Shouldn't read past 9

I wrote up four book reviews yesterday morning for the four books I read in October. That seems few when there have been months of two books a week. I guess my time is being consumed in other areas where I cannot drag out the book I'm dragging along with me and read. I hadn't really noticed until I went to take a look at what I had read last month.

Two of the books were the latest for their specific series. One series has been going on so long that the one I just read was number 38. That's a lot of entries for the same book. But I have to say, there is something about already knowing the characters, the setting, the friends of the characters and how they usually react is easy. You don't have to think real hard about figuring out who they are because you already know. The other was number 19 in the series. I've always enjoyed the main character in this book. He's a loner, individual, strong opinions, smart and witty. There is always a lot of action and that is the reason I've read all of these books. They both are a good, go-to book to read when I can't decide what else to choose. I can rely on these to provide that comfortable entertainment.

The trouble was I realized I might not want to read any series that goes into double digits. I'm almost thinking I would rather stick to stand alone novels from now on even though that isn't what authors and publishers might want to hear. My reason for thinking of stopping the series reading is because no matter how well the characters are developed in each book, I've figured out these authors formulas. Yes. Hate to say that because these are not romance novels I'm reading, but crime-homicide, sniper-murder mysteries. I can tell you in each book where the main character will get rattled, when they will find the clue, when the arrest will be made then go wrong, only to find out the main character had it all figured out to play that way and ending with justice being served and the humble main character going back to the nothings of regular life before the trauma occurred.

 I also think that besides figuring out their formulas, I am finding the characters being a little stifled and dull. Some of their polish is wearing thin and yet they still try to act as they were at the beginning of the series.  You would think that by number 19 and certainly number 38 in a series, something should have changed them in some way. And yet, they are exactly the same as they were at the beginning and I'm finding that hard to swallow. My comfortable, reliable characters are still the same smart individuals to a fault. The worst part of them being stuck in some personality timewarp is that they seem to have lost their wit.

It will be a while until the next in each of these series comes out again. I don't have to worry about whether or not I will pick up the next of these series. I've got plenty of time to read a whole batch of other books. Well, maybe not as much time if I'm only getting through four in a month.
TT