10 Book Series You Need To Read

(Note: I usually post on Mondays and Thursdays, but seeing as my birthday is Thursday – tomorrow – you get the post originally scheduled for that day a day early. Go ahead. Celebrate.) 

(Book shelf image taken from Google Images. Credit to rightful owner.)

I’m all for single-book novels, but trilogies and series are where my heart lies (as long as the story can be reasonably stretched among more than one book without being totally horrible). I don’t know what it is about series, but I love being able to track the story through several books as I watch the characters develop and mature. I’ll read a one-book novel in a heartbeat if I love it, and I have nothing against books written that way, but it delights me if I find that the book I like continues on into a collection. It’s like the sun becomes brighter, the air grows fresher, and little woodland animals scamper up to congratulate me on another great find like I’m in a Disney movie or something. But that’s just me. 😉

I’ve gathered a list of 10 book series that you really need to read. They’re in no specific order, and there are some great series I couldn’t fit in, but nonetheless, I think this a pretty good, fairly varied list of awesome series that I would love to share with you guys.

Let’s do this thing.

1. Percy Jackson and the Olympians I will never stop singing the praises of this book series. Seriously. Never. It’s got everything – it’s humorous, well-written, and has amazing characters. Also, the last book, “The Last Olympian” is like, the best last book ever. It doesn’t fall into the normal pitfalls of rushing to get to the end, and Rick Riordan masterfully writes a final battle that lives up to the expectations he had previously set for his audience. The concept is one of my favorites – bringing Ancient Greek mythology to a modern audience. I know quite a bit about the Greek myths, and pretty much everything I know I learned from Percy Jackson. The series is extremely creative, inventive, and hilarious. I better stop, or you’ll be here all day. Read it. Just do it.
2. The Ascendance TrilogyThere are very special instances in which I read a book and immediately fall head over heels for it. I didn’t know when I picked up The False Prince that this would be one of those times, but alas, it was meant to be. Four orphan boys are chosen by a shady nobleman to train in the way of nobility. Why? Because one will be chosen to impersonate the long-lost prince, Jaron, and will take the throne of Carthya. Tricks. Treachery. Secrets. That’s what this book is made up of, and it’s awesome. Just like Percy Jackson, I love the concept. The main character, Sage, is the epitome of snark and sass. He’s amazing, trust me. The book kept me on the edge of my seat, and it also kept me surprised. All in all, love the series.
3. Ranger’s Apprentice Not a lot of authors can pull off writing a 10-book series. For most, it would become stretched out, tedious, and boring. Not John Flanagan. This Australian author creates a fascinating, believable mythical world and intriguing characters (Will had my heart from the very beginning). Scrawny Will is chosen to be the apprentice of a stern Ranger, one of the mysterious cloaked men that are said to use magic to disappear into the woods. The books are amazing, the characters are amazing, the plot is amazing. I just love everything about this series. It’s one of the forefront things that inspired me to get into archery, and I quote this line all the time: “An ordinary archer practices until he gets it right. A Ranger practices until he never gets it wrong”.
4. Conspiracy 365                                                                                                                               Ah, another Aussie series that I love. Conspiracy 365 is the perfect concoction of a crime novel, a mystery series, and a treasure hunt all thrown together. It’s beautiful. Really. The plot can be kind of hard to explain, and I’ve already tried my best in a previous blog to do so, so I’ll just say this: the series is about a fifteen-year-old boy who has been accused of the attempted murder of his uncle and little sister (which he didn’t do). Now, he’s on the run from the authorities while simultaneously trying to figure out the secret behind his father’s mysterious death. No person I actually know reads these books, but they’re so deserving of their own fanbase. Try them out and then cry over them with me.
5. The Homelanders Charlie is a normal high-schooler with a normal life – at least, that’s the last thing he remembers. He woke up strapped down in a room that was obviously designed with torture in mind, and he can’t remember the past year of his life. The last thing he remembers is a fairly normal day at school. But something must not have been normal about it, because once Charlie escapes his captors, he finds that he is hailed as an escaped convict charged with the murder of his best friend. He would never do such a thing! But…did he? The Homelanders series is a fast-paced thriller that I have come to like a lot. It’s got a lot of mystery and action, and it’s a good read!
6. The Reckoners                                                       I’m not a big fan of dystopian novels. I think it’s because it’s really all been done before. Oppressive government, special rebel (usually strong-willed plain girl), inspirational stuff that spurs people into an uprising. It just seems to be cut from the exact same cloth, and I don’t like that. However, The Reckoners turns dystopian fiction as we know it on its head. Super-powered villains have ravaged the country of North America, building gangs, conquering cities, and killing whomever they please. Small cells of people called “Reckoners” knock off lower-class Epics (as the super-villains are dubbed) where they can, hoping to make a difference. But David, an eighteen-year-old citizen of what used to be Chicago, wants more. Steelheart, the supposedly invincible Epic who rules his home of Newcago, killed his father. And David wants to join the Reckoners for one reason – revenge. Although the final book in the trilogy, Calamity, has not yet been published, I already adore the Reckoners series. It puts a new spin on the tired dystopian genre, and it’s so well written. David is a really funny, likable main character that is easy to root for. The whole Newcago cell of Reckoners is comprised of a very memorable cast of characters that I’m so fond of. The super-villains (and their superpowers) are amazingly original and creative. I’m so glad a classmate recommended Steelheart, because I found a series I’ll love forever.
7. Harry Potter  *dons wizarding robes* I’m a proud Slytherin, and an even prouder fan of the Harry Potter series. It’s a fantasy series that is known worldwide, and rightly so. It’s absolutely incredible. Relatable characters, magic, and pretty much everything else in these books is what makes them so wonderful. I love them with all of my heart, and if you don’t yet, you totally should. And if you should happen to claim they’re stupid and not worth reading, then PFFFT. Muggle.
8. Lord of the Rings “This is an obvious choice,” you complain. Sure, this might be an obvious book series that people should know to read, but do you know how many people I have met that complain about it being long and boring? Like, no. Just – no. Reading The Lord of the Rings is an ordeal, I will give you that. It is very long, and by the time you finish, you feel like you’ve hiked to Mount Doom and back. But it’s worth it. Oh, is it ever worth it. Everything you could ever wish for in a book is in these series. Action, adventure, a fantasically detailed world, memorable characters, peril, humor, mythical beings: it’s all here. J.R.R. Tolkien is a genius, as I have said before, and his books are definitely classics. Man up and go read them, no matter how long they seem.
9. The Amazing Tales of Max and Liz / Epic Order of the Seven 
   

   (I couldn’t find a picture of the books so you’ll have to deal with this Order of the Seven seal)

   Animals. History. The Bible. Some of my favorite things, and I didn’t think it was possible, but Jenny L. Cote combined them all in her two series, The Amazing Tales of Max and Liz and Epic Order of the Seven. (The former is sort of a prequel series, but it directly connects to Epic Order of the Seven and was published before the latter was, so I’m including the two as one series). The “Epic Order of the Seven” is a group of seven animals that have been appointed to help historical events take place throughout time. For example, in one mission they had to make sure that the books of the New Testament were written and kept safe. In another, they kept baby Jesus and his family safe. In yet another, they helped Handel to write his famous “Messiah”. I absolutely love this series. It’s still in the process of being written, but there are currently six books out and about – plenty for you to get started on. It’s so interesting to see historical events take place through the eyes of two cats, two dogs, and a mouse as they leave their marks (er – pawprints?) on history. Every time I read one of Mrs. Cote’s books, I learn something new about history and the Bible. Her humor, insight, and adorable set of characters are just a few of the many things that make her books such a delight to read. You want awesome? Well, then read her books.

10. The Threshold Series         Prissie Pomeroy lives in the small town of West Edinton, which, apart from the fact that she lives with her five brothers, is pretty uneventful. Then, one day Prissie meets a boy that she’s not supposed to see. When her new friend turns out to be an angel, Prissie is thrown into a battle between good and evil – with help from some old friends (and some new ones), as her faith in God is strengthened. Y’know, I remember picking up The Blue Door in the library. It looked interesting, and I was ready to give it a try. I now love the series so, SO much. The characters, the concept, the lessons – it’s all perfect. I cried when I finished the last book (don’t judge me, it happens to all of us). Also, I have had the pleasure of conversing with Christa Kinde, and she is the nicest thing ever. So, yeah. Go read the Threshold Series too and make your life a little better. If you don’t, well, then you’re missing out.

Whew, that was quite a list! Please remember that these are in no particular order except for the order I thought of them, so number 8 isn’t less than number 1 or anything of that sort. (I just had to go back and see what number 8 even was. Silly me). So, what do you do now? Go read all of these books, of course!

It’s your turn! What are some of your favorite book series? Have you read any of the ones I’ve mentioned here? If not, are you planning to? Do tell!