Top Ten Books I Wish Could Have Had Sequels

Tuesday, August 6, 2013



This week's Top Ten from The Broke and the Bookish asks for the Top Ten Books I wish could have had sequels. I listed a few that I wish had sequels and a few others that might make great prequels or parallel books.

1) Love’s Labor’s Lost: This Shakespeare play supposedly had a sequel, Love’s Labor’s Won, but no one has ever seen it. I wish we could discover it!

2) Motherless Brooklyn: I would love to read more stories featuring Lionel Essrog, the private eye with Tourette's syndrome. He was a hilarious narrator and provided a fresh voice to the classic detective story.

3) Neverwhere: Adventures in a world beneath London, I love it! Richard Mayhew is a regular guy who ends up in a dangerous sideways world. I feel like there are so many more strange characters we could meet in that world.

4) A Dirty Job: I recently read this hilarious account of a reluctant grim reaper and his daughter. I think it’s ripe for a sequel about that daughter and her loyal hell hounds.

5) The Night Circus: I think that Celia and Marco’s story is complete, but I would love a sequel about the twins, Poppet and Widget and their time with the Le Cirque des Reves.

6) Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day: Maybe Miss Pettigrew Takes a Trip or Miss Pettigrew Gets Lost; the character is delightful and the possibilities are endless!

7) I Capture the Castle: I think Cassadra’s stepmother Topaz and her sister Rose are interesting characters and would love to read a parallel novel telling the story from their points-of-view.

8) The Red Tent: I don't want a sequel exactly, but a series of similar books. This one retells a biblical tale from the woman's point of view. It was so good and I think there are lots of other stories in the Bible that would be fascinating from the woman's perspective, Jezebel perhaps, or maybe Bathsheba. Francine Rivers has done something similar, but her Lineage of Grace series lacks the depth of The Red Tent.

9) Rebecca: I would definitely read a well-done prequel telling Rebecca’s side of the story.

10) Harry Potter: I wish Rowling would write a prequel about when Lily, Sirius, James and Remus were at school together. I would love that!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would've loved a Rebecca Prequel! As for The Night Circus, I wished the entire book had been about Poppet and Widget. So, I might pick up a book about them even though I didn't like the original novel. It's an interesting question this week, and one that I'm thinking about in a slightly different vein in light of one of my favorite author's estate's opening the door to commercialized fan fiction through Kindle Worlds. Fan fiction isn't the same as a sequel by the original author, but it if done well (and encouraged through royalties), it might satisfy my curiosity.

Nikki Steele @ BookPairing.com said...

I adore the Red Tent. It would definitely be amazing to read more in that line. I did read The Dovekeepers about the sacking of Masada told from the women's point of view and it was very similar and just as amazing. Maybe check that one out?

Also, did you see the Doctor Who about Love's Labor Won? Hilarious.

Sandy Nawrot said...

I haven't read many of these, but I would wholeheartedly scream yes to a Rebecca sequel! Normally I think I'm better off with my imagination than a sequel but that one could use it.

Melissa @ Confessions of an Avid Reader said...

I totally agree with your inclusion of HP -- I would absolutely love a prequel series! A Rebecca prequel would be great, too. More Miss Pettigrew novels would be fun.

Great choices!

Jillyn said...

I completely agree with your choice of Harry Potter. I'd love more from the wizarding world.

My TTT.

Sarah said...

A sequel to A Dirty Job would be so great! I loved that little girl and her hellhounds :)

Melissa (Avid Reader) said...

misfortuneofknowing - Fan fiction is in a whole different category. It can certainly be done well, but I can't help but wonder if that's what the author would have intended for the characters.

Nikki - Love that Doctor Who episode! I have read Dovekeepers and I think I was expecting something very similar to The Rent Tent. It just didn't work for me in the end.

Sandy - I feel like she would be such a great narrator!

Melissa - People have talked about wanting books dealing with HP's kids, but since Voldemort would be gone at that point, I think a prequel would be more interesting. I'd love to hear about the first Order of the Phoenix and Neville's parents.

Jillyn - I can't imagine anyone else writing about that world though, it would have to be Rowling.

Sarah - Those hellhounds were awesome!