MY TOP FIVE RECOMMENDED BOOK SERIES FOR MINDLESS ENTERTAINMENT
I mentioned a few weeks ago that I ride the train to work every day. In fact, I ride the train for over two hours every day. It is a blessing and a curse, but one of the blessings is that I get a lot of time to read. And I LOVE to read. So, today I'll be ranking some of my favorite book series. Why series? Because don't you always want more at the end of a good novel? That's the beauty of a series. Why mindless entertainment? Because sometimes an easy, non-dramatic read is just what you need.
Disclaimer: I am not including Harry Potter or Twilight. These go without saying, and therefore, would be needlessly taking up two spots on the my list when you (unless you've been living in a hole) already know about these.
So here we go:
5. The FBI Profiler series by Lisa Gardner. These are super creepy thriller novels whose FBI profiler characters get into the mind of Gardner's really, really bad bad guys, only never until it's almost too late. I wouldn't recommend reading these if you're home alone at night, but other than that they're great if you like creepy bad guy adventures.
4. The Heather Wells series by Meg Cabot. You know, Meg Cabot. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot. Turns out she has written a whole bunch of books for grown ups, too! The Heather Wells series, which starts with "Size Twelve Is not Fat," is my favorite. In part, because Heather Wells - former child music star turned college dorm manager/amatuer P.I.- is my hero (she takes baths instead of showers because showers require you to stand up for too long) and because these are written in the most entertaining voice. After I've finished reading one, I always find myself mentally talking like Heather Wells for awhile. I only wish Meg would write another one. Come on, Meg, I need more Heather Wells!
3. The Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. If you are a bibliophile, you will love this series about a woman named Thursday Next who discovers she can jump into books. Inside fiction, Thursday has to save the novel Jane Eyre from the evil Acheron Hades, and then becomes a Jurisfiction Agent, mentored by Miss Havisham, policing the world of fiction from dangers like rogue characters and misspelling viruses. Outside fiction is a whole other can of worms. There is also a spin-off series called the Nursery Crimes series and I believe another Thursday Next sequel in the works. Love LOVE these.
2. The Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordian. Apparently, I am late to the game on these. By the time I discovered this series, they had already made a movie out of the first book, but I'm willing to bet some of you haven't read them. Like Harry Potter, these books are written for young adults, but like Harry Potter, they are perfectly entertaining for adults, too. Based on Greek mythology, the series is centered around the adventures of Percy Jackson, son of the Greek god Poseidon, and his other demigod friends as they try to save the world. These are quick but fun reads full of adventure and laughs. As an added bonus, the author is releasing the first novel in a new series today. Cool!
1. The Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. Yet another series that I am coming to late in the game, but so so good. These books are part mystery, part comedy, part romance. Stephanie Plum, a Jersey girl through and through, is the world's worst bounty hunter. Helped out by her partner Lula, an ex-hooker, sometimes boyfriend Morelli (mmmmm...), and sometimes who-knows-what Ranger (also mmmmmm...), Stephanie Plum is highly inept and highly entertaining. The only problem with these books is that sometimes they are so funny, I literally laugh out loud; and on the train, that tends to get me some weird looks. Mostly, I'm laughing too hard to care, though. Absolutely check these out, if you haven't already.
So there you have it. An endless supply of mindless reading inspiration for your next trip to the library. While we're at it, what are your mindless book recommendations?
1 comment:
Well I know for a fact I am not the only person that reads your blog but I guess I am the only nerd that will post comments or does that me a stalker? Well anyway, while I do not have a two hour train ride to fill I do fill my lunch breaks and sometimes my sitting in traffic times with a good book. I too like books written in series format, but I have found with age my taste in books has radically changed from mushy romances (yea pure fantasy) to murder mysteries with strong female leads. So without further ado here are my favorite authors/books to read:
The In Death series by J D Robb- Eve Dallas is a tough, beautiful cop in NYC in the year 2060. There are so many twists you think you are on a pretzel ride but Eve always gets her killer with the help of a host of quirky characters that you would love to hang out with on a Sat. night.
Woman’s Murder Club series by James Patterson- The TV show from a couple of years ago got me hooked. The books are even better. Four strong women that get the job done in a gorgeous San Francisco back drop.
Alex Cross series by James Patterson-well sometimes you have to let a strong man sneak into the mix too. Alex is an awesome cop/profiler that solves some pretty gruesome serial killer crimes in Washington DC and often other places in the world.
Rizolli and Isles series by Tess Geritson-Again a T V Show started me in this series and the books are even better. Cop and Coroner work together to get the killer and bring him down.
“Bones” series by Kathy Reichs-yeah I know I watch too much T.V.-The Fox program Bones is based on the lead character- a coroner that helps the police solve crimes but that is all the books and the T V series have in common. The books are so much better. Dr Brennan is the coroner for the state of North Carolina and for the province of Quebec, Canada. She helps solve old murders, new murders, local and foreign. I have learned a lot of medical jargon to boot.
So there you have my list. There are others but I have to say these are my favorites. Maybe some other will now post their favs. I am always looking for new authors since I read a lot faster than they can write!
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