Books
There are few things in life as exciting as going to the bookstore to pick up the latest installment in your favorite book series. Day-to-day life is pretty much divided into sections: you're either reading a Sarah J. Maas novel, or you're obsessively fantasizing about what might happen in the next one. But even though it might be A Court of Wings and Ruin that has taken over all our bookish thoughts lately, this isn't the first book series to have us in its clutches.
After all, 2017 has reminded us quite how hooked we all were on A Series of Unfortunate Events back in the day — and how desperately we wanted to know what V.F.D. stood for. And there are others we could never forget: Harry Potter midnight release parties pretty much defined our childhoods; standing in line for a new Twilight novel was a key teenage activity; I can remember the desperate wait for a new George R.R. Martin novel as clearly as if it was happening right now. (Oh wait...)
But what about the other series left neglected on your bookshelves? You probably haven't picked up any of these books in years — but at the time, these series were so addictive.
1
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
This was probably one of the first book series you ever read. The last book in the series came out in 1956, so we could binge all seven novels in one magical go. From the moment Lucy stepped out the back of her wardrobe into the beautiful, snowy Narnia, we were hooked — and it's a wild ride until we reach The Last Battle.
2
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
This fantasy trilogy involves witches, armored polar bears, parallel universes, and best of all, animal dæmons — which are basically the original Patronuses.
3
Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar
Before it was a cult TV show, Gossip Girl was a hugely addictive YA book series. Every year, we were treated to two new installments of Blair and Serena's adventures on the Upper East Side — and we could hardly wait to live vicariously through their glamorous affairs.
4
Goosebumps by R.L. Stine
Once you've read one of the Goosebumps novellas, you can't stop until you've read all 62. These were the books that we read with a flashlight under the covers at night and gave ourselves nightmares. (I don't think anyone who read Night of the Living Dummy will ever be quite the same...)
5
The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
It was everyone's dream come true: teenager Mia Thermopolis is kind of a nobody at school — and then she finds out that she is literally a princess. Like, of a whole European country. Over the course of 16 books, we got to see Mia fall in love with her best friend's gorgeous brother Michael, as well as learn the difficult business of being a responsible princess. It was no easy task, but we were all so jealous.
6
Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison
This British YA series was totally hilarious and completely ridiculous. Georgia Nicolson and her best friends (the Ace Gang) had made-up expressions for everything and everyone: cleverness was 'wisdomosity,' cold was 'nippy noodles,' and doing something stupid meant you 'took the biscuit of stupidity.' With titles like Knocked Out By My Nunga-Nungas and Love Is a Many Trousered Thing, these books were absolutely mad, and absolutely wonderful.
7
Girls by Jacqueline Wilson
The four Girls books were so relatable that we just couldn't put them down for a second. In these novels, the main characters struggle with body image, peer pressure, and relationships — but through it all, their friendships with each other remain the most important thing.
8
The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini
Eragon was originally self-published by Christopher Paolini, but this exciting story of a teenage Dragon Rider soon caught the attention of bigger publishers. There are four books in this gripping series about Eragon, his dragon Saphira, and their fight to overthrow the evil king Galbatorix.
9
The Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson
This series gained instant notoriety for being published after the author's sudden death in 2004 — but they're also fantastically addictive in their own right. The page-turning crime novels follow Lisbeth Salander, a brilliant but troubled computer hacker, and journalist Mikael Blomkvist. Larsson only completed the first three before he died — but a further novel about the same characters has since been written by author David Lagercrantz.
10
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Artemis Fowl is a 12-year-old criminal mastermind, and the antihero of the Artemis Fowl book series that we were all so hooked on a few years ago. In the first book, we saw Artemis kidnap a fairy and hold her for ransom — so that's the type of character we're dealing with here. The series was originally made up of eight books, and there are now several graphic novel adaptations to rekindle your love for the story.
11
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch by various authors
Fans of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch were treated to a whopping 52 books based on the TV series. Some of them were directly inspired by episodes of the show, but some told stories that were brand new. The books were written by a range of different authors, but they all had one thing in common: we just could not get enough of them.
12
The Baby-Sitters Club by Ann M. Martin
Babysitting the neighbors' kids used to be a total chore — but that was before we started reading The Baby-Sitters Club. Kirsty, Mary Anne, Claudia, and Stacey turned babysitting into an adventure that we all wanted to be part of.
13
Sweet Valley High by Francine Pascal
Over the course of 20 years, readers of Sweet Valley High were treated to an incredible 603 novels about twins Jessica and Elizabeth. We got to see them go all the way from Sweet Valley Elementary School to Sweet Valley University, all the while going on dates, setting up the Unicorn Club, and most importantly, making amazing friends.
