I KNEW it!

Here's an interesting meme I came across while surfing the Net:

• What series do you read where you have had an issue with one of the books in the line-up.


• Do you cut the author lose after one miss, or do you have a limit of failed books in a series before you toss in the towel.


• What's your suggestion for that book that you struggle with in a series.

Over time, I think a reader's taste may change. I know mine has changed multiple times. Overall reading preference by genre type since kidhood include moving from romance to SFF to mysteries. Within the mystery genre itself, I've moved from perhaps the cozier sides of things to historical mysteries. Ah, but the reading itself is always there. :)

A sample of some series that I have abandoned (in no particular order):

• Jerilyn Farmer's Madeline Bean, a caterer in Hollywood, California. It just got too silly.


• Sujata Massey's Rei Shimura, a Japanese-American who would like to become an antiques dealer, in Tokyo, Japan. I think this author strayed from made the books interesting -- the antiques and being in Japan. Suddenly she was like a spy. Oy.


• Carolyn G. Hart's Annie Laurance, a mystery book store owner, and Max Darling, investigator, in Broward’s Rock, South Carolina, in the Death on Demand series. Again, too saccharine. I wish she would write more of her HenryO series.


• Monica Ferris' Betsy Devonshire, a needlework shop owner in Excelsior, Minnesota. Got way too involved in the crafting than the mystery it seems.


• Nancy Atherton's Aunt Dimity series. Frivolous. The first one was terrific.


• Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter in Trenton, New Jersey. She is writing the same book basically over and over with no changes.

Basically, I have a low silliness threshold. And often an author loses focus on what worked in the previous books that had gotten me hooked on a series, it no longer works for me and I don't want to waste time on "meh". Fluffy is okay on occasion but I usually want heft and an inner intelligence in the books I read. And I don't mean I'm looking for scholarly works, I just want there to be some meat on the book's bones.

I usually give a series a second chance if a book goes "off" for me. But after the second chance, done.

A suggestion for the book that I struggle with in a series? I say, move on. Sometimes it could be me and my mood at the time so move on and maybe it will strike me better later. Other times, it is time to let it go and wish it and the author well -- truly there are readers out there for every book and sometimes it is not for us. Set it free.

Still reading the George. Oy. I feel this internal clock ticking away and it's time to get on to another book but I can't yet. I think I'm around the 60% done mark. Otherwise, I have a ton of 4ma digests to read this weekend.

The sun is shining, it's a nice morning. Go out and enjoy!

Much love,

PK the Bookeemonster