A Very Unfortunate Book List

On the most unlucky day of Friday the 13th, a television series premiered on Netflix depicting the tribulations (the word 'tribulations' means a state of great trouble or suffering) of the unfortunate Baudelaire orphans.

If you tuned in expecting a nice little television show with puppies, rainbows and a happy ending then you were sorely disappointed. For this, my dears, is a televised Series of Unfortunate Events and things will always go dreadfully, horribly awry.

In all my years of research as a librarian I have never found a way to speed up the production of a favorite television series. For those who are already, sadly addicted to this show, here is a list of books that have the misfortune to satisfy fans of Lemony Snicket. To those who have yet to see it, I can only echo the dire warning in the opening credits "Look away. Look. Away!"

The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones

The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones (audiobook)

Poor, poor Mabel Jones. After a most dreadful Deed, Mabel is kidnapped by a gang of ruthless pirates and forced to aid in a search for treasure. The book is good, but the audiobook is excellent - particularly for family road trips.

The Mysterious Howling

The Mysterious Howling (eBook)

Miss Penelope Lumley is hired as a governess for three very unusual children. However, the children are not the strangest things at the manor of Ashton Place. Readers who love the mystery and plucky orphans of Lemony Snicket will enjoy this series opener.

Horton Halfpott, Or, The Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor, Or, The Loosening of M'Lady Luggertuck's Corset

Horton Halfpott, Or, The Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor, Or, The Loosening of M'Lady Luggertuck's Corset (eBook)

Humble, downtrodden kitchen boy Horton gets dragged into a mystery (and a flirtation with a fetching young lady) when his employers are robbed. Horton's zany adventures include witty wordplay and land pirates.

The League of Beastly Dreadfuls

The League of Beastly Dreadfuls (eBook)

Anastasia is sent to live with her nasty Great-Aunts after her parents perish in an unfortunate vacuum cleaner accident. Readers will really enjoy watching a resourceful child confound evil grownups.

A Tale Dark & Grimm

A Tale Dark & Grimm (eBook)

If you think the lives of the unfortunate Baudelaire orphans are dark, they've got nothing on the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm. Like Lemony Snicket, author Adam Gidwitz warns all readers away from the stories contained in the book - look away, my dears!