Series vs. Stand Alone

The continuation of a story vs. the quick wrap-up of a novel. Reading a series for me is far more satisfying than a stand alone book because I know what to read when I'm done with the book I'm reading. You also don't just know what you want to read next, you know what you need to read next. Once you finish that book in the series you will want to read the next one, even if it's the last in the series. Reading a series gives you so much more excitement and hope for the story line than just one book because at the end of that book there is usually a massive cliff hanger leaving you on the edge of your seat, wanting more. With a stand alone book you don't have anything to look forward to, just the boring "happy" ending of the book. If you love a particular author, reading a series is very good for that because you get to experience more of their writing.
With a stand alone book you get a nice, neatly wrapped-up story at the end of your book. With a series, the next book could just get worse, slowly deteriorating that writing you loved so much. You will never be bored with a stand alone book because you are always moving on to a new story. A singular book will tend to be longer than a book in a series. This is because those other authors are trying to give you a run for your money by making their books smaller so that you have to buy or check out more of them. Either way there are pros and cons to both styles of books depending on your preference. My preference is a series because for me I get more out of the experience.