Comprised of: The Blue Sword & The Hero and the Crown
3. The Harper Hall Trilogy, Anne McCaffrey
Comprised of: Dragonsong, Dragonsinger & Dragondrums
SF:
1. The Coldfire Trilogy, C.S. Friedman
Comprised of: Black Sun Rising, When True Night Falls & Crown of Shadows
2. The Starbridge Chronicles, A.C. Crispin & others
Comprised of: Starbridge, Silent Dances, Shadow World, Serpent’s Gift, Silent Songs & more
3. The Tales of Continuing Time, Daniel Keys Moran
Comprised of: Emerald Eyes, The Long Run & The Last Dancer
Fantasy:
1. The Fionavar Tapestry, Guy Gavriel Kay
Comprised of: The Summer Tree, The Wandering Fire & The Darkest Road
2. The Belgariad, David Eddings
Comprised of: Pawn of Prophecy, Queen of Sorcery, Magician’s Gambit, Castle of Wizardry & Enchanters End Game
3. Legends of Ethshar, Lawrence Watt-Evans
Comprised of: The Misenchanted Sword, With A Single Spell, The Unwilling Warlord & more
Mystery:
1. The Benjamin January Series, Barbara Hambly
Comprised of: A Free Man of Color, Fever Season, Graveyard Dust & more
2. The Monk Series, Anne Perry
Comprised of: The Face of a Stranger, A Dangerous Mourning, Defend & Betray & more
3. The J.P. Beaumont Series, J.A. Jance
Comprised of: Until Proven Guilty, Injustice for All, Trial by Fury & more
General fiction:
1. The Anne Books, L.M. Montgomery
Comprised of: Anne of Green Gables, etc.
2. The Little House Books, Laura Ingalls Wilder
Comprised of: Little House in the Big Woods, Little House on the Prairie, Farmer Boy, etc.
3. The Black Stallion Books, Walter Farley
Comprised of: The Black Stallion, The Black Stallion Returns, Son of the Black Stallion, etc.
(I observe that for general fiction I must reach back to childhood to obtain series, but still, I’ve re-read all of those books so many times it’s not possible to count.)
Ooohh…I’d forgotten some of those. This is what I get for writing my list without having my bookshelves to stare at. You just WAIT until tomorrow! ;)
*laugh* I admit to going downstairs and staring at the bookshelves more than once. :)
Is Armageddon Blues really part of Continuing Time?
I think it is, in a vague way. I have this idea it might tie in if, you know, he ever wrote the other THIRTY BOOKS in the series. Which will never happen. Not that I’m bitter.
He’s been making noises about writing more of them again.
And, hellfire. Now I have to go buy more books again, thanks, Kit. And, apparently, Laura. :)
Which of these haven’t you read, Trent? I’d think you’d have read most of ’em!
I totally feel you on The Dark is Rising and The Harper Hall Trilogy. I am re-reading The Coldfire Trilogy right now and yes–I am enjoying it much more than the first time I read it. I’d like to claim it’s increased maturity. ;) I must admit that I haven’t read any of the rest on your list, although I’ve heard of a few of them. More books to put on my vast list!
Hm. According to the internet, Armageddon Blues is not in fact part of the Continuing Time, so I done removed it. :)
I’m /still/ trying to get through Black Sun Rising, although I’m not trying very hard, since I wanted to successfully read something this summer. I’ll have to pick it up again when school starts.
I don’t know what it is about the book that doesn’t suck me in.
BSR starts slowly, but once it picks up, it REALLY picks up. Give it a chance.
I’ve read all of those except Starbridge Chronicles (guess what’s on my bookstore list). Our lists have a pretty good bit of overlap…which I expected. I’m enjoying seeing where they DON’T overlap though. :)
Oooh…yeah those general fiction books are all great! And Black Sun Rising does take a bit to get into, but I’m about 330 pages in now and enjoying it. It helps that I read it the first time so long ago that I only vaguely remember what happens…Very vaguely!
I’ve missed some of the Ethshar books, and the Hambly mysteries. And I’ve only read a couple of the Monk Series of mysteries, ’cause I only knew there were two.
Fortunately, there’s a used bookstore down the street. As soon as I’m done with the Deathstalker series…. :)
Kind of hard to finish the Deathstalker series since they aren’t all out yet…
Speaking of which, has the Kit read them? I think they are about the genre of the book she showed me the first part of, which I am completely forgetting the title of except that it had an M. _Manifest Destiny_?
My brain is very small this morning. Perhaps I will be more useful later.