If you’re like me, you love to spend your Friday night cuddling up with a good book, some hot chocolate, and a cozy blanket. When I was younger, all I would do in my spare time was read. I miss the nights when I would stay up until 4am to finish my most recent page-turning obsession (although I don’t miss the mornings). I would eat, sleep, and breathe books. Unfortunately, the last couple of years have not been the best for my reading addiction. Despite this, lately I’ve been coming up on the other side, reading more and more every week. While I’m not at my 150 books per year peak, I’m at least finishing a book every week or so, which feels great.
Over my years of reading, I’ve found that the key to staying in touch with this hobby is all about finding the right book. If you already don’t have much time to read, it’s even more important to choose a great book to keep the ball rolling. Although I’ve been reading some stellar stand-alone books recently, I always find myself going back to my favourite series of all time; they can always bring me out of a reading slump. So, without further ado, here are my favourite series ever — ones that you have to give a try. The following genres include adventure, fantasy, and romance, so hopefully you find something for you!
- “Harry Potter” by J.K. Rowling and “Percy Jackson” by Rick Riordan
I can’t not include these series on my list because they got me into hardcore reading when I was little, which really fostered my love and passion for reading. They’re listed together because they’re technically children’s books, due to the age of the main characters; that doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy them as an adult, though. The magical and mythological aspects of these books are so immersive and consuming that I couldn’t put either series down. I definitely recommend these series if you’re in for something light-hearted and fun. J.K. Rowling’s world-building is phenomenal — just look at the movie franchise that came from these books! Rick Riordan’s ability to immerse you into the world of all things Percy Jackson is a skill I certainly envy. Both of these series give me complete nostalgic vibes. Even my friends who don’t like reading have flown through these books, which says a lot!
- “The Mortal Instruments” by Cassandra Clare
This series is phenomenal. Cassandra Clare has written four series that are separate and have different titles, but they all connect to each other. You can start small with one series, and if you love it, there’s many more stories for you to enjoy with your favourite characters. These series are a little more mature than Percy Jackson and Harry Potter, dealing with a teen girl finding herself in a world of angels and demons. Whenever I think about The Mortal Instruments, I can’t help but reflect fondly on the series, and I hold these characters so close to my heart. If you’ve heard about this series before, it might be because there’s been both a television show and a movie based upon it. However, I urge you to skip those and go straight to the book, because in this case, the saying “the book is better than the movie” definitely holds true.
- “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas
This series, along with “Throne of Glass” by the same author, is phenomenal. I love fantasy books, but I don’t enjoy when the world-building gets too obscure and confusing, and draws away from the plot and character development. That’s why these series are perfect. They’re more geared toward adults, and go into insane detail about the world. Both worlds are so in-depth and fascinating; they surround the topic of faeries. If you’re thinking about the little fairies that fly around in the flowers, don’t let that dissuade you; I can assure you that there are fewer similarities than you think. These books are some of the best-written books I’ve ever read, and the characters are crafted so beautifully that I promise you won’t regret putting your time into them.
- “Anna and the French Kiss” by Stephanie Perkins
I absolutely love these books! It’s a romance series, so be prepared to fall hard, and fast. You’re going to be so invested in these characters. While this is one of my favourites, it isn’t at the top of my list, but only for the reason that (in case you can’t tell from this list) I love fantasy series. This is definitely my sister’s all-time favourite series, though. You can’t help but smile and laugh out loud with this one, so I definitely recommend reading this if you need some cheering up or if you’re in the mood for something light-hearted.
While this list may seem rather small, it hits several different categories, and the combination of books gives you more to choose from! I love all of these books dearly, and they’ve all made me cry (although that may say more about me than the books themselves). After scrolling through my Goodreads trying to find the perfect books for this list, these are the ones I ended up going with. So, I hope you get the chance to pick up a new series or two! Good luck, and happy reading!