Something that I have noticed which is becoming an increasing factor in my choice of which book to read next, is whether or not the book is a standalone or if it is part of an overall book series.
Now their are a few reason’s for this with I guess the biggest one being time commitment, if a book is part of series and that book series is already out then the likelihood is if I liked the book the first thing I am going to do after finishing the first is to immediately go on a scavenging hunt for the next. This of course means that overall it’s going to take at least twice as long before I am deciding which book to tackle next. (Or at least it does in my logic haha). So I thought a good way to tackle the issue was to do a good ol’ Pro and Con list.
Standalone Books
Pros:
- Less overall time spent on the book/less commitment.
- More variety, it’s a lot easier to skip between genres ect..
- Stories not left open-ended, once there done, there done.
- Ability to discover more authors.
Cons:
- Sometimes they can be rushed as the author tries to squeeze all the plot into the one book.
- Having to say goodbye to characters after only the one book
- Potentially less character development (definitely not true for all books)
Book Series
Pros:
- More books in the same world, same characters.
- More development of characters as there is more time to get to know them.
- Having something to look forward too while you wait for the next book.
- If the books are already out it’s a great excuse to hide yourself in your book nook for the foreseeable future!
Cons:
- Books you have been looking forward to not living up to expectations.
- Having a book end on a cliff hanger.
- Having to wait ridiculously long times for the next book to be released and loss of interest because of this. (I’m looking at your G.R.R Martin!)
Okay so in all honesty there are tons more reasons for both pro’s and con’s on both sides, these are just the first few that came to my mind, (I’m also sure as soon as I hit publish I will think of a ton more!) These reasons also don’t tackle companion books or books in a series that can work as standalone’s which just adds a whole other element. At the moment I think given the choice I would still probably go for a book series then a standalone, I do love being able to completely immerse myself in a world and know it’s somewhere I can return to and at least 80% of my favourite books are part of a series!
What are your thoughts on Standalone’s vs Book Series? Do you have a preference, is there reasons you would choose one over the other? Let me know! 🙂
FNM 
I’m definitely a series girl but I think standalones have their place… as a writer they are premises and worlds that you don’t have much for except the one story. It’s a good idea but can’t be expanded on… as a reader standalones are great to get a sense about an author before committing hard core. They are also great palette cleansers between series if you need something quick and light without so much drama.
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I definitely agree about being fantastic palette cleansers! True I guess some books are just not meant to be more then they already are.
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I like both, honestly. Sometimes, I like to read books that stand on their own because I don’t have to put in as much commitment as a reader. Now, I understand that that sounds lazy, but I like to feel fulfilled at the end of a book. Stand-alone books allow for that without getting into the messy “here’s what happens next” territory that book series have.
However, there are some worlds that I do not like giving up so easily. Characters, plots, settings…sometimes, one book simply isn’t enough!
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I’m with you on the less commitment! Sometimes it’s nice just to wrap it all up and move on as opposed to knowing there will be so much more.
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I agree that it’s nice to alternate. Too many series and I can forget what’s going on between books, but then it’s nice to meet up with my fave characters again.I like both.
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True if the next book in a series comes out awhile after the last one I normally end up reading them again just to catch up
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I don’t have a strong preference either way, but when it comes to series I usually prefer a good trilogy over something longer (especially if it goes beyond 5 or 6 books). When a series gets too long the author tends to get repetitive and/or lazy and I feel like I’m just being strung along so they can sell more books.
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True I also find it frustrating when books were meant to be a trilogy but somehow end up being several books longer
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I usually prefer series but they can be so overwhelming and heavy sometimes. It’s nice to pick up a book knowing you will have both the beginning and end in one book!
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Haha yes knowing there will be no cliffhangers at the end and everything’s resolved is sometimes exactly what you want
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I tend to be conspicuous about series when authors did not plan them beforehand because I fear they’re not as good as the first book. If I love something, though, I am always happy there’s more (such as discworld and the memoirs of lady Brennan )
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It does make me wary when books suddenly go on for a lot longer then expecting, sometimes it works but not always
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Yeah actually a while after I made this comment I had to list ny favourite books somewhere, and almost all were series! Guess I do not like to be disappointed when I love a series
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I like both, I love a good series too but it takes commitment, you really have to start at novel 1 (even if they can be read as a standalone it is often still advised) and I’m feeling hesitant often to start yet another new series. It happens quite often as well that I start a new series with novel one and then jump to another new series and never pick up the sequel.. I still have a mountain of books that I have to read from MJ Arlidge, Angela Marsons etc.
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True I currently have a number of series that I’m waiting for the next book but most the time unless I’m really looking forward to it I forget and the next books been out for awhile before I remember lol
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I really enjoy both but it does depend on time and what mood I’m in. I have several favourite series of books that I make time to read regularly (every year or two), but I’m always looking out for new ones. I do find that sometimes a series can go on too long and drag out towards the end. Sometimes though I just want to pick up one book, get engrossed in the story and then move onto the next.
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I like both. But I prefer reading series in one go. I can’t stand waiting for the next book to come out. 😄 That’s why lately I’ve been reading more standalone than series.
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Haha exactly I am not a patient person!
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I feel like I constantly end up reading series by accident but I’m not all that mad about it. I get shocked when I read a book and that’s it especially since YA seems to be alllll about the series. I like swapping off and letting myself get lost in a series and then move on to reading a standalone.
Or currently, I’ve been breaking up my reads by slowly re-reading Harry Potter.
I’m also on this kick when I’m reading a lot of books by the same authors because I enjoyed book A so much and I have book B so why not just read another by them. 🙂
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