Making the Case for Book Series

Kids love reading series. Why shouldn't adults?

I was an avid reader and collector of The Baby-Sitters Club series well past middle school. Those plucky babysitters created by Ann M. Martin meant everything to me as a tween and early teen, and I re-read my paperback copies until some of them literally fell apart.

There was something in each of the characters that I saw in myself. Kristy was bossy while Mary Anne was shy, and I could be both these things. Claudia was Asian-American, with a gentle grandmother and parents that didn’t quite understand her. Stacey and Dawn both had divorced parents, and while mine didn’t split up until I was 20, I knew it was imminent and found comfort in their stories. 

I was more than a little obsessed. I repeatedly drew the characters in my sketchbook and copied their handwriting. (Wasn’t it so cool that you could see what their handwriting looked like?) I tried to start a baby-sitters club with my best friend. (We put out a lot of flyers but didn’t get a single call.) I was pretty sure I’d never outgrow this series and couldn’t imagine a time when I wouldn’t collect the next edition. That day did come … although it makes me a little sad to realize now that I didn’t notice when it happened. 

When my daughter was old enough to read the books, I unpacked my extensive collection from several boxes in the attic and passed them down with bated breath. Would she enjoy them as much as I did? Yes! She loved them. Maybe not as much as I did (was that even possible?), but she was into it. Then the graphic novel versions of the Baby-Sitters Club debuted, and she found a different way to enjoy the series. And then a Baby-Sitters Club TV series that was actually well done was released on Netflix, and we watched it together. My cup runneth over.

I often wonder why book series aren’t more popular with adults. My 11-year-old son is obsessed with Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Wings of Fire, and Spy School. My daughter, now almost 14, is into dystopian series such as Legend and Divergent, and serial murder mysteries like A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. Shouldn’t adults enjoy the comfort of checking in on familiar, beloved characters, too? Don’t they want to periodically fall back into these characters’ constant, yet constantly developing, lives? That setup works for so many adult television series, and adults definitely love their TV series — why not book series?

I’m a regular reader of several book series, and I never think to recommend them to others because they’re not buzzy or on any best-selling lists — but that’s hardly a good reason to not recommend a book. Rather than being trendy, a good series is reliably satisfying, like a cat you can count on to curl up in your lap when you sit down. In case you’d also like to have some cozy, dependable books to turn to and periodically savor in your life, here are my favorites.

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith

Before it became popular to read books that would immerse you in a foreign culture, there was Alexander McCall Smith’s No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series. At least once a year, the prolific Scottish author is able to channel his inner middle-aged Botswana woman and deliver yet another mystery for the wise and practical Precious Ramotswe to solve. As Botswana’s one and only lady detective, Mma Ramotswe encounters many obstacles, from shady clients to family secrets, but a cup of bush tea always helps her see things clearly. With amusing titles like The Good Husband of Zebra Drive and A Song of Comfortable Chairs, these books are as warm and atmospheric as you’d imagine them to be. 

Born and educated in what was once Zimbabwe, McCall Smith has an obvious love and respect for the people and cultures of Southern Africa — and through his stories, I have come to love them, too. I look forward to each new edition making an appearance at the library each spring or fall, like a migratory bird. 

Elm Creek Quilts series by Jennifer Chiaverini

Yes, this series is about a group of Pennsylvanian women who love to quilt, but hear me out. The women are of all different ages and backgrounds, and this makes for a very interesting cast of characters, particularly with several books dedicated to their ancestors’ stories and how quilting played a part in American history. Several editions fall entirely in the realm of historical fiction, covering time periods like the Civil War and World War II, and Chiaverini’s detailed research shines through in each of those books. 

Angela Pingel Designs

My absolute favorite of the series is The Runaway Quilt (No. 4), which can be read as a standalone novel, although having the context from books 1-3 does add a satisfying layer. The history and storytelling are absolutely fascinating, and just when I thought I had the story all figured out, the ending delivered a punch that left me reeling. Don’t let the wholesome topic of quilting fool you — this series unleashes plenty of drama and suspense. 

Mrs. Pollifax series by Dorothy Gilman

My final recommendation is an oldie but goody. The Mrs. Pollifax series debuted in 1966 and the last edition was published in 2000, but the concept was very forward-thinking for the time and still amuses me: a bored New Jersey widow looking for excitement beyond her local gardening club convinces the CIA to employ her as a secret agent during the cold war. After all, who would suspect a little old lady vacationing in Turkey (or Thailand or Morocco — the series takes you all over the world) to be an American spy?

“It wasn’t that she had so much character, thought Mrs. Pollifax, but rather that always in her life she had found it difficult to submit. The list of her small rebellions was endless.
Surely there was room for one more?” ―The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax

I was turned onto the Mrs. Pollifax series after a friend handed me another Dorothy Gilman book, a standalone novel called Caravan. It’s the best book that’ll never cross your path, and one of the few books that I reread every couple years for its ability to effortlessly transport me to an exotic locale brimming with endearing characters. There’s even a terribly romantic love story to boot!

Do you enjoy any book series as an adult? If so, do share!