Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Wish Had An Epilogue

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Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Previous Top Ten Tuesday Topics

How is it nearly half way through the year already? And I see a Summer TBR list post is coming up in the next couple of weeks: I’m not sure how many of my Winter or Spring TBR books I actually managed to read – let alone my new releases of 2022!

Anyway, this week’s topic is a challenging one: books I’d love an epilogue to. Now, prologues and epilogue are funny things and there are many readers and writers – especially writers’ groups online – who seem to despite a prologue or epilogue with a vengeance! I guess they argue that the text should be full and complete in and of itself… so it is a challenging topic. What I am looking for are books where I am invested in the characters, where – whilst the story is complete – I would love for a glimpse into their futures.

We are heading a little way into the past by the time we reach the end of this list, so apologies if the book as I remember it is not quite as accurate as it could be!

Sorrow and Bliss, Meg Mason

What would I like to learn from an epilogue?

Do Martha and Patrick manage to make a go of their love?

Is Martha able to manage her own – and her mother’s mental health?

Does Martha ever get to be a mum?

Mrs Caliban, Rachel Ingalls

What would I like to learn from an epilogue?

How does Dorothy manage the new grief of losing Larry the Frogman, regardless of his reality?

Does she manage to find her self?

One Last Stop, Casey McQuiston

What would I like to learn from an epilogue?

How does a time travelling sort-of ghost incarnate from the 1970s manage life in modern, contemporary New York?

This novel ended so upbeat as August found Jane that I’d love to see how their relationship developed. And I am sure it would be hilarious!

Small Pleasures, Clare Chambers

What would I like to learn from an epilogue?

How did Jean Swinney, who lost so much in the course of the novel, managed to survive and move on from the (rather abrupt) tragic ending?

Did she ever manage to find her own large pleasures?

Exciting Times, Naoise Dolan

What would I like to learn from an epilogue?

This novel ends – knowingly, I think – with almost the biggest cliche of them all: two lovers reunited and walking off together into the future.

How do Ava and Edith, who are so different and so in tune with each other, accomodate themselves?

And how do Ava’s school kids develop after her rather idiosyncratic teaching methods?

Pine, Francine Toon

What would I like to learn from an epilogue?

How on earth do Lauren and her father Niall recover from the events in this book?

How does the community recover?

Starve Acre, Andrew Michael Hurley

What would I like to learn from an epilogue?

The final image of this novel is one of the most haunting and terrifying images I have ever seen. A reincarnated and vicious hare, possibly inhabited by the soul of Juliette’s dead son, is seen suckling at Juliette.

Disturbing? I think so.

Who wouldn’t want to know what happened next as she and her husband Ewan struggle with their grief for their dead (and troubled, possibly haunted) son.

My Sister the Serial Killer, Oyinkan Braithwaite

What would I like to learn from an epilogue?

With a title like that, the big question is how the sisterly bond survives and develops as the sisters come to terms with the events in the novel – and Ayoola’s attempts on Korede’s man.

The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock, Imogen Hermes Gower

What would I like to learn from an epilogue?

The relationship between the terribly pedestrian Mr Hancock and the enchanting Angelica Neal was so intriguing in its own right, I would love to see where that goes in a couple of years time…

Throw in the effects of exposure to the second mermaid and theirs is a world that deserves a few extra pages.

Little Fires Everywhere, Celeste Ng

What would I like to learn from an epilogue?

More Mia Warren.

More photography and art.

Cuckoo Song, Frances Hardinge

What would I like to learn from an epilogue?

Another novel where the main character Triss-who-is-not-Triss literally rides off into the night on a motorbike with her dead brother’s ex-fiancee!

Actually, what I’d love is not so much an epilogue as a sequel: where do they go, wat other aspects of the fairy Underbelly are ripe for Frances Hardinge’s glorious imagination?

Upcoming Top Ten Tuesday Themes


June 21: Bookish Wishes (List the top 10 books you’d love to own and include a link to your wishlist so that people can grant your wish. Make sure you link your wishlist to your mailing address [here’s how to do it on Amazon] or include the email address associated with your ereader in the list description so people know how to get the book to you.)
June 28: Books On My Summer 2022 To-Read List
July 5: Most Anticipated Books Releasing In the Second Half of 2022
July 12: Book Covers That Feel Like Summer (Submitted by Ellie @ Curiosity Killed the Bookworm)
July 19: Freebie (Come up with your own topic!)
July 26: Books From My Past Seasonal TBR Posts I STILL Haven’t Read (Submitted by Dedra @ A Book Wanderer)

Published by The Book Lover's Sanctuary

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22 thoughts on “Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Wish Had An Epilogue”

  9. I generally like a little epilogue in books, especially if I’ve loved hanging out with the characters. I know there have been books I wish have a bit more, but I guess I wasn’t that ambitious (to look up with books I felt that way about). 🙂 Thanks so much for visiting Finding Wonderland on this week.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. I wasn’t entirely feeling this topic so I went with last week’s topic but I love your list and how you’ve formatted it! I totally agree, I would’ve loved to get an epilogue for Braithwaite’s book because that had such an open ending 😂

    Liked by 1 person

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