The Cannonball Read Book Bingo Reading Challenge is a beloved annual tradition. You can get the complete information on this year’s Bingo here. This year I’d like to help with your bingo board by providing assistance in finding books to meet a particular bingo circle. Where better to begin than with “One”.
One – the first book in a series; the author’s first book; a standalone; one star rating; the one book you would recommend. Lots of fun ways to go with this – think about that book you really hated (1 star), or that debut novel you loved (first book), or the one book you would want on a desert island (one you would recommend), or that standalone book (that you wished had a sequel).
Let’s dig deeper into One – the first book in a series. There are so many excellent series out there and they all started with a first book. Sometimes the author planned to make it a series and sometimes the success of a book ends up pushing the author to continue. Here is a list of some first books in a series for your consideration. I have tried to include different genres, so there is something for everybody:
Still Life – Chief Inspector Gamache Mysteries by Louise Penny. Modern mysteries set in Three Pines, Canada. Twenty books with no end in sight (book 21 comes out later this year.)
The Eyre Affair – Thursday Next Series by Jasper Fforde. Next is a a literary detective who travels inside books. Fforde is great at making light of the classic books we love.
“A” Is for Alibi – The Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mysteries by Sue Grafton. Grafton was planning to make a complete alphabet, but sadly died after “Y” Is for Yesterday.
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman. These Literary Role-Playing Game books have recently become a runaway hit.
One for the Money – Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich. A series with over 30 books following Plum, a bumbling bounty hunter from New Jersey.
The Colour of Magic – Discworld Series by Terry Pratchett. A satirical, fantasy series with 41 books to enjoy.
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie – Flavia de Luce Mysteries by Alan Bradley. These charming cozies follow teen Flavia as she solves mysteries in post war England.
All Systems Red – The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. These books are a big favorite of Cannonballers, dystopia at its best.
Now it is your turn to help your fellow Bingo players. Comment below with your favorite first book in a series.
