Mid-March 2020 Newsletter
(Uploading this just now as I realized I hadn’t uploaded it in the past)
Hi everyone,
Welcome to a special past-mid-month near the end of the month edition of the Order Of Books newsletter.
I will still be producing a newsletter for April 1st, however I also wanted to send out a quick newsletter prior to that with a few important notes.
Let’s jump right in:
1: I’m here if you need to talk, vent or rant.
Over the years of running this website and newsletter, I’ve came to know a lot of the visitors and subscribers. I recognize your names when you send a mailbag response or just e-mail me to update me with what you are reading. I’ve became friends with quite a lot of you over this time.
I also know that our readers tend to skew towards the older demographic. I just wanted to let everyone know that I am here to listen to you if you feel the need to talk, vent, rant or just in general share your concerns.
I’ve had a few people e-mailing me already saying “sorry to burden you with this” and then talking about the situation. No need to apologize – happy to be here for evreyone.
None of us are alone in this. We are all dealing with it together. I am here to listen and chat to you throughout all this. If you want to go a different direction and talk about books, TV shows etc that’s completely fine too. I work from home and am at my computer all day long so happy to chat with anyone.
I’m a very optimistic person and nothing gets me down so feel free to unload on me. Seriously.
And I won’t judge anyone either. If you want to talk about politics, government etc from any perspective – feel free to. It doesn’t matter what side you’re on in regard to the “stay home” rules – no judging from me. Basically if you feel you are bottling stuff up and wish to talk, just hit reply. I’m all ears and am here for everyone during this time.
Well – except for the complaints about Tom Cruise being cast as Jack Reacher that I still receive on a regular basis. It’s been 8 years people – time to move on!
2: Gift Certificates.
Every month in the newsletter I give 2 random $25 gift certificates to subscribers. For at least the next couple of newsletters, starting with this one, I am going to up that to 10 $25 gift certificates for random subscribers.
Use that for whatever you want. if you need food or supplies great use it for that. If you want to escape with books or a DVD show or whatever – same deal, go nuts. Just want to do my part to help people during this time. The list of winners for this newsletter is below and you’ve all been sent an e-mail.
3: Book Series to Escape In.
These are crappy times but all us book lovers have an advantage; we have all these fictional worlds to escape into! I know over this last week, I’ve been reading more and more.
I’ve mentioned a few times lately that my backlog of books is crazy. Well I’m using these times to read a lot more. And I tell ya – it’s so nice to take a break from the internet and news for a few hours, and dive into the world of “The Gray Man” or whatever.
(Although that latest book with the first person perspective? Ugh. Worst thing to happen in the past month!)
A few days ago, I hit up our Facebook page and asked the followers on there to recommend some new book series for people to get into during this time. I’ve compiled the list below with notes to help you if you want to pick a new series to get into.
I hope everyone stays safe during this time. I know it’s scary but hopefully we can come out of this a much better human race, and more appreciative of everything we have that we take for granted.
Or at the very least – hopefully we can clear up some of those reading backlogs!
Stay safe everyone.
Here’s the 10 random gift certificate winners for this newsletter – oh I’ve had some people ask how I know where people are from. Our mailing list software tracks the general location where you signed up from(City, State, Country). So it’s not always accurate if you have moved or signed up on your vacation to another country or whatever.
Karen from Melbourne, FL
Bob from Baccus Marsh, Australia
Linda from Lombard, IL
Brent from Bothell, WA
Marcia from Prospect SA, Australia
Patricia from Parkville, MD
Edward from Kittaning, PA
Diane S from Jacksonville, FL
Alan from Arlington Heights, IL
Candace M. from Tampa, FL
Keep on reading to find some great new book series to keep you distracted during this time.
Graeme
OrderOfBooks.com
Book Series
I took to our facebook page to ask people to recommend some book series for us all to get stuck into during this time.
The response was overwhelming with some incredible suggestions. I’ve compiled a list below with notes in regard to the topic to help you if you are looking for a new book series.
- Brilliance Trilogy by Marcus Sakey (Sci-fi, if you like Blake Crouch)
- Nick Heller series by Joseph Finder (If you like Jack Reacher)
- Matthew Shardlake series by C.J. Sansom (Medieval whodunit)
- Cormoran Strike series by Robert Galbraith (Crime fiction)
- Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths (Archaeologist crime fiction)
- Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French (Psychological police procedural)
- Vera Stanhope series by Ann Cleeves (English mystery)
- Joe Pickett series by CJ Box (Wyoming game warden mystery)
- Shetland Island series by Ann Cleeves (Mystery/thriller)
- Captain Lacey series by Ashley Gardner (Regency era)
- In Death series (Eve Dallas) by J.D. Robb (Future police procedural romance)
- Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series by Laurie R. King (Historical detective)
- Kitty Katt Martini series by Gini Koch (Science fiction romance)
- Bloodhound series by Virginia Lanier (If you like Sue Grafton)
- The Time Hunters series by Carl Ashmore (If you like Percy Jackson)
- Mitford series by Jan Karon (Christian fiction)
- Charlie Parker series by John Connolly (Thriller/mystery/supernatural)
- Detective P.T. Marsh series by John McMahon (Detective fiction)
- J.P. Beaumont series by J.A. Jance (Hard boiled mystery)
- A Dance to the Music of Time by Anthony Powell (English fiction)
- Gap series by Stephen R. Donaldson (Space opera)
- Dune series by Frank Herbert (All-time classic sci-fi)
- Miss Silver series by Patricia Wentworth (Victorian cozy mystery)
- Max Wolfe series by Tony Parsons (If you like British crime)
- Inspector Van Veeteren series by Hakan Nesser (Swedish crime novels)
- Inspector Erlendur series by Arnaldur Indridason (Icelandic crime fiction)
- Maeve Kerrigan series by Jane Casey (Irish crime thriller)
- Kurt Wallander series by Henning Mankell (Swedish mystery)
- The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon (Time travel romance historical fiction)
- Society of Gentlemen series by K.J. Charles (LGBT historical fiction)
- Repairman Jack by F. Paul Wilson (Weird stuff/horror)
- Haunting Danielle series by Bobbi Holmes (Ghost mystery)
- Shelby Nichols series by Colleen Helme (Psychic mystery)
- Oxford Tearoom series by H.Y. Hanna (Cozy mystery)
- Melissa Craig mystery series by Betty Rowlands (Cozy mystery)
- Cozy Corgi mysteries by Mildred Abbott (Good dogs)
- Cherringham by Matthew Costello and Neil Richards (Traditional detective)
- Lady Hardcastle series by T.E. Kinsey (Historical mystery)
- Pendergast series by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (Supernatural thriller)
- The Lewis trilogy by Peter May (Murder thriller)
- Jack Daniels series by J.A. Konrath (Police procedural)
- No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith (Women’s detective fiction)
- The Passage trilogy by Justin Cronin (Big, juicy books)
- Exit Unicorns series by Cindy Brandner (Epics)
- The Celtic Brooch series by Kathryn Logan Lowery (Time travel romance)
- The Century trilogy by Ken Follett (Military historical fiction)
- The Bronze Horsemen by Paulina Simmons (Family saga)
- The Tea Shop Mysteries by Laura Childs (Cozy mystery)
- Into the Wilderness series by Sara Donati (Historical romance)
- The Gilded Hour by Sara Donati (Victorian historical romance)
- Irish Century by Morgan Llywelyn (Irish epic)
- The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cromwell
- Masters of Rome series by Colleen McCullough (Historical fiction)
- Kate Burkholder series by Linda Castillo (Crime thriller)
- Riley Page series by Blake Pierce (Dark psychological thriller)
- Leonid McGill series by Walter Mosley (Hard boiled crime)
- Sharon McCone series by Marcia Muller (Female PIs)
- Eva Rae Thomas by Willow Rose (Romantic suspense)
- Matthew Scudder series by Lawrence Block (Crime fiction)
- Syndey Rose Parnell series by Barbara Nickless (Murder thriller)
- Andy Carpenter series by David Rosenfelt (Legal thrillers)
- Cotton Malone series by Steve Berry (Conspiracy thrillers)
- Harry Bosch series by Michael Connelly (LAPD detective fiction)
- Prey/Lucas Davenport series by John Sandford (Thrillers)
- Virgil Flowers series by John Sandford (Detective novels)
- Department Q series by Jussi Adler-Olsen (If you like John Sandford)
- Penn Cage series by Greg Iles (Southern attorney)
- Kinsey Millhone/Alphabet series by Sue Grafton (PI mystery)
- Joe Pitt Casebooks series by Charlie Huston (Vampire noir)
- Jackson Brodie series by Kate Atkinson (Edinburgh mystery)
- Nurse Annie Collins by Helen Starbuck (OR Nurse mystery)
- Dave Robicheaux series by James Lee Burke (Louisiana detective)
- Lucy Kincaid series by Allison Brennan (Romantic thriller)
- Home Repair is Homicide series by Sara Graves (Cozy mysteries)
- Coffee House mysteries by Cleo Coyle (Cozy culinary)
- Barbara Holloway series by Kate Wilhelm (Legal thriller)
- Pink Carnation series by Lauren Willig (Historical romance)
- Charley Davidson/Grave series by Darynda Jones (Paranormal romance)
- Harper Connelly series by Charlaine Harris (I see dead people)
- Callahan Garrity series by Mary Kay Andrews (Cozy culinary)
- The Century trilogy by Ken Follett (Military historical)
- Jonathan Grave series by John Gilstrap (If you like C.J. Box)
- Norman Genesis series by Griff Hosker (Vikings)
- Nikki Galena series by Joy Ellis (Crime thrillers)
- Texas Ranger Sam Burrack by Ralph Cotton (Westerns)
- Myron Bolitar series by Harlan Coben (Sports agent investigator)
- The Guardians trilogy by Nora Roberts (Werewolf and shifter romance)
- Nick Stefanos series by George Pelacanos (Hard boiled mystery)
- Kate Shugak series by Dana Stubenow (Alaska mysteries)
- Dragon Riders of Penn series by Anne McCaffrey (Fantasy)
- Peter Ash series by Nick Petrie (Military thriller)
- Chronicles of Saint Mary’s by Jodi Taylor (Fantasy)
- Peter Grant series by Ben Aaronovitch (Urban crime fantasy)
- Sarah Booth Delaney series by Carolyn Haines (Cozy mystery)
- Tracy Crosswhite series by Robert Dugoni (Seattle detective)
- Department Q series by Jussi Adler-Olsen (Crime thriller)
- The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher (Wizard PI)
- Tradd Street series by Karen White (Paranormal romance)
- Detective Kim Stone series by Angela Marsons (Serial killer)
- Lady Sherlock series by Sherry Thomas (Fans of Sherlock Holmes)
- DC Smith Investigation series by Peter Grainger (Detective mystery)
- Sigma Force series by James Rollins (Action-adventure)
- Inspector Lynley series by Elizabeth George (Scotland Yard suspense)
- The Clifton Chronicles series by Jeffrey Archer (Historical fiction)
- Chief Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny (Canadian whodunit)
- Advocate series by Teresa Burrell (Legal suspense)
- The Pelbar Cycle series by Paul O. Williams (Post apocalypse)
- The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan (Epic fantasy)
- Frostborn series by Jonathan Moeller (High adventure fantasy)
- The Atlantis Grail series by Vera Nazarian (YA dystopian)
- Kent Family Chronicles series by John Jakes (Historical fiction)
- Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell (Historical military)
- The Grave Kingdom series by Jeff Wheeler (Dragons and myths)
- Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters (Historical mystery/hilarity)
- Crazy Rich Asians trilogy by Kevin Kwan (Family stories)
- Fjalbacka/Erica Falck series by Camilla Lackberg (Mystery and suspense)
- Edie Kilgatuk Mysteries by M.J. McGrath (Arctic thriller)
- Baer Creighton series by Clayton Lindemuth (Conspiracy)
- Women’s Murder Club series by James Patterson (Serial killer thriller)
- Triple Threat by series Lis Wiehl (If you like Women’s Murder Club)
- Jack Taylor series by Ken Bruen (If you love noir)
- Cecil Younger series by John Straley (Humorous)
- Josie Quinn series by Lisa Regan (Crime thriller)
- Sebastian St. Cyr series by C.S. Harris (Historical mystery)
- Revenger series by Alastair Reynolds (Westerns)
- The Bregdan Chronicles by Ginny Dye (Historical fiction)
Thanks for sending this older column, it is a tremendous resource. I’m copying it into my phone so I’ll have it at hand when I’m in the library! I enjoy your columns and look forward to reading each one.
You’re welcome Cinda and thanks for the feedback 🙂