I love book series and those that I like I tend to get completely obsessed over and all consumed with. Series are a fantastic way to get to know the characters fully and deeply – because you end up spending so much time with them and dedicated to them. However, if a series doesn’t grip me completely, it’s likely I’ll give up halfway through. Today, I’m talking about 9 popular book series that I’ve either started but not finished or not read at all.

9 popular series

  1. Harry Potter: *tries to ignore the sound of everyone unfollowing me* yes, it’s true. I’ve not finished the Harry Potter series. I love the films, have seen them more times than I could count and I’ve read up to The Order of the Phoenix but I feel like I just read them because I felt like I had to, you know? Like it was expected of me, as an avid book lover Well shove your expectations because I’m not in a rush to read the rest of them and would you look at that… The Earth is still turning 😉
  2. Divergent: I actually really like the sound of these but I’ve never, ever even picked one up despite the fact I wanted to. Nor have I seen any of the films, despite the fact they look amazing and I adore the entire cast. Some power in the Universe is stopping me.
  3. Red Rising: I was super excited for this book when it came out and I started reading it as soon as I received my review copy but I just couldn’t for the life of me get into it and I was absolutely gutted. I haven’t tried again since so I guess the Red Rising series just isn’t for me.
  4. Game of Thrones: I honestly have absolutely zero desire to read these books. Similarly I have no desire to watch the show either. The length of the opening credits was enough to instantly put me off and the size and length of these books is the same. I don’t do well with long book or too many characters so that pretty much rules these out completely. But who knows… I may change my mind.
  5. Fifty Shades of Grey: I don’t know if I’d call this a ‘popular’ series but alas, it’s a series and I didn’t finish it. I read and loved the first book, not to my embarrassment. I was in no way ashamed of liking the book and being excited for the next one (I actually wrote a blog post about that here) but the second one just bored me senseless.
  6. The Maze Runner: I loved the sound of this book when it first came out and asked for it for Christmas. A billion Christmases later and it’s still sitting, gathering dust on my book shelf. I don’t know what it is, but I keep on putting it off and putting it off. I might make the effort to pick this one up next and finally get going with this series.
  7. The Lunar Chronicles: Another series that majorly caught my eye ages ago, I love love love the sound of these books but again… Call it what you will, a lack of motivation perhaps, I still haven’t bought these or even attempted to buy these books.
  8. The Lord of the Rings: These films are like, some of my absolute favourites I’ve seen them all more times that I couldn’t possibly say and I adore the storyline. We have gorgeous editions of these sitting at home (they are my mum and dad’s and they’ve had them forever) but again, I’ve never once tried to read them. Maybe it’s the language? And the fact it would probably take me about 16 years to finish them.
  9. The Chronicles of Narnia: Lastly, The Chronicles of Narnia I really have no excuse for. I’ve read the first one (The Magicians Nephew) and I have the box set sitting on my bookcase. Again, these were also my mum’s when she was little – they’re super old but I absolutely adore them and I would never take them off my shelf. But I’ve not got around to reading them all but this month, I will definitely read the second one.

Have you read any of these series? If so, what did you think? Any other series I should definitely read? Or any that you’ve started but just couldn’t finish? Let me know!

37 Comments

  1. Narnia was my absolute favourite series growing up. It took second place when I discovered Harry Potter though 😉 I’ve recently picked up the first book in The Lunar Chronicles series, but I’ve not got around to read it yet either! Also, GoT really doesn’t appeal to me. The book or the series. I always felt like I was alone in that so relieved to hear I’m not! X

  2. I actually haven’t read or at least haven’t finished most of these series either! The ones I have read however, I absolutely love (except for 50 Shades of grey)! It took me a while to get started on The Maze Runner but it was completely worth every second I spent on it. As were The Lunar Chronicles so far!! 😊
    As far as the others go… Some, I’m just not interested in, others have been spoiled and I don’t like the ending *cough* Divergent *cough* and for some I honestly don’t have any explanation 😅

    1. I will read The Maze Runner at some point because it’s just annoying me that I haven’t read it now haha! It’s a shame you don’t like the end of Divergent. I hate it when books get spilt!

      1. I don’t even know the whole end of Divergent, so maybe I’ll decide to read it at some point in the future! Most people seem to love it 🙂

  3. I’ve read Harry Potter, Divergent and Lord of the Rings off your list! LOTR was totally overrated, Divergent was very interesting and it was only the execution of the final book that wasn’t great, and I do love Harry Potter. 😛

    I’m also very keen to read the Lunar Chronicles and have zero desire to read Game of Thrones!

  4. I must admit that I nearly gave up on Harry Potter while I was reading the Order of the Phoenix. It was pretty lengthy! The 2nd book of the Fifty Shades trilogy isn’t the best – the last one is my total favorite ! You MUST read The Maze Runner ! It is soooo much better than the movies !They are totally worth the read and you will finish them quickly.

    -Aby
    a-blog-for-thoughts.blogspot.com.mt

    1. Oh gosh Order of the Phoenix is SO LOOOONG. That’s the last one I read I haven’t even attempted the last 2. Harry really annoyed me in OotP too. I never got to the last fifty shades book, I gave up halfway through the 2nd one I’m afraid!

  5. I haven’t read any of those series except for two or three Harry Porter books that I don’t even remember.
    I do however, tend to avoid books that I find to be part of series. I’d rather read single books so that I won’t feel obliged to read more of the book.

    1. I’m inclined to agree with you – especially now, I much prefer standalones to be honest. Even if there’s a book I loved (The Rosie Project for example), I got the sequel but have no desire to read it. Some books should be left as one book.

  6. Hahahah, you should hear me complaining whenever I watch an episode of Game of Thrones. That opening is fun the first couple of times, and then you just get so bored.
    I read all of Harry Potter’s books in French, but I haven’t completed my English editions, which means technically, I haven’t read it entirely!
    It’s so sad that 50Shades of Grey is popular. There is not enough money on Earth to make me read that.
    I love The Maze Runner. I was so surprised because many reviews had mixed feelings about it, but I just couldn’t put it down. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did when you finally get to it 🙂

    1. The concept of The Maze Runner is amazing but yeah, who knows what I’ll think?! Before the year is out, I’m definitely going to read that book haha! Don’t hate on fifty shades! The writing was fucking appalling but it’s a great escapism book at least hehe.

  7. If it makes you feel any better, I’ve read the first Harry Potter book about 7 years ago but never read the rest. I’ve just started rereading the first and have permission to borrow the rest from my cousin and I’m very excited considering I’m obsessed with the movies!

    As far as the rest, I’ve never read them either. Well, I’ve read the first 50 Shades but I hated it so much that I don’t feel the need to continue! 🙂

    1. Haha well I hope you enjoy the rest of the Harry Potter books as much as you enjoyed the first. Fair play to you for giving fifty a try and not liking it – it’s definitely not to everyone’s taste and yes it was appallingly written!

      1. I’m the only one of my family that stopped at one! My mom and sister loved the series.

        What really gets me is that despite the fact I didn’t finish it the whole thing, I did read like 7 other books just like it. Have all that BDSM references and those didn’t really bother me! I just hated Christian Grey with a passion! Lol

  8. Very interesting post! I’ve actually only completely read Harry Potter from your list. I started Game of Thrones and read the first 3 books in a row but then I don’t why exactly I stopped and I never feel like picking them again (and I’ve never watched the tv show). I’d like to read Red Rising and some of the really popular ones right now like A Court of Thorns and Roses but I’ve got sooo many books I want to read first!
    Alba in Bookland

    1. A Court if Thorns and Roses is another I’ve also heard so much about but I just don’t think I’ll enjoy that genre! Hats off to you for reading 3 of the GoT books!

  9. I am not up to date with any Sarah J Maas books, I started ACOMAF and QoS but put them down less than 1/4 in.

    I’ve been looking at Lunar Chronicles for SO LONG and finally reserved the first one at the library. I WILL READ IT. Eventually. When the library pulls its finger out and sends it over to my branch.

    When it comes to Harry Potter I have always regretted reading the last book. By that stage I had read so much fanfiction and the book was so different to the others that I thought I was reading fanfiction and I didn’t enjoy it so much. I did like the closure though.

    Cora @ Tea Party Princess

    1. You’re the second person to mention Sarah J Maas books! They seem super popular but I’ve never really given them a second glance. Let me know what you think of The Lunar Chronicles!

  10. I’ve only just read the Divergent series a few months ago, Game of Thrones, despite being a complete fantasy nut I’ve only read the first one, I am however completely addicted to the show and rewatch the whole lot every year before the new series starts (so I’ve obviously watched your share for you aswell!), Lord of the Rings, I’ve read this about four times, I wasn’t overly bothered by the movies though. Harry Potter I’ve read them all and watched the movies but as I was an adult when they came out I don’t think they had the same effect on me as other people and while they were very good I can kind of take or leave them (I can feel my follower count diminishing as I write this!)

    1. You’ve read Lord of the Rings FOUR TIMES? I salut you! Oh but the movies are great! But obviously I can’t compare them. I understand what you mean about the Harry Potter books, for sure.

  11. Wow, you must be one of the very few book readers on earth who have not read Harry Potter. But, really, you shouldn’t push yourself to read a book just because practically everyone read and loved it. I have many (many!) of books like that.

    It happens. Sometimes you just can’t bring yourself to read a book – even though you want to – for no apparent reason. Maybe someday the mood will strike you (:

    I don’t read Game of Thrones for the same reason of it being terrifyingly HUGE and with too many characters and POVs. The show, on the other hand, I found myself loving. It doesn’t feel too overwhelming. It only gets better and better and right now I’m REALLY looking forward to the next season.

    *laughing*, I actually made a post called ‘books that I know I need to read but for some reason are still gathering dust on my shelf’ (http://magiverse.blogspot.co.il/2016/05/books-i-know-i-need-to-read-but-for.html), so I really get what you mean about those books that are just sitting there on your shelf and you just *can’t bring yourself to pick them up.*

    The Lunar Chronicles is a little hard to get into, but once you do… it is just wow. You can’t get out of it.

    Other than that, I’m joining you on the ‘I haven’t read Red Rising, Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia’ club 😉
    But no pressure. Reading should be fun and beautiful. We can’t force ourselves to read books, no matter how popular they are. No? (:

    My blog: http://magiverse.blogspot.co.il/

    1. That’s very, very true sometimes a book doesn’t strike you as something you NEED to read despite how popular it is. Harry Potter is definitely like that for me. I’ll probably get there one day and read them all but I’m not in any rush. I’ll check out that post you linked, thank you for your comment!

  12. I was weird yesterday for where I keep my Ketchup but you haven’t watched Game of Thrones?!?!

    I couldn’t see myself starting the books either, nor Lord of the Rings. Mainly because I don’t think they’re written in styles I’d enjoy and work better, for me, as TV/Film I adore.

    1. Hahahaha putting ketchup in the fridge is much weirder than not watching GoT I tell you. GoT seems like suchhhhh a big commitment and one I don’t think I’m willing to have haha.

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