Also paperbacks fit in small jiffybags which fit through your letterbox (well 99% of people's, not mine sadly), so you don't have to trek to the sorting office to collect your parcel.

I think I prefer the school stories (a world I'm more familiar with, maybe) but the others are well worth reading. Thuggery is somewhat different - perhaps more interesting after reading the others and getting to know Patrick better (at which point people love or loathe him. I love him, myself).