I am getting really ticked off by every book becoming a series at the moment. I read a good book the other day which could have been two chapters longer and stopped there. But Nooooo, the main character made an unbelievable decision and guess what two more books in the series. Obviously the publishers and authors want the cash flow from 3 books not just 1.
The other annoying thing is every book for kids being made into a movie, often a bad one.
Anyone agree or disagree with grumpy old me?:rawrmayor:

Series don't bother me unless they are drug out too far. When the author has so many books to it that is seems they have just forgotten the original point of the plot it's a bit ridiculous. Or when they take forever to release the next or even worse, the final book to that serious. I do however agree on the movie thing, not every book needs to be made into a movie, especially a crappy one with no detail that is so far from the original work of the novel its just stupid. I don't mind when the movie makers decide to listen to the authors input and not drag it too far off and stick to how the plot and characters are supposed to be, but when they make it their own outrageous thing I'm just out. I'm also finding since Twilight there has been the trend of the pathetic girl who finds the amazingly popular, gorgeous or just plain supernatural boy is just getting way over done.

Please don't mention Twilight. I'll admit taht I was into it for a time but thankfully I came to my senses and realised just how horrible the actual series was. The films clinched it for me. They were absolutely dreadful and I never want to watch another one.
I think that if the author has planned for the book to become a series then that's okay, if they plan it out and make sure that everything links together then it works and it works well. If, however, an author makes it into a series because they want to make more money or just because the other book was a major success then I think it's not a good enough reason to make a series out of it.
Honestly I hate the film adaptions of most books. I wouldn't mind if they kept it close to the original, that's the POINT of making the book into a film after all, but when they chop and change and ruin the story then that just goes too far and it grates on my nerves. The problem is that so many people buy into the film versions because they can't be bothered to read the books. They find the films easier to understand and less time consuming to get into so they watch them. It's annoying. I'd much rather read (listen cuz I use audiobooks) to a book than watch a film.

I rather enjoy series'. I love finishing one book, and then the wait and anticipation until I can get my hands on the next. ^.^

I also love it when an author has a series, but each book is about a different main character. They books interlink, and have common themes or problems, but different people/personalities face them.

I don't mind book-movie adaptations. I enjoy reading the book, seeing the characters in my head and then finding out how someone else viewed the books. Example:'A Song of Ice and Fire' series by George R.R. Martin. HBO picked it up and is turning it into a tv series. Between the book and the movie the only main change is the age of the main characters. In the book one boy is 16 and wants to become (essentially) a knight. In the show I'd assume his age more around 20-23 on the tv. Book - one girl is 13 and being married to form an alliance with another 'nation. In the book I'd assume 18-21. It just seems more believable with television when their older. In the books you can remember the timeline and how things were done back then (middle-ages-ish.... Think kinda like Lord of the Rings, but not) compared to what seems appropriate now.

What annoys me is unfinished series. Both book and book-movie. I've read several books that failed to continue at a crucial point.
Example for book-movie: Eragorn! I loved the books loved the movie, and wanted to be able to watch the rest of the story unfold.... Now it will never happen *cries*

Ah I agree with you about the Song of Ice and Fire adaption. I actually love where taht's going so far. I haven't been able to read it because I havne't found an audiobook version yet and normal print is too small for me to read (I'm half blind) but that is a good adaption. Don't get me wrong. I do agree that some adaptions of books into films or televission series is good. They make it interesting to watch and if they are done well then it is very entertaining.

But then you have the poor adaptions such as Eragon (the film version was...it completely twisted the plot. The only thing I liked about taht adaption was Sapphira and even then they changed her appearance from what was originaly in teh books. She looked amazing but taht's beside the point) They didn't even have the decency to even make an atempt to finish the series by making Eldest or Brisingr. Another example is His Dark Materials in the form of The Golden Compas. That movie wasn't too bad but it cut out the ending of the book and there hasn't ever been a sequel.

Unfinished series are the worst. It just doesn't seem fair to the readers of the series. Why publish a series and then stop mid way? I can understand writer's block (I suffer from it myself at the moment with a fanfiction I'm writing) but not finishing something on purpose is just ridiculous.

See with the Eragorn movie, I separated the book from the movie and enjoyed Eragorn as just a movie within it's own rights.

It was so different from the original story that I think that's really the only way to watch that particular film without cringing slightly.

I like series but I must admit some authors drag series on for too long. Right now I'm kind of mad at Laurell K Hamilton for dragging on the Anita Blake series, after the turn it's been taking while delaying the next book in her Merry Gentry series, which I like more. I mean yes, both characters sleep around, but at least Merry kind of liked doing so, it isn't something against her beliefs, which are more fae-like than from human perspective. Anita has just.... gone downhill in my opinion. I will say there are a few books out there that I have found that I wish the author had a second book out. What ticks me off though is getting a book and finding out that there's another one coming out, but then the book never comes out, so you can't find out what happens with the main character. I kind of what to know what happens to them, not be left in suspense for months, and in one author's case, for years on end. I have the first two books in a series by Melaine Rawn, and the third was supposed to originally come out in 1998, and here it is 2011 now. She's got a posting on her website that just says "Forthcoming". Totally irritating. >.<

Originally Posted by Nashawryn

What ticks me off though is getting a book and finding out that there's another one coming out, but then the book never comes out, so you can't find out what happens with the main character. I kind of what to know what happens to them, not be left in suspense for months, and in one author's case, for years on end. I have the first two books in a series by Melaine Rawn, and the third was supposed to originally come out in 1998, and here it is 2011 now. She's got a posting on her website that just says "Forthcoming". Totally irritating. >.<

the exiles series? YES. YESx500. i understand that there are a lot of extenuating circumstances in place that lead up to captal's tower still not being out, but jeeeeeeeez. 13 years man, 13! D:
it's one of my favorite series, i want to know what happens so ridiculously bad and i'm afraid that she'll never finish the book and we'll never know.

Originally Posted by Nashawryn

I like series but I must admit some authors drag series on for too long. Right now I'm kind of mad at Laurell K Hamilton for dragging on the Anita Blake series, after the turn it's been taking while delaying the next book in her Merry Gentry series, which I like more. I mean yes, both characters sleep around, but at least Merry kind of liked doing so, it isn't something against her beliefs, which are more fae-like than from human perspective. Anita has just.... gone downhill in my opinion. I will say there are a few books out there that I have found that I wish the author had a second book out. What ticks me off though is getting a book and finding out that there's another one coming out, but then the book never comes out, so you can't find out what happens with the main character. I kind of what to know what happens to them, not be left in suspense for months, and in one author's case, for years on end. I have the first two books in a series by Melaine Rawn, and the third was supposed to originally come out in 1998, and here it is 2011 now. She's got a posting on her website that just says "Forthcoming". Totally irritating. >.<

I somewhat agree with you on the Anita Blake aspect. I really loved the series when I started reading it and I will admit I still like the series, but my love for it is slowly going down. The last few books have been horrible to read. Nothing is happening I feel like I wasted my time reading them to find only a minor detail and making her way back to the main plot slowly. I'm really hoping her new book coming out I think on June 4th is good because I think it was Bullet ended in a way that should make the next book interesting, at least I hope. The Merry Gentry series had finally come so far and I was waiting for something to happen and still no book. I really want to know what happens next, but it looks like I'll be waiting a while for that.
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I don't like all the movies based on books or even worse t.v. shows. Blah! So nasty. I like the books I read the way they are not a Hollywood version that is a piece of crap and every teen in America will fall all over and love even though they have never read the book. It's annoying to be told that a book is good by someone, who has never read it. I liked Memoirs of a Geisha the movie. I went to read the book and I fell in love with it and now I personally don't like the movie anymore because they have cut out so many important parts that would change your view of characters completely. I also read Geisha, A life by the women that Memoirs of a Geisha is based off of and I have to tell you they are two completely different stories. I would recommend reading Geisha, A Life by Mineko Iwasaki if you liked reading Memoirs of a Geisha.

Well, I would love to write a book series.

And not be broke .-.

But some series.........really do need to stop. But I usually think of movie series. And the idea of there being another Harry Potter book...........don't do it.

The length you have to wait for the next book in a series to come out is just fine; unless it's an older series. Then that problem is non-existant lol it's just a matter of finding them all. It seems as if originality, when it comes to book (and even television) series, has gotten repetitive and stale. People find that one way of doing things appears more popular to the majority so they try and copy it, tweaking this and that so that it appears to be of their own creation. It's obvious that many book series, especially the ones geared more towards middle school and high-schoolers, show this annoying pattern. Unfortunately, it's usually a vampiric or other supernatural theme. It'd be nice to see a more original series be released; even if it did have some neck biters in it. But hey, they continually make money on these writings because people are still interested in the usual, same-old-same-old. So they must be doing something right. o_O

I have to admit I am hanging out for Janet Evanovich's next Stephanie Plum book. Funny stuff. No movies made thank goodness!

I don't really mind series. I like both individual books and series about equally, actually. Although now that I think about it, I think I prefer series that are interconnected and occur in the same world with some of the same characters but have separate storylines than ones that tell one long story; those can sort of begin to seem too drawn-out sometimes.

A trend that I've noticed is that ever since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was split into two parts, it's like suddenly every set of movies based on a book series has to split the last movie in half, whether it's really necessary or not. It's kind of annoying really, because then we just have to wait longer to see the whole thing. I could understand with Harry Potter, since so much happens in the final book that they didn't want to have to cut out, but it's like it turned into a trend after that. >.>

I don't mind if books are in series, because the story the author wants to tell might take up more than one book. Once I've read the first book, if I don't like it, I won't continue to buy them - there's nothing forcing me to continue with the series.

i agree with grumpy you!
It's interesting to look at in the manga world, a lot of the best series are often 20 books or less (manga), and one of the best one's I've read was only 3.

but i hate the movies more. ARGH WHY YOU SO CHANGE BOOK DIRECTORS WHY

It does seem to be the new trend, one book stretching into three...or more. i don't like starting a book if i know that it is a series and i will be waiting months (year) to get to the next part! then there is the book into movie thing, honestly i haven't seen a "good" book to movie that actually had the same story line in common. i have found more often then not that the movie story line is completely different than the book. anyway, i suppose it will be alright so long as the books keep getting published :)

how's my avatar?

annika:, this probably isn't the best place to post avatar related questions. If you want advice on your avatar, I'd suggest this forum: Avatar Chat - Menewsha

I like series, sometimes. Still, a book that starts and ends is the best for me. I only like series if I have or can easily get the rest of the books.

I wish everything wasn't about vampires and werewolves *facepalm*

Originally Posted by Vix Viral

I wish everything wasn't about vampires and werewolves *facepalm*

^ This

Now, back on topic XD
Yes, it does seem like every book these days is a series and it has also gotten under my skin. Sure, there have been books which I really enjoyed and I wished there had been a sequel but the fact that so many books these days are trilogies or longer...why? Just why? A lot of these could've been over and done with in one book but they feel the need to drag things on and on until the series is no fun. I've seen it happen lots of times. After a while, the quality of the books just goes down. The author has simply run out of ideas or lost interest and only continues to write for the money and the novels become bland because of it and also become a chore to read.

I think series have their place in the book-world, but I agree that sometimes stories simply go on for too long. There is a difference between an interesting plot twist that makes another book logical and a turn in the story that doesn't even make sense. I think that sometimes writers need to learn when a story needs to stop. I've read a few stories that just shouldn't have gone on for nearly as long as they did.

At the same time though, there are people who are less critical of books and stories that will enjoy those strung-out stories. To each his own, I guess...

I do agree with you on the fact that a lot of books that are turned into movies completely massacre the book and completely leave out all the important part about the story. And I feel the reason why a lot of authors are turning there books into a series is just a way to make more profit. Because if the first book of a series is really good people will buy the second book to the series just to find out what happens next.

Originally Posted by Matcha

the exiles series? YES. YESx500. i understand that there are a lot of extenuating circumstances in place that lead up to captal's tower still not being out, but jeeeeeeeez. 13 years man, 13! D:
it's one of my favorite series, i want to know what happens so ridiculously bad and i'm afraid that she'll never finish the book and we'll never know.

The first book was hard to get into but I ended up really liking it. I got the second book and before I started reading it I went to buy the third one too except it hadn't come out yet and I found out it had been on hiatus for so long. I ended up not reading the second one for that reason, because after this long I'm pretty sure the author went 'forget this'.

Anyways I don't mind series to be honest so long as their stories continue to be interesting and not drawn out; but I hate when the next book is never released. An author needs to know when to end something before it becomes just terrible and finish what they started. A book I really liked was Kushiel's Dart, but I only read half of the second book to it because it just felt like the same story to me as the first one/waaay too much going on. I think what bothered me was her constant need to (spoiler, kinda) to move her character to new countries and drag things out.