This is my first time participating in a blog theme that's hosted by another blog, so I'm excited and nervous at the same time.  If you're curious, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This post will be cross-posted on my main blog "Writing Through Rose-Tinted Glasses", as will be future posts on this topic.

So, this week's topic is "Ten Finished Series I've Yet to Finish".   Oh boy.  This is hard.  I'm rather compulsive about finishing series, but I'll admit in at least the last year, there have been a number of series that I've been meaning to finish that I just haven't gotten around to.  That's probably (and conveniently) what gives me fuel for this post. I don't know whether to be thankful or start kicking myself to the curb about it.  

Here they are, in descending order:

10. Flin's Destiny series by Erik Olsen

This is a series that pretty much flies right by many of my reading friends, and I never really knew the reason why, because I really love this middle grade fantasy series.  I started reading Cobble Cavern as a recommended NetGalley read back when I was really getting into the swing of book blogging and something about the rather mischevious but well meaning Flin traversing with his friends on a school trip that went horribly wrong, leading them into an underground otherworld clicked with me.  I've purchased all the books in the series as a result.  Why I haven't finished reading it?  Because I read them out of order for one (I read the first and third book as galleys, didn't realize it until later, ended up purchasing the second and fourth books.  The fourth I believe is the last book in the series), and I have yet to write proper reviews for any but the first book.  Urgh.  That's a fault on my part for time and such.

9. Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta

I adore Melina Marchetta.  I really do. Some of the books I've read by her have torn my heart to bits. (See my review of "The Piper's Son" for one.)  But I'll admit I was less than impressed with "Finnikin of the Rock" the first time I read it.  Then I read "Froi of the Exiles" as a galley from NetGalley and despite how much I didn't like Froi in the first book (there are reasons, and there are some of my reader friends who won't pick up this series because of what said character did, which I totally understand), I still ended up liking the second book quite a bit.  "Quintana" is the last book in the series, finished for a while - and I have it as a galley. I have yet to pick it up.  Reasons?  There are a few:

  1. Large ARC stacks, just haven't gotten around to it.

  2. It's Melina Marchetta, I imagine there will be feels and I might have some anxiety over what happens for events, but we'll see.

  3.  I have yet to properly review "Froi of the Exiles".  I've read this book twice, and it's a thick book.  I still don't know how to reflect on it.

I'm making it a point to finish this series by the end of the year.  

8. Unearthly series by Cynthia Hand

I hate myself for forgetting to remember (contradiction much?) to read this series, because I really liked the first book a lot.   I haven't read very many angel books in YA (you guys might not be surprised by what follows this entry as another unfinished series in this vein), but for a beginning, it was good.  And I really like Tucker (*cough*).  I think the only reason why I haven't finished this series is because my library didn't have all the books available and I just had too many in my stack to tackle at the time.  I hope to finish it eventually now that all the books are released.

7. Penryn and the End of Days series by Susan Ee 

I feel like I'm listing this book slightly ahead of "Unearthly" only because I remember when Angelfall was released and virtually EVERYONE I knew was talking/reading/discussing it.  I made it a point to read the second book in the series as soon as it came out because I liked the first, even with a few caveats in the mix of things.

And yet I didn't.  One reason was because I found myself reading other books around that time and I think I'd steered clear of reading many paranormal/supernatural books for a while (probably to vary up my reading palette at the time).  Another was that my reading stack was just too high and never came back to it. I'm happy to say that I have the second book as a galley and will be reading it probably within the next few months, and I own the third book. But I'll admit I'm nervous about the third book.  It's had mixed reactions, but I figure I've made it this far, might as well jump feet first into the experience. 

6. Mystyx series by Artist Authur

I think the only reason I haven't read this series in full is because the first book I read in the series ended up being the fourth book.  I actually really liked "Mesmerize", too, considering it's a series that features prominent characters of color and supernatural battles, but the experience felt incomplete for me because I started in the middle.  I wish I'd started it from the very beginning.  I want to read it in full eventually.

5. Spiritwalker series by Kate Elliot

I hate myself so much for not picking up this series sooner.  The first book was awesome (I have yet to write a review for it though, so bear with me).  I have the third book as a galley.  I think the only reason I haven't been able to finish this series is because of availability.  I searched for it in my local bookstores and library, couldn't find it for the longest time.  Ended up footing the bill on the first and second book.  When I do write a review for this series, it'll be after a marathon read in which I'll start with the first book again, and I bet the experience will be epic.

4. Metamorphoses by Sarah McCarry

I'm actually not sure if this series is complete or not, but the third book was released two months ago.  I remember being the odd one out of my friends in saying that I liked (with caveats) the start to this series with "All Our Pretty Songs".  (And I'll admit I was captivated by cover lust.  I mean, LOOK AT THE COVER.  The other covers are just as pretty).  But McCarry's first entry in this series was defined by very dense prose and sluggish momentum.  Even with the super cool music references (I was surprised that Jesus and Mary Chain was even featured in a YA book.  Props, man), there was always going to be the fact that this series was a hard sell with everything that goes on within it, despite some beautiful and intriguing points that you don't normally see in a YA series. (Prominent girl-girl relationships, sensuality, etc.)

Nonetheless, I have galleys to all three of these books, and I will be reading the second and third books in this series when I have the chance.  The unfortunate thing is that I haven't gotten around to it because of my large ARC stack.

3. Prep School Confidential by Kara Taylor

I've read the first two books in this series and absolutely loved them.  I adore Anne Dowling and think she's kick-awesome.  The only reason I haven't finished this series is just a lack of time and a growing ARC stack (and yeah, I was introduced to this series via NetGalley as well.)  It's since become one of my favorite YA series, since I love the humor, the mystery, and the characters within.

2.  The Bloodlines Series by Richelle Mead

I'm definitely kicking myself over not finishing this particular series considering I liked Vampire Academy quite a bit.  I'm actually surprised I liked Vampire Academy as much as I did with the sheer amount of vampire series that were somewhat in flux around the time it was released, but I totally rooted for Rose (and not just because she has my namesake. Heheh...) I really liked Sydney's character and I thought "Ooooh, she's got her own spinoff series!  And Adrian's supposed to be a major character, too? Ermahgerd! (Or some other non-sensical squeeing phrase)

Unfortunately, the only reason I haven't touched this series is because I wanted to wait until all the books had been released before getting through it, and - well - somehow I missed the date of release for the last book.  I expect the book marathon of this to be quite eventful and full of feels...I think.

1. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

I know what you're thinking.  "Rose, what's wrong with you?"  But I've read all but one of the Harry Potter books, and you know why I haven't touched the last book in the series yet?  It was spoiled for me.  Mercilessly around the time the last book was released.  I was so upset I knew I had to put the brakes on reading it for a while, just to clear my head and be able to read it from something of a fresh perspective.  Unfortunately, I never got around to finishing it, and I've been meaning to actually read the book series from the beginning.  I wanted to actually to a reboot read last year, but I never got around to doing it for personal, professional, and other reasons.  Still, I want to do a full series re-read (and the final book) when I have the opportunity.  Count on it.  I expect it to be epic.

That's all for this entry.  Until next time, same book place, same book channel. :)

~Rose

(Note: I'm featuring some of my favorite covers from the series mentioned above, so I know some of them are not the first books in the series. I figure the cover love was worth the feature.)

I would have said the love triangle ruined the book for me, but that is not entirely true. The mystery was not gripping either.

By: Holly LeCraw
ISBN: 9780385531962
Publisher: Doubleday Books
Publication Date: 2/17/2015
Format: Other Format
My Rating: 3 Stars

A special thank you to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

THE HALF BROTHER by Holly LeCraw, a complex tale an exploration of family bonds, loyalty and love, and dark family secrets, from southern Atlanta to prestigious New England.

After Harvard, Charlie Garrett, longs to leave his complicated southern childhood in Atlanta, behind and find his place in the world. When he arrives as a young teacher at the Abbott School in north –central Massachusetts near the Vermont border, he finds an entirely new world of privilege and tradition. He managed to get the interview, without the help of his stepfamily connections, the Satterthwaites--After all Nicky is their real son, the one who had been born correctly.

Charlie soon meets Preston Bankhead, the school’s chaplain, and his daughter May, a student. Teaching English was his first job out of college, and he had met May Bankhead his second year there. He was still teaching freshmen, but she was not in his section. The following year he taught sophomores and she was there. He is drawn to May Bankhead, now age twenty and falls in love.

Charlie grew up with a single mom, in South Georgia, and later moved them to a nice guesthouse they rented in Buckhead owned by the McClatcheys, a mansion in an upscale neighborhood. Hugh Satterthwaite, Mrs. McClatchey’s brother, went to their church and often dropped by. Later they married and became his stepfather.

Years later when he met Preston and Florence Bankhead of New Orleans and Savannah, he knew immediately they were of the same ilk as the McClaltcheys and the Satterthwaites. Soon thereafter their life changed. Then Nicky came along. Hugh died later.

However, when May’s father is diagnosed with cancer, and Charlie returns home, he receives some shocking news and is forced to break up with May, not wanting her to know the truth about her father, and she leaves the school.

A decade later his world is turned upside down, when his golden boy half -brother, Nick comes to Abbott to teach, and to further complicate matters, May returns as a teacher as well. Students and teacher are drawn by Nick and even May falls under his spell.

Then Charlie and Nicky’s widowed mother arrives at the school for Christmas. She winds up in the hospital, setting the stage for a series of events and more shocking truths come out from May’s mom.

Living in Atlanta for many years, enjoyed the landmarks and familiar places, since I lived previously in Buckhead and familiar with the Oxford Book Store, the author’s family business which closed in the late nineties.

A contemporary novel of love, secrets, lies, betrayal. Even though THE HALF BROTHER, had a good set up and kept me reading, I was not invested in any of the characters. There are no likable characters and readers were not introduced to them, on any personal level.

May seemed immature, Nick self- absorbed, Charlie, a martyr, and the parents mostly living a lie. As many of reviewers mention, no human dynamics to allow you to get to know the characters in the book, and overall fell flat. When reading The Swimming Pool, the previous novel, had a similar overall feeling, a great premise; however, no likable characters to draw you in.