Top 10 Book Series of All Time
Criteria can be any series by the same author(s) and a minimum of five books that you have read.
Personal note:... I won't be following the criteria to the letter. There will be a few trilogies in my list.
#10 Dragon Riders of Pern
Author: Anne McCaffrey
30 books in the series
Books I've completed: 5
This is a sizable series and a very good one. Not continuous, it contains several trilogies and stand alone-novels. And in my experience so far, I've noticed the trilogy sets also shift focus within - the main character of the first book is often not the main character of the last, which is an interesting approach. But, McCaffrey is a a wonderful writer who created a world that married science fiction and fantasy elements surrounding the lives of people on a planet who need dragons help protect them from a deadly spore-fall that occurs when the planets in their solar system pass each other in a certain orbit.
The first trilogy, Dragonriders of Pern, containing Dragonflight, Dragonquest, and The White Dragon set up the concept beginning with the story of the newest rider of a queen dragon and finishing with the struggles of a land holder turned rider to the backdrop of the world building as pertaining to the dragons and the spores.
But the first Pern book I read was the first one in the Harper Hall series, Dragonsong which focused on a secondary aspect of life on Pern, the harpers who kept the historical records of their society in songs that are taught through the generations. Dragonsong is about one girl's journey from obscurity to a career harper. But her story seemed rushed in the second, Dragonsinger, and didn't have a solid tie-in with the overarching premise, although I loved the fire lizards. So I skipped the third one, Dragondrums, which had a new main character that I don't think I'd like anyway if his appearance in The White Dragon is any indication of his personality. But the overlap of the two sets is clever and I like the fully finished lead character from Harper Hall as she appears in The White Dragon.
At any rate, this is a great series of books. Will I ever get through all of them? Remains to be seen. But I do recommend them.
Tagging, Jaycee Caramsalidis, who is also a big fan of the Pern universe.
#9 Sherlock Holmes
Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
5 novels and 56 short stories in the series
Books I've completed: almost all of them
The Sherlock Holmes series is a little different and probably not thought of as a "series" since, apart from the Moriarty material and the occasional mention of Watson's wife after he's married, there's no real continuity in them. They're episodic. But they're so compelling. Mystery is another genre I like although I don't have as many and it turns out that, as with the supernatural/thriller genre, the short story is a really good format for it. I like the slower pacing of a novel but it's very talented and creative to create misdirection in such a limited narrative. The stories were smart with interesting twists and became the standard bearer of the genre. You can see Doyle's change in style from the first novel, A Study in Scarlet in which he switches the POV in the reveal at the end to later works where he refines the technique to explaining his brilliant deductions to Watson. They range from deadly intense to comical misunderstandings. And even though there are some repeated openings over the span of the series, each story remains unique and, even after binge reading several in a row, unpredictable I think. I love to read and reread them. The pictures are just various novels. Jaycee Caramsalidis is not a fan, but this definitely meets his criteria.
#8 The Inheritance Cycle
Author: Christopher Paolini
5 books in the series
Books I've completed: 4
I'm actually surprised by how much I really liked this series. My first time through it, I noticed almost exclusively all of the influences behind it and was tempted to call it unoriginal but after another read, I noticed all the little details that made it unique. After all, there is nothing new under the sun, and this is yet another variation on the fantasy theme. There's a nice balance of action, problem solving, as well as humor and tragedy. All the characters likeable and the way the story is paced keeps you interested and wanting to find out what happens next. It also has a beginning, middle, and definite end. I'm a big fan of closure. I like the episodic types of series that don't have an underlying theme and the grand series that are layered with stories within stories and can carry on over several decades. But part of me appreciates seeing a final payoff for all of the work and suffering the characters go through. And bonus points if it's not a perfect, happy ending but adds depth with some bittersweet complication. This series went with a more complicated ending while tying everything together nicely. I found it satisfying. Just the kind of series I like to reread for comfort food. The fifth book is an extension of the series. I think it may be the start of a sequel set, but I don't think it's done well and I'm not sure if more are planned. It's on my list of things to try out. That's a possible downfall of having a clear and definite ending... people aren't as forgiving with extentions. But, we'll see. All in all, it's not bad for a modern YA series.
Another that Jaycee Caramsalidis probably wouldn't care for, but variety is the spice of life..
#7 Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children
Author: Ransom Riggs
7 books in the series
Books I've completed: 6
To be honest, I fell in love with the concept of this series first. Riggs took a bunch of creepy looking old photographs and built a story around them. It's an exercise in creative writing that just makes me so happy. It's the sort of thing I'd do with a cousin when we were kids. The creepy pictures led to a supernatural story. Not normally my type of thing anymore and I didn't find them terribly frightening, but the pictures were integral to the process and having them scattered throughout the novel for visualization just made me smile. It's different than placing artwork in the pages because the author had to spin the narrative around them to make it work instead of drawing his own vision of characters and settings. Of course, as the series went on the story became more complex and fleshed out so there were fewer pictures and several had to be altered to fit into the events. But the writing and the story turned out to be solid on its own so the pictures became just a clever contrivance that made the books unique and fun. Fun enough for me to forgive any plot holes or continuity issues that arose between the two trilogies that the series is composed of. And I had a moment at the beginning of the second trilogy where I was, as mentioned in my previous entry, a little put off with the extension of a completed story, but I stuck with it (for the pictures 
) and it turned out to be a addition. Along with the first trilogy and the sequel set, there's a seventh book that is a companion piece. Tales of the Peculiar, which I don't think is directly related to the main characters of the previous 6. I got it with my Christmas books and it's in my queue. So, if you like supernatural stories and think you'd be chilled by old black and white photos that fit the story, then this is for you. Probably not for Jaycee Caramsalidis who I will bypass while he's on hiatus. But our overlap in lists will come soon.
) and it turned out to be a addition. Along with the first trilogy and the sequel set, there's a seventh book that is a companion piece. Tales of the Peculiar, which I don't think is directly related to the main characters of the previous 6. I got it with my Christmas books and it's in my queue. So, if you like supernatural stories and think you'd be chilled by old black and white photos that fit the story, then this is for you. Probably not for Jaycee Caramsalidis who I will bypass while he's on hiatus. But our overlap in lists will come soon.
#6 The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
4 books in the series
Books I've completed: 3
The last two series came as a delightful surprise to me and this one did as well. I kind of went along with the crowd when I tried the first book and was unsure about it. But I was interested enough to try the second book... about 6 years later. After some time passed and I looked at it with fresh eyes, I ended up being hooked and got the third book right after I finished the second. Dystopic scifi isn't one of my usual choice either. But this one is especially character driven. I've described it as a cross between 1984 and Bladerunner. But it wasn't trying to convey a specific political message. It's an evergreen future in which a reader of any political side can see it as the result of his or her opponent. Also the science of the scifi was vague. Instead of explaining how everything works it just gets on with the struggles of the characters within. Not every technology has to be backed up with enough techno-babble to make it believable. It's merely a background to set the mood for the story. Sometimes it's taken advantage of in a critical moment but, for the most part, it's not an antagonist to be defeated, and learning how it all works works doesn't really make a difference. I guess I find it a nice change of pace. Instead of having to keep up with technical jargon, a person can really ponder the decisions made by the characters. Everything about this series is different including a heroine that is reactive rather than proactive. She never chooses her path, but makes the best of her circumstances without compromising her nature. It makes for some very interesting twists. It's a series that can actually keep you guessing after all the years of most stories being forged from the same basic formulas. It breaks a rule or two. Not many, but just enough to make it sufficiently different to catch my eye. I'm a big fan of different. And it's also an engrossing page turner in my opinion. The kind of read that stresses me out and I have a hard time coming back to reality after reading for a while. That doesn't happen often to me and that's why I rank these pretty high. For me it's a series to reread when I have extra time on my hands to really dive in and consume it. The fourth book in the set is called The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and I don't know much about it. Seems to have slipped in under the radar. It apparently takes place at an earlier time in the universe, during the 10th Hunger Games whereas the main trilogy takes place during the 74th and 75th Games. But I don't think it's a prequel. It's something I'll have to look into sometime. Last clash with Jaycee Caramsalidis
# 5 The Deed of Paksenarrion
Author: Elizabeth Moon
3 books in the series
Books I've completed: 3
My first break in the List criteria. Sometimes you only need three books to tell the story. And my, what a story it is. It's pretty standard fantasy fare on the surface, but it's actually quite different. The heroine is a young woman whose goal is to become a Paladine knight, the setbacks and challenges she faces as she moves through a military and trains with elves, and her first mission as a knight. With all series, each book should have its own definitive ending, and these do, but you don't see how all three tie together clearly until the end of the last book and it's such an interesting approach. Because the books are so highly consecrated on the main character's actual life and internal conflicts, everything and everyone around her appear to be just window dressing. But it's actually such a slow and subtle build to the climax that it's pretty brilliant. So it's more like one very long story rather than three separate books. The more books you throw in, the harder it is to pull that off. That's why I had to include this trilogy in a list meant for more protracted series. It's too impressive to leave out. Like so many of the others, it's different. And I like different. You can read it several times over and it always seems like the first time. Highly recommend. Jaycee Caramsalidis would vehemently recommend as well..
# 4 The Chronicles of Narnia
Author: C.S. Lewis
7 books in the series
Books I've completed: 7
Ah yes, Lewis gets a double dip in my lists most of the time, and so he shall this time. He had a way with words, condensing complex ideas and philosophies into words that, not just children, but non-academics as well. Shown here in the order they were written, it's a series that gets better with each one. I've often noted that The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe reads like no sequels were ever intended. But what an amazing save! They kept getting better with each installment. The world of Narnia was expanded and the characters were refined. Some of the seeming randomness of the first book attained focus in future storylines. Episodic, but connected by Aslan, the books follow a number of different kids as they bounce back and forth from our world to Narnia where they're given tasks to preform and lessons to learn. But they're not only lessons for children to learn, although life would be easier if we could learn them that young. There's actually a lot of content squeezed in these seven short novels. No, it's certainly to Lewis' credit that he didn't need thousands of pages to convey powerful works... It holds true with all of them. The sweet simplicity and sincerity of this series has appealed to every generation since they were published. You had to know this would be here Jaycee Caramsalidis
# 3 Harry Potter series
Author: J. K. Rowling
11 books in the series
Books I've completed: 10
I've written so much content about the HP series because I love it so. A detailed review of every book, all my favorite characters, chapters, and moments. I have no shame in having a YA series this high on my list. I was 22 when the series began; 24 or 25 when I read my first one. So, it's no wonder I took to them since I was at the back end of young adulthood. Still close to my youth, it brought back memories of teenage behavior, struggles, angst, nativity , and loss of that innocence. I often wished that I'd have been able to grow up with them since they really do hit the psychology of these years so spot on. Being an adult, however, and not a teenager like the protagonists, the attraction for me was also their freshness at the very tip-end beginning of the staleness and apathy that would take overtake the creative industries. In fact, some of the most creative stuff was coming from the YA industry for a while. Already there were hints and indications that the entertainment industry was getting tired of trying to foster and harvest originality when it was just so much easier to cash in on the same old, same old. Yes, HP follows a formula, but it's a skeleton that was built wonderfully on with such imaginative additions to the borrowed elements. And it still has some traction with the spinoff franchise. I've not invested in it, but I think spinoffs are a pretty good indicator of an original premise... lots of stories left to tell, centered around other characters. A tree with varying limbs and branches. There are 11 books in all - the original 7 in the set and 4 companion pieces, of which I've read three. Those three were like overflow containers of creative concepts from the original series and absolutely delightful. I haven't read The Cursed Child for no real reason. Just waiting for the right time I guess. I feel like I have to stress that it's the book series that's my favorite. I liked the movies and they were perfectly cast, but, of course, they lacked so much of what made the books special. I just love this series and it's overdue for a good re-read. I guess other things keep Jaycee Caramsalidis young at heart though..
# 2 The Lord of the Rings
Author: J. R. R. Tolkien
5 books in the series
Books I've completed: 6
The math is right. I'm including The Hobbit and The Silmarillion in the primary set and the sixth one I've read is Unfinished Tales of Middle Earth. There are several unfinished works and other volumes that the Tolkien estate has approved, like the latest repackaging of the story of Beren and Lúthien. I suppose if one was to track them all down the numbers would go up. But this series isn't just in my personal top ten list but from a measurable market perspective as well with 150 million copies sold. Admittedly, a lot of those may be purchases from schools for kids who felt forced into reading them as an assignment. I've felt that way too about other books. But that's what happens when you're not just unique for your chosen genre, but you're actually are the original. The theme on which variations will be played on for generations to come. The standard by which the variations will be judged. Tolkien didn't think much of the fuss made about his books. He even referred to his fans as cultists. But, I don't think he really understood the impact it had on readers. Or what a wonderful idea it was to spin the age old stories of good versus evil and the hero's journey in that way. Or how that idea was malleable enough that it could inpire so many other writers to augment the basic concept to continue the influence for better in some cases or worse in others. His writing has become so appreciated by so many. And the recent revival through the Peter Jackson movies have reminded everyone what a classic piece of art they are. And perhaps encourage those who felt like they were just homework to rediscover them. I know Jaycee Caramsalidis will agree with me on this one!
Honorable mentions
There's 5 of them, but my blurbs will be brief.
Dragonlance
Authors: Tracy Hickman/ Margaret Weis and various other authors
Total: at least 150. I've completed: 6
Specifically, I've read the Chronicles trilogy that started it all and the Legends trilogy, an immediate sequel to Chronicles. Dragonlance is a Tolkien-esqe fantasy series mixed with Dungeons and Dragons storytelling and original elements. It's a great match and streamlines the classic fantasy tropes. Good stuff. Lots of stuff!
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
Author: Daniel Handler
Total: 13. I've completed: 1
A series for younger children. Younger than the typical YA demographic. But, my goodness, they're so well written as to be very addictive. Dark, funny, and enchanting. I intend to read them all one day.
His Dark Materials
Author: Phillip Pullman
Total: 6? I've completed: 3.
The underlying philosophy of these books runs in direct contradiction to everything I belive in. However they are creative and compelling and not written on offense in an aggressive or condescending manner. Worth being out of my comfort zone. The other 3 are companion pieces. I'm tempted to get them to complete the set. And I think there's another trilogy in the works? But I may be playing with fire, though, to keep going with these.
Chronicles of Prydain
Author: Lloyd Alexander
Total: 5. I've completed: 4
I'm actually in the middle of the 4th one right now. A classic YA series that was a recent discovery on my part and I got them with my Christmas books. I'm enjoying them a lot and I'll be reviewing them as a set when I complete them.
Choose Your Own Adventure
Authors: various authors
Total: 184 in original series. I've completed many.
This is a another disconnected series like the Holmes stories. They were a big part of my childhood. I loved them before I actually liked to read. They were interactive play for a lonely girl that didn't have many friends. And the franchise is by no means gone in the modern day. But the books from the original series published between 1979 and 1998 hold a special nostalgia for me. I've replaced only a handful of what I lost after leaving home, but had quite a few growing up.
# 1 The Space Trilogy
Author: C. S. Lewis
3 books in the series
Books I've completed: 3
It's not a set of books that's well known except to Lewis fans. It's been called Narnia for adults. Maybe, but only because it's written in Lewis' style. The reason I'm so attached to it is because it was a key part of my spiritual reawakening. They aren't allegory, just an imagining of other worlds made by God, what that would look like, and how a person would be thrown into an adventure of discovering them. In the first, a man is taken by force to a world older than Earth, Mars, that was spared the spiritual scars of being attacked by the Evil One by its planetary angel and his own faith is reawakened. In the second, a retelling of the story of Eden, he is sent to help prevent the fall of this younger planet, Venus. The third is more focused on the erosion of faith on Earth and the push to replace it with a kind of bureaucratic mind control and worship of science. It's frighteningly relevant. Probably best understood alongside The Screwtape Proposes a Toast. Also, Lewis was an Arthurian scholar, so he works Merlin and the Logres into the narrative on the side of good; a creative boon. I don't understand much of those points, as I'm not as well versed, but it doesn't detract from the way all of his stories are easily to relate to by non academics. They were written in a time before the science caught up to fiction, which is why Mars and Venus can feature as populated with some of the most whimsical and inventive nature settings native to each planet, which I find charming. And they can be read separately even though the first two share the same protagonist. I always recommend it highly.
Jaycee Caramsalidis knew I couldn't have a list without it
