Just to clarify, I am still young – just a girl in her twenties with a very different mind-set and interests than when I was a teenager. I am turning 25 later this year, and I’ve been thinking how much my tastes have changed when it comes to my reading patterns. When I was younger, I used to love reading books that were part of a series. Now? Not so much. There are a few series that I really want to read (Six of Crows, A Court of Thorns & Roses etc) but the idea of having to read a full series frightens me! So looking back to my younger days when I had more time to read sequels, I have decided to share the top ten book series I loved reading. And if you spot any below that you also enjoyed – leave me a comment!


Book series I read as a young girl/tween:


Wicca Series by Cate Tiernan
These books are so underrated I swear! They are very small books so I read through them really quickly – but the idea of a teenage witch in a coven really thrilled me. I just loved how easy to read it was and how interesting and unique the characters were. If you like witches – you have to read this series!



The Girls Series by Jacqueline Wilson
Jacqueline Wilson is the BEST – period. Although I read pretty much all her books, the Girls in Love series was one of my favourites. The three main characters are hilarious and so relatable – and they get up to all sorts of mischief. Wilson’s books always had gritty, edgy teenage themes that a lot of other tween books dared not to discuss – which is why her books were so popular. The realism of teenage life is displayed in her books with vigour – bringing the characters to life and making them likable. I read these books in secret because I’m pretty sure my parents would not have approved!



Saga of Darren Shan (Cirque du Freak)
The Saga of Darren Shan was my favourite ever vampire series. There are so many twists and turns throughout the series – and book six was my favourite because it made me cry – these books actually made me really emotional. There are themes of family relationships, friendship, relationships and honour. The main character, Darren Shan (yes named after the author!) is truly a hero who is both fierce and soft, clever and kind, and he is just so lovable. The scenes are described so well it’s as if you are right there with the characters. I would recommend every child and teen read this book – unfortunately it’s a bit underrated perhaps because of the rise of the Twilight books (which I loved! – see below).  Even now, The Saga of Darren Shan has a special place in my heart.


Mary-Kate and Ashley: Two of a Kind
These books were tiny – and they were full of cute, funny stories. Mary-Kate and Ashley were also really fun to watch on TV. I don’t remember much about the books, except I used to check them out of the library every so often! Did you ever read any of their books?



Famous Five & Malory Towers series – Enid Blyton
Famous Five was the first ever book I read without my parents or school telling me to read. I was very young back then and I totally loved the adventure and the thrills and the mystery of the ruins on the Island. These books provided me with a lot of imaginative fun, as well as keeping me occupied for hours on end. As I got a bit older, I read the Malory Towers series (as well as Enid Blyton’s other school books), and these books really touched my heart. They were all about becoming a strong-minded woman, about friendship and sibling relationships, about being a good and honest person, and lastly about working together and supporting other women. There is no marriage mentioned in the books as the girls got older – but rather talk of going to university! These are very inspirational books and all young girls should read them.

Book series I enjoyed as a teenager:



Twilight Series – Stephanie Meyer
I read the first Twilight book WAY before it became popular. I loved the next two books, but unfortunately I hated book 4. For me, the first Twilight book will always be the best and be special to me because back then it was fairly unknown and nobody critiqued it so much. What are your thoughts? Recommend for ages 14+


Harry Potter – J.K Rowling
There’s really not much to say about Harry Potter – most people my age or around my age has read them. Everyone knows who Harry Potter is I am sure! My favourite books from the series were Prisoner of Azkaban (book 3) and The Goblet of Fire (book 4). What are you favourite HP books? My favourite characters were Hermione and Ginny – plus Professor Lupin! Do you have any favourite characters? Recommend for ages 9+



The Luxe series by Anna Godberson
These books are so glamourous – and can be easily read by adults as well. Historical romance fiction is not a big YA genre, and as a 15 year old, these books just gripped me. I loved the drama, the high society, the glitz, and the passion and desire in these books. (Also how gorgeous are the covers?!) Would recommend for ages 15+



Anna and the French Kiss trilogy – Stephanie Perkins
These books have so many sexy, passionate scenes. Plus two out of three are set in a boarding school in Paris – how cool is that?! I just loved how grown up these books made me feel – and the whole romance and growing up aspects of each book is so real and vibrant. The characters are brought to life though Stephanie’s talented writing skills, and the story settings are so unique – I sped through the whole series in no time at all. Would recommend for ages 15 +




The Princess Diaries and The Mediator series – Meg Cabot
I don’t remember much about these books as I read them a LONG time ago – but I do remember that I sped through these with passion. I was absolutely a big fan of Meg Cabot and she was one of my favourite authors for a long time. I remember seeing the Princess Diaries film with Anne Hathaway which I loved as well. Such good memories! Recommend for ages 13+



And that's a wrap! - Do you recognize any of these series from your own teen years/childhood? I would love to hear your thoughts and your own book series loves!

Thank you for reading.
-Lena's Notebook


This is my Review of the Month for the review collection on LovelyAudiobooks.info