Tuesday, July 14, 2026

books deserving a sequel









Holley, here!  I'm always skeptical of sequels, a little scared even.  If I loved it, will the new work live up to my expectations?!  Kirkus book review magazine just put out this excellent list, many of which I've seen on other best-of lists.  My personal recommendation is for the Tasha Suri book mentioned here.  Suri OBVIOUSLY loves libraries and storytelling, and it comes through loud and clear in this thrilling sapphic fantasy! 

The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai

A spellbinding story of two young people whose fates intersect and diverge across continents and years—an epic of love and family, India and America, tradition and modernity, by the Booker Prize–winning author of The Inheritance of Loss

Heart the Lover by Lily King

From the New York Times bestselling author of Writers & Lovers comes a magnificent and intimate new novel of desire, friendship, and the lasting impact of first love

These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean

A smart and tender story about the transformative power of grief, love, and family, this luscious novel explores past secrets, present truths, and futures forged in the wake of wild summer storms.

The Isle in the Silver Sea by Tasha Suri

In an England fuelled by stories, the knight and the witch are fated to fall in love and doom each other over and over, the same tale retold over hundreds of lifetimes. Simran is a witch of the woods. Vina is a knight of the Queen’s court. To survive, the two will need to write a story stronger than the one that fate has given to them.

The Fox Hunt by Caitlin Breeze

Dive into the dark underbelly of England’s most ancient university, where behind closed doors a circle of privileged students enter into a dark pagan ritual—one that holds tantalizing power and comes at a terrible price.​

Die For Me by Shirlene Obuobi

A stay-up-all-night, smart, spicy romance following a doctor who finds herself falling for an alluring, much-younger man with a deadly secret.

The Radiant Dark by Alexandra Oliva

In the wake of First Contact, one mother upends her life and her children’s futures, as humanity reckons with its place in the universe.

Whistler by Ann Patchett

The acclaimed, prize-winning #1 New York Times bestselling writer returns with a moving, luminous novel that reminds us of the sweetness and impermanence of life and the power of connection to defy time.

Hyper by Agri Ismail

Equal parts heartfelt family story and razor-sharp satire, Hyper is an ambitious, thrilling articulation of life in the twenty-first century, marking debut author Agri Ismaïl as one of the most perceptive and exciting new voices in contemporary literature.

The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer

Come along with the Book Witch in this magical and inspiring love letter to reading from the USA Today bestselling author of The Wishing Game.

Stay For a Spell by Amy Coombe

A cursed princess must discover what her heart truly longs for in this charmingly cozy romantic fantasy for everyone who’s ever lost – or found – themselves in a bookshop.

John of John by Douglas Stuart

From the Booker Prize-winning and New York Times bestselling author of Shuggie Bain and Young Mungo comes a vivid, moving novel following a young man returning to his Hebridean island home, a portrait of a father’s expectations and a son’s desires

My Grandfather, the Master Detective by Masateru Konishi

A Japanese The Thursday Murder Club, taking healing fiction for a mystery-filled spin with this bestseller that has sold more than 200,000 copies in Japan.

Blunt Instrument by Amy Bloom

A failed professor solves a murder on campus in this new whodunit.

The Arcadian by Steven Pressfield

The best-selling author of Gates of Fire and A Man at Arms presents a gripping, genre-bending story of a mercenary in late medieval Spain and the eternal costs of violence.

Photo by Craig Cameron on Unsplash

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-lists/15-books-deserve-sequel

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