The best book series for quarantine reading

With protective measures like social distancing, working from home and other quarantine procedures put in place by the government, people are but obviously finding ways to entertain themselves.

So how about getting engrossed in a book series while waiting for the pandemic to ebb?

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If you’re looking to dive into a good story, check out this book series round-up covering varied genres.

Sci-Fi/Fantasy

“The Dark Tower” by Stephen King — King’s epic, nightmarish fantasy features eight books, but they tie in many of his best known works into one sprawling universe.

“Discworld” by Terry Pratchett — Fans of Douglas Adams’ “Hitchhiker’s Guide” series will love Pratchett’s similar wit in this series about a flat fantasy world.

“The Hyperion Cantos” by Dan Simmons — Beginning with the structure of “The Canterbury Tales” as his base, Simmons weaves a story about people connected by a distant planet and the monster who haunts it.

Takeshi Kovacs novels by Richard K. Morgan — Netflix has since turned this cyberpunk series into the show “Altered Carbon.” The story follows mercenary Takeshi Kovacs as he is brought to life in a new body to solve a mystery.

 'Gossip Girl,' a telly teen drama about high school socialites, began as a series of novels.

Teen/Young Adult

“Gossip Girl” by Cecily von Ziegesar — Casual viewers of the show might not know that this teen drama about high school socialites began as a series of novels.

“A Series of Unfortunate Events” by Lemony Snicket — Younger readers will enjoy the harrowing tale of the Baudelaire orphans as they thwart their evil relative Count Olaf. The vocabulary lessons are some of the funniest in literature.

“The Vampire Diaries” by L.J. Smith et al. — Teens love this story of a high school girl falling in love with two vampires that was adapted into a CW show.

Historical Drama

“The Aubrey-Maturin Series” by Patrick O’Brian — In this historical epic saga, a commander in the British Royal Navy and his surgeon explore the world and defend the empire in the year 1800. The series formed the basis for the 2003 film “Master and Commander: Far Side of the World.”

“Outlander” series by Diana Gabaldon — This one got the TV treatment from Starz. Claire Randall, a World War II nurse, travels back in time to 18th-century Scotland where she is swept up in adventure and romance with Jamie Fraser.

 Author Daniel Handler aka Lemony Snicket reads excerpts from 'The End: Book the Thirteenth,' the final book in the 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' series. TNS

Mystery

The Kenzie-Gennaro series by Dennis Lehane — This series contains “Gone Baby Gone” which was made into a movie by Ben Affleck. The stories follow two detectives in Boston working through the crimes of the city.

“Mrs. Polifax” by Dorothy Gilman — A retiree gets caught in a web of intrigue and exotic locations in these light, fast mysteries.

“The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency” by Alexander McCall Smith — Set in Botswana, the 19 books in this series cover not only the individual mysteries of detective Mma Precious Ramotswe but also of the country itself.

“The Prey Series” by John Sanford — With more than two dozen titles in the series, the adventures of charismatic detective Lucas Davenport can keep even avid readers rapt for days.

Classics

“Remembrance of Things Past (In Search of Lost Time)” by Marcel Proust — With real time on your hands, delve into Proust’s stream-of-consciousness as he journeys through childhood and becoming an adult.

Nonfiction

“The Groveland Four” by Gilbert King — While not exactly a series, “Devil in the Grove” and “Beneath a Ruthless Sun” tell the close-to-home story of the miscarriage of justice in the Groveland Four case in Lake County.

Reporter Stephen Hudak also recommends you add Gary Corsair’s “Legal Lynching” to your reading pile.

Graphic Novels

“Preacher” by Garth Ennis — If you think comic books are for kids, this maxi-series about a former preacher, his vampire best friend and the terrifying world they inhabit will make you reconsider.

“Lucifer” by Mike Carey — You don’t have to have read Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series from which this story spun off.

Just know that Carey’s masterwork is a tale of free will and true philosophical exploration and is nothing like the TV series that took these books for its basis.