Reader Mailbag: Best Book In Your Favourite Series
In the October newsletter I asked readers what the best book in their favourite book series were. Here are the responses:
Mark: It seems to me that most book series are really one long story arc (Harry Potter, The Expanse, etc.) and so picking a “best” book is kind of a moot point.
The one series I can think of, which happens to be my favorite, and also happens to have a number of standalone books as part of it, is Discworld by Terry Pratchett. “Best” book has a number of possible interpretations, so I’ll go with my two favorite books:
The 10th book, “Moving Pictures” is as funny as any Discworld book, but also shows the sheer ridiculousness of the movie industry, which has caused nearly a century’s worth of people to sit in a dark room and look at fake pictures. Hard to believe. (I haven’t been to a movie in decades; I’d rather read!).
The 13th book, “Small Gods” is also as funny as any Discworld book, but also shows the sheer ridiculousness (notice a common theme here?) of religion. Far and away the most important Discworld book.
Hollins: My favorite is “The Last Coyote”, book #4 in the Harry Bosch series by Michael Connelly. I liked the writing and the story. It gave some great background to Harry’s life (the murder of his mother when he was a young boy).
Jane: I don’t usually read “series” books but a favorite from my childhood which I have re-read is Enid Blyton’s “Naughtiest Girl” series which made me want to run away to a boarding school!
Phoenix: Even though each book can be read as a stand-alone, there are actually three books in this series by Jan de Hartog: The Peaceable Kingdom, The Lamb’s War, and The Peculiar People. The first half of the first book changed my life. It’s all about how the Quakers got started back in the seventeenth century. It “spoke to my condition,” as we Quakers say. It’s a book I will read and reread, and read again. Every time I read it, I am struck anew by the courage it took to defy the authorities by stating that every person has access to God and doesn’t need an intermediary, such as a minister. The scenes of Margaret Fell in prison with the children are exceptional.
The Peaceable Kingdom – the first half takes place in England and details how George Fox and Margaret Fell began the Quaker movement – circa 1652-1653. The second half of the book details Quakers in Pennsylvania – circa 1754-1755.
The Lamb’s War – Book One, Holland, Germany 1942. Book Two, Germany 1945. Book Three, United States 1945. Book Four, United States, Biafra, Columbia 1961-1969. And Envoi, New Mexico November 1973.
The Peculiar People takes place on the eve of the Civil War in America. I seem to have loaned out my copy, so I don’t have more information close to hand.
But, in my mind, The Peaceable Kingdom remains the best. It’s how I was introduced to Quakers, and why I became one.
Jodi: Many years ago I read “19 Minutes” by Jodi Picoult. To this day, I remember so many details of that book. I am an avid reader and sometimes the books I read just seem to blend into each other. This book was not like that. It made me stop and think If you have not read this book, I highly recommend it. Ms. Picoult always seems to give viewpoints from different angles and she did a magnificent job doing that in this book. This book probably goes back to the 90’s, but it deals with today’s problems.
Jenny: Re: Jack Reacher (books) my favorite was The Affair – I hoped that if he got laid he wouldn’t be so morose . Didn’t work out that way . …. I gave up on reading but I’ve enjoyed the movies and really like the series .
Christine: Oh, I love pointing out my favorites! I thoroughly enjoy Rys Bowen’s Royal Spyness Mystery Series, but my favorite one of that series is “Four Funerals and a Wedding” because that is when [omitted for spoilers].
Chris: Hi Graeme, I’m a bit late but had to put in my two cents on which book of the Outlander series is my favorite: Voyager. I’ve read that many fans of Diana Gabaldon also particularly love the third book—it has everything that we enjoy in the Outlander universe—romance, time travel, the reuniting of two lovers, incredible characters and the touching moment when a father and daughter meet for the first time. The length of the book and the detailed descriptions of the surroundings, (both past and even further past) means you can really get swallowed up in it. These days, I often want to get as far from the real world as I can and reading this book does that for me!
