Series fiction

I joined the Piccadilly team at the start of the summer and this is my first post for the blog – so, hello! Piccadilly Press publishes a lovely mix of books – including many ‘standalone’ novels and debut authors – but something the team here is really good at is publishing really accessible, and often very funny, book series. It’s got me thinking: why do we love serialized stories?

I think there are quite a few reasons.

One is that with a series, we know what we’re getting – up to a point. We know what time and world the story is likely to start in, who the main characters will be, and the sorts of things they’re all interested in and likely to get up to(e.g. adventure, romance or mischief!).  When you really love a book, you often feel like you can’t get enough of it. I know I’ve re-read and re-read my favourite books countless times, using them like a comfort blanket. I think with reading a series you can get the same feeling; the characters become old friends you can rely on.

And there’s that feeling. The feeling when you finish a book you LOVE and you’re left wanting more, you’re not ready to let go. Your head’s still in the world you’ve been reading about – the streets, the smells, the food, the characters, the action that will undoubtedly unfold after you’ve turned the last page; all of it – and when you know the are more stories to follow in this world, it’s unbearably exciting! If you’re lucky, you might not have to wait very long at all until you can jump straight back in to that world you already know, and find out what your old friends will be getting up to next.

I thank my lucky stars that I came to these two books once the series had already got going, as I’m really impatient and any more waiting would have driven me round the bend!

I think for reluctant readers, or anyone who’s not sure what to read next, it can be really encouraging to discover a series of books that you like, because it gives you an idea for what some of your next reads might be, and you’re already invested, interested and involved in your next book, which can be really motivating.

We’d love to hear about what book series have really fired up either you or your children, and changed your reading habits. Are there book series that have worked really well across the whole family, or particularly as read-alouds? We’d love to hear from you, so please do leave a comment or drop by on Twitter(@PiccadillyPress).

See you soon!

Tilda