Book Series (with TV Shows) To Keep You Busy
It really seems like reading is making a comeback, or maybe I’m just noticing it more. I’ve always been a reader. Now I see more and more people online and in life, talking about what they are currently reading. There are silent book clubs, reading groups and community reading. There is BookTok and bookstagram, and while Romantasy is having a moment, I’m more of a mystery reader. It’s probably the early influence of Nancy Drew or Agatha Christie. I also love a series. It is nice to come back to familiar characters and to follow their stories over the years. I thought I’d share two series that have been around for over a decade and that are still going. These two series feature great writing and interesting characters that will keep your TBR (to be read) list long for a while and, as a bonus, they’ve both been adapted for television.
Kathy Reichs: Temperance Brennan Series/Bones
The series currently contains 23 novels and 5 novellas that are centered around forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan. Reichs, who has a PhD in forensic anthropology, based the character on her own life and work. The character is a forensic anthropologist who teaches at a college in North Carolina and consults on cases in NC as well as working in Montreal. This split location allows for some unique cases and settings. You may be familiar with the premise as these novels were the basis for the TV series Bones.
The books: The first was originally published in the late 90s and has a few dated details like detailed explanations of how email works and the noticeable absence of cell phones, but that doesn’t take away from the story. The beginning of the series is stronger than the middle, and the recents are a kind of resurgence. The books are still all very enjoyable. It is also nice to come back and to see the character growth and development over such a long series. The first novel Deja Dead is award winning and a great introduction to the characters that Reichs develops over the next 27 years.
The Show: Bones ran on Fox for 12 seasons and is available to stream on Hulu, Peacock, Amazon Prime or in syndication across several cable networks. The show’s main character is Temperance Brennan who is a forensic anthropologist as in the books and that is where the similarities end. So, if you’ve watched the series there is still a lot more to discover and enjoy in the books and vice versa.
Louise Penny: Inspector Gamanche Series/Three Pines
The books series has 19 novels centered on Inspector Armand Gamache of the Surete du Quebec (essentially the equivalent of a state police force) and his investigations in the small Québecois town of Three Pines. There is an intriguing mystery related to Gamache’s backstory woven into the first three books.
The Books: The novels take place in Three Pines and expand from there. They boast an assortment of interesting characters and Penny is great at unveiling the mystery slowly, but at an appropriate pace. I love the Canadian setting and the options for unique characters.
The Show: Forewarning the series, sadly, only had one season. It was a great season and a great watch with or without having read the novels. Alfred Molina stars as Gamache and the cinematography and locations are amazing. As with all adaptations, things are changed from the novels to the series, so I’d avoid reviews and make the determination for yourself.
