At some point recently I realized that I am in the middle of a whole lot of series. Most of which I am waiting for the next book to come out.
This is great because it gives me a steady stream of books to read (as if my TBR needed more books).
This is not great because in many of these series, especially YA ones, I don't remember all the details of the previous books and it's always a bit of an adjustment to remember who all is who and what happened in the previous book. The easiest solution would be to reread the previous books before a new one...but I have too many new (to me) reads on my list for that! The easiest easiest solution would be to stop reading most series...but then I'd miss out on a lot of good books! It's a good problem to have.
First, there are three series I am in the middle of with Luke:
1) Heartwood Hotel series by Kallie George
This is a series of 4 chapter books, each set around a season. These were the very first chapter books I read to Luke when he was in kindergarten and now we are rereading them, with the seasons, as he's in first grade. We have both really enjoyed these and I'd definitely recommend for early read alouds with kids. (I only wished I had thought to grab the spring one before the library shut down!)
2) Betsy series by Carolyn Haywood
Luke and I have just gotten through the first in this series which I delighted to share with him, since I read them to myself as a kid. I was surprised by how much he liked them and I think we'll continue on, working them between other stand alone chapter books.
3) The Herdmans series by Barbara Robinson
We've read #3 and #1 (in that order) of this series so we just have #2 left (which I actually own!). The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is just a gem of a Christmas book and I hope to reread it every Christmas time with Luke for as long as he'll let me! I remember my Dad laughing a whole lot as my Mom read us #2 aloud on a car ride so I look forward to sharing that one with Luke too!
Series I'm Reading Myself
1) Haven Makers series by Robin Jones Gunn
I wrote a whole post a couple years ago about the long and winding journey of Christy Miller and her Forever Friends, at the time it spanned 6 series covering 38 books and that was before this most recent series started! I feel I've grown up with Christy, Katie, Sierra, and all their friends, seeing as I've been reading about them since I was 12 and I'm always delighted to spend time with some my favorite fictional characters. These are some of the very few books I will pre-order and even pay shipping for without having read them. Book #2 is out in May!
2) Molly Murphy series by Rhys Bowen
This isn't a new series, I think it started in the early aughts, but I just discovered them and have been slowly reading them this year, as you may have noticed if you follow my Quick Lits (I seem to have at least one Molly Murphy book in every one of those). Molly is an aspiring lady detective around 1900 and has a lot of spunk and a lot of lucky saves. I've finished 5 of the 17 books so far, I'm optimistic I will finish by the end of the year! (I have 4 of these currently in my library stash!)
3) Paradise Series by Elin Hilderbrand
Elin Hilderbrand is a rare author that I will give up one of my precious library holds for 2 months, just so I can get her new books almost as soon as they are released. Her Winter series is one of my favorite things to read every December and a few others of hers are among my most read books as an adult. This Paradise series is a newer one of hers, set around a man who died, leaving behind his family and then his second secret family. I think this is just a trilogy with the final book coming out this fall.
4) Lady Astronaut series by Mary Robinette Kowal
This was a delightful find of early last year of an alternate timeline where the space race is greatly accelerated in the 1950s, due to an asteroid hitting the Earth and causing us to immediately look for places to live among the Moon and Mars. The third book in the series comes out later this year and I was delighted to see when getting this post ready that there will be at least a 4th one! I actually remember most of what is happening in this series which makes it a little easier to pick-up.
5) The Vanderbeekers by Karina Yan Glaser
This a middle grade series that I have been reading to myself, I think it's still a little too old to read with Luke. I wrote a post about the first 3 books in this series and there is at least a 4th book coming out this year. I love these spunky 5 siblings and how they work together to solve "problems".
6) The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
This barely counts as a series seeing as it was never intended as one, but I've read the first three times and really enjoy it. It's loosely based on Prince William and Kate Middleton's romance (if you are familiar with her fashion at all you'll recognize some of the outfits described in the book) and I didn't expect to like it as much as I do. I think I'll even pre-order the second.
7) Vintage National Parks by Karen Barnett
I'm actually reading the second in this series right now! This one and the first are set around 1920 when the National Park system was just beginning. Each book follows different characters but through similar timelines and different parks. The first was in Mount Rainer (where I've been), the second Yosemite (where I haven't), and the third Yellowstone (been there too). The first was maybe easier to get into since I could picture some of the sights mentioned but I still enjoy the gentle pace and just a nice story of both.
If you are in some lucky quarantine situation that gives you more reading time and/or less time having to figure out how to homeschool, well, here are some possibilities!
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