Any recs for a series that isn't scifi or romance?

jackiback · September 2015

I love the idea of a long adult series, but haven't found one to go crazy over in a long time.

Light sci-fi or light romance would be ok but neither of these genres are my fave.

I really like Tana French's series, even though it's not actually a series and just follows the same detectives. I really loved The Bronze Horseman, which I realize is romance-y but I loved it regardless.

Anything come to mind?

InLovewSB · September 2015

Is fantasy ok?
Have you read Rothfuss' Name of the Wind? Or A Song of Ice and Fire? Or, if you want epically long, The Wheel of Time?

jackiback · September 2015

I've read Name of the Wind but not the other two. I have a deep, irrational hatred of made up words that makes me avoid most fantasy, but I have thought often about doing The Wheel of Time just because I like the idea of a crazy-long series.

SusieBW · September 2015

Have you read Dennis Lehane's Kenzie and Gennaro series? Or his Coughlin series?

Both are more like you said - stand alone books with the same folk and a vague overarching storyline about their relationships, but all great.

SusieBW · September 2015

WAYWARD PINES.

SusieBW · September 2015

Ken Follett's Century trilogy? (Fall of Giants, etc.)

InLovewSB · September 2015

Sue Grafton's alphabet murder mysteries follow the same private eye/detective so there are the underlying relationships. I quit with M, though. I just got burned out :-\

Clive Cussler writes a character Dirk Pitt, and each of his novels are big adventure, kinda macguyver. They're fantastic!! And same kind of thing as above - the same main character and his best buddies in each novel so you get to 'know them'. The characters all work for NUMA, the National Underwater and Marine Agency. Sahara, Flood Tide, Shock Wave, Raise the Titanic, Deep Six, and Iceberg are all fantastic, but Inca Gold is the best.

edit: Did you see the Matthew McConaughey movie 'Sahara'? It was based on the book... but of course, the book is lightyears better.

SusieBW · September 2015

Awww, I loved the Dirk Pitt books! I got burnt out on them eventually and it's been a while since I picked up Clive Cussler, but he really is great!

GilliC · September 2015

Maybe this has some ideas?

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LongRunningBookSeries

A Dance to the Music of Time has 12 books in it, but I can't vouch for it, since the first three are still on my to-read shelf.

Another that's on my to-read list is The Hangman's Daughter. I own 4 of the 5 books but haven't started it yet!

If you like history, two of Hilary Mantel's Thomas Cromwell trilogy have won the Booker Prize, and while there are only three books, each one is a bit hefty. I read Bring Up the Bodies for my IRL book club and thought it was very well-written, so I'm planning to go back and read Wolf Hall.

dmlk413 · September 2015

The Gabriel Allon series by Daniel Silva? They are spy/thriller type books and really good!

julie37619 · September 2015

I haven't read either series yet, but the Maisie Dobbs books and Flavia de Luce books always get good reviews.

RevJen · September 2015

What about the cormoran strike duo? There's a third coming out in october. There's a series by Naomi Novik that's mostly historical fiction but with the addition of dragons. Also, the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters.

julie37619 · September 2015

I can't remember - have you read the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde?

julie37619 · September 2015

OH! Stroke of insight: the Jackson Brodie series by Kate Atkinson. Starting with Case Histories. If you like Tana French, I think you'll like these.

jackiback · September 2015

SusieBW said:

Ken Follett's Century trilogy? (Fall of Giants, etc.)

I haven't read the third one of these, but I've read the first two. I should get to that third one.

jackiback · September 2015

julie37619 said:

OH! Stroke of insight: the Jackson Brodie series by Kate Atkinson. Starting with Case Histories. If you like Tana French, I think you'll like these.

Oh, I love these! I like these more than Life after Life which everyone goes crazy for.

jackiback · September 2015

SusieBW said:

Have you read Dennis Lehane's Kenzie and Gennaro series? Or his Coughlin series?

Both are more like you said - stand alone books with the same folk and a vague overarching storyline about their relationships, but all great.

I've read all of his books and LOVE them. When I did The Great Book Purge, I kept all of his

jackiback · September 2015

InLovewSB said:

Sue Grafton's alphabet murder mysteries follow the same private eye/detective so there are the underlying relationships. I quit with M, though. I just got burned out :-\

Clive Cussler writes a character Dirk Pitt, and each of his novels are big adventure, kinda macguyver. They're fantastic!! And same kind of thing as above - the same main character and his best buddies in each novel so you get to 'know them'. The characters all work for NUMA, the National Underwater and Marine Agency. Sahara, Flood Tide, Shock Wave, Raise the Titanic, Deep Six, and Iceberg are all fantastic, but Inca Gold is the best.

edit: Did you see the Matthew McConaughey movie 'Sahara'? It was based on the book... but of course, the book is lightyears better.

Ohhh, I thought these were really specifically for old men! I'm excited to hear that someone here has read them. I see them ALL THE TIME at library book sales.

jackiback · September 2015

GilliC said:

Maybe this has some ideas?
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LongRunningBookSeries

A Dance to the Music of Time has 12 books in it, but I can't vouch for it, since the first three are still on my to-read shelf.

Another that's on my to-read list is The Hangman's Daughter. I own 4 of the 5 books but haven't started it yet!

I tried to read Wolf Hall and I COULDNT DO IT. Maybe I'll try again, but I just couldn't do it.

If you like history, two of Hilary Mantel's Thomas Cromwell trilogy have won the Booker Prize, and while there are only three books, each one is a bit hefty. I read Bring Up the Bodies for my IRL book club and thought it was very well-written, so I'm planning to go back and read Wolf Hall.

jackiback · September 2015

julie37619 said:

I can't remember - have you read the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde?

I DNFed Thursday Next

AyshM · September 2015

DH seems to really like the Nelson Demille John Corey series (Lions Game) -I think it starts with Plum Island or something like that.

I'm pretty much in love with Tana French these days and I've got the second Kensey and Gennaro book on my nightstand stack.

Wish I had more input. I loved the Wool trilogy but it's sci-fi. Same with Oryx and Crake.

InLovewSB · September 2015

jackiback said:

InLovewSB said:

Sue Grafton's alphabet murder mysteries follow the same private eye/detective so there are the underlying relationships. I quit with M, though. I just got burned out :-\

Clive Cussler writes a character Dirk Pitt, and each of his novels are big adventure, kinda macguyver. They're fantastic!! And same kind of thing as above - the same main character and his best buddies in each novel so you get to 'know them'. The characters all work for NUMA, the National Underwater and Marine Agency. Sahara, Flood Tide, Shock Wave, Raise the Titanic, Deep Six, and Iceberg are all fantastic, but Inca Gold is the best.

edit: Did you see the Matthew McConaughey movie 'Sahara'? It was based on the book... but of course, the book is lightyears better.

Ohhh, I thought these were really specifically for old men! I'm excited to hear that someone here has read them. I see them ALL THE TIME at library book sales.

I started reading Dirk Pitt in high school and have always really enjoyed it, so I don't think it's just for guys. The main character is always suave & brilliant and let's not forget handsome. I think it'd be fair to compare him to the Daniel Craig 007. And the adventure often involves the sea/water and some kind of criminal mastermind, but the intensity is like a James Bond or a Mission Impossible story.
edit: Like any long series, some of the (stand alone) novels are better than the others. The first one I ever read was Inca Gold, and it's still my very favorite

Jen748 · September 2015

The Kay Scarpetta series b Patricia Cornwell. Medical examiner, murder, suspense.

booneybear · September 2015

I love John Jakes "North and South" trilogy - Historical Fiction

jackiback · September 2015

booneybear said:

I love John Jakes "North and South" trilogy - Historical Fiction

Oh, good call! I read the first one but haven't picked up the rest yet. I'm adding that to my list.

Any recs for a series that isn't scifi or romance?

Re: Any recs for a series that isn't scifi or romance?

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