Top Ten Tuesday: Completed Series I Wish Had More Books


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

A photo of a purple stage curtain pulled back to reveal a blue, shadowy wall. The text “to be continued” is printed in white over the curtain and the wall. I struggled with this week’s topic. As I mentioned back in June, I think many modern books have too many sequels instead of not enough of them.

Here are a few series that break that rule of mine. There is still plenty of room for character development in them if only their authors had written one more book.

Do note that there are some mild spoilers included in my post.

As most of them were written years ago, I hope it’s safe to assume that everyone who still wants to remain unspoiled about their plot twists has had ample opportunity to read them.

If that isn’t the case for you, please feel free to avoid the sentences that explain why I think these series might benefit from one more instalment each.

1. The Mists of Avalon (Avalon, #1) by Marion Zimmer Bradley

Why I Want a Sequel to This Series: I’d like to see how the gods in this universe respond to contemporary society. Would they become more visibly active here? Would they completely retreat from us?

 

2. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia, #1) by C.S. Lewis

Why I Want a Sequel to This Series: Susan’s storyline needs to be resolved once and for all. I loved so many things about this series, but I hated the way she was treated in the final book. She deserved better.

 

3. The Handmaid’s Tale (The Handmaid’s Tale, #1) by Margaret Atwood

Why I Want a Sequel to This Series: Don’t get me wrong. I was thrilled to finally have a sequel to this book and get a good resolution to Offred’s story. If this were to become a trilogy, I’d want the third and final instalment to focus on the society that formed after Gilead was destroyed. There were tantalizing hints in The Handmaid’s Tale and The Testaments that future generations had either not learned their lesson from this terrible period or had never quite understood the gravity of what happened. I’d love to dive into their world more deeply and see if they’d made the necessary changes to ensure that no one would ever be harmed the way Offred and the people she knew were harmed again.

 

4. Calvin and Hobbes (Calvin and Hobbes #1) by Bill Watterson

Why I Want a Sequel to This Series: In 2011, someone wrote a one-off comic strip about Calvin’s experiences as the father of a daughter who was just as mischievous as he was when he was a child. I would love it if either Bill Watterson or someone he approved of were to pick this up again and give little Bacon years of adventures in our modern era. Wouldn’t that be amazing?

 

62 Comments

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62 Responses to Top Ten Tuesday: Completed Series I Wish Had More Books

  1. I agree with you that some books don’t need sequels. The Handmaid’s Tale is one of them. While I read other books by Margaret Atwood, I cannot bring myself to reading a follow-up to Offred’s story. I was probabyl far too moved by it, I don’t know.

    With Calvin, however, I would love to see him as the father with a son just as brilliant as himself.

    Thanks for visiting my TTT this week.

  2. I do miss Calvin & Hobbes and all their adventures.

  3. I’d like a sequel to The Mists of Avalon too. I thought The Handmaid’s Tale was excellent, but I just can’t bring myself to read The Testaments.

  4. Great choices! I’d love to get more resolution on Gilead too (although my thoughts on the books — which I love — have gotten somewhat muddied by the TV version). A follow-up to The Mists of Avalon would be interesting!

  5. I want to read The Narnia books. We bought the collection for my son for when he is older!

    I struggled this week as I don’t read a lot of series so I had to add some standalones.

    Have a great week!

    Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog
    My post:
    https://budgettalesblog.wordpress.com/2022/08/23/top-ten-tuesday-completed-series-i-wish-had-more-books/

  6. Calvin and Hobbes really was great. I’d definitely read more of that!

  7. I would love more of Handmaid’s Tale.

  8. I agree with a third book for The Handmaid’s Tale. There were definite hints about Gilead going down so it would be interesting how that society would fare afterward.

  9. I lovelovelove Calvin and Hobbes.

    Thanks for checking out my Top Ten Tuesday list.

  10. Great list, Lydia! I loved The Handmaid’s Tale and was very excited for The Testaments, but I started hearing so many mixed things about it that it kind of put me off reading it… I still have it on my TBR but I don’t think I’ll be getting to it very soon!

  11. Oh my, yes! I would love to see a full story about Susan Pevensie after the events of The Last Battle. She was done so wrong in that book.

    I would also love more Calvin & Hobbes, though I hadn’t seen that one-off you mentioned. I think I need to look for it.

    My TTT: https://bookwyrmknits.com/2022/08/23/top-ten-tuesday-completed-series-i-wish-had-more-books/

  12. Good point. A lot of series go on way more than they should. Sometimes storylines are just finished and dragging them out makes them worse not better. Totally agree.

    Happy TTT!

    Susan
    http://www.blogginboutbooks.com

  13. I agree with all these. Especially Calvin and Hobbs!

  14. There are a lot of authors write spin-off to classic books so maybe someone can continue the story of Susan in Chronicles of Narnia.

  15. Jo

    I never finished the Narnia books but I know enough about Susan’s ending to know that she definitely deserved better!

  16. Very nice spin on this week’s prompt. I definitely would love more Handmaid’s Tale books and witness the fall of Gilead…
    Here is my TTT: https://herseriallife.com/top-10-completed-series-i-wish-had-more-books/
    Have a good week 😉

  17. Awe!! I loved Calvin and Hobbes! So cool that you included them.

  18. I agree not all books need to be series and I love a good standalone! More Calvin and Hobbes would be awesome. I know my son would love more Garfield 🙂 Thanks for stopping by my blog earlier.

  19. That’s a really interesting outlook on series length in the modern day! I never quite got around to finishing Narnia, either…

  20. Great list! I thought The Handmaid’s Tale was brilliantly done, but still haven’t gotten around to reading The Testaments for some reason.

  21. I love all your ideas for one more sequel, especially for Calvin and Hobbes.

    As for another book in The Handmaid’s Tale, I think/hope it will have a different outcome. My reason for a different outcome is the women of Kansas, a deeply red state, recently showed they will do whatever it takes to keep their autonomy.

  22. I would definitely be interested in reading a third book for The Handmaid’s Tale if it follows your idea.

  23. I love your list! And I’d be glad to see more of any of those books. The Mists of Avalon was wonderful. Calvin and Hobbes is a treasure. I’d read more in The Handmaid’s Tale. And you can’t go wrong with C. S. Lewis.

    Thanks for stopping by my blog!

  24. I need to get caught up on The Mists of Avalon series – and I really like your idea. 🙂

    Check out my TTT

  25. Great list! I have never read The Chronicles of Narnia series, which is a shame. I’ve watched the movies, but should really read the books. Bacon adventures sound like they would be a blast.

    Thanks for sharing and for visiting my blog today.

  26. I completely agree about books tending to have too much instead of too little nowadays. I find it interesting you mentioned the Narnia books in regards to Susan. I haven’t read the full series but I am aware of the ending and the details of Susan’s storyline and I’ve always thought it was an interesting choice of ending. I feel like the series would have hit a lot differently had Susan gone with the others, so in a way I think the ending it has is rather fitting. That said, it does make me wonder how the rest of Susan’s life turned out.

  27. More Calvin and Hobbes would be so much fun!

  28. YAAAAAAS! I AGREE A THOUSAND TIMES ABOUT SUSAN! D: </3

  29. Uh-oh! Poor Susan… I haven’t finished the Narnia books yet, but did love those I read. Makes me sad any of these characters don’t get a solid ending. These four siblings, flaws and all, are some of my favorite fictional characters. Thanks so much for visiting Finding Wonderland this week, Lydia. 🙂

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