Thinking Through Thursday (11)

*Unfortunately pictures are not currently showing up*

Welcome to another "Thinking Through Thursday"! This is a post I write (or try to) every Thursday in which I discuss various bookish goodness. 

This week's discussion is:

THE DREADED SERIES END:

Dun, Dun, Dunnnnnnn.....

So personally, I love series. I don't like standalones because I know that while reading that book, it'll be the only book. When I get to the last page, it's over. Done with. No more. Quite frankly, that gets depressing. Especially if I just fall in love with the book as a whole! 

A series gives me lots of books. When I finish one, I know that there are more wonderful adventures awaiting me. I get to spend more time with the characters and even be introduced to more as the time goes on. Each adventure in the book is built upon and the books go more in depth with the content. 

But I started to notice a trend recently. I would go through my books looking for a new read and I'd always start a new series or possibly read the second book in a series. But what book would I never pick up? The last book of the series....

I hate it. I really do. There are so many good series out there that I want to read so badly, yet a vehemently refuse to have the character's stories end. It's too sad. I just can't handle it. 

For example:

The Crimson Crown (The Seven Realms #4) by Cinda Williams Chima

I love this series (Reviews for The Demon King, The Exiled Queen, and The Gray Wolf Throne). High fantasy? Sign me up. Yet, for the life of me, I cannot get myself to read this book. I want too. Believe me, I do. But I can't stand the thought of this book ending! 

I'll also give you an example of a book series I finally did end. The Infernal Devices (Reviews for Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince). I kept putting this book off. It would stare at me from the shelf and I would simply walk by in blissful ignorance. But I finally took the jump. And I'm thankful I did. It was amazing (gushing review coming soon). This was the book that gave me the idea for this discussion and made me realize I have a problem. This book turned out amazing, so what's to say other series enders won't? I decided to dissect some reasoning behind my refusal to finish a series:

1. What is the characters don't end up with the person I want? A lot of books nowadays have a "love triangle" and many times I know which one I want. What happens when it doesn't turn out that way? Will it ruin the whole series for me?

2. What is the plot turns out stupid? Series arcs are finally fully fleshed out in the finale. What if it's a stupid explanation? For the first two books I may have come up with some brilliant ideas or reasoning for something but what if that's not what actually happens? Thanks author. My idea was better. 

3. What if it turns out to be anti-climatic and pointless? Ughhhhhh. No one likes a boring book. I know a lot of us worry more about the second book in a series being the dreaded "filler" book, but sometimes the third book ends up being the boring, pointless one. What if that happens? I don't think I could function!!!!! Okay, over-dramatic, but you get the point.

All in all - I would sometimes just rather be blissfully ignorant. I want to come up with the happy ending I want. By not reading the last book, I can make up my own ending where everything works exactly how I want. I'm in control. 

However, I know it's a problem. Something I'll definitely work on. Just look at Clockwork Princess. I was so worked up about it and just didn't want to read it, yet I'm incredibly glad I did. It was heartbreaking yet wonderful. Hopefully, this experience will get me to finish the other series I've been dying to read. A lot of the series I love have their final books coming up this year or next and I plan on making myself read them. I will. I really will. Maybe I should go to a support group. Book Ender's Annonymous (BEA....hm.... ;) perhaps?

So how about y'all? Please don't tell me I'm the only weird one out there! And if so...lie to me and say I'm completely normal. :P

All the best ♥

Mackenzie