Periodically, I like to participate in the Friday Feature & Follow that is hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. As you may have noticed, it's been a while. They have also just returned with this link-up after a two-month hiatus, so we're in similar boats! This week's prompt is:
Short Stories (as companions to a series):
What do you love about them and hate about them?
I am a huge fan of authors using short stories to complement their series, especially if they actually add substance or background to the characters instead of just being used as filler. In fact, some of my favorite series have great short stories that excite me as much as the full novels do!
There's just something about discovering an amazing new series, with a detailed world and many characters to love, that makes you want as much of that world to hold on to as possible. This is why fan-fiction is so popular. Who says the story has to end? We are a consumer population, and we can't help but want to consume more of what we love - reading does not escape this.
Besides, novellas are fun, and as long as my favorite authors continue to write them, I will continue to read them. A few of my recommendations include:
The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
Marissa Meyer wrote enough short stories to go with her series, The Lunar Chronicles, that she released a bound collection of them, called Stars Above. I fell in love with all of her characters in the series, and love that I got to learn more about them from the novellas that were released.
The Syrena Legacy by Anna Banks
I like this series enough that I enjoyed reading more stories that had to do with the underwater world created by Anna Banks. It was fun to read the stories, and it helped ease the wait in between books.
Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
This series was soooo freaking good that the wait in between novels was utterly agonizing! Luckily enough, Veronica Rossi released these two novellas, which are both stories that I feel are pertinent to the central story, and were actually both stories on characters I found myself wanting to know more about while reading the main series. These are definitely not to be missed!
What do you think? Are there any series you love that you feel benefit from having companionable short stores to go with them? Please let me know in the comments below!
I am not much of a novella fan. Perhaps because those I have read were filler and didn't really have much content to them. I also think it's very disproportionate in pricing with (many) novellas being priced the same as a novella.
ReplyDeleteI hate it when they're used as fillers, too - I prefer that they actually explain backstories that I wanted to know more about while reading the main novels.
DeleteAnd yes, I've seen a few that cost around the same as the books in the series. I guess it just depends, though. Most that I see tend to fall in the $0.99 - $3.99 range, and I have no problem with that if it's a series that I really enjoy.
My main issue with short stories is that I have a few times come upon them when I have not yet read the series and had it give things away because it was not clear that it was part of a series. That was a bit offputting to me. New follower on Bloglovin, hopping through from Feature and follow friday!
ReplyDeleteLisa @ Just Another Rabid Reader
Thanks - I've just visited your blog and gave you a follow-back! :)
DeleteYes Yes Yes I totally agree with you I absolutely love novella's if I love the book series I am going to buy the novella's. I absolutely love love love the Lunar Chronicles Novella's they really help me with my patients for the next books to come out! lol But I do totally understand why readers don't like them as well. Thank you for stopping by and following my book blog. New Follower on Facebook, Twitter, Bloglovin, GFC and E-Mail
ReplyDeleteThank you for the follow! And thanks for the Goodreads add - I love seeing what everyone else is reading, but not everyone tends to think about following people that way. I am a total Goodreads addict (I think I use it more than FB, haha!).
DeleteSorry it's taken me awhile to drop by. I love the Marissa Meyer series and want to read Stars Above, but I still haven't read Winter! It's embarrassing. I finally got on the hold list at the library so hopefully it will come in a month or so.
ReplyDeleteNo problem - and honestly I am still waiting on Winter, too. I have been on an insane reading slump, and hadn't read anything since December. I'm back at it now thanks to the sweet addiction that is Rainbow Rowell.
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