I have gone on series reads many times and I see nothing wrong with it. Right now I'm working my way though the Brother Cadfael mystery novels by Ellis Peters. I even bought them all in hardback (used) so I can do it again if I decide I want to in the future. I noticed that the library has cut back on them so they may not be available next time I want them. They look very nice on my bookshelf, too. I have begun to alternate each book in the series with a non-series book, but that is mostly to keep it fresh. I want to enjoy each one to the fullest.

I don't think there is anything odd or peculiar about this at all. You sometimes see different things when you read a series in a short period of time -- changes pop out that slipped past you when you read them one at a time as they are published.

So Nancy, go ahead and have a lovely time! You are not doing anything strange, at least by my lights.

Rosefolly

I've had my own Stephanie Plum reading marathon, so I can certainly relate :) I've also read straight through the Sookie Stackhouse books (the new one is arriving shortly), and Mercy Thompson books (the author is Patricia Briggs). When I discovered the Miss Read Fairacre series a decade ago, I read everything I could get my hands on (she was out of print at the time) as soon as I could find it.

I do read more literary books, and have read some incredibly wonderful things over the years, but for sheer fun and enjoyment these kinds of series are favorites. You get to know the characters and their worlds, and they become like old friends.

Enjoy!

You get to know the characters and their worlds, and they become like old friends.

I am enjoying the Plum characters and hope Morelli and Steph are really together by the end of the last book :-)

Nancy

Last fall I read through the Harry Potter series during a time of great stress - how relaxing it was to settle in with those books for an hour or so every day. I have done the same with Lord of the Rings. I think we readers are lucky to have this type of pleasure/relaxation.

The Stephanie Plum series is one I recommend NOT reading in a marathon. I enjoy the series, but Evanovich uses many of the same joke situations in each book. Similar to a marathon eating ice cream sundaes, the first is wonderful, the second is still good, the third.... The series is much more fun spread out.

Ranger! I want her to pick Ranger!

My goofiest reading is probably children's literature.

The MASIE DOBBS series is a great read and the characters become "good friends" as well.

I do this all the time. I am estatic when I discover a series that has several books all ready published, just so I can go on a marathon! Right now I am on the first Tasha Alexander historic mystery, and I think I'm going to like them!
I always read series in order. If the library doesn't have book 1, I find it on abebooks or used through amazon.

I have also gone back and reread a series when I feel the need for old friends-The Amelia Peabody-Emerson series, for one. It is comforting, when life is spinning, to be able to retreat to someplace familiar and well-loved.

I have a question about Evanovich's writing style. I just finished reading "Ten Big Ones" and I have already read 1 through 9. In "Ten" Evanovich begins to use the word "lad" and she has never before used it. It just doesn't fit in with her usual vocabulary and it brings me up short when she uses it. I can see it means a boy or young man, but in that context the word doesn't fit any of the characters' usual vocabulary. Am I unaware of another meaning or is Evanovich just trying to use a different word after the first 9 novels? "Lad" just doesn't seem to be a part of her normal vocabulary and I stumble every time I read it.

Nancy

About a year ago I discovered Lee Child's Jack Reacher novels and went from beginning to end in the series, and was sad when they were done. Even the dependability of his formula couldn't sway me from going from one to the next with no breather books in between.

Nancy, you are right, "lad" is not a Stephanie Plum word. I'm struggling to think of any character in the novels to which it would apply. I have observed that the language in the novels has become less vulgar over the years. (Or have I become inured to it?)

The vulgar language steadilly increased until the 10th book in which Sally wears an elastic band on his wrist which he snaps every time he curses. I am about 1/3rd into the 11th book and the language is less vulgar. Also, no more "lad" usage.
Nancy

Could be that her editor changed.

Whenever I find a new author I have to see if they have other books written earlier. I love reading books in the order written. Especially if I become involved with the characters. Sometimes if you read a later book you don't know why some things are the way they are. Or if you go back and read an earlier book it's like a prequel. If I already know how the characters got to that point I don't have as much interest in seeing their old lives. (Never watched any of the "prequel Star Wars movies)
I especially love Lee Child's Jack Reacher series and Marcia Muller's Sharon McCone series. I've read the Stephanie Plum books, but not in a marathon. I enjoy them, but too many would be like sugar overload, my brain would turn to mush.
But I'd have to say my goofiest reading marathon was not by author, but by subject. I spent two weeks reading/listening to books with dogs as a large part of the story; mysteries, romances, dog "biography" fiction and true stories, almost anything with a dog on the cover.

Based on this thread, I picked up a copy of the first Jack Reacher novel for my husband. He's read others in the series but not the first, and he's happily reading it right now. As for me, I never read any of the Stephanie Plum novels so I tried the first one of those. Admittedly based on only one novel, she had far better pick the intriguing, kind, and competent Ranger. If she's even considering Morelli, she must be an idiot and I wash my hands of her.

Rosefolly

I tried and tried to like the Stephanie Plum novels. A few of my sisters are big fans of the series but I just couldn't relate to her so I decided not to bother any more with it.

When I was young, around 10-11 or, so I had a tremendous crush on Tarzan. I think I read every single book we had at the time (about 20 of them in paperback) over the course of a few days (it was summer time so I didn't have to worry about school) until I'd finished the last one. During the course of that reading marathon I lived, breathed and thought constantly about Tarzan and wanted to believe that he was a real person. I even wanted to be the female version of Tarzan and go live in the jungle just like him. A few years later, when I found out the the Africa and jungle of the Tarzan books was totally different from the real Africa, I remember feeling a big sense of let down.

I've just been through a re-read of CJ Cherryh's Foreigner series, starting with Betrayer, t hen going back to Foreigner and reading them right through to a second read of Betrayer! Seems like every time a new one comes out, I end up re-reading the entire series. :)

rouan, I never went through the Tarzan books, but I sure did devour Burroughs' John Carter of Mars books instead!

I think my silliest reading marathon was about a dozen years ago when I re-read every single one of the 40 or so Nancy Drew books I collected back in the 60's.

Decades ago, while I was a fairly young adult, I reread all the Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House books. If I had had daughters I would have shared the books with them. My sons were not of a mind to read such "stuff" back then. I got them interested in Mark Twain instead.
Nancy

I had every one of the Nancy Drew books. I used to look forward to birthdays and Christmas when I would get several of them. I would stay up reading until I finished them. I think she's why I got hooked on mysteries with female leads. And that's another marathon that I still do sometimes.