Top Ten Tuesday: Series I Need to Catch Up On

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly book blog meme now hosted by Jana over at The Artsy Reader Girl!

This week's topic is: Series To Catch Up On

I've made these posts before, but as the years go on I keep reading (and not finishing) plenty of series, so here is a very incomplete list of series I'd like to catch up on! It was actually hard to pick only ten because I tend to start series a lot and move around without much thought (I feel like this is a mood reader thing), and I like knowing that I always series waiting for me finish them, haha. Anyway, let's check out some series I need to finish. 

1. Texicalaan by Arkady Martine
A Memory Called Empire was a really interesting space opera that left me really curious about the sequel, so hopefully I can get around to that sometime. I'm actually thinking of trying the audiobook for the sequel this time, but we'll see 
What I've Read: A Memory Called Empire (#1)

What I need to read: A Desolation Called Peace (#2)

2. Pact and Pattern by J.T. Greathouse

The sequel came out this summer and I have a copy in my hands as well, but I have yet to actually read it. I'm not sure if there are going to be more books or not in this series, but either way I guess I need to catch up. 

What I've Read: The Hand of the Sun King (#1)

What I need to read: The Garden of Empire  (#2)

3. The Prince of Nothing by R. Scott Bakker

This series is very slow-paced and rather dense as well, so each book takes me some time to really focus on and make sure I'm getting what I'm supposed to be out of it. I've enjoyed the first two books overall and just need to wrap up this trilogy. Hopefully end of this year or beginning of next?

What I've Read: The Darkness That Comes Before (#1), The Warrior Prophet  (#2)

What I need to read:  The Thousandfold Thought (#3)

4. Kingdom of Grit by Tyler Whitesides

I finally got around to this book this year (after starting it and not finishing it a couple years back) and I really enjoyed it! Now I just need to finish it up. These books are quite hefty so it always feels like a big commitment, haha. 

What I've Read: The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn (#1)

What I need to read: The Shattered Realm of Ardor Benn  (#2),  The Last Lies of Ardor Benn (#3)

5. Shadow School by J.A. White

I really liked this new(er) MG series from my favorite spooky MG author, and it was as great as I'd hoped. Now to finish the series!
What I've Read: Archimancy (#1)

What I need to read: Dehaunting  (#2), Phantoms  (#3)

6. Contagion by Erin Bowman

I actually just (finally) got around to reading it and had so much fun with it! I am really hoping to read the sequel soon. Big shout out to Greg from Greg's Book Haven for always making it sound so interesting and convincing me to read it!

What I've Read: Contagion (#1)

What I need to read: Immunity  (#2)

7. Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan

Honestly, I don't even know if I want to finish this serious if we're being honest, haha, but I'm  far enough in that I feel like I should... but I also have been hating the characters lately and feel like the plot is a bit stagnant. We'll see how I feel in the future, but for now this series is on hiatus. 
What I've Read: The Eye of the World (#1), The Great Hunt  (#2), The Dragon Reborn  (#3), The Shadow Rising  (#4), The Fires of Heaven  (#5)

What I need to read: Lord of Chaos  (#6), A Crown of Swords  (#7), The Path of Daggers  (#8), Winter's Heart  (#9), Crossroads of Twilight  (#10), Knife of Dreams  (#11), The Gathering Storm  (#12), Towers of Midnight (#13), A Memory of Light  (14)

8. Ascendant by K. Arsenault Rivera

I loved the The Tiger's Daughter and have no idea why I haven't continued the series. 
What I've Read: The Tiger's Daughter (#1)

What I need to read: The Phoenix Empress  (#2), The Warrior Moon  (#3)

9. The Divide by J.S. Dewes

Same story as Ascendant–absolutely loved The Last Watch, no idea why I haven't read The Exiled Fleet yet.
What I've Read: The Last Watch (#1)

What I need to read: The Exiled Fleet  (#2)

10. Rampart Trilogy by M.R. Carey

I read the first two books and then apparently decided to procrastinate on the third. I still haven't read it and I have absolutely no idea why. But I'd like to!
What I've Read: The Book of Koli (#1), The Trials of Koli  (#2)

What I need to read: The Fall of Koli (#3)

Have you read any of these series? What series do you need to catch up on?

Books that Conquered the Sequel Slump

Sequels: equally the most loved and hated by book lovers everywhere. Sometimes they are a fantastic, mindblowing addition, and sometimes it'd be better off if they weren't ever made. Today I thought I would look through some of my favorite sequels and share them with you all, so below I present to you just a few of the sequel that I felt were just as good - if not better! - than the first book. (And in the next month or so I plan to feature some of my least favorites... so stay tuned!)

The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss: I loved The Name of the Wind and I thought that the sequel, The Wise Man's Fear, continued on this trilogy beautifully! I am still patiently awaiting the third installment, though I don't mind when authors take their time with a series -- I'd rather the book be exactly what they want it to be than rushed to a finish because fans are breathing down their necks.

The Sandman Vol. 2: Technically this came out as a comic initially, but since I read the Sandman graphic novels as individual volumes, I have to say that volume two was even more exciting than the first one, Preludes and Nocturnes. The Sandman series was the first graphic novel series I ever read, and to this day it remains my favorite; it is incredibly inventive and impossible to put down.

Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson: I'm not quite if this one needs an explanation! Sanderson is a master at world-building and character-development, and his expansion on his world and the plot of this series was astounding. I can't wait for Oathbringer (#3) this fall!

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo: I love these characters. ❤  I love the dynamics, the story, everything. Crooked Kingdom was such a fantastic addition. As much as I would love to have more in this world, I am incredibly satisfied with this duology. Review.

A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab: So I liked A Darker Shade of Magic, but I wasn't quite on board. I didn't like Lilah that much in the first book - I actually found her quite annoying - but the second book is when I fell in love. The characters became stronger, the world became more wide-ranging and complex, and the magic system flourished. Definitely stick around for book two. Review. 

Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray: The Diviners was fantastic, Lair of Dreams was also fantastic. That's all I have to say. (Also, the third book is coming this fall!)

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas: I really loved ACOTAR when I first read it. I had been going throw a pretty rough patch in my life and it really helped me through things and helped me have an outlet for all my difficulties. I wasn't sure if future books could be as good as I hoped ...and then I read ACOMAF, and I realized that the first book was nothing compared to this one. Review. 

Gemina by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman: Illuminae was brilliant and fortunately Gemina completely lived up to all expectations!

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer: I went into Cinder, book one, extremely skeptical because nothing about it seemed that interesting to me... and I ended up really enjoying it! I then decided to dive into Scarlet and found it to be a solid addition.

What do you think of these sequels? What are some of your favorites?

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