# Need new series of books to get into **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 5, 2010, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-new-series-of-books-to-get-into/523759 "2010-01-05T16:22:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-new-series-of-books-to-get-into/523759/41 "2010-01-06T18:27:33Z")
My favorite series from the past decade is Jasper Fforde’s _Thursday Next_ books. ---
**Author:** ![slitterst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecc23a/32.png) [@slitterst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slitterst)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-new-series-of-books-to-get-into/523759/42 "2010-01-06T18:29:25Z")
Steven Brust has several good fantasy series. The Taltos series and the Phoenix Guards series. Taltos books are relatively short, told from the point of view of the protagonist. The Phoenix Guards books are an homage to the Dumas style of historical fiction. The first two books are remarkably similar to the Three Musketeers in style and storyline, actually. Come to think of it, consider Dumas’ Three Musketeers cycle. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-new-series-of-books-to-get-into/523759/43 "2010-01-06T18:31:36Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > My favorite series from the past decade is Jasper Fforde’s _Thursday Next_ books. His Nursery Crime Division books are also highly entertaining. There’s only two of them last I knew, though. I’ve listened to each in audiobook form about three times now. ---
**Author:** ![otternell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecc23a/32.png) [@otternell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otternell)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-new-series-of-books-to-get-into/523759/44 "2010-01-06T18:34:12Z")
> [@slitterst](#): > > Steven Brust has several good fantasy series. > > The Taltos series and the Phoenix Guards series. Taltos books are relatively short, told from the point of view of the protagonist. The Phoenix Guards books are an homage to the Dumas style of historical fiction. The first two books are remarkably similar to the Three Musketeers in style and storyline, actually. > > Come to think of it, consider Dumas’ Three Musketeers cycle. Agree on the Taltos - I have only read a couple but they are good. I forgot about them - so should go see if I can find some of the other titles. ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-new-series-of-books-to-get-into/523759/45 "2010-01-06T18:34:51Z")
What? No Honor Harrington books yet? Shame on you, people. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-new-series-of-books-to-get-into/523759/46 "2010-01-06T18:35:26Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Jim Butcher. I didn’t really like the first Codex Alera book, so I might not finish that series, but the Dresden books are really entertaining. I haven’t gotten around to reading it yet, but I hear a lot of people echo what **Taomist** said; that the first book is the weakest, but that they love the series past that. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-new-series-of-books-to-get-into/523759/47 "2010-01-06T18:39:41Z")
> [@Sr\_Siete](#): > > What? No Honor Harrington books yet? Shame on you, people. Ah! I’m a big fan, but I didn’t think of that because there was no miltary sci-fi mentioned by the OP. I do like Weber’s fantasy, the \*Orfressa Cycle \*though. The first two ( _Oath of Swords_ and \*War God’s Own \*) are available at the [Baen Free Library](http://www.baen.com/library/), under David Weber. ---
**Author:** ![purple\_cow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b487fb/32.png) [@purple\_cow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purple_cow)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-new-series-of-books-to-get-into/523759/48 "2010-01-06T18:42:19Z")
I’d plug Dave Duncan. He has several endlessly inventive fantasy series. I’d recommend the Gilden Chain (first book of King’s Blades series of 6) and Magic Casement (first in a series of 4, there is another series of 4 that’s a sequel and just as good). He’s prolific and every series is very different so if you don’t like one, there are others. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-new-series-of-books-to-get-into/523759/49 "2010-01-06T18:44:18Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > I haven’t gotten around to reading it yet, but I hear a lot of people echo what **Taomist** said; that the first book is the weakest, but that they love the series past that. That’s precisely what I’ve heard as well, that it was kind of weak until the end, when everything started gelling. ---
**Author:** ![Stooge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Stooge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stooge)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-new-series-of-books-to-get-into/523759/50 "2010-01-06T18:50:14Z")
I’ll third reading Jasper Fforde. Also, if you haven’t read any Christopher Moore, I would highly recommend those. There are very few books that actually make me laugh out loud and most of his can make me roll. Robert Crais has already been mentioned for detective novels, but I like Lee Child’s Jack Reacher books even better. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-new-series-of-books-to-get-into/523759/51 "2010-01-06T19:12:27Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > I haven’t gotten around to reading it yet, but I hear a lot of people echo what **Taomist** said; that the first book is the weakest, but that they love the series past that. Good to know. Thanks for heads up in this vein from all who, um, heads upped. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Cyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyros)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-new-series-of-books-to-get-into/523759/52 "2010-01-07T00:40:42Z")
Just jumping in to recommend Brent Weeks’ _Night Angel Trilogy_. Very fun romp and the books are available online through the [author’s website](http://www.brentweeks.com/books/) so you can give them a chance without buying them first. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-new-series-of-books-to-get-into/523759/53 "2010-01-07T00:45:09Z")
A couple more detective ones. All James Lee Burke’s Dave Robicheaux featured stories. All the “Prey” series featuring John Sandford’s Lucas Davenport. ---
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-new-series-of-books-to-get-into/523759/54 "2010-01-07T16:59:26Z")
> [@otternell](#): > > Hey Dopers! I am a reading fool and seriously need a new series or author to follow. I would like to hear some suggestions, please, so have listed some of the stuff (in some cases drivel) that I like to read. (Please don’t be too mean, I have very simple tastes and read for escapism.) > > I like Stephen King and Dean Koontz, but am not really in the mood for horror right now. Just finished Under the Dome, and that was enough for the moment. > > Raymond Feist: Riftwar, SerpentWar, and all those series - freaking loved 'em. Anything along these lines would be super! > > Mercedes Lackey is a delightful writer IMHO. Loved the Valdemar series. > > Anne McCaffery - loved Dragonriders, and a couple of her other series, though they are a touch old now. > > I did like the Harry Potter books, interesting, moved along and a pleasant way to escape the real world. > > I have not named everything I have read, just some big themes to make it easier to make suggestions. > > So let’s hear it! What good books / authors am I missing? **Casca: The Eternal Mercenary Series by Barry Sadler.** Some of the first 22 books are out of print. 23-31 have been penned by different authors with the approval of Sadler’s estate. **Callahan’s Crosstime Saloon - Spider Robinson.** It is part of a series, the rest of which I list from memory. Time Travelers Strictly Cash Callahan’s Secret Callahan’s Con Lady Slings The Booze Callahan’s Key Callahan’s Lady ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-new-series-of-books-to-get-into/523759/55 "2010-01-07T17:07:01Z")
Alexander McCall Smith’s _The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency_ books form a funny, engaging, wry mystery series set in Botswana: [The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_No._1_Ladies%27_Detective_Agency) Robert B. Parker’s _Spenser_ series is uneven but at its best is very, very good hardboiled-with-a-heart-of-gold detective fiction: [Spenser (character) - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spenser_(character)) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-new-series-of-books-to-get-into/523759/56 "2010-01-07T17:32:30Z")
> [@ministryman](#): > > \*\*It is part of a series, the rest of which I list from memory. > > Time Travelers Strictly Cash > Callahan’s Secret > Callahan’s Con > Lady Slings The Booze > Callahan’s Key > Callahan’s Lady Skip Callahan’s Con. Spider owed somebody money or something. It reeks. Callahan’s Key has its moments, but falls to pieces once they arrive in Key West. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-new-series-of-books-to-get-into/523759/57 "2010-01-07T22:27:57Z")
Neil Gaiman. If you’re not averse to graphic novels go for his _Sandman_ series- Stephen King writes the forward to one of the volumes, so you should like it, as he seems to! The scope and plotting of the series makes it an amazing piece of literature- pictures or not. If you’re looking for fantasy-\* American Gods, Anansi Boys, Stardust \*and \*Neverwhere \*are great. He’s got a couple of collections of short stories and has written some children’s books as well (\*The Graveyard Book \*and _Coraline_ are worth reading). _Good Omens_, a comic fantasy collaboration between Gaiman and Terry Pratchett is very good. Speaking of which- _Discworld_ offers you more than 30 very funny, often touching books. Give it a go- if you don’t like one, try another (personally I’m not a fan of the Rincewind books). I know you’re looking for series, but Susanna Clarke’s _Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell_ and her short story collection \*The Ladies of Grace Adieu \*are very good- they’re set in an alternative universe where magic and fairies exist and magicians helped England win the Napoleonic wars. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-new-series-of-books-to-get-into/523759/58 "2010-01-08T07:27:57Z")
Boy, people ask for book recommendations and there’s always a Niagara Falls of answers! I nominate, if you like police procedurals, Ed McBain and his 27th Precinct (?) novels about a bunch of coppers in a city not unlike New York. He must have written a hundred, starting in the men-who-wear-fedoras days up until the late '80s, or early '90s, when he died. Interesting to see how much more violent the criminals in his book grew as years went by. And oh, yeah, Elvis Cole by Robert Crais - same deal, starts out a Los Angeles wiseass and later novels veer into something close to tragedy. ---
**Author:** ![otternell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecc23a/32.png) [@otternell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otternell)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-new-series-of-books-to-get-into/523759/59 "2010-01-08T14:45:10Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > Boy, people ask for book recommendations and there’s always a Niagara Falls of answers! You got that right! Thanks for all the suggestions! Looks like the library near me has quite a few of the suggestions, so I will start there. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Loisseau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/2bfe46/32.png) [@Loisseau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loisseau)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-new-series-of-books-to-get-into/523759/60 "2010-01-08T15:15:40Z")
few can match Swedish author Henning Mankell’s Detective Kurt Wallander series. Faceless Killers, The Dogs of Riga, The White Lioness, Sidetracked, The fifth Woman, One Step Behind, Firewall and others. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-new-series-of-books-to-get-into/523759.md?page=2)