Top Ten Tuesday #56: Series Catch Up

I often see people create lists like this and have often toyed with doing the same. But it wasn’t until now, when it’s a topic for a Top Ten Tuesday, that I finally sat down to throw one together. Due to my nature of hardly ever finishing series — I either get distracted by a new book or enjoy a story so much that I procrastinate on reading its end — this list is quite long. I could have stuck to the top 10, but I wondered, why limit myself? Why not list ALL the series I’d like to complete/catch up on so that I can refer to this list whenever I have a need? So I went overboard and listed over 60 series to finish: 😆 — 😨 — 😱

My list is divided by genre; however, I’ve relegated comics to its own section since I have so many to catch up on. I’ll mention the most recent book in the series I’ve read, the next one I need to read, and a tidbit about the series, in case anyone’s interested in what they’re about. The book pics are of the most recent series installment I read. I’ll also include a honorable mentions section as well for series I’ve completed but the story/characters continue/appear in another series I’d like to try.

I’ll kick things off with…

Romance (3 series)

Winston Brothers by Penny Reid (7 books; read 3)

Last Read = Beard Science | Next = Beard in Waiting
Contemporary romance centered on the love lives of the Winston family, which consists of many brothers and one sister, in Tennessee

Brown Sisters by Talia Hibbert (3 books; read 1)

Last Read = Get a Life, Chloe Brown | Next = Take a Hint, Dani Brown
Contemporary romance centered on the love lives of the Brown sisters in the U.K.

Bridgertons by Julia Quinn (8 books; read 2)

Last Read = The Viscount Who Loved Me | Next = An Offer From a Gentleman
Historical romance set in the U.K. during the Regency period that centers on the Bridgerton family whose matriarch is intent on marrying off her eligible children

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Contemporary (1 series)

Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants by Ann Brashares (5 books; read 4)

Last Read = Forever in Blue | Next = Sisterhood Everlasting
YA contemporary, and a bildungsroman, that focuses on the friendship among four girls who share a special pair of jeans every summer, beginning in high school

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Mystery (3 series)

Robert Langdon by Dan Brown (5 books; read 2)

Last Read = The Da Vinci Code | Next = The Lost Symbol
The series focuses on the cases Robert Langdon, a Harvard professor of religious iconography and symbology, gets mixed up in.

Dr. Laszlo Kreizler by Caleb Carr (3 books; read 1)

Last Read = The Alienist | Next = The Angel of Darkness
Historical mystery about Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, an alienist, or criminal psychologist, and the cases he helps to solve

Frieda Klein by Nicci French (8 books; read 1)

Last Read = Blue Monday | Next = Tuesday’s Gone
About a London-based psychotherapist named Frieda Klein. The author, Nicci French, comprises a husband-and-wife team.

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Fantasy (23 series)

Chrestomanci by Diana Wynne Jones (6 books; read 1)

Last Read = Charmed Life | Next = The Lives of Christopher Chant
MG fantasy that I think is about a boy becoming the next Chrestomanci, a powerful enchanter who has nine lives

Discworld (Witches subseries) by Terry Pratchet (41 total, 6 Witches books; read 5)

Last Read = Maskerade | Next = Carpe Jugulum (last Witches book)
Comedic fantasy series set on a flat world that lies atop the backs of four elephants standing on the shell of a gigantic turtle that’s flying through space

A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin (5 books, two more to come, presumably; read 4)

Last Read = A Feast for Crows | Next = A Dance With Dragons
Epic fantasy that takes place over several lands and involves many people and various political intrigues. The story kicks off by focusing mostly on the Stark family of the North.

World of the Five Gods by Lois McMaster Bujold (3 books, excluding Penric books and such; read 2)

Last Read = Paladin of Souls | Next = The Hallowed Hunt
So far, all the books take place in a fictional land called Chalion, but each has a different protagonist. In the stories, the gods seem closely attuned to the people and can work through them if the human person allows it.

Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison (3 books; read 1)

Last Read = The Goblin Emperor | Next = The Witness for the Dead
The books all take place in the same world, mainly an elvish kingdom now ruled by a half-goblin, but each may focus on a different character.

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko (2 books; read 1)

Last Read = Raybearer | Next = Redemptor
YA fantasy set in a world inspired by African folklores and cultures. It focuses on a girl who can see the past of whatever she touches.

Black Iron Legacy by Gareth Hanrahan (3 books; read 2)

Last Read = The Shadow Saint | Next = The Broken God
Set in a world where the gods all seem to have gone mad and are at war. The story seems to focus on two girls, one a scholar and another who may be a saint, or at least closely attuned to the gods of her city, Guerdon.

Dresden Files by Jim Butcher (17 books, maybe two more to come; read 1)

Last Read = Storm Front | Next = Fool Moon
Urban fantasy that focuses on a private investigator wizard in Chicago

Age of Darkness by Katy Rose Pool (3 books; read 2)

Last Read = As the Shadow Rises | Next = Into the Dying Light
YA fantasy set in a world inspired by Ancient Mediterranean cultures and landforms, and that focuses on a group of teens trying to prevent an “Age of Darkness” foretold by the Seven Prophets who once governed the world and were deeply revered, causing a belief system to form around them

Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend (4 books, maybe more to come; read 3)

Last Read = Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow | Next = Silverborn: The Mystery of Morrigan Crow (slated for 2023)
MG fantasy about a girl everyone thinks is unlucky who is whisked off to a new land where she learns she has a special, and feared, ability

Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan (14 books, excluding the prequel; read 5, plus the prequel)

Last Read = The Fires of Heaven | Next = Lord of Chaos
Epic fantasy about three farm boys who learn they are essential to saving the world and defeating a great evil

Villains by V.E. Schwab (3 books; read 1)

Last Read = Vicious | Next = Vengeful
YA fantasy about two boys, who started out as friends before becoming nemeses, who learn that near-death experiences can endow one with special abilities

Night Angel by Brent Weeks (4 books, excluding the prequel, hopefully more are forthcoming; read 3, plus the prequel)

Last Read = Beyond the Shadows | Next = Night Angel Nemesis (slated for 2023)
Grimdark fantasy about a street urchin who becomes apprentice to a notorious assassin

Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman (2 books; read 1)

Last Read = Tess of the Road | Next = In the Serpent’s Wake
YA fantasy set in the same world as Hartman’s first series, Seraphina, where dragons can take on human form. Tess is Seraphina’s half sister.

The Band by Nicholas Eames (3 books, probably; read 1)

Last Read = Kings of the Wyld | Next = Bloody Rose
Fantasy novels, each following the adventures of a different band of warriors

Wayward Children by Seanan McGuire (8 books, but maybe two more are planned; read 1)

Last Read = Every Heart a Doorway | Next = Down Among the Sticks and Bones
YA fantasy novels set at a boarding school for kids who’ve returned from portal-fantasy worlds

Eon by Alison Goodman (2 books; read 1)

Last Read = Eon | Next = Eona
YA fantasy duology about a girl who poses as a boy so that she can become a Dragoneye, one connected to the dragons and able to channel their power

Nsibidi Scripts by Nnedi Okorafor (3 books; read 1)

Last Read = Akata Witch | Next = Akata Warrior
YA fantasy set in Nigeria about an albino girl who learns she belongs to a secret magic society called the Leopard people and begins training with other kids to use her power

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (3 books; read 1)

Last Read = Shadow and Bone | Next = Siege and Storm
YA fantasy about a girl who learns she has magical abilities able to defeat a great darkness that mars the land

Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch (3 books; read 1)

Last Read = Snow Like Ashes | Next = Ice Like Fire
YA fantasy set in a world where each land is stuck in a different season. The story seems to focus on a girl trying to help the people of the winter kingdom, which was conquered.

Jinx by Sage Blackwood (3 books; read 1)

Last Read = Jinx | Next = Jinx’s Magic
MG fantasy about a boy left in the woods who meets up with a wizard and lives with him… Yea… I read this so long ago that I’ve forgotten what it’s about.

Septimus Heap by Angie Sage (7 books; read 5)

Last Read = Syren | Next = Darke
MG fantasy about a boy who’s the seventh son of a seventh son, and I don’t think he realizes at first… something like that because I’ve since forgotten

League of Princes by Christopher Healy, illus. by Todd Harris (3 books; read 1)

Last Read = The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom | Next = The Hero’s Guide to Storming the Castle
MG fantasy about the princes charming, from fairytales

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Horror/Thriller (6 series)

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey (4 books; read 1)

Last Read = The Curse of the Wendigo | Next = The Isle of Blood
YA historical paranormal-horror about a boy who works as an assistant to a monstrumologist, a scientist who studies creatures commonly considered monsters. It’s not scary.

Watch Hollow by Gregory Funaro (2 books; read 1)

Last Read = Watch Hollow | Next = The Alchemist’s Shadow
It’s MG fantasy about a girl who moves to an old, creaky house with her brother and father so that her father can fix the giant cuckoo clock that operates the house. The story has a touch of horror to it, which makes it a bit creepy, but it’s not scary.

Hannibal Lecter by Thomas Harris (4 books; read 1)

Last Read = Red Dragon | Next = The Silence of the Lambs
Thriller about the psychologist and serial killer, Hannibal Lecter

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland (2 books; read 1)

Last Read = Dread Nation | Next = Deathless Divide
YA historical paranormal set shortly after the Civil War about a young Black woman who’s one of several minorities trained to protect White folks from zombie attacks. It’s not scary.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith (2 books; read 1)

Last Read = Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter | Next = The Last American Vampire
Historical fiction set in the 1800s about the life of U.S. president Abraham Lincoln, but with vampires. It’s not scary.

You by Caroline Kepnes (4 books, presumably another is expected in 2023; read 1)

Last Read = You | Next = Hidden Bodies
Thriller about Joe, a guy who worked in a bookshop and spent the first book stalking a girl with whom he became fascinated

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Sci-Fi (3 series)

Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells (6 books, but three more may be in the works; read 1)

Last Read = All Systems Red | Next = Artificial Condition
About a cyborg who wants to be left alone to watch the TV sitcoms it likes

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (3 books; read 2)

Last Read = Catching Fire | Next = Mockingjay
YA dystopian series where children recruits are sacrificed from various districts to partake in a horrific game used as entertainment

Fog Diver by Joel Ross (2 books; read 1)

Last Read = The Fog Diver | Next = The Lost Compass
MG dystopian steampunk that focuses on a boy called Chess and his crew who dive into “fog-shrouded” ruins from airships to scavenge for scraps or anything useful they can trade to survive

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Comics (23 series)

Fantasy

Fables by Bill Willingham, illus. by Lan Medina (22 volumes; read 1)

Last Read = Vol. 1: Legends in Exile | Next = Vol. 2: Animal Farm
About fairy tale characters and creatures living in exile in New York

Moonstruck by Grace Ellis, illus. by Shae Beagle (3 volumes, another may be forthcoming; read 3)

Last Read = Vol. 3: Troubled Waters | Next = n/a
YA fantasy that’s set in a college town of fantasy creatures and focuses on Julie, a werewolf barista. The third volume ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I think there might be another volume.

Marvel 1602 by Neil Gaiman, illus. by Andy Kubert (no idea how many volumes/issues)

Last Read = first issue | Next = second issue, or the full volume, if possible
Historical fantasy about the DC superheroes in the year 1602. Tbh, the cover-page art is what has me willing to continue with it.

Vox Machina Origins by Matthew Mercer & Matthew Colville, illus. by Olivia Samson (3 volumes, maybe; read 1)

Last Read = Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins, Vol. 1 | Next = Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins, Vol. 2
Dungeons & Dragons-inspired comic book about the adventures of a band of fighters

Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama (9 volumes, so far; read 1)

Last Read = Vol. 1 | Next = Vol. 2
About a girl who gets to be a witch following a fateful accident

Sex Criminals by Matt Fraction, illus. by Chip Zdarsky (6 volumes; read 1)

Last Read = Vol. 1: One Weird Trick | Next = Vol. 2: Two Worlds, One Cop
About a young woman who can stop time when she has sex and uses the ability to rob banks

Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa (illus.) (26 volumes; read 12)

Last Read = Vols. 10-12 | Next = Vols. 13-15
About the Elric brother, Edward and Alphonse, trying to restore their bodies after a fateful experiment

Monstress by Marjorie Liu, illus. by Sana Takeda (7 volumes; read 3)

Last Read = Vol. 3: Haven | Next = Vol. 4: The Chosen
About a young woman trying to find out about her background and the monster inside her

Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi (illus.) (8 volumes, but another may be in the works; read 4)

Last Read = The Last Council | Next = Prince of the Elves
MG fantasy about a girl and her brother who travel to fantastical world to rescue their mom

Saga by Brian K. Vaughan, illus. by Fiona Staples (10 volumes, but looks like four more are planned; read 6)

Last Read = Vol. 6 | Next = Vol. 7
About a couple trying to survive as a family while their planets are at war 

Birthright by Joshua Williamson, illus. by Andrei Bressan (10 volumes; read 1)

Last Read = Vol. 1: Homecoming | Next = Vol. 2: Call to Adventure
About a boy who returns to his family after his mysterious disappearance

Rasputin by Alex Grecian, illus. by Riley Rossmo (2 volumes; read 1)

Last Read = Vol. 1: The Road to the Winter Palace | Next = Vol. 2: The Road to the White House
About the historical figure, Rasputin. I think it puts a spin on his background.

Rat Queens by Kurtis J. Wiebe, illus. by Roc Upchurch & Stjepan Sejic (8 volumes; read 2)

Last Read = Vol. 2: The Far Reaching Tentacles of N’rygoth | Next = Vol. 3: Demons
About a diverse band of female mercenaries

Horror/Thriller

DCeased by Tom Taylor, illus. by Trevor Hairsine & others (4 volumes, another may be coming; read 4)

Last Read = DCeased: Dead Planet | Next = n/a
About a zombie apocalypse in the DC superhero universe. The fourth has dangling plot lines, so I strongly believe there’ll be another volume. It’s not scary.

The October Faction by Steve Niles, illus. by Damien Worm (5 volumes, maybe; read 1)

Last Read = Vol. 1 | Next = Vol. 2
About the family of a retired monster hunter. It’s not scary.

The Boys by Garth Ennis, illus. by Darick Robertson (12 or 13 volumes; read 1)

Last Read = Vol. 1: The Name of the Game | Next = Vol. 2: Get Some
I consider this a thriller about a group of individuals trying to police those with superhero abilities.

Locke & Key by Joe Hill, illus. by Gabriel Rodriguez (6 or 7 volumes; read 1)

Last Read = Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft | Next = Vol. 2: Head Games
About the Locke family who move to the peculiar Keyhouse, their father’s family home, following a fateful incident. It’s not scary.

Mystery

Lady S by Jean Van Hamme, illus. by Philippe Aymond (15 volumes, I think, but only 6 in English; read 1)

Last Read = Vol. 1: Here’s to Suzie | Next = Vol. 2: Latitude 59 Degrees North
A French comic-book series about a female spy from Russia

Lady Killer by Joëlle Jones (illus.) and Jamie S. Rich (2 volumes; read 1)

Last Read = Vol. 1 | Next = Vol. 2
Mystery comic-book series set in the 1950s about a housewife who’s also a ruthless assassin

Velvet by Ed Brubaker, illus. by Steve Epting (3 volumes; read 2)

Last Read = Vol. 2: The Secret Lives of Dead Men | Next = Vol. 3: The Man Who Stole the World
Set in the 1970s, it’s a mystery about a woman who works for a spy agency and is framed for a murder.

Sci-Fi

Copperhead by Jay Faerber, illus. by Scott Godlewski (4 volumes; read 1)

Last Read = Vol. 1 | Next = Vol. 2
Western comic-book series with sci-fi flourishes about a female sheriff who gets relocated to a small mining town on a backwater planet

Pisces by Kurtis J. Wiebe, illus. by Johnnie Christmas (5 issues; read 1)

Last Read = first issue | Next = second issue, or full volume, if available
Umm… I forgot what it’s about, lol.

Lady Mechanika by Joe Benítez (7 volumes; read 1)

Last Read = Vol. 1: The Mystery of the Mechanical Corpse | Next = Vol. 2: The Tablet of Destinies
Steampunk comic-book series set in England in the late 1800s, during the Gilded Age, about a half-mechanical woman trying to learn more about her background

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Honorable mentions

Joe Abercrombie

I’ve finished the First Law trilogy and am currently reading Best Served Cold, a standalone set in the same world as the trilogy, with Emily at Embuhleeliest. We’ll most likely read the other books/series set in this world. It’s fantasy focused on several POV characters about… war.

Jacqueline Carey

I read all books in Phèdre’s trilogy, epic fantasy about a courtesan who’s also trained as a spy, and am considering to read the other books set in this world, Imriel’s trilogy and Naamah trilogy.

Rick Riordan

I’ve read the Percy Jackson books and the Heroes of Olympus ones too, both are MG fantasy about Greek and Roman demigods. I was planning to read the Magnus Chase ones when I got distracted by other books.

Scott Snyder (Wytches)

I assume (read hoping) another Wytches volume will come out. I liked the first volume and thought the story interesting. It’s horror about a girl who move to a new town with her parents and learns that there are creatures in the woods, wytches, who receive human sacrifices. It’s creepy.

Cullen Bunn (Manor Black)

I consider it fantasy although it focuses mostly on a family of magicians who can work blood magic. The story is dark.

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That’s it for this extensive list of series I need to catch up on or finish.

I hope a few interested you, but let me know if you’ve read any.