Top Ten... er... Thursdays... Top New Series

To be totally honest, these top ten lists are grueling tasks for me.  Either I have too many options to choose from to add to my lists, or I don't have enough.  There never seems to be a happy middle.

And in this case, for Top New Series I Want to Start (New... like within the last year or two), I was totally thinking:  "What?  You want me to choose only ten?"  Then again, I'll admit that most of the series I want to start are really series that were started a lot more than two or three years ago, so I'll relent.

And yes, I know that this is a Top Ten Tuesdays meme from The Broke and the Bookish.  And I know that we are far from Tuesday.  But nonetheless, I stumbled across this meme and decided that I wanted to participate, even if I'm a bit late.

So I managed to narrow my list down to certain series, sacrificing many others, otherwise, this list will go on forever.

To point out, I'm typically a reader of all things and all genres, but my most recent obsessions within the past two years or so has been YA novels and more recently, Romantic Suspense novels.


1.  Legend by Marie Lu -- I've been meaning to read this series for a long time already.  Now that it's completely finished and ready to be read in one sitting... or two... or three... I really need to get it going.  Thus, I even added it to a Reading Challenge just to prioritize.

  

#1 - Legend

#2 - Prodigy

#3 - Champion

2.  Skylark by Meagan Spooner -- In keeping with the YA dystopian hype, this is a series I got interested in when it first came out, but never got around to reading.  So then I decided, as another year went by, to just wait until the last book was available to jump into it.  The premise sounds interesting enough, so I'm hopeful.

  

#1 - Skylark

#2 - Shadowlark

#3 - Lark Ascending

3.  His Fair Assassin by Robin LaFevers -- I own the first two books (bought at a rather ideal price via Amazon Kindle) and am planning on buying the third book when it's available.  The covers are pretty and the premise for each book is attractive and sound cool:  Assassin Nuns.  That should say it all, right?

  

#1 - Grave Mercy

#2 - Dark Triumph

#3 - Mortal Heart

4.  The Malediction Trilogy by Danielle L. Jensen -- I like high fantasies a lot and am on a mission to find another epic favorite after finishing Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson.  I have the first book in this trilogy (because I'm a compulsive book buyer), and have read good reviews about the first book, so I'm interested to see how the series turns out.

#1 - Stolen Songbird

#2 - Hidden Huntress

#3 - --third book untitled--

5.  Mann Family by Kate Brady -- The two books I've read of Kate Brady's so far were pretty good, so I'm curious about this series.  Having gotten drawn into the Romantic Suspense genre lately, I can always go for a good murder mystery/crime thriller anytime.

 

#1 - Where Angels Rest

#2 - Where Evil Waits

6.  Circle of Evil by Kylie Brant -- I loved Kylie Brant's Mindhunter series and am also looking to read a lot of her other, earlier works.  Circle of Evil is her newest series, another intriguing concept of a suspense, crime thriller and mystery.  And I can never get enough of those.

  

#1 - Chasing Evil

#2 - Touching Evil

#3 - Facing Evil

7.  Aftershock by Jill Sorensen -- This is one of those Romantic Suspense series that leans more towards the suspense and contemporary than mystery or crime thriller.  Having to do with disasters such as subway and airplane crashes and desert survival.  There has been great praise for her work as a new author in this genre, so I'm curious enough to want to give her series a go.

    

#1 - Aftershock

#2 - Freefall

#3 - Badlands

#4 - Backwoods

#5 - Wild

8.  One-Eyed Jacks by Cindy Gerard -- I have a soft spot in my heart for Cindy Gerard's work mainly because of certain particular books and certain particular characters from her first Romantic Suspense series The Bodyguards.  Of course, starting One-Eyed Jacks also means that I must first start and finish reading the series receding this one, Black Ops., since they tie into each other.

  

#1 - Killing Time

#2 - The Way Home

#3 - Running Blind

9.  Fated Blades by Steve Bein -- I have no reasons for this one except that the cover for the first book looks cool and that the concept sounds pretty awesome.

  

#1 - Daughter of the Sword

#2 - Year of the Demon

#3 - Disciple of the Wind

10.  Beauty and the Brit by Terri L. Austin -- The one and only Contemporary Romance on this list.  It sounds interesting to me... and I had a need to round off this list with more than just Romantic Suspense and/or YA novels.

 

#1 - His Every Need

#2 - His Kind of Trouble

Sleeping Versus Everything Else... But Mostly Versus Reading...

Whenever I have nights off from work, it would also be nice if I could also catch up on my sleep.  Instead, I make plans to get some errands done, tell myself that I'll be up at a certain time in order to get said errands taken care of... then I lay there and still can't sleep.

Then this happens:

A New Series Challenge

I'm stealing a Series Challenge idea from Reader's Paradise, a discussion group on Goodreads that has a plethora of Reading challenges that are available to participate in.  Using their format, I'm creating my own personal challenge to follow along with.

Finishing up my 2014 reading challenges, I'd been searching the interwebz for more reading challenge ideas and stumbled across this particular one.  Since I've got a great many number of series under my belt and I like reading series anyway, I figured this would be another fun one to challenge myself with some tweaks here and there.

Even though the timeframe is from February 2014 onward, I will begin counting books read from September 2014 onwards, just to be fair.  Otherwise it won't seem like much of a challenge to me since I've already finished at least three of these challenge categories if we start counting if we start counting from February of this year.  And to make the challenge more challenging, I'm thinking of including a specific number of series required for each challenge category and I may even start by listing specific series that I fully intend to finish reading, but never got around to doing so.  I will not be counting novellas towards the "# of books left" in the series unless they are longer than 100 pages, but I will be reading them anyway (assuming I can get ahold of them).

Then again, this challenge is for fun anyway, so whatevs.

So starting from September 2014 until February 2016, I will have a little under two years to complete my challenges.  These books will, of course, also crossover with other challenges, but I want to make sure that they don't crossover with each other within this large challenge.

 

 

The sheer number of proposed books and series included in this series' challenge feels overwhelming, but it is meant to motivate me to read books that have been on my TBR for a long time with few exceptions.  It really only serves as a guide and I may or may not switch things up a little as the challenge year progresses into 2016.

 

I both love and hate reading lists because I read books dependent on my mood and hate to feel like I'm forcing a "required read"; while at the same time, having a list gives me an idea of what I want to read next or what I should read next, and keeps me on track of my goals.

 

 

Timeframe:  February 15, 2014 to February 15, 2016

(This Challenge officially began for me in September 2014)

 

Tentative Number of Books TBR: ~115

Tentative Number of Proposed Series to be Completed: 37

 

Number of Books Read: 58

Number of Series Completed: 9

 

See Also:  2016 - 2016 Series Challenge Shelf via Booklikes

 

 

The Challenge:

 

Challenge #1:

Complete a series in which you only have one book left to read.

My Goal:  Finish 5 series.  Tentatively pre-chosen.

 

Five Hundred Kingdoms by Mercedes Lackey -- Completed 10/10/2014

1.  The Fairy Godmother -- Read in 2012

2.  One Good Knight -- Read in 2012

3.  Fortune's Fool -- Read in 2013

4.  The Snow Queen -- Read in 2013

5.  The Sleeping Beauty -- Read in 2013

6.  Beauty and the Werewolf -- 10/10/2014 -- Reviewed

5.5.  A Tangled Web -- Read in 2013

 

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken -- Completed 11/29/2014

1.  The Darkest Minds -- Read in 2013

2.  Never Fade -- Read in 2013

3.  In the Afterlight -- 11/29/2014 -- Reviewed

1.5.  In Time -- Read in 2014 (pre-Sept.)

2.5.  Sparks Rise -- 10/1/2014

 

Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson

1.  Ultraviolet -- Read in 2013

2.  Quicksilver

 

Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien

1.  Birthmarked -- Read in 2011

2.  Prized -- Read in 2012

3.  Promised

 

Storybound by Marissa Burt

1.  Storybound -- Read in 2012

2.  Story's End

 

 

Challenge #2:

Complete a series in which you only have two books left to read.

My Goal:  Finish 5 series.  Tentatively pre-chosen.

 

The Elemental Trilogy by Sherry Thomas

1.  The Burning Sky -- Read in 2014 (pre-Sept.)

2.  The Perilous Sea -- 12/31/2014 -- Reviewed

3.  The Immortal Heights -- Publication 10/13/2015

 

Splintered by A.G. Howard

1.  Splintered -- Read in 2013

2.  Unhinged

3.  Ensnared

1.5.  The Moth in the Mirror

 

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater

1.  The Raven Boys -- Read in 2013

2.  The Dream Thieves -- Read in 2013

3.  Blue Lily, Lily Blue -- 10/23/2014 -- Reviewed

4.  The Raven King -- Publication 9/25/2015

 

Soul Eater by Eliza Crewe

1.  Cracked -- Read in 2014 (pre-Sept.)

2.  Crushed

3.  Crossed -- Publication in August 2015

 

-- Unchosen series --

 

 

Challenge #3:

Complete a series in which you have more than 10 books left to read.

My Goal:  Finish the following pre-chosen series.

 

Bishop/Special Crimes Unit by Kay Hooper

1.  Stealing Shadows -- Read in 2014 (pre-Sept.)

2.  Hiding in the Shadows -- Read in 2014 (pre-Sept.)

3.  Out of the Shadows -- Read in 2014 (pre-Sept.)

4.  Touching Evil -- 9/11/2014 -- Bundle Review

5.  Whisper of Evil -- 9/27/2014 -- Bundle Review

6.  Sense of Evil -- 9/30/2014 -- Bundle Review

7.  Hunting Fear

8.  Chill of Fear

9.  Sleeping With Fear

10.  Blood Dreams

11.  Blood Sins

12.  Blood Ties

13.  Haven

14.  Hostage

15.  Haunted

 

 

Challenge #4:

Complete a series in which you have more than 5 books left to read.

My Goal:  Finish the following pre-chosen series.

 

Haruhi Suzumiya by Tanigawa Nagaru

1.  The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya -- Read in 2012

2.  The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya -- Read in 2013

3.  The Boredom of Haruhi Suzumiya -- Read in 2014 (pre-Sept.)

4.  The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya -- Read in 2014 (pre-Sept.)

5.  The Rampage of Haruhi Suzumiya -- 2/16/2015 -- Reviewed

6.  The Wavering of Haruhi Suzumiya

7.  The Intrigues of Haruhi Suzumiya

8.  The Indignation of Haruhi Suzumiya

9.  The Disassociation of Haruhi Suzumiya

10.  The Surprise of Haruhi Suzumiya (combined books 10 and 11)

 

 

Challenge #5:

Pick a completely new series and read all the books in that series.

My Goal:  Finish 10 series.  Tentatively pre-chosen.

 

Stillwater Trilogy by Brenda Novak -- (1) Completed 10/5/2014

1.  Dead Silence -- 9/1/2014 -- Reviewed

2.  Dead Giveaway -- 9/14/2014 -- Reviewed

3.  Dead Right -- 10/5/2014 -- Reviewed

 

Walker Brothers by Leslie Kelly -- Series Review -- (2) Completed 10/13/2014

1.  She Drives Me Crazy -- 10/12/2014

2.  She's Got the Look -- 10/13/2014

 

The Last Stand by Brenda Novak -- (3) Completed 11/3/2014

1.  Trust Me -- 10/19/2014 -- Reviewed

2.  Stop Me -- 10/25/2014 -- Reviewed

3.  Watch Me -- 10/27/2014 -- Reviewed

4.  The Perfect Couple -- 10/31/2014 -- Bundle Review

5.  The Perfect Liar -- 11/1/2014 -- Bundle Review

6.  The Perfect Murder -- 11/3/2014 -- Bundle Review

 

Storm Front by Sharon Sala -- (4) Completed 12/3/2014 

1.  Blown Away -- 11/16/2014

2.  Torn Apart -- 11/26/2014

3.  Swept Aside -- 12/3/2014

 

Shadowfell by Juliet Marillier -- (5) Completed 2/27/2015

1.  Shadowfell -- 2/16/2015 -- Reviewed

2.  Raven Flight -- 2/25/2015 -- Reviewed

3.  The Caller -- 2/27/2015 -- Reviewed

 

His Fair Assassin by Robin LaFevers

1.  Grave Mercy -- 11/21/2014 -- Review to come

2.  Dark Triumph

3.  Mortal heart

 

Legend by Marie Lu

1.  Legend

2.  Prodigy

3.  Champion

0.5.  Life Before Legend

 

Skylark by Meagan Spooner

1.  Skylark

2.  Shadowlark

3.  Lark Ascending

 

The Black Magician Trilogy by Trudi Canavan

1.  The Magicians' Guild

2.  The Novice

3.  The High Lord

0.5.  The Magician's Apprentice

 

-- Unchosen series --

 

 

Challenge #6:

Create your own series challenge.

My Goal:  Finish the following 5 series challenges listed.

 

#1) -- Read 5 Romantic Suspense series. --

Savannah by Lisa Jackson -- Completed 10/29/2014

1.  The Night Before -- 10/4/2014 -- Reviewed

2.  The Morning After -- 10/18/2014 -- Reviewed

3.  Tell Me -- 10/29/2014 -- Reviewed

 

Black Ops, Inc. by Cindy Gerard -- Completed 1/27/2015

1.  Show No Mercy -- 1/13/2015 -- Reviewed

2.  Take No Prisoners -- 1/14/2015 -- Reviewed

3.  Whisper No Lies -- 1/15/2015 -- Reviewed

4.  Feel the Heat -- 1/19/2015 -- Reviewed

5.  Risk No Secrets -- 1/21/2015 -- Reviewed

6.  With No Remorse -- 1/26/2015 -- Reviewed

7.  Last Man Standing -- 1/27/2015 -- Reviewed

5.5.  Leave No Trace -- 1/21/2015 -- Reviewed

6.5.  SEALed With a Kiss -- 1/6/2015 -- Reviewed (part of anthology, #6)

7.5.  Dying to Score -- 1/28/2015

 

Doucet by Tami Hoag

1.  The Restless Heart -- 9/2/2014 -- Reviewed

2.  Lucky's Lady -- 10/6/2014 -- Reviewed

3.  Cry Wolf -- 10/17/2014 -- Reviewed

4.  A Thin Dark Line

 

The Deadly Games by Lena Diaz

1.  He Kills Me, He Kills Me Not

2.  Simon Says Die

3.  Ashes, Ashes, They All Fall Dead

4.  Take the Key and Lock Her Up 

 

St. Kilda Consulting by Elizabeth Lowell

1.  Always Time to Die

2.  The Wrong Hostage

3.  Innocent as Sin

4.  Blue Smoke and Murder

5.  Death Echo

 

 

#2) -- Start/Continue/Finish Any 5 YA series. --

Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

1.  Cinder -- Read in 2013

2.  Scarlet -- 2/9/2015 -- Reviewed

3.  Cress

4.  Winter -- Publication 11/10/2015

0.5.  Glitches -- 10/31/2014

0.6.  The Little Android -- 2/12/2015 -- Brief Thoughts

1.5.  The Queen's Army -- 10/31/2014

3.1.  Carswell's Guide to Being Lucky

3.5.  Fairest

 

The Books of Bayern by Shannon Hale

1.  The Goose Girl -- Read pre-2010

2.  Enna Burning

3.  River Secrets

4.  Forest Born

 

The Ward by Jordana Frankel

1.  The Ward

2.  Untitled book -- Publication date unknown

 

Investigating the Hottie by Juli Alexander

1.  Investigating the Hottie

2.  Undercover with the Hottie

 

-- Unchosen series --

 

 

#3) -- Read 10 1sts each for 2014/2015 series. --

2014 1sts

1.  Lark Rising (Guardians of Tarnec) by Sandra Waugh -- 10/21/2014

2.  Stolen Songbird (The Malediction Trilogy) by Danielle L. Jensen -- 11/4/2014

3.  The Young Elites (The Young Elites) by Marie Lu -- 11/17/2014 -- Review to come

4.  Avalon (Avalon) by Mindee Arnett -- 12/4/2014

5.  A Thousand Pieces of You (Firebird) by Claudia Gray -- 12/7/2014

6.  Death Sworn (Death Sworn) by Leah Cypess -- 12/15/2014

7.  Zodiac (Zodiac) by Romina Russell

8.  

9.  

10.  Fool Me Twice (If Only... series) by Mandy Hubbard

 

2015 1sts

1.  Frostfire (The Kanin Chronicles) by Amanda Hocking -- 2/21/2015

2.  The Storyspinner (The Keepers' Chronicles) by Becky Wallace -- Publication 3/3/2015

3.  Mindwalker (Mindwalker) by A.J. Steiger -- Publication 6/9/2015

4.  The Leveller (The Leveller) by Julia Durango -- Publication 6/23/2015

5.  Ink and Bone (The Great Library) by Rachel Caine -- Publication in 2015

6.  Illuminae (The Illuminae Files) by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff -- Publication 8/4/2015

7.  Walk on Earth a Stranger (Goldscryer Saga) by Rae Carson -- Publication 9/22/2015

8.  Six of Crows (The Dregs) by Leigh Bardugo -- Publication 10/6/2015

9.  Passenger (Untitled series) by Alexandra Bracken -- Publication TBA

10.  

 

 

#4) -- Start/Continue/Finish Any 5 series. --

FBI/US Attorney by Julie James

1.  Something About You -- Read in 2013

2.  A Lot Like Love -- Read in 2013

3.  About That Night -- Read in 2013

4.  Love Irresistibly -- 9/6/2014 -- Reviewed

5.  It Happened One Wedding -- 9/20/2014 -- Reviewed

 

Nikki Heat by Richard Castle

1.  Heat Wave -- 11/15/2014 -- Reviewed

2.  Naked Heat -- 12/26/2014 -- Reviewed

3.  Heat Rises -- 1/24/2015 -- Reviewed

4.  Frozen Heat

5.  Deadly Heat

6.  Raging Heat

 

Tracers by Laura Griffin

1.  Untraceable -- 2/10/2015 -- Reviewed

2.  Unspeakable -- 2/17/2015 -- Reviewed

3.  Unforgiveable -- 2/20/2015 -- Reviewed

4.  Snapped

5.  Twisted

6.  Scorched

7.  Exposed

8.  Beyond Limits

4.5.  Unstoppable

 

-- Unchosen series --

 

-- Unchosen series --

 

 

#5) -- Read 10 1sts for Any series. --

1.  Falling For Her Fiance (Accidentally in Love) by Cindy Madsen -- 9/11/2014

2.  Enchanted (The Woodcutter Sisters) by Alethea Kontis -- 1/4/2015

3.  

4.  

5.  

6.  

7.  

8.  

9.  

10.  

 

 

Whew!