Father's Day 2026

Finding the perfect read for your father depends on his personality. Whether he enjoys heart-pounding thrillers, touching memoirs, or deep dives into history this list offers recommendations suited to a variety of interests.

Consider the following top book recommendations for Father's Day:

• For the Thriller Lover: A Calamity of Souls by David Baldacci or Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman. Both are fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat reads perfect for fans of mystery and suspense.
• For the Sentimental Dad: Big Fish by Daniel Wallace explores a son uncovering the truth behind his father's fantastical stories, while Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama offers a powerful, reflective memoir about identity, and My Father at 100 by Ron Reagan provides an intimate look at the man behind the public persona.
• For the Non-Fiction & History Enthusiast: The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown is an inspiring, true underdog story about the 1936 US Olympic rowing team.
• For the Aspiring Handyman: Good Clean Fun by Nick Offerman is a great blend of woodworking guides, humor, and lifestyle.
• For the Geek & Sci-Fi Dad: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline provides a highly engaging, pop-culture-heavy adventure set in a virtual reality universe
• For the Creative Dad: Every Tool's a Hammer by Adam Savage is a chronicle of his life as a maker.

If you'd like to see my recommendations from previous years, check out these two pages: https://writinginwonderland.blogspot.com/2022/06/fathers-day-reading-gifts.html and https://writinginwonderland.blogspot.com/2021/06/7-fathers-day-reads.html

To see one publisher's recommendations for this year, check out: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/the-read-down/fathers-day-books-for-kids-adults/

How about you? Do you have any recommendations for our Father's?

Easter 2025

I'm praying you are able to find the meaning and time you need in your life this week.

I hope you are all able to enjoy some much-needed time of relaxation, fun, and love this weekend as well.

Looking for a great Easter read? Check out This Easter Reading List.

For a little Easter writing inspiration, check out one of my former posts 4 Easter Inspired Prompts, or this list I came across: Easter Journal Prompts.

Do you celebrate Easter? How are you celebrating this season? Have you tried writing anything Easter inspired, or similar to the above prompts? Do you want to share anything that you have felt pulling at your heart lately?

Weather Days: Reading, Writing, and Submitting

We've been enjoying some unexpected weather in southeast Texas lately: snow. While it's normal for us to get sleet and ice in the winter months, we only see snow every few years. Even then, it usually melts as it lands or at the most you might get a few pockets of an inch or so that melts withing a few hours. This past week, however, we received six to seven inches that coated our neighborhoods for several days. 

Unfortunately, because it is such a rare occurrence here, no one knows how to cope. Literally, everything closed down for a few days including schools and most businesses. Officials advised people to stay home and not drive if possible. Many didn't listen and there was an abundance of wrecks in our area including overturned vehicles in ditches, pileups on the interstate, and in a couple of cases people driving into buildings (at least one restaurant and one home in separate incidents).

I was lucky. I enjoyed a couple of extra days off to stay home, play in the snow with my family, snuggle with my dog, and enjoy some extra reading and writing time. It felt like a blessing to me.

As a result, I found a dozen writing opportunities I thought I would share:

1. BEAUTIFUL TRAGEDIES 4 - Hellbound books' anthology of dark poetry: A Dark Poetry Anthology project now accepting submissions for an anti-romance poetry anthology. Give us your darkest nights, your most pain- filled and heart wrenching moments in prose. Deadline: when full. For more information, click here.

2.- 6. Road Kill: Texas Horror by Texas Writers, Vol. 10. - is looking for original horror stories 1,500-10,000 words in length. This is one of six different anthologies this publisher is currently open to submissions. Deadline: May 1 2025 (BEGINS FEB 1 2025). For more information, click here.

7. hotpoet has launched Equinox, a biannual digital multimedia journal that showcases poets, writers, and artists. We invite you to send us your poems, flash fiction, flash essay, photography, and art. We look for contemplative, argumentative, globally aware, despair-resistant, and apathy-abolishing works. Deadline Feb. 18. For more information, click here.

8. - 12. Grapevine - Fort Worth, Texas "Quicksilver Poetry Festival" on March 29. This group is also open to multiple submission and contest opportunities. To learn more, click here.

How about you? Have you been enjoying any unusual weather? Have you read an excellent book lately that you'd like to recommend? Have you found any great submission opportunities?

Easter 2024

We just finished Spring Break here. I spent the majority of it ill. I've been sick more in the last nine months than I have been in the previous few years combined. I'm hoping the upcoming long weekend will offer me a chance to finish recuperating.

I hope you are all able to enjoy some much need time of relaxation, fun, and love this weekend as well.

Looking for a great Easter read? Check out This Easter Reading List.

For a little Easter writing inspiration, check out one of my former posts 4 Easter Inspired Prompts, or this list I came across: Easter Journal Prompts.

Do you celebrate Easter? How are you celebrating this season? Have you tried writing anything Easter inspired, or similar to the above prompts? Do you want to share anything that you have felt pulling at your heart lately?

2023 Easter

I hope you are all able to enjoy some much need time of relaxation, fun, and love this weekend.

Looking for a great Easter read? Check out This Easter Reading List.

For a little Easter writing inspiration, check out one of my former posts 4 Easter Inspired Prompts, or this list I came across: Easter Journal Prompts.

Do you celebrate Easter? How are you celebrating this season? Have you tried writing anything Easter inspired, or similar to the above prompts? Do you want to share anything that you have felt pulling at your heart lately?

Gilmore Girls Reading List

Some months ago, my 15-year-old daughter discovered Gilmore Girls. We recently finished watching not only the original seven seasons, but the Year in the Life reunion series as well. While I didn't care for all of them (mainly the seventh season and reunion series) I was glad to see it rekindle my daughters love for (almost) all things literary.

Out of curiosity, we googled to see if anyone had typed up a list of all of the books mentioned in the series. Not only are there dozens of lists, but they also range in numbers from approximately fifty to more than 500 titles.

Some of the smaller lists don't seem to have caught all of the titles. Some of the longer ones mention not only the titles the main character discusses, but also the ones she is seen silently reading, or they can be seen on the shelves in her room(s) throughout the series.

The most comprehensive list we have found so far is this one by Jules Buono. There are 518 titles listed. My daughter was dismayed to find she has only read 18 of the titles so far, and now she is digging through my personal library to see how many more of the titles she can find to consume. I have not yet checked to see how many I have read. A quick perusal showed I may not care to read them all, but I have read quite a few.

Regardless of whether or not either of us ever reads them all, it's great to see her reinspired to pursue a love of reading. It's also been great to have discussions about not only the show, but so many of these books as well.

How about you? Have you ever seen the show? Did you like it? How many of these 518 titles have you read?

Father's Day Reading Gifts

Father's Day is this Sunday in the United States. Still struggling to find a great gift for Dad? Does he enjoy reading? There are quite a few new and old reads, in a variety of genres, sure to appeal to most of the men in your life. Here are some books you might consider:

The funny and talented Chip Gaines is well known to millions of people as a TV star, renovation expert, bestselling author, husband to Joanna, and father of five in Waco, Texas. But long before the world took notice, Chip was a serial entrepreneur who was always ready for the next challenge, even if it didn’t quite work out as planned. Whether it was buying a neighborhood laundromat or talking a bank into a loan for some equipment to start a lawn-mowing service, Chip always knew that the most important thing was to take that first step.

Now a #1 New York Times bestselling book, Capital Gaines offers readers a ringside seat as Chip relives some of his craziest antics and the lessons learned along the way. His mentors taught him to never give up and his family showed him what it meant to always have a positive attitude despite your circumstances. Throw in a natural daredevil personality and a willingness to do (or eat!) just about anything, and you have the life and daily activity of Chip Gaines.

Capital Gaines is the perfect book for anyone looking to succeed not only in business but more importantly in life.

I really enjoyed this one. I have not read his previous book Magnolia Story, but something about this one just spoke to me when I saw it on the shelf. I highly recommend this read to ANYONE - not just fans of the show. If you enjoy this one, he also has a book called No Pain, No Gaines: The Good Stuff Doesn't Come Easy. His wife also has several cooking and decorating publications available.

David Galloway can’t die.

How many lifetimes can God expect one man to live? Over a century old, David Galloway isolates himself from the mortal humans who die or desert him by making a quiet life as a used bookstore owner in Northern Michigan. But then he spots a news article about a man who, like him, should be dead.

Daredevil celebrity Zachary Wilson walked away unscathed from what should have been a deadly fall. David tracks the man down, needing answers. Soon David discovers a close-knit group of individuals as old as he is who offer the sort of kinship and community he hasn’t experienced for decades—but at what cost?

David finds himself keeping secrets other than his own. . .protecting more than himself alone. He’ll have to decide what’s worth the most to him—security or community. When crimes come to light that are older than any mortal, he fears the pressure is more than he can stand. What does God require of him, and is David strong enough to see it through?

While the idea of immortality is not a uniquely original concept, I have never seen it explored in Christian fiction like this. Very interesting and enjoyable with thought provoking and moving moments. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

Guys Write for Guys Read: Boys' Favorite Authors Write About Being Boys

This fast-paced, high-energy collection of short works features today's most popular writers and illustrators writing about what it means to be a guy. 

Contributors include Chris Crutcher, Stephen King, Matt Groening, Daniel Pinkwater, Neil Gaiman, and many more. Includes an all-new foreword by Jon Scieszka and an excerpt from Knucklehead.

If you don't feel one of these choices is right for your father, check out some of these others:

Parolee and Pirates

7 Father's Day Reads

Serious Series

Summer Suspense

20 More books for Dad: https://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/gifts/for-him/fathers-day-books

Barnes & Noble top picks: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/fathers-day-gifts/_/N-1per

15 Picks by Men for Men: https://www.askmen.com/entertainment/guy_gear/father-s-day-gift-ideas-best-books-for-dads.html

What are you buying for your Dad? Do you have any recommendations for gifts?

2022 Easter Celebrations, Reading, and Writing

I hope you are all able to enjoy some much need time of relaxation, fun, and love this weekend.

Looking for a great Easter read? Check out This Easter Reading List.

For a little Easter writing inspiration, check out one of my former posts 4 Easter Inspired Prompts, or this list I came across: Easter Journal Prompts.

Do you celebrate Easter? How are you celebrating this season? Have you tried writing anything Easter inspired, or similar to the above prompts? Do you want to share anything that you have felt pulling at your heart lately?

Reading Stack and Twitter Pitch Reminder

 

I received quite a few books for Christmas - something I'm always excited about. 

Throughout the year I often save books I'm interested in reading to my digital wish list. If a friend or family member wants to get me something for the holiday, my birthday, or some other special occasion, then they know what I want.

This year was no different. While I have already enjoyed a few of the holiday and romance themed reads, this is a picture of the ones I'm working my way through now. I've already read through quite a bit of the INK & PAINT book as well as the TREASURY of DISNEY ANIMATION ART book. I'm looking forward to diving into the other four others soon.

Did you receive any good reads for the holidays? What have been some of your favorites this year?

I'm also working on a few of my writing goals for the year. While I have not spent as much time as I'd like writing this month, I HAVE been writing and even submitted some. One of my new year's goals was to improve my own motivation. This includes editing pieces I have started, and not just abandoning them for new projects once I've made it past the first draft.

I hope you are working on a project you are passionate about as well.

Reminder:

There will be an #IWSGPit on Wednesday the 26th!

If you've never participated in a Twitter Pitch Party, this is your chance. Dozens have signed book contracts as a result - you could be next. Visit the #IWSGPit page for the rules and hashtags - then join the group on the 26th.

How are you doing so far on your 2022 writing and reading goals? Will you be participating in the Twitter Pitch?

Reading to Inspire Students: Parolee and Pirates

At least once a month I try to share what I've been reading. Sometimes it's the fiction stories I'm enjoying, sometimes it's nonfiction or poetry, and sometimes it's craft specific titles that I share. Every summer, I dedicate a percentage of my free reading time to books that might aid in my classroom environment. Today, I thought I would share a few titles from my most recent selections:

1 and 2) I've only recently been introduced to Damon West. He visited with the staff at the high school where I teach. He will be visiting with staff and students at our school multiple times throughout this school year. His mission: to motivate positive character practices.

I picked up two of his books: the autobiography seen to the right, and his "coffee bean" ideology book seen below.

From the bestselling co-author of The Coffee Bean comes the true story of a well-raised kid, a three-year starting quarterback, a young person filled with potential…until a shocking addiction took hold.

Sentenced to sixty-five years in a Texas prison, Damon West once had it all. He came from a great family, in a home full of God, love, support, and opportunities to reach any goal. A natural born leader, an athlete with good looks and charm, he appeared to be the all-American kid pursuing his dreams.

Underneath this facade, however, was an addict in the early stages of disease. After suffering childhood sexual abuse by a babysitter at the age of nine, Damon began putting chemicals into his body to alter the way he felt.

Once he was introduced to methamphetamines, however, he became instantly hooked—and the lives of so many innocent people would forever be changed by the choices he made in order to feed his insatiable meth habit.

After a fateful discussion during his incarceration with a seasoned convict, Damon had a spiritual awakening. He learned that, like a coffee bean changing with the application of heat and pressure, he was capable of changing the environment around him. Armed with a program of recovery, a renewed faith, and a miraculous second chance at life, Damon emerged from over seven years of prison a changed man. His story of redemption continues to inspire audiences today.

3) I met Hal Roberts at another teacher seminar a couple of years ago, and I enjoyed his presentation enough to be interested in learning more about his educational ideas. This book has been sitting in my TBR pile for a bit, but I finally got to it this summer. 

Leadership is difficult, but it is also very rewarding. Join Hal as you sail away from safe harbors into the rough-sometimes treacherous, challenging, but never dull-waters of leadership. Hal will share his experiences of over thirty years of leadership using the acronym P-I-R-A-T-E-S to guide, inspire, and edify you on your leadership voyage. This book is not about attacking and pillaging ships on the high seas, but how to lead fearlessly and navigate the rough waters of leadership. Hal will share how relationships and trust are the foundation of leading others. Leading comes down to how much influence you have as a leader; and Hal tells how to spark, motivate, and lead your crew to fulfill their potential. He connects each of the attributes to neuroscience so that you can get "inside the brain" of your followers.

4) Hal Roberts, mentioned above, accredits this author as a mentor so I knew I had to check out his work as well. I wasn't disappointed.

Based on Dave Burgess's popular "Teach Like a PIRATE" seminars, this book offers inspiration, practical techniques, and innovative ideas that will help you to increase student engagement, boost your creativity, and transform your life as an educator. You'll learn how to: • Tap into and dramatically increase your passion as a teacher • Develop outrageously engaging lessons that draw students in like a magnet • Establish rapport and a sense of camaraderie in your classroom • Transform your class into a life-changing experience for your students This groundbreaking inspirational manifesto contains over 30 hooks specially designed to captivate your class and 170 brainstorming questions that will skyrocket your creativity. Once you learn the Teach Like a PIRATE system, you'll never look at your role as an educator the same again.

What books would you recommend teachers read? What advice would you give teachers of future writers? If you were going to write a book for educators, or create your own curriculum, what would it be about?

7 Father's Day Reads

Father's Day is this Sunday in the United States. Still struggling to find a great gift for Dad? Does he enjoy reading? There are quite a few new and old reads, in a variety of genres, sure to appeal to most of the men in your life. Here are seven books you might consider:

1. If he enjoys science fiction, or loved The Martian or Artemis, then he might enjoy Andy Weir's new release. 

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone.

Or does he?

2. For the golfing fan, James Patterson's 2019 release might be the right choice. Peter De Jonge joins the famous author in this tale which is more inspiring than Patterson's usual thrillers. This book follows one man's journey back to the birthplace of golf with the intention of finding the secret to the game.

Though nobody has ever identified a single secret—no universally accepted truth—to the sport, every real player searches for one. Travis McKinley is one such seeker. A former professional golfer who feels like he's an amateur at the rest of life, he makes a pilgrimage to the mythical greens at St. Andrews. On the course where golf was born, every link, hole, fairway—even the gorse—feels like sacred ground. Ground that can help an ordinary player, an ordinary man, achieve a higher plane.

There is also a sequel to this book called Miracle at Augusta which focuses on the main character a year after the events in the first book.

3. If he loves to laugh, consider Vacationland because he'll be doing a lot of that while reading this unusual memoir. John Hodgman is known for his appearances on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, his podcast, and humorous other books. Ostensibly about his family's move from Massachusetts to Maine (whose state slogan is Vacationland), Hodgman also offers insights on middle age, mustaches, fatherhood, "weird dad hobbies," Stephen King, rock 'n' roll, and more in this 2017 release.

Disarmed of falsehood, he was left only with the awful truth: John Hodgman is an older white male monster with bad facial hair, wandering like a privileged Sasquatch through three wildernesses: the hills of Western Massachusetts where he spent much of his youth; the painful beaches of Maine that want to kill him (and some day will); and the metaphoric haunted forest of middle age that connects them.
 
Vacationland collects these real life wanderings, and through them you learn of the horror of freshwater clams, the evolutionary purpose of the mustache, and which animals to keep as pets and which to kill with traps and poison. There is also some advice on how to react when the people of coastal Maine try to sacrifice you to their strange god.
 
Though wildly, Hodgmaniacally funny as usual, it is also a poignant and sincere account of one human facing his forties, those years when men in particular must stop pretending to be the children of bright potential they were and settle into the failing bodies of the wiser, weird dads that they are.

4. The handyman dad will love this book. Star of the Discovery Channel's Mythbusters, Adam Savage, challenges readers to take a deeper look at what inspires them when it comes to "making and molding, building and breaking" offering his own tips and tricks along the way about his favorite techniques and tools.

Every Tool’s a Hammer is a chronicle of my life as a maker. It’s an exploration of making, but it’s also a permission slip of sorts from me to you. Permission to grab hold of the things you’re interested in, that fascinate you, and to dive deeper into them to see where they lead you.

Through stories from forty-plus years of making and molding, building and break­ing, along with the lessons I learned along the way, this book is meant to be a toolbox of problem solving, complete with a shop’s worth of notes on the tools, techniques, and materials that I use most often. Things like: In Every Tool There Is a Hammer—don’t wait until everything is perfect to begin a project, and if you don’t have the exact right tool for a task, just use whatever’s handy; Increase Your Loose Tolerance—making is messy and filled with screwups, but that’s okay, as creativity is a path with twists and turns and not a straight line to be found; Use More Cooling Fluid—it prolongs the life of blades and bits, and it prevents tool failure, but beyond that it’s a reminder to slow down and reduce the fric­tion in your work and relationships; Screw Before You Glue—mechanical fasteners allow you to change and modify a project while glue is forever but sometimes you just need the right glue, so I dig into which ones will do the job with the least harm and best effects.

This toolbox also includes lessons from many other incredible makers and creators, including: Jamie Hyneman, Nick Offerman, Pixar director Andrew Stanton, Oscar-winner Guillermo del Toro, artist Tom Sachs, and chef Traci Des Jardins. And if everything goes well, we will hopefully save you a few mistakes (and maybe fingers) as well as help you turn your curiosities into creations.

I hope this book serves as “creative rocket fuel” (Ed Helms) to build, make, invent, explore, and—most of all—enjoy the thrills of being a creator.

5. Hair Love is a lovely choice for dads looking to read to their daughters. Inspired by an Academy Award-winning short film, Hair Love follows a father learning to do his daughter's hair for the first time. Heartwarming and critically acclaimed, Hair Love is on its way to becoming an HBO Max TV show, centered on the book's Young family. If you haven't seen the original short film yet, it's available for free on YouTube - I highly recommend this adorable short.

Zuri's hair has a mind of its own. It kinks, coils, and curls every which way. Zuri knows it's beautiful. When Daddy steps in to style it for an extra special occasion, he has a lot to learn. But he LOVES his Zuri, and he'll do anything to make her -- and her hair -- happy.

Tender and empowering, Hair Love is an ode to loving your natural hair -- and a celebration of daddies and daughters everywhere. 

6. In the wake of his 2016 retirement, the late L.A. Lakers NBA star—who had four daughters of his own—shared the secret to his famed "Mamba mentality" and how he excelled at the game of basketball. This book is an excellent choice for a fan of sportsmanship.

Citing an obligation and an opportunity to teach young players, hardcore fans, and devoted students of the game how to play it “the right way,” The Mamba Mentality takes us inside the mind of one of the most intelligent, analytical, and creative basketball players ever.

In his own words, Bryant reveals his famously detailed approach and the steps he took to prepare mentally and physically to not just succeed at the game, but to excel. Readers will learn how Bryant studied an opponent, how he channeled his passion for the game, how he played through injuries. They’ll also get fascinating granular detail as he breaks down specific plays and match-ups from throughout his career.

Bryant’s detailed accounts are paired with stunning photographs by the Hall of Fame photographer Andrew D. Bernstein. Bernstein, long the Lakers and NBA official photographer, captured Bryant’s very first NBA photo in 1996 and his last in 2016―and hundreds of thousands in between, the record of a unique, twenty-year relationship between one athlete and one photographer.

The combination of Bryant’s narrative and Bernstein’s photos make The Mamba Mentality an unprecedented look behind the curtain at the career of one of the world’s most celebrated and fascinating athletes.

7. Known for writing comprehensive history books so vivid they read like fiction, Erik Larson turned his attention toward one of history's most prominent figures in his latest: Winston Churchill. The Splendid and the Vile focuses on the first year of Germany's air raids against the U.K. during WWII. The book is a multi-faceted look at bravery and resilience, displayed by government officials and ordinary English citizens alike. 

On Winston Churchill’s first day as prime minister, Adolf Hitler invaded Holland and Belgium. Poland and Czechoslovakia had already fallen, and the Dunkirk evacuation was just two weeks away. For the next twelve months, Hitler would wage a relentless bombing campaign, killing 45,000 Britons. It was up to Churchill to hold his country together and persuade President Franklin Roosevelt that Britain was a worthy ally—and willing to fight to the end.

In The Splendid and the Vile, Erik Larson shows, in cinematic detail, how Churchill taught the British people “the art of being fearless.” It is a story of political brinkmanship, but it’s also an intimate domestic drama, set against the backdrop of Churchill’s prime-ministerial country home, Chequers; his wartime retreat, Ditchley, where he and his entourage go when the moon is brightest and the bombing threat is highest; and of course 10 Downing Street in London. Drawing on diaries, original archival documents, and once-secret intelligence reports—some released only recently—Larson provides a new lens on London’s darkest year through the day-to-day experience of Churchill and his family: his wife, Clementine; their youngest daughter, Mary, who chafes against her parents’ wartime protectiveness; their son, Randolph, and his beautiful, unhappy wife, Pamela; Pamela’s illicit lover, a dashing American emissary; and the advisers in Churchill’s “Secret Circle,” to whom he turns in the hardest moments.
 

The Splendid and the Vile takes readers out of today’s political dysfunction and back to a time of true leadership, when, in the face of unrelenting horror, Churchill’s eloquence, courage, and perseverance bound a country, and a family, together. 

If you don't feel one of these seven choices is right for your father, check out some of these others:

20 More books for Dad: https://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/gifts/for-him/fathers-day-books

Barnes & Noble top picks: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/fathers-day-gifts/_/N-1per

15 Picks by Men for Men: https://www.askmen.com/entertainment/guy_gear/father-s-day-gift-ideas-best-books-for-dads.html

What are you buying for your Dad? Do you have any recommendations for gifts?

Easter Celebrations, Reading, and Writing

 

I hope you are all able to enjoy some much need time of relaxation, fun, and love this weekend.

Looking for a great Easter read? Check out This Easter Reading List

For a little Easter writing inspiration, check out one of my former posts 4 Easter Inspired Prompts, or this list came across: Easter Journal Prompts.

Do you celebrate Easter? How are you celebrating this season? Have you tried writing anything Easter inspired, or similar to the above prompts? Do you want to share anything that you have felt pulling at your heart lately?

Serious Series

In case you didn't hear, the amazing Beverly Cleary passed away a few days ago just shy of her 105th birthday. Her Ramona books were one of the earliest series that I enjoyed. The only earlier precursors might be the Mercer Mayer Little Critter books and the Frog and Toad books by Arnold Lobel.

News of her death put me in a nostalgic frame of mind and I started thinking back to all of the book series' I have enjoyed over time, as well as to the ones I still haven't gotten around to reading. I also started thinking about the ones I would highly recommend versus the ones that might be a waste of time.

As a middle and high school student, I enjoyed several different variations or series of Nancy Drew. Then I discovered Christopher Pike and several of his horror series such as the Chain Letter and The Last Vampire before discovering and becoming consumed with R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. Other author series I pored over in those years included L.J. Smith's The Secret Circle and Vampire Diaries as well as the Sweet Dreams romances by multiple authors. 

It would be so very difficult to pick the best book series ever written. You could argue genre, timing, in-depth creation of worlds, redefining characters, the number of generations who have enjoyed it, and so much more. Finding a new series to fall in love with has led to an all weekend binge for me in several cases. Some of the more popular series that I have enjoyed included Twilight, Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes, and more. Here are a few I've missed, but hope to try soon:

1.) The Brigid Quinn Series by Becky Masterman - the story of an FBI agent tracking down a notorious killer who murdered her colleague, this four-part crime series as been highly recommended to me.

2.) The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher - this fantasy series includes 16 books showcasing vampires, demons, and magic.

3.) Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan - this series based on Greek mythology has been in my TBR pile for a while. Students have often claimed the series is funny, and full of heroes, love, adventure, and characters I will never forget.

4.) The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis - while I did read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as a young girl, I never picked up any of the other books in the series. It might be time for a revisit.

5.) Outlander by Diana Gabaldon - I was visiting Scotland when they first began filming the television series version. I watched a few, but I didn't care for them. However, as is usually the case, I have been informed the books are so much better and the series did not stay faithful to them.

There are so many more series that I have enjoyed, and many more that I have yet to try - more than I wish to cover in this one blog post.

How about you? What was your first series? What is your favorite? Do you have one to recommend as a "must read" or even as a "must avoid" series?