Yul Kaseman is a book lover who lives in New York City. In this blog, Yul provides book series and companion recommendations for readers searching a story to get wrapped into or for something less mainstream.

1. BOOK SERIES
AND
COMPANIONS
WHAT I
RECOMMEND
Yul Kaseman

2. Do you enjoy getting wrapped up in a great book series
because it provides more depth and detail than a single
novel? When you think about a series, there are a plethora
of opportunities for character development, backstories,
and rich and complex history. It’s always great to be able
to follow beloved characters over time, see them grow
and change, especially when you have become attached to
them. If you’re looking for a book series less mainstream
than “Harry Potter” or “The Hunger Games,” here are a
few recommendations you may enjoy.
CONTENT
OUTLINE

3. Jane Smiley set out on a journey to publish what she
describes as a trilogy of novels under the
overarching title “The Last Hundred Years.” With
each chapter covering a single year, Smiley writes
about a family living on a farm in Iowa throughout
the 20th and 21st century. Over the thirty-years
“Some Luck” covers, the Langdon family experiences
changes as any family would during that time period
— the farm becomes powered with electricity, a son
leaves home to fight in World War II, and children
grow up and go out of their own.
"SOME LUCK"
BY JANE SMILEY

4. This was my favorite out of all the books I read
during 2015 — I read about 40 books that year and
this one really stood out. I loved everything from
the time period, to the small town farm setting, to
the family members with all of their distinct
personalities. The beautifully written book with
wonderful character development was so great I
couldn’t put it down. I recommended it to a number
of friends who went on to love it and read the
whole series.
"SOME LUCK"
BY JANE SMILEY

5. “Gilead” creatively combines the writings of a
journal and a memoir together in one novel. The
fictional Reverend John Ames, an elderly pastor
dying of a heart condition, writes about memories
and his legacy for his seven-year-old son, who won’t
remember him when he dies. The simplicity of the
language in this book actually made it difficult to
read at first since it’s very slow moving. However,
it’s well worth it because the beauty of the story
and prose starts to come through by the end.
There is was much love and faith in this story that
my heart hurt.
"GILEAD"
BY MARILYNNE ROBINSON

6. As a companion to “Gilead,” “Home,” chronicles the
life of the Boughton family, specifically the father,
Reverend Robert Boughton, who was a good friend
to Reverend John Ames. You get a lot of glimpses
of the Boughton family throughout Gilead, piquing
one’s curiosity on the events that John Ames alludes
to throughout Gilead. Although it’s an independent
novel, the story runs parallel to “Gilead.”
"GILEAD"
BY MARILYNNE ROBINSON

7. In “The Southern Vampire Mysteries,” vampires,
fairies, witches, and other supernatural creatures
are real — and everyone knows about them! The
series revolves around Sookie Stackhouse, a
telepathic waitress living in the rural town in
Louisiana. If this storyline sounds familiar to you,
that’s because it’s the same storyline as the HBO
series “True Blood,” which bases its storyline from
these books. It was entertaining enough, but I lost
interest after one season.
"SOUTHERN VAMPIRE
MYSTERY" SERIES
BY CHARLAINE HARRIS

8. The books themselves are lighter and more fun. You
could say Louisiana is almost exotic to me since I
live in New York City. Some of the depictions of the
day to day life (like the number of times Walmart is
mentioned!?) I found entertaining. It’s almost silly at
times so makes for a good beach read. Although I
don’t consider it an incredibly well-written series,
the cast of characters and their personalities were
so diverse and the author certainly knows how to
keep the storyline moving with the right amount of
sex, violence, and humor. Don’t expect much and you
may find it just plain fun.
"SOUTHERN VAMPIRE
MYSTERY" SERIES
BY CHARLAINE HARRIS

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