Young Writers Society

As the title says: what’s the best book series you’ve ever read?

I’m specifically curious to know about book series, and not just single books. However, you can tell me about a solo book as long as you mention a book series as well! Deal?

And yes, you can give “honorable mentions”.

I’ll let others go first. Thoughts?

Gotta rep His Dark Materials every time someone mentions a good book series

Edit: Also gotta add The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy since I've quoted it in my signature

I know the author's name is p tainted at this point, but the Reckoners trilogy by Brandon Sanderson is probably my favorite trilogy/series of books

I read mostly YA, and I have to say, nothing can top Six Of Crows - it's so, so, good! ANd Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles is excellent, too. There's also my eternal love, Percy Jackson, the first series, that i reread every year. The Name of the wind by patrick rothfuss is my favourite outside of the YA genre - it's really, really good, but the third book is taking a soul-witheringly long time to come out!

and of course, of course, i've got to mention Red White and royal blue by casey mcquiston- it's new adult, and absolutely perfect. it's not a series, just a single book released in 2019, and it's hilarious/gorgeous/beautiful/fun, you name it. it's gonna be my fav for a long, long time.

One of the most defining book series of my childhood is The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathon Stroud, so I would be doing both his writing and my writing a disservice by not making it the first series that I mention in this thread. It was marketed as a children's book, but I honestly feel like it was more suited for young adults. I had always been a fan of stories with demons thanks to growing up with anime, but I hadn't ever found a novel that painted them in the complex light that I wanted - until I read Stroud's series. It taught me a lot about rebellion, politics and injustice, and it still influences my writing to this very day.

(Plus, one of the characters narrates his sections in first person with footnotes, and it's absolutely hilarious reading his thought process.)

For other great series as honorable mentions, I'd have to say The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart and The Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch. They're both children's series, but they're honestly some of the most interesting and thought-provoking series I've ever read. They're the kind of series where I wish I could reread them without remembering reading them the first time - I'd love to see how much funnier they'd be now that I'm older.

AHHH @Jaybird I loved those 2 children's series too! They were so quirky and fun! Did you know that Trenton released a new book (the 4th book in the MBS series) this year? I think it's called The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of Ages. i have it on hold at my library *crosses fingers it'll come soon*

I don't have ANY all-time favorite series but I have to list a few really good ones:

-The Books of Bayern by Shannon Hale. I just want to say that they're so beautiful <3 That's all
-The Folk of the Air (still not finished!) by Holly Black. I think this was the series that "got" me into reading books with political intrigue. They were so clever!
-The Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner. Read it. It's the book with the plot that was the best-written of all. If you want to learn how to craft a plot twist, try that!
-The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. I LOVE the group ensemble and banter and the ships (okay more like Cress+Thorne but...)

@hiraeth RWRB is SO GOOD!!! I think it's one of the most wholesome romances I ever read

The Abhorsen series by Garth Nix is one of my favorites. I also enjoyed his Keys to the Kingdom series, though I'd give the edge to the Abhorsen series.

The Fairyland series by Catherine Valente is one of the greatest things I have ever read. Forever grateful to @BluesClues for recommending it.

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot is hilarious and way different than the movie.

The Hunger Games, as a book series, is a lot better than people give it credit for and still holds up.

Easy peasy!

The Harry Potter series, and, yeah the Hunger games, although the last book wasn't the best, the overall plot was fantastic.

My favorite series so far is "The Land of Stories". There was seven books, the second was the best! The only problem is that it's not really a series you can re-read.

(@Liberty , I totally agree, the last book in the Hunger Games was trash. But the others were fine!)

I can't choose, I have so many favorites! I think on the top of my list would have to be the Anne series.

Whenever I see a question like this, my first thought is always how on earth could I ever pick just one?

There are just so many good ones, I'd feel bad saying one is "better" than another. That said, a few that immediately come to mind are guardians of ga'hoole and the chronicles of Narnia.

Oh my god, Land of Stories, yes! That was awesome! I definitely agree, @LZPianoGirl!

I genuinely think that The Hunger Games series is interesting enough to withstand the test of time, which is something that I can't say about a lot of YA book series. As of right now it's my favorite series, but this is subject to change honestly

"The Inheritance Cycle" by Christopher Paolini will always and forever be my favorite I've read "Eragon" at least seven times, the final book was a bit let down, and I haven't actually been able to muddle my way through Paolini's newest book yet, but the first three are just the best. I know a lot of people have negative opinions about Paolini's writing, and have called it an unoriginal, overly-detailed rip-off of the Lord of the Rings - but I'll just have to disagree. He uses classic hero and fantasy tropes, that's not a rip-off, it's a genre. And I found his writing insightful, occasionally poetic, and engaging. AH I really love those books.

My honorable mentions would be:

"The Time Quintet" (or Quartet, depending on if you count "An Acceptable Time") by Madeleine L'Engle, which I read as a child, and just has stayed a part of my imagination since then.

and recently I've loved reading Jeff Vandermeer's "Southern Reach Trilogy" which is a mature Sci-Fi / Bio-Horror / Weird-Fiction series, that is unlike anything I've read, but is really fantastic.

Also I agree with those who've mentioned Guardians of Ga'Hoole (my middle school "go to" read) and Hunger Games as both being good. Harry Potter will also always have a special place in my heart, but I think it'll be a couple years before I have enough will-power (and time) to get through all those again.