Favorite #Book Series #LongandShortReviews #BlogChallenge

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge hosted by Long and Short Reviews.

This week's topic: Favorite Book Series and Why

There is no way that I can write about just one series. I tried. It's not happening. I'm an avid reader, I'm a writer, and I worked as a bookseller for 12 years. I love talking about books almost as much as I love writing them! I did my best to narrow the list... alphabetically by category.  

Yeah, I can't help myself. :) This post might get a little long. You can skim to your favorite genre. But I think these books are all worth reading!

Chick Lit

Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella

There is something sweet about Becky Bloomwood. She's the kind of girl I'd like to call my best friend. Reading this series is like listening to that friend tell you what's happened in her life and the strangely odd situations she finds herself in. These stories are funny, sweet, heart-wrenching and did I say funny? Hilarious might be a better word.

Children's Books

Sweet Valley Twins by Francine Pascal

My first favorite books and my first favorite series. Whenever I think of firsts or favorites, I inevitably go to Sweet Valley Twins. This series is about twin sisters, Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield, and the drama, adventure and antics they experience. Drama and life lessons for kids told in an entertaining way.

Harry Potter by JK Rowling

Yep, I'm a Harry Potter fan, too. This series has everything a kid (or an adult!) could wish for in a good story. Adventure, high-stakes, magic and a little bit of romance. All told in a suspenseful, page-turning way. There's something for everyone in here and that in itself makes these stories magical!

Other 5 Star Children's series
Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander
Vesper Holly by Lloyd Alexander
Bunnicula series by James Howe

Mystery

Stephanie Plum by Janet Evanovich

Omg! Whenever I need to read something with humor, I always, always, always turn to Stephanie Plum. She never fails when I need a laugh-out-loud story to escape into. With Grandma Mazur and Lula, I can never go wrong. Add to that characters like Ranger and Joe Morelli? The recipe for a great book!

Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

I'm currently re-reading the short stories and novels about Sherlock Holmes. The first time I read them when I was in my early 20s, I found myself addicted. Seriously, I couldn't wait to get home from work so I could dive back into the world of Sherlock Holmes. I loved to see how his mind worked and try to solve the cases alongside him. This was way before the Benedict Cumberbatch version (which I love, btw!), but even back then I thought intelligence was super sexy. I've always had a crush on Sherlock. 

(Psst! This Kindle version is on sale at Amazon for $0.49!)

Romance

Fantasy Romance

Chronicles of the Warlands by Elizabeth Vaughan

I have an affection for fantasy stories that grew from my childhood. As an adult, I was less impressed with the fantasy novels that I read. There are some really great ones out there, but I couldn't find a fantasy series that had the level of romance that I desired. Not until I came upon Elizabeth Vaughan's books. This is the perfect blend of romance and fantasy that I crave! An excellent series! 

Medieval Romance

The deBurgh Family by Deborah Simmons

Each of these books focuses on the romance of one of the deBurgh siblings. There are seven of them in all, plus a short story about their father, the patriarch of the family.

Paranormal Romance

Immortal Witches by Maggie Shayne

These are enchanting romances about immortal high witches. After they die, the are essentially reborn as immortals. But there are dark witches who hunt them. Each story is different, stunning, beautiful and haunting. They are incredible tales that will astound anyone who loves paranormal romance.

Regency Romance

The Bridgertons by Julia Quinn

Oh, the Bridgerton family. I started reading them out of order. I actually read Romancing Mr. Bridgerton first, but it was such an incredible book that I went back to the beginning with The Duke and I. I absolutely love these books! Julia Quinn is an amazing author. Each book is about a sibling and how they find love. They are witty, full of humor and set in Regency-era England. This series is also in production to be released as a series on Netflix sometime in 2020! I'm so excited to watch this!

Other 5 Star Regency Romance series
Heart's of Desire by Gayle Wilson
Men From Special Branch by Elizabeth Thornton

Time Travel Romance

Viking series by Sandra Hill

These books are sexy and hilarious. Like romantic comedy time travel Viking romances. These are must reads for anyone who likes time travel romances. The author includes the perfect amount of historical detail to make the reader feel like they've really traveled into another time. The heroes are sexy and humorous. I love the interaction between these characters.

Urban Fantasy

Anita Blake by Laurel K Hamilton

This is the first urban fantasy series that I can remember reading and it will always hold a special place in my heart. These books are an intense blend of horror and romance which I found compelling for my little ol' gothic heart. Reader beware: there are graphic scenes of violence and as the series progresses it shifts more toward horror erotica. I'm not too crazy about the more recent titles, but I'd say the first 12 books are  

Women of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong

I actually read Dime Store Magic and Industrial Magic first because I didn't realize that this series was about a collection of characters in the same world. Once I discovered that, I quickly went back and read Bitten and Stolen. After that, I read them all in order and loved each one! The books are mostly about Elena Michaels and her journey to becoming a werewolf, but there are books that focus on other characters like Paige Winterbourne (witch), Jaime Vegas (medium), Hope Adams (half-demon), Eve Levine (half-demon turned angel) and Savannah Levine (Eve's daughter).

Other 5 star Urban Fantasy series:
The Hollows by Kim Harrison
Sookie Stackhouse by Charlaine Harris

Young Adult

Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer

Okay, I admit it. I'm a Twilight fan. I got drawn into the stories during my days of working at the bookstore. The books are so much better than the movies, just fyi.

Emily series by Katie Maxwell

If you're looking for laugh-out-loud hijinks in a well-told story, then you must read these books about Emily Williams, a teenager who moves with her parents from Seattle to England. Emily adjusting to a different culture is hilarious. These books are written by Katie Maxwell (aka Katie Macalister), always guaranteed to make you smile. 

Be sure to check out the other blogger's suggestions at ...

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Beth-Ann Miller returns to her Tennessee mountain home to find chaos erupting between her family and their shape-shifting neighbors. Her father is convinced the were-cougar clan is responsible for the murders occurring in their area and interrogates one of the shifters, Boone Evans, her childhood sweetheart. When Boone declares several members of his shifter family have gone missing including his little brother, Beth-Ann suspects someone else is behind both the murders and abductions.

Boone never expected to see Beth-Ann again. When she frees him from her father's cabin and promises to help find his brother, Boone doesn't plan on rekindling their passionate love affair or facing the pain of past mistakes. Nor does he plan on coming face to face with the man responsible for altering his family's life forever.

With men hunting the were-cougars, can Beth-Ann and Boone risk all to have a future together? Or is loving Boone too high a price to pay? 

AMAZON