I quite like book series, to be honest. Sure, sometimes it’s like with TV series: it would’ve been better if they left it at the first or second book. At other times, all the books are enjoyable. It also happens that the whole series is pretty crap.

5. Replica by Marilyn Kaye

I was obsessed with this series as a young teenager, which makes sense because I was the target audience. The main character, Amy Candler, is also twelve. This is a children’s science fiction series that consists of twenty-four books, published between 1998 and 2002. Amy is one of thirteen cloned girls who have been genetically modified to have superhuman abilities. She was created in the government-funded Project Crescent along with other boys and girls. The goal of the project is to create a master race and take over the world. I have no idea how it’d be to read it now, about fifteen years later. Perhaps I’ll read one, just to see!

4. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

I absolutely loved the first book. I cried so much, was just as in love with Will as Louisa and have read the books at least twice if not three times. For those who don’t know: it’s a story about a 26-year-old girl who works in a village cafe and has no real ambitions. After losing her job, she finds a new one as the carer of a quadriplegic, miserable man in his thirties. Obviously, they fall in love. I literally have nothing bad to say about the first book.

The second one, After You, was an enjoyable read: Louisa’s pain is so well described that I could almost feel it. However, the whole story about the surprise daughter is a bit far-fetched. The third book is funny and enjoyable in many ways, but the plot is rather weird. Why introduce Agnes and never finish her story? I still think about what happened to her! Personally, I think that Me Before You didn’t need any sequel. It was perfect as one novel, and it’s far from perfect as a trilogy (even though I honestly did enjoy reading all three books – they’re touching, funny and well-written).

3. Chaos Walking by Patrick Ness

This YA science fiction series is something I read when I wasn’t the target audience anymore. I think I was in my early twenties. I enjoyed it a lot, though. It’s set in a dystopian world (the New World) where all living creatures can hear each other’s thoughts. Also, there are no women. Todd meets Viola from the Old World, a girl whose thoughts he cannot hear, and the two must warn the incoming settlers of a forming army and war that’s about to happen. The story is adventurous, gripping and emotional, full of universal truths about humans. I loved it as an adult, and I’m sure I would’ve loved it as a child/teenager too.

2. Bridget Jones by Helen Fielding

I’ve read the first two books from the series more than once, and I’m planning on reading them again. Both books are wonderfully funny and relatable in so many ways. Plus, they capture the nineties so well. I know that Bridget Jones didn’t age well in some aspects: a woman of 32 with a full-time job and her own flat in central London is anything but a failure these days. Also, she calls herself fat all the time, which she clearly isn’t. Still, we can’t say that the stigma around single, childless women in their thirties has completely disappeared, and we’re also still pretty obsessed with our bodies.

I loved The Edge of Reason as much as Bridget Jones’s Diary. Mad About the Boy, the third novel in the series, came out in 2013, fourteen years later than the second novel. I will never accept what happened to Mark, but Fielding’s writing is still incredible, and Bridget is still funny and original. I like what they did in the film, though, even if I would’ve liked to see Hugh Grant in it too.

1. Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling

It’s only natural that Harry Potter will be my favourite book series forever. My love for books and writing is partly a consequence of HP. I enjoyed listening to my mum read it to me as a little girl, I devoured the books over and over again as a young teen and reread them as an adult. I’m sure it wasn’t the last time: if not before, I’ll read them to my own kids someday.

As for the author: I personally choose to separate the art from the artist, at least in this case. In the last few years, JK has said many unnecessary (and stupid) things that were hurtful to many people, but Harry is still awesome.

Honourable mentions

A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin

I read all the books in my late teens and have been waiting for the sixth one ever since. I found some parts of the books interesting and others dull. If you ask me, some of the characters just shouldn’t be in there or at least shouldn’t be given whole chapters. Also, many descriptions are just way too long.

The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien

I only read the first book, and man, it was a slow read. I really wanted to love it but only ended up tolerating it and liking it occasionally. I already knew the story and had the scenes in front of my eyes because I watched the movies so many times. It had too many long descriptions and odd poems for my taste and too little character development. Obviously, I still think that the world-building is amazing and the series a great and extremely influential piece of literature.

Tre metri sopra il cielo by Federico Moccia

I read Three steps over heaven as a teenager and enjoyed it, even though all the characters seem to come from outrageously rich families and everything they do is super dramatic. It’s a romantic story with a refreshingly unhappy ending, at least that’s how the first book was. The second, I want you, wasn’t bad either, even though most of us were probably still rooting for Babi and Step (despite the enjoyable unhappy ending in the first book). Well, we got Babi and Step in the third book, Three times you, in 2017. The plot was ridiculously unlikely, and once again it would’ve been better to leave it at the second book.

Book Series I disliked or haven’t finished

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

I read all four books as a teenager. They were okay, but I didn’t find them to be anything special. The fourth book as a whole was kind of ridiculous, and the happy ending for absolutely everyone and everything didn’t work well either. I haven’t read the last thing that came out, written from Edward’s point of view.

After by Anna Todd

I read these recently, you can read more about it here. I’m very sorry that I finished them. I’m currently healing my brain with Jane Austen.

Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James

I only managed to get through the first book. All I remember is that it was quite boring and badly written (which can be said for the two series mentioned above too).

The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris

I loved the TV series True Blood, based on the books, but I only read the first two books of the series. They are pretty badly written but kind of funny and interesting too. The characters only really come to life in the TV show.

The Vampire Diaries by L. J. Smith

This was entertaining at times but also very cliche (with Elena being this perfect, blonde cheerleader). The plot made little sense at times and got kind of weird. I only read the first four books, there are many more. The whole thing is very different from the TV series, which I binge-watched at uni (and started hating somewhere towards the end of season 4).

Book Series on my reading list

• Robert Langdon by Dan Brown
• The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice
• Millennium by Stieg Larrson
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
• Divergent by Veronica Roth

I’ve probably read other book series that I liked or disliked, and there are definitely many more that I would like to read. These are the ones that come to mind now, though. 😊 What’s your favourite book series?