And They Don't Even Bother Saying "To Be Continued" Any More!

Pet Peeve #173: books that end in cliffhangers. I mean, come on... I don't mind series, as long as each book comes to something vaguely resembling a resolution. I don't have a problem with books that are one story split into multiple volumes for length (a la Lord of the Rings), as long as they're clearly labeled as such so that I know a) how long a story I'm actually reading, and b) to wait until I've got the whole thing in my hot little hands before I begin.

I'm beginning to wish I'd never started this damned series. The first book was great, a good little self-contained fantasy story that I really enjoyed. But they're just getting more and more annoying, and less and less self-contained. And yet I can't stop reading. Because there's nothing in the world more annoying than not getting to find out how a story ends.

Grrrrr.

(Note to those who haven't bothered clicking the links: No, that's not a Harry Potter rant. I still haven't got my copy yet. And Rowling, at least, seems to get the concept of resolving individual books in reasonably satisfying ways while developing an overall story arc.)