This is year two of my "read the next book in the series" challenge, and I'm pretty happy with how it's gotten me to focus a big chunk of my reading energy toward books and authors I'm already invested in, as well as making me more judicious about committing to a new series.
Anyhoo, here are the books I set out to read back on Jan. 1, 2018 (books I read; books I didn't get to; series I decided to give up on after all; other):
1) Octavian Nothing: Kingdom on the Waves by M.T. Anderson, 2nd and last book in the Octavian Nothing duology.
2) The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss, 2nd book of 3 in the Kingkiller Chronicles trilogy.
3) Fire by Kristin Cashore, 2nd book of 3 in the Graceling Realm trilogy.
4) All Clear by Connie Willis, 4th book of the Oxford Time Travel series.
5) Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold, part of the Vorkosigan Saga. I started it, wasn't feeling it, agonized a bit, and then decided that as long as I read another Vorkosigan book this year, it was fine. I read 3 more, in fact! But not Ethan yet.
6) The Eternal Rose by Gail Dayton, book 3 of the One Rose trilogy.
7) The Rat-Catcher's Olympics by Colin Cotterill, book 12 in the Siri Paiboun Investigations series.
8) Maddaddam by Margaret Atwood, book 3 in the Maddaddam trilogy.
9) Abaddon's Gate by James S.A, Corey, book 3 of 6 in the Expanse series.
10) The Dire King by William Ritter, book 4 of 4 in the Jackaby series.
11) Ms. Marvel: Damage Per Second by G. Willow Wilson, Vol. 7 of the Ms. Marvel series.
12) A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab, book 2 of the Shades of Magic trilogy.
13) The Creature in the Case by Garth Nix, book 4? 5? of the Old Kingdom series.
14) A Closed and Common Orbit, by Becky Chambers, book 2 of the Wayfarers series.
15) Rose Point by M.C.A. Hogarth, book 2 of 4 in the Her Instruments series.
16) Windwitch by Susan Dennard, book 2 in the Witchlands trilogy.
17) The Swan Riders by Erin Bow, book 2 in the Prisoners of Peace series.
18) One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake, book 2 in the Three Dark Crowns trilogy.
19) The King of Attolia by Megan Whelan Turner, book 3 of 5+ in the Queen's Thief series.
20) Paper Girls Vol. 2 by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang
21) Lumberjanes: A Bird's-Eye View by Shannon Watters, Vol. 7 of the Lumberjanes series
22) Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Ship of the Dead by Rick Riordan, book 3 in the Magnus Chase trilogy
23) The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Vol. 6: Who Run the World? Squirrels by Ryan North and Erica Henderson
Woot!
This is the second year I haven't gotten to The Wise Man's Fear, though. It's just so looooong. I'll have to carry it over to next year's list. These are series I am currently reading in which the next book is out and available as of today, January 1, 2019.:
1) The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss, book 2 of 3.5(?) in the Kingkiller Chronicles trilogy.
2) Migration by Julie E. Czerneda, book 2 of 3 in the Species Imperative trilogy.
3) It Wasn't Me by Dana Alison Levy, book 4 of ? in the Shipton, Massachusetts series (name coined by me. I'm not sure this is even an official series. It's the two Family Fletcher books plus two follow-up books starring kids from the same town, with the odd Fletcher as a side character).
4) Goldenhand by Garth Nix, book 5 of ? in the Old Kingdom series.
5) The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. LeGuin, book 2 of 6 in the Earthsea Cycle series.
6) Paper Girls Vol. 5 by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang.
7) Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise by Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino, and Gene Luen Yang.
8) Laisrathera by M.C.A. Hogarth, book 3 of 4 in the Her Instruments series.
9) A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whelan Turner, book 4 of 6 in the Queen's Thief series.
10) A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab, book 3 of the Shades of Magic trilogy.
11) Trouble Never Sleeps by Stephanie Tromly, book 3 of I think 4 in the Trouble series.
12) The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Vol. 7: I've Been Waiting For a Squirrel Like You by Ryan North and Erica Henderson.
13) Ms. Marvel Vol. 9: Teenage Wasteland by G. Willow Wilson and Nico Leon.
14) Cibola Burn by James S.A. Corey, book 4 of at least 8 in the Expanse series.
15) Monstress Vol. 3 by Marjorie Liu.
16) Don't Eat Me by Colin Cotterill, book 13 in the Siri Paiboun Mystery series.
17) My Brother's Husband by Gengoroh Tagame, Vol. 2, book 2 of 2 in the duology.
18) Slam! The Next Jam by Pamela Ribon and Veronica Fish, book 2 of ?.
19) The Consuming Fire by John Scalzi, book 2 of ? in the Interdependency series.
20) The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee, book 2 of I think 2 in the Guide series.
21) Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor, book 2 of 2 in the Strange the Dreamer duology.
22) Runaways: Best Friends Forever by Rainbow Rowell, vol. who-knows-what of God-knows-how-many.
23) Lumberjanes Vol. 10: Parents' Day by Shannon Watters and Kat Leyh.
24) Two Dark Reigns by Kendare Blake, book 3 in what I think will be 4 plus novellas.
25) Ethan of Athos OR Falling Free OR Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold, Vorkosigan Saga series. Cryoburn is chronologically the next story after the last I read (Captain Vorpatril's Alliance, got it for Christmas, read it already), but I own Ethan of Athos, and since it follows a side character it can be read at pretty much any point in the series. And Falling Free is a prequel, so ditto. We'll see.
I counted and recounted and caught up with some series in December to make sure this 2019 list was 24 items long, since I like the symmetry of reading two a month. But now it is somehow 25. Ah, well.
