10 OF THE BOOK SERIES I REALLY NEED TO FINISH AND START READING
Series are something I have a reader love / hate bond with. While it can be fun to learn more about favorite characters and to continue to immerse oneself in a world, there is also something to be said for a solid standalone that makes us want more but also, in no uncertain terms, tells us this story has told a good story and is done now. (Katherine Reay is one able to do this!) Plus, there is no denying some series (like out favorite TV shows) ruin what we love about a friendship or romance. Today we’re looking at some of the book series to finish reading that still sit on my shelf unfinished – and they’re all titles I hope fall into the satisfying book series end!
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10 OF THE BOOK SERIES I REALLY NEED TO FINISH AND START READING. Looking at some series I would *like* to read and some I *should* finish reading. #TopTenList #TopTenTuesday #BookList #Books #Reading Share on XFrom modern to mystery, and maybe something else in between, there is some nice variety here. Plus, I’m also going to share four series I want to start to read. Let’s discover the fitting titles.
BOOK SERIES to FINISH READING
A GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE to MURDER series, HOLLY JACKSON
Loved book one and with a second season coming from BBC (which will likely debut on Netflix for the U.S.), I have to read the rest! Hopefully, even with the darker tones, the rest of the books will be still satisfying. Goodreads
TRULY DEVIOUS series, MAUREEN JOHNSON
Loved book one, so now reading more is a must! Seems like there would be lots of fun adventure and mystery still to come. Additional, 2026 will see another book releasing in this series. Goodreads
THE CHRONICLES of NARNIA series, C.S. LEWIS
Read three of the books in this series so now it’s a question of should I start again or just move on and then someday maybe read them in succession? Either way, I think I’m going to enjoy more of these! Goodreads
THE MAID series, NITA PROSE
Read only book one so now I need to read the other two, plus the novella that is set at Christmas time. Goodreads
GEEK GIRL series, HOLLY SMALE
LOVED the books I read in this series (I think it was three maybe) so now I need to read the rest! I also love that Netflix will produce a second season. Goodreads
MISTY RIVER ROMANCE series, BECKY WADE
Read two books in this three book series and in a move quite uncharacteristic of me (side note, does this phrase / word make anyone else always think of the line from Mara Wilson in Miracle on 34th Street?) when it comes to novels by Becky, I have as yet to read the third novel. It’s a little lengthy so I’m not sure if that’s why, but whatever the case I should read it. Goodreads
FOUR SERIES I SHOULD READ
THE INHERITANCE GAMES series, JENNIFER LYNN BARNES
I have one or two of these on my shelf (so I could binge read!) and I recently saw someone mention book one being good on Instagram so that reminded me of these books all over again. Goodreads
MARPLE series, AGATHA CHRISTIE
I finally bought a couple of books in the Marple series so I now have zero excuses not to read them. I also loved the British Marple series so I should enjoy the books. Goodreads
FINLAY DONOVAN series, ELLE COSIMANO
This one is getting a SIXTH book in 2026, and I own one (maybe two), so I should think reading what I own needs be a priority. The concept sounds fun and the art is always colorful, and reminds me of a series I read years ago about a girl named Jo Tulip. Goodreads
BETTER THAN the MOVIES series, LYNN PAINTER
I don’t know how connective these books are, but Goodreads tags them under this series heading so I’m going with it here too. Plus, I do want to read more by Lynn, having enjoying The Do-Over. Goodreads
Have you read any of these series? Would you? Which ones do you think deserve more attention? Which ones do you think I should prioritize? What book series to finish reading’ would fit on your list? Comment it all below!
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Linking with That Artsy Reader Girl October 7: Satisfying Book Series (Maybe all the books were amazing or there wasn’t any second book syndrome or the final book wrapped everything up soooo perfectly.)
Hi, Rissi!
I’ve read The Chronicles of Narnia and Becky Wade’s Misty River series which is so good!
Great twist on the theme.
The Narnia books are fabulous (what I’ve read) and Becky’s books are always musts on my list. :)
I read some of the Narnia books as a child and the rest with my own children.
Here’s a link to my TTT post
https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/2025/10/07/%f0%9f%93%9a-toptentuesday-10-satisfying-book-series-tuesdaybookblog-booktwitter-bookx/
That’s lovely! I was older but still young when I finally read some but I’d still like to finish them. They feel like classics in their own right. :)
I’m possibly an outlier, but I didn’t enjoy The Maid and haven’t continued with the series. I’ve only read the first book in the Inheritance series, and found it to be meh. I don’t think I’ll continue with the series. The more Miss Marple books I’ve read, the more I start to like her. The good thing is that they can be read in any order, as they are more like a series of standalones.
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/the-rs-have-it-ten-titles-starting-with-r/
That is great to know about the Marple books! They do seem like they’d be fun to read, no matter the order. :) And I have to confess, I WAS really liking The Maid at the start, but didn’t love it by the end. Still, I own some of the others so I’d like to give them a try… we’ll see how it goes. Either way, I do agree with you about just not continuing with a series if it’s not for us. There are far to many other stories to discover. :)
Almost a year ago I read The Inheritance Games and Better Than the Movies — both turned out to be such great, effortless reads. I loved the puzzle-like twists in The Inheritance Games and the rom-com charm of Better Than the Movies. They’re very different stories, but each has that addictive quality that keeps you reading late into the night.
This is great to know! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Marta. Both have me curious and since I did enjoy Lynn’s The Do-Over, I’m hoping more by her is good too. :)
I’m curious about the Geek Girl series.
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday.
They are SO fun! Very Princess Diaries like only without the royalty. ;)
Great post! I need to finish the Marple series myself! Happy TTT!
I need to start them yet! But I finally bought one so here is hoping. ;)
Will you be watching the Narnia series when it comes out in a couple of months? Thank you for stopping by.
I certainly will! I’m curious to see what this version will be like, especially since I did quite like the feature films from several years back. :)
I love The Maid series. I am so behind on Finlay Donovan. I have only read 2 of those. I am hoping to read the 3rd one by the end of the year. I bought a whole load of Marple books and have only read a few of them.
Have a great week!
Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog
My post:
https://budgettalesblog.wordpress.com/2025/10/07/top-ten-tuesday-satisfying-book-series/
I need to read the Marple books as someone who loved the British adaptations. Oh, and I haven’t read any of the Finlay books BUT I did see another one is coming in 2026 so I have a lot to binge read I’d say. ;)
I still need to finish the Good Girl’s Guide To Murder and The Maid series too! And Better Than the Movies too, as I loved book one :)
SO many (hopefully) good series to finish! Glad I’m not the only one with so much series reading ahead. ;)
I adore Finlay and didn’t add it because it’s not finished. The same with a few others I’ve seen! I’m wondering if I should just do post, series I love that are not finished, at some point. lol I completely forgot about Truly Devious and that was a great series! Nice list!
I haven’t read even the books that are available in the Finlay series so it’s more of a I-hope-to-love-these rather than a series that satisfies. :) Same is true of Truly Devious though I did read book one! Hoping I love the rest too. :) Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Becky Wade’s Misty River series is on my TBR but I haven’t read any of them. Agatha Christie has SO many books it’s hard to keep them all straight. I am fine with short series, but when they start inching past 5 or so books, I am leery…unless I have already loved all the books. If I have not, I won’t bother trying to finish the series, or if I haven’t started a long series, I am not likely too, LOL! If I had known the Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lions will end up being 20+ books I never would have started it, LOL, but I have read the 8 that have released.
I hear that re: long series (I’d stop at three 😉) – and often I agree, Cindy! I do think the one thing that MAY help me with the Christie novels (if I like them) is that each one can stand alone. Many other series can as well, but I feel like even at that, authors tend to connect them. Honestly, I’m way more of a standalone reader in general. I think a GOOD book doesn’t “need” more plus then there isn’t the “waiting” which sometimes can lead to loss of interest. I really liked the first book in Becky’s Misty River series though I know it had some so-so readers.
I don’t know why I haven’t started the Misty River series yet. I think just sooo many books out there ;)
I. Relate. There are just too many and I’m embarrassed by how many I still have on my shelf!
The Inheritance Games looks interesting. I haven’t read anything by the author in quite some time.
I don’t think I ever have read anything by Jennifer, but I see these books around a lot and they do sound fun! :)
The Chronicles of Narnia books are amazing! Focusing on the Family has all of the books in an audiobook set. They are sooooo good!!!
*Focus on the Family
How fun! I listened to David Copperfield YEARS ago on audio and it was an enjoyable way to spend winter nights. :)
That’s a brilliant twist on the Top Ten Tuesday theme! I can completely relate to having a mix of series you need to finish and great ones you’ve been meaning to start, like the *Miss Marple* and *Inheritance Games* series. Good luck with your reading goals, especially with the impending release of the next book in the *Truly Devious* series!
I hope I enjoy starting (and reading more from the Truly Devious series) these series (there is certainly lots of books to read in both!) and that they’re good reads! :)
I’ve had The Maid on my TBR forever and everyone has had such great things to say about it. I have read the Finley Donovan series, and it’s so funny I can’t help but love it. Hopefully you can get to it and enjoy it as much as I did.
Enjoy The Maid if you read it Leah – and thanks! I hope to love the Finley books. They do look and sound fun!
I’ve only read a couple of the series you’ve mentioned and never finished them, unfortunately. I haven’t read Truly Devious, but it’s on my TBR and I’ve heard good things so I really want to try it!
I really liked the Truly Devious book. Just need to read the others now too! :)