The months are whizzing by, bringing readers ever closer to getting their hands on a new book in Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events. For diehard fans who can't bear the wait until September when Book The Eleventh: The Grim Grotto will appear we're helping to pass the time with a recap of the first 10 books in this wonderfully original and wildly popular series.

Just how popular is Lemony Snicket? Books from the series recently held seven of the 10 slots on the New York Times bestseller list for children's chapter books. Despite Mr. Snicket's dire warnings that his books are "extremely unpleasant," more than 18 million readers worldwide have been daring enough to jump on Lemony's bandwagon. If you'd like to join the fun (or should we say the misery and woe?) of reading about the Baudelaire orphans, connect with our countdown and sample all the books in this special series.

This month, we're focusing on Book the Fourth: The Miserable Mill and Book the Fifth: The Austere Academy, where Lemony (aka Daniel Handler) really hits his stride. As Book Four opens, Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire are on the move once again, this time to the town of Paltryville, deep in the Finite Forest. The orphans are put to work in the Lucky Smells lumber mill and, as always, must fend off the evil Count Olaf, who is frighteningly eager to get his hands on their vast inheritance. In The Austere Academy, the Baudelaires are shipped off to Prufrock Prep School, where they befriend fellow orphans Duncan and Isadora Quagmire. Unfortunately, Count Olaf (disguised as the school's coach) has plans for this unlucky duo and it doesn't involve playing kickball.

Join us next month as the Lemony countdown continues!