While reading can be a great escape, it can suddenly turn into an obligation. The obligation isn’t necessarily “to read,” but it’s more of an “I need to finish this” scenario. Some one-offs (novels that aren’t part of a series) give off this feeling of doom, while others are difficult to put down. Although a series is always entertaining, getting into said series can be tough. The commitment alone is daunting, but trust me, when you find the right series for you, it’s absolutely brilliant. Below are series, from three incredible authors with a wild imagination. Whether you wanted to speak to the River Thames, drink tea with a book’s character, or witness what statues have seen over the years, you’ll be pleased with this month’s selection. Now, read on to find out what the three “Book Ones” chosen for this month are, and enjoy!

“What if Harry Potter grew up and joined the Fuzz.” With a tagline like that, what Harry Potter fan wouldn’t be intrigued? Upon reading it though, that description didn’t do the book justice. Rivers of London follows PC Peter Grant as he leaves his regular force to join The Folly, or the supernatural department as many like to call it. Running around London, learning about magic, and fighting against wizards, warlocks, and the Rivers (yes, they’re personified here) Grant discovers just how difficult it can be to delve into all this. Ben Aaronovitch came up with the idea to this series while working as a bookseller, mighty good-on him! Rivers of London is book one of the mind-blowing PC Grant series. So if you’re a fan of wizards, join this apprentice on his journey around London’s glorious rivers.

In a series of unfortunate events, literary detective Thursday Next finds herself facing the wrath of Baconians, caring for her pet dodo Pickwick, inside The Raven, fighting Hades’ children, and attempting to literally save Jane Eyre (the character, not the book). While the resurrection of a once extinct species is never an issue, and Neanderthals rally for their rights, Thursday discovers that she has the ability to enter into any work of fiction by just concentrating. Basically, these books are about worlds, within worlds and the books they’re set in. Is that Meta enough for you? If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like wandering in your favorite story, then this series is worth investing in. Set in an alternate version of 1985, The Eyre Affair is the first book (of the current seven books) in the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde.

While this might not be intended exclusively for adults, Charlie Fletcher’s Stoneheart trilogy is intriguing. Revolving around a twelve year-old boy’s school trip to the Natural History Museum in London, this series takes us into a parallel world where stone comes to life. He finds himself invisible to the London he knows and very prominent to the statues instead, where an epic battle rages on. This series hooked me from book one. Not only because of the history it provided, but also due to the tour of London that you can actually follow as you read. It was fascinating to track down every living statue mentioned when on vacation. Yes, it’s an easy read, but worth every second and equally entertaining for every member of the family.

So whether you’re a fan of standalones or a “serial reader” (pun completely and utterly intended), make sure to give one of these books a chance. They do read well on their own, but if you start, you might never want to stop. You’ve been warned, now go forth and read on!