Top Ten Tuesday: Series I Have Loved and a Few I Gave Up On (and why)

This week’s topic was actually “Completed Series I Wish Had More Books” but this didn’t work for me. So, once again, I tweaked it. This post is bascially a re-run. I’m sure I’ve done this exact line-up before.

I love Mrs. Tim Christie–an officer’s wife who must deal with the demands of husband, children, and Army pay! Mrs. Tim Carries On (aka Mrs Tim of the Regiment) is the first book. (I haven’t yet read all of this series).

The Diary of a Provincial Lady (a sort of civilian counterpart to Mrs Tim) is the wife of the land agent on a great estate (like Bertie Pelham in Downton Abbey before he inherited the title of Marquess). Her husband, Robert, when home is always asleep behind the Times newspaper. Diary of a Provincial Lady is the first book. Be warned–there are some fake/scam Kindle versions of these books.

I really enjoyed the first book of this trilogy–The Rosie Project. The second book wasn’t as good, but was still fun. I haven’t yet read the third.

Here is my review of book 2, The Rosie Effect.

I hate to say that JoJo Moyes made me so mad with her Kentucky book, that I haven’t gone back to reading her. She was a favorite of mine until then–a “must-read” even. Unlike many readers, I liked each of the books in this trilogy.  Me Before You is the first book.

My review of book 3, Still Me

Louise Penny’s Chief Inspector Gamache series is a fixture on my reading calendar. Still Life is book one.

I loved the William Monk series, but over time the crimes became too se__al for me. I had nightmares. I still love William, Hester, Oliver, and the others though. Face of a Stranger is book one. The crimes in the first several books are not as se–al.

I still have 2 more of this six book series to read. I never get tired or Maura Beth or the gang of friends who love the Twinkle’s tomato aspic! The Cherry Cola Book Club is the first book. (Scroll down in the linked post for the review of book one).

I love Stephanie Plum–Trenton, New Jersey’s favorite bounty hunter! But, after 20+ books when all the exact same stuff happens in each book (i.e. Rex runs on his hampster wheel, Grandma Mazur causes a disaster at the funeral home, Stephanie’s car gets put out of action, Stephanie and Lula eat Cluck in a Bucket or donuts, Stephanie is either in love with Ranger or with Joe) I got tired. In real-life Stephanie, Ranger, and Joe would be about my age! They, too, (well–not Ranger) would be trying to improve their 401(k) and be looking for ways to pay for retirement! I’d had to switch to reading them after the first narrator of the audio books was changed. I didn’t like the new one at all. One for the Money is the first book.

44 Scotland Street, where little Bertie is forever stuck in crushed strawberry dungarees with his crazy mother reading Melanie Klein, is like a visit with an old friend. I grab the next one when I remember it. I like some characters more than others. I love Cyril the dog with the gold tooth most though. 44 Scotland Street is the first book (as well as the name of the series).

I devoured the early books of Patrick Taylor’s Irish Country series. Then…well…let’s just say the quality went away. “Milked it” is the term I’ve used before. I can’t blame him—authors need to earn money. Publishers push. I get it. But I stopped liking them as they got dumber and covered less ground per book. The first several books, though, are a delight for anyone. An Irish Country Doctor is the first book.

The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency is my all-time favorite series, but it has suffered in the wake of cancel culture. It is apparently ok for an elderly white Scotsman to write it, but not for a white woman to voice it on audio. I’m not sure what happened, but that’s how it appears. Long-time voice of the series, Lisette Lecat, was canceled (If the poor lady died and I missed it, then I understand, but tell readers that like when the long-time voice of the Chief Inspector Gamache books died). The “new” voice of the series changed all the personalities–this was after 20+ volumes!! I quit. I loved them on audio, but not without Lisette Lecat.

Of course, there are others! The wonderful James Herriot books, Anne of Green Gables, Sherlock Holmes, and more!

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