Hit Me Baby One More Time

I'm a bit of a series 'ho.

There's nothing I love more than knowing that the story I'm enjoying will continue long after I finish the book I'm reading. A series, too, gives the author time to flesh out characters, show their depth, as well as have them change over a protracted period of time. Also, larger story arcs can be explored that extend over a number of books, adding to the overall complexity of the world in which the story occurs.

A few of my favorite series that have maximized world and character development would include:

Troubleshooters series by Suzanne Brockmann I love how characters that start out as supporting cast develop over the course of the books, and by the time they get "their" story, they have a history, a personality, and on-going friendships/relationships. Sam, Max, Jules (among others) feel 3-dimensional. I root for/against the characters in this series, and feel invested in them.

PsyChangeling series by Nalini Singh Any kind of speculative fiction really benefits from lots of time to develop the world in which the story takes place. The PsyChangeling world is one that has so many layers, and with each book, more and more of the world is filled in. (BTW, have you see the beautiful new cover for Book 9, Play of Passion, to be released in November? --->)

Nightrunners series by Lynn Flewelling This fantasy series builds slowly, and the relationship between Alec and Seregil grows from one between a younger man/older mentor to that of equals and lovers. The series also allows each book to focus on a specific region/culture in the Nightrunners world.

Adrien English Mysteries by Josh Lanyon When the final book in the AE Mysteries was released in December, I re-read the entire series. Doing that really allowed me to appreciate how Josh Lanyon crafted, not just each individual book, but the entire story. The coolest part was seeing how, though Jake undergoes the most obvious character growth, it was Adrien's more subtle changes that I most enjoyed reading about. Their love story could never have been confined to only a single book.

Now, I understand the whole saw about how it's better to leave people wanting more, but here are a few books that I really wish were series:

Sunshine by Robin McKinley When I finished this book, I frantically scoured Robin McKinley's site looking for indications that book 2 would be written. This dark romance between the engaging baker, Rae and the loner vampire Con felt so fresh. There is so much rich material in this story that I couldn't believe it was a standalone. The author says she has no inclination to write more in this world. *sob*

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman This story of the orphan Nobody Owens (Bod, for short) who is raised, protected, and loved by the ghostly inhabitants of the the graveyard is sweet, dark, and lovely. It's reminiscent of Tim Burton's movie, The Nightmare Before Christmas, with its twisted sense of humor. By the end, I had a lump in my throat, and I wanted to follow Bod on his further adventures.

Hemovore by Jordan Castillo Price While I tend to rave about JCP's PsyCop series, this is the story that introduced me to her great storytelling. Hemovore's completely unique take on the "vampire virus" is told from the perspective of the germophobic Mark, who assists the V-positive artist Jonathan. I'd LOVE for JCP to re-visit the gritty Hemovore world, either telling more of Mark and Jonathan's story or introducing a new couple.

Do you like series, or do you prefer stand alone novels? Is there a book you wish was a series? Or is there a series that would have been better left as a stand alone?