6 Oprah's Book Club Picks That Have Sequels And Companion Novels

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This article contains a spoiler for "The Deep End of the Ocean" by Jacquelyn Mitchard

In February 2026, we got to introduce you to some of Reese's Book Club picks that have sequels and companion novels worth adding to your TBR. It's clear that readers enjoy discovering stories that extend beyond one book, so this time around, we thought we'd tackle Oprah's Book Club. These selections have sequels and companion novels that revisit beloved characters, extend the story's universe, and return to familiar themes and settings years and even decades later.

Since its launch in 1996, Oprah's Book Club has been known for spotlighting stories that stay with readers long after the book ends. Readers are often left wondering what happens next in those literary worlds and to the characters they came to connect with. More than once, authors have seemingly felt the same pull as readers, and returned to their stories, or the literary universes they created, revisiting familiar characters and exploring questions that develop further beyond the original ending.

From the sequel of Oprah's first ever book club pick that takes place more than two decades after the first book, to a memoir that reexamines similar relationship questions at a vastly different stage of the author's life, there are several Oprah's Book Club picks that will invite readers back into familiar stories they once thought were complete.

If you loved Oprah's Book Club's 118th pick, "All the Way to the River" by Elizabeth Gilbert, which was the 6th best pick of Oprah's Book Club in 2025, Gilbert's 2010 memoir, "Committed," explores many of the same questions about the give-and-take often expected in romantic partnerships. But don't worry, it's not a repeat of the same ideas. Instead, the earlier memoir feels like the groundwork, with Gilbert examining the concept of marriage through extensive research, personal reflection, and an honest look at what relationships ask of people.

"Committed" picks up where Gilbert's most popular book, "Eat, Pray, Love," left off. Her relationship with Felipe, whom she met and fell in love with in Bali, is facing the pressures of the real world as immigration complications prompt the couple to reconsider their views on marriage and what it might take to make the relationship work.

Many readers appreciated the 2010 memoir, as it gave them a place to start thinking more critically and intentionally about marriage and long-term relationships. An Amazon reviewer gave the book five stars and said, "This book ignited numerous conversations between me and my fiancé ... We talked about what marriage meant to different people, and how it varied depending on a person's culture and value system." So, if you were deeply drawn in and found yourself relating to the relationship questions at the heart of "All the Way to the River," you'll definitely want to add "Committed" to your TBR. 

Oprah's Book Club selected Marilynne Robinson's "Home" as its 89th pick. The book is the second in the Gilead series, and if you were moved by the Boughton family story in it, "Lila," the third book of the series, should be added to your TBR. It'll transport you back to Gilead, but this time, you'll be offered a more intimate lens on the relationships and questions of belonging that shape the town's spiritual life.

As Oprah introduced "Home," she made it clear she was a fan of the series as a whole. She wrote, "The more closely I read them, the more I find to appreciate, and the more they show the way in seeing the beauty in the ordinary." The third book of the series follows a woman with a difficult past as she navigates the meaning of belonging, faith, and love in Gilead.

More than 50% of 7,000+ Amazon reviewers gave the book five stars and one of them was excited to read "Lila" as "Gilead" and "Home" were some of their favorite reads. They added, "I do not have a religious bone in my body, but I find myself returning to Gilead again and again just to read Reverend Ames' thoughts on the world."

Elizabeth Strout's "Olive, Again," which was Oprah's Book Club's 82nd pick, likely left you either wanting more time with Olive Kitteridge or closing the book still unsure what to make of her. Either reaction is understandable, because Olive's bluntness, vulnerability, and sometimes unexpected kindness make her hard to forget. Whichever side you're on, "Olive Kitteridge," which was awarded the 2009 Pulitzer Prize, deserves a spot on your TBR, as this is the novel that introduced the character and brought her to life. You'll be able to understand Olive's life and the moments that shaped the way she thinks and interacts with the people around her.

The novel is told through interconnected stories, and follows Olive Kitteridge, a retired teacher who is deeply insightful but also seriously blunt, living in a small town in Maine. The more you read, the more you'll come to understand how Olive's pricklier side formed, along with the vulnerabilities and unspoken loneliness that shapes her life and relationships.

When it comes to "Olive Kitteridge," reader responses are often divided. Many describe Olive as not traditionally likable, yet find her to be relatable. A five-star Amazon reviewer said that the book captures the feeling of everyday life unfolding around a character who can be frustrating and deeply human at the same time. Another reviewer wrote, "Olive is the human condition; not all good and not all bad, not all beautiful and not all ugly. She is all of us. This is not a book of cliffhangers and suspense. It's a book of everyday life and everyday people. It's a gem!"

If you've been keeping up with Oprah's Book Club since the 2000s, you might remember "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" by David Wroblewski as one of the selections that lingered for its touching premise and layered emotion. If the story warmed your heart, Wroblewski's "Familiaris," which was introduced as the club's 106th pick in 2024, returns to the same world centered on familial love and the special bond between dogs and humans. This time, the clock is turned back and it's an opportunity for readers to explore how the Sawtelle family and their farm came to be.

An Amazon reviewer gave "Familiaris" five stars and noted, "Such incredible emotion in every character, and every dog. Beautiful character development, decades of intense experiences and friendships, a very rich and consuming story. You can read 'Edgar Sawtelle' first, as most of us did, and enjoy the prequel just as much, if not more."

If you haven't read "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle," you can begin with "Familiaris" to explore and understand the history of the Sawtelle family and the foundations of the world readers later encounter in the original novel. In fact, either novel could easily be read as a standalone, with the companion adding more in-depth context.

The very first book introduced by Oprah's Book Club in September of 1996 was "The Deep End of the Ocean" by Jacquelyn Mitchard. The novel told the story of a family left forever altered after their youngest son's disappearance. Mitchard portrayed the ripple effects of loss, uncertainty, and the will to move forward.

"No Time to Wave Goodbye" returns to the Cappadora family more than two decades later. With their son's return long behind them, the novel explores how that reunion reshaped each member of the family and how the emotional aftermath continues to surface as the Cappadora children become adults and live their own lives. While many readers sought out the sequel out of loyalty to the first novel, the response was more divided. As with many sequels, some readers appreciated the continuation, and others felt the return carried expectations that simply weren't met.

A Goodreads reviewer gave the book three stars, as they felt the sequel's tone differed so much from the original, and described it as an attempt to revisit the family's earlier emotional depth without fully capturing the same impact. On the other hand, a five-star reviewer wrote, "It has been a decade since I read ['The Deep End of the Ocean'], but the characters rematerialized in ['No Time to Wave Goodbye'] with consistency and every flaw intact." They also felt the sequel did a great job showing how the characters cope and protect themselves after trauma. 

Readers met Eilis Lacey, who had left her home in Ireland behind to begin a new life abroad in the United States, when Oprah's Book Club introduced "Brooklyn" by Colm Tóibín as their 106th pick. The story struck a chord with many readers as it explored the life of an immigrant, identity, love, and what it means to build a new home far away from the only one you once knew.

If you were left wondering how Eilis continued on with life in New York, "Long Island" will have all of the answers you've been seeking. Tóibín picks up the story two decades later and Eilis is now in her 40s, married, and a mother to two teenage children. In "Long Island," Eilis' marriage becomes complicated by an unforeseen situation, and she returns to Ireland to confront choices she believed were final.

While this was another sequel that drew mixed reactions from readers, there were countless readers who thought the sequel was more compelling than the first book. A reviewer wrote, "['Brooklyn'], the novel, is short, understated — in fact, it wasn't until the end that I appreciated it fully. But 'Long Island?' Not just the best of the two books, but a deeply felt surprise. I went into this not expecting much; in fact, I thought it would be a strained sequel. Wow, was I ever wrong! ['Long Island'] will make my top ten of the year."