I’ve just noticed this weird habit/problem of mine just last week and I have to say, it’s weird.
I don’t know why, but for some weird reason, I can rarely read books written by the same author back to back, even if I really enjoyed the book I just read.
My latest example: Morgan Matson. I’ve read and absolutely loved Morgan Matson’s Since You’ve Been Gone as you can tell from my review and am definitely planning to read all her other books like Second Chance Summer and Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour, books I already have on my shelves. However, when I decided that my next read should be another Morgan Matson book, something in my mind urged me that no, don’t read it yet! Choose another book! Don’t read Morgan Matson’s other books yet!
I just don’t know why that happens.
I also have a hard time binge reading a series back to back. The last time I did that was…never. It doesn’t matter if the last book ended in a cliffhanger, I’ll read another book anyway by a different author anyway. I just don’t know why – maybe I want to read another book written by another author automatically?
Do you also have this weird habit like I do when you read books back to back? Please tell me I’m not alone in this.
I have the same problem with the GONE series by Michael Grant. I don’t like marathoning the whole series — that’s why I squeeze in a different book or two — because I feel like I need to take a breather from this crazy, dystopian world. This applies to other series I’ve been following as well.
Miguel @ The Quirky Reader recently posted…Bout of Books Day #1 Update – Procrastination Strikes
I prefer swapping it up between authors if it is standalone, but I absolutely can read series back-to-back and binge on those. I like keeping the momentum going and even prefer reading a series when they are all already released. It’s like Netflix but with books :)
Rachel recently posted…Minutes Before Sunset Giveaway!
I used to read my series back to back, but lately I’ve stopped doing that. It started only a few months ago. I’m still able to do it, but I want to read something else first. When I’m reading YA I’d like to read contemporary fiction or a classic in between. When the books have many pages I’d like to take a break. I’m reading two series simultaneously, The Last Apprentice by Joseph Delaney and Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr. I read a book each week of both and love it this way.
Librarian Lavender recently posted…Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
If the books are standalones, I’d never read them back to back myself ’cause well, I don’t know why exactly. I guess it’s about whether the genre is the same or if my feelings for a book will overshadow the ones for the other? Oh, I’m such a confusing reader.
I do like to read series back-to-back, though.
Sana // artsy musings of a bibliophile recently posted…Review: Life by Committee by Corey Ann Haydu
I actually try to not read books by the same author back to back. Sometimes I do, or I read them very close to each other, but generally I really try to switch things up. I read from many types of genres and categories, and I try to alternate things, because I find I get sick of a particular genre or author quickly. Well, not sick, but it affects my enjoyment because I’m so busy comparing it to the book I just read.
I find that this really helps with reading slumps, too. So maybe this isn’t a bad thing at all :)
Quinn @ Quinn’s Book Nook recently posted…Ten Books I Almost Put Down But Didn’t
I love love love reading books in a series back-to-back, because I like to have as many details about the story nice and fresh in my mind. That way I don’t feel like I’ll miss anything important when I get to the next book! Plus if the books are really awesome, stopping after you finish the first one is like taking only one bite out of a chocolate bar.. which is impossible, so you have to read them all right away LOL.
But when an author has a few different standalone novels, and I read one that I really enjoy, I don’t pick up the other ones right away! I like to save them for later, because if I have a bad reading month, then I know exactly what to put on my next TBR :)
Booboo Blogs recently posted…Bout of Books 10 – Day 1
I can’t do it; reading books by the same author back-to-back, even if its a series. Nope, can’t do it. It’s too many pages in the same style. The few times I have read back-to-back I have like not really liked the second book. I think at that point I stop reading and start skimming whereas if I have a break then its all reading and more enjoying. :D
I most of the times also switch between authors. I like to read at least one other book before I read something else from an author. I guess it’s because I’m afraid their other work isn’t as good as the other book :) so when I loved one book and I read something else from them right after it, I might have too high expectations and I end up being disappointed. But when I read some other book in between, I can see it more ‘realistic’ and I enjoy their other books much more too :)
Mel@thedailyprophecy recently posted…Review 260. Amy Tintera – Rebel.
I usually switch between authors or genre too, and I don’t know why. Maybe I want to read something a bit different from the recent author or genre I read. Sometimes when I read a series, I used to insert standalones in between because it’s my way of diverting my expectations. I’m afraid that the second might disappoint me or might not be that entertaining compared to what I read before that.
Ella recently posted…Review: Stupid Girl by Cindy Miles
I never do it, simply because I like to switch it up. I think I’d bore of the author if I read some of their books back-to-back. It’s nice to have a break and read something different; that way I don’t bore of perfectly awesome authors
Allie @ Little Birdie recently posted…Series Books – How Long Is Too Long? {The Birdie Musings}
For standalones, I don’t think that is weird. But for series, I much prefer reading the entire series at once. I hate having to wait to finish a story.
Wow.. you’re the exact opposite of me, lol. If I find a good author, I’ll be sure to start reading their books RIGHT AWAY!
And then I get depressed because I no longer have anything to read…
On the other hand, when a finale comes out, I almost NEVER read it til a good time later. Example: I still have not read Eragon’s last book. Reading the last book makes me feel the finality of it all, and sometimes I just don’t want that to happen!
Van recently posted…Review: The Here and Now by Ann Brashares
I guess I don’t have that problem. The last series I binge read was The Lunar Chronicles. Prior to that, I read Twilight and The Hunger Games book back to back, but that was only because I wasn’t reading YA at the time, and so it took me years to even become aware these series existed. With a great series, it’s nice to read them like this, because I don’t have to worry about forgetting about what happened in the prior book, which may have been published over a year earlier.
Stephanie @ Inspiring Insomnia recently posted…Review and Giveaway: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
I want to read series back to back – but it just so rarely happens! I do like when all the books are out though, because I don’t want to wait.
Tanya Patrice recently posted…6 Awesome Gateway Books Into Magical Realism
If it is a series I love to do back-to-back. But I don’t like stand-alones by the same author in a row. I think it’s because series don’t feel complete, so reading them b-t-b is like one long book. I like separating styles and genres, otherwise things can get stale. Generally authors stick to their genre, which means I like to jump around after I finish one no matter how much I enjoy them.
Anne @ Lovely Literature recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Books I almost DNF’d
I like marathoning series IF I am enjoying the series. If I don’t feel really excited about where the series is going, then chances are I won’t be looking to read the books back to back. But with standalones, I’m totally like you. I hate reading books by the same author back-to-back. I mean, some authors are really good at changing up their styles and genre and things like that but often, I find it’s TOO similar and I need a refresher. Like even now, having read Second Chance Summer & Amy and Roger seven months ago and two years ago respectively (rough estimates here!), I’m still finding Since You’ve Been Gone really similar to both of them which I think is kinda dampening my enjoyment of this book. I still am really loving it though, but things like that is why I tend not to read standalones by the same author back to back.
Annie recently posted…[MINI REVIEW] Relish by Lucy Knisley & Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar
It does happen to me sometimes, like when I was reading The Mortal Instruments – I simply couldn’t get past reading the second book after finishing the first one a few days earlier. However, I was able to finish the Hex Hall trilogy back-to-back in three days (I think Archer Cross had something to do with it ;) )
Be happy you don’t do the same author or book in the series back to back! I’ve done it and still do it. I love it until I realize that there aren’t any more books left by that author to read! *gasp* So yes, take your sweet time.
Sometimes I can read books back to back, if they’re in a series. It depends, though, because I just finished re-reading Cinder and Scarlet by Marissa Meyer so I could start Cress. Technically I already read the first two so it wasn’t like I was starting the entire series in one go . . I’ve never done that before and I guess it would be hard to because I’d be afraid to lose interest in something I might otherwise love.
Kayla recently posted…Grim: A Collection of Fairy Tale Retellings
Hmm I’m not sure if I don’t like reading authors back to back or I just choose a random book and turns out it’s written by a different author but I realized that I think I hardly read books in a row by the same author. Sometimes though I read a book that’s in a series one after the other… but I’m not a fan of binge reading just because I like to read different genres and not read books that have the same genre in a row.
Leigh recently posted…Review: Vivian Divine Is Dead by Lauren Sabel
You’re not alone, Kelly! No matter how much I love a book, I just cannot read the next immediately after. I have no idea why – for the most part, I LOVE the book but I wind up choosing something different to read after.
The only time I’ll binge on a series is with graphic novels/manga.
Leah recently posted…Bellweather Rhapsody by Kate Racculia
I think it depends. Sometimes I can binge read the same author/series, other times I want a break in between.
I have found myself doing both. When I first discovered historical romance and paranormal romance, I binge read tons of series/authors. This lasted for about a year before I actually got a little tired of the genre/author/series. But, I do try to switch it up when I can. Right now I’m actually in the middle of glomming JD Robb’s In Death series. I adore everything about this series, but it is so long (38 and counting) and I feel like it is taking me forever to get caught up. So I’m deliberately reading back to back until I feel like I need a break. Great discussion idea!
Jennifer @ Feminist Fairytale Reviews recently posted…REVIEW: “Sweet Reckoning” by Wendy Higgins
I tend to binge read series when it’s possible (ie all books published) just because I get book amnesia and forget who is who and what happened int he last book if I don’t read them all together. When it comes to other books though, I try and keep it mixed up not reading the same genre or same author back to back. I get bored otherwise.
Helen @ My Novel Opinion recently posted…The Heiresses by Sara Shepard
Omg yes! I cannot read a series back to back! It tends to make me like the subsequent books less just because they are too similar to the first book (obviously!). Even though I only read sci-fi and fantasy, I need variety and pretty much always switch between those genres and subgenres and age ranges. If I just read a young adult dystopian, I need a middle grade or adult fantasy next! I strangely like that process of remembering the events of the previous book when getting back to a series too, I don’t know why!
Anya recently posted…The Falconer by Elizabeth May ARC {3 Stars}
I do, I do! I’m delighted to know that I am not the only one that struggles with this.
Some of the librarians and I were just talking about this at work a few days ago and decided that perhaps, if we really enjoyed the author, we aren’t quite ready to figure out their specific writing style and plot devices. For example, if we do read them back to back then maybe after we’re finished we will have lost a bit of love for the author after learning they set up novels similarly. Just a thought! I think this plays a major part in why I shy away from series books these days.
April @ Bookishly Speaking recently posted…REVIEW: The Bookman’s Tale by Charlie Lovett
I don’t like to read books by the same author back to back if they’re not in a series. I think I’d just get mixed up and start comparing them.
But I can binge read to my heart’s content :D If the series is good enough, that is. If the series is one I am ‘meh’ about, I wont binge read because I won’t be excited enough to binge read. The epic Binge can only take place if there is ample excitement and need to finish. :D Like the Study trilogy (now longer YAYYYYYYY) by our ever lovely Maria V Snyder. I read those three books back to back because they’re amazing.
Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity recently posted…Happy Eternity Discussions: Captain America: The Winter Soldier Part 2
I love reading certain books back-to-back. I did it with Gayle Forman’s If I Stay and Where She Went. I also read the Harry Potter books back-to-back. I read the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series the same way. I usually only do it for books that are a part of a series.