Here’s a question for you: what do pumpkin spiced lattes, puppies, chocolate cupcakes, and books all have in common? Give up? OK, I’ll tell you. When it comes to PSLs, furry pups, cupcakes (of pretty much any flavor,) and books, more is ALWAYS better. Ergo, books with awesome sequels — the ones that invite you to spend even more time with your favorite characters, take you back to that setting you love, and answer all those questions that left you hanging in the first book — are, well, awesome.
If there’s one thing all book lovers know, it’s the anguish of having to wait (and in some cases wait, and wait, and wait) for the release of the next sequel in your favorite book series. Just ask any George R.R. Martin fan. And while we’re all familiar with series like Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Anne of Green Gables, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Baby-Sitters Club — aka: some of the most beloved book series of all time — there are tons of other amazing stories out there with cannot-miss sequels. Some you might not even know about.
Ready to while away your next extra-long weekend reading through one amazing book sequel after another? Here are 12 books with awesome sequelsthat keep all the literary goodness coming.
1. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
The novel that first introduced readers to Elena and Lila, best friends growing up on the rough streets of 1950s Naples, put Italian author Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Novels series on the international book stage, for sure. My Brilliant Friend, and the novel’s subsequent titles: The Story of a New Name,Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay, and The Story of the Lost Child, follow Elena and Lila from childhood and into their adult lives as their relationship evolves through starting families, moving away from home, professional successes and failures, and the different choices each of these best friends make throughout their lives.