Top 10 Characters (or Books or Series) That You'd Like To Check In With...and say "What's Up??"

This is a weekly event hosted by The Broke and The Bookish where bloggers relate their "top ten" of a certain topic.  This week's topic - Top 10 Characters You'd Like To Check In With - meaning, you read the book or the series and it's over, you loved the characters, and you're thinking back and wondering...what happened next and what would their lives look like if you were to "take a peek" years later.  We all have characters that we love or like a lot or love to hate or whatnot.  Sometimes the story ends and you'd really like an update.  And what came next?  And next?  Because perhaps you'd think - "ah, I knew it!!!" - or perhaps you'd yell - "no possible way!!!".  Well, here's a list of characters or books or series that I'd love to invite to a "character" reunion.

1. Harry Potter and everyone in his world - OK, I don't know about you, but this would be my top wish if I had wishes.  Yes, yes, I know that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows has an epilogue chapter.  I also know that J. K. Rowling wrote that chapter very early on and knew exactly where her characters were heading.  But, seriously, I want to know what happened in between.  And what happened after that.  It's not too much to ask, right?

2. The Stand by Stephen King - Post apocalyptic world after the ultimate battle of good and evil prefaced by the flu pandemic which strips the world of most of the people.  I want to know what happens to the ones that were left at the end of the book.  I shouldn't name them in case you haven't read it, but I loved those characters.  So, what happened next??

3. Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomvist from The Girl With Dragon Tattoo trilogy - Amazingly enough, right before I wrote this post, it was announced that another author, David Lagercrantz, will take on Stieg Larsson's characters and continue the story of uber-hacker Lisbeth and investigative journalist Mikael.  Not sure how it will turn out, but I do know I'll try the new book, The Girl in the Spider's Web.  To be published in the fall.

4. Elinor Dashwood from Sense and Sensibility - This is my favorite Jane Austen book.  I've loved reading it, more than once.  I loved the film adaptation written by Emma Thompson, who also played Elinor.  I'd like to know what happened next for Elinor and her husband and extended family.  I have great sympathy for Elinor, who had a lot to contend with - her mother and sisters and friends and frenemies.

5. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows - I loved this epistolary book.  Loved it.  The time period, Juliet and all the marvelous characters, the method of telling the story (have I said that I love epistolary fiction?).  I'd love to go back to Guernsey years later and see what has happened to all the wonderful people that populated this book.  If you haven't read this one, please, read it!  It's just lovely.

6. Alice's family from Still Alice by Lisa Genova - I'd love to check in on Alice's family - her children and grandchildren - and find out how they are.  I know what life would have been like for Alice and indeed for her loved ones in the years after the book.  That's not the time period I mean.  I'd like to visit in 15 years or 20 years.  Talk with them.  Hug them.  Say that I understand how much they miss Alice.  I miss my parents too.

7. Nora Roberts' Three Sisters Island Trilogy and the characters she created that populate that most favorite series of mine - The three woman (witches by birth) of Three Sisters Island - Nell, Ripley and Mia, the men they love, and the people that live in their world.  I've read this trilogy many times and always enjoy it.  I have a fondness for books and TV series about witches and I'd love to see the next generation of witches on Three Sisters.  Hey Nora - hear me??

8. The Lily Bard mystery series by Charlaine Harris - Yes, that Charlaine Harris, who also wrote about Sookie Stackhouse.  She wrote about other characters first.  And I really like Lily Bard, a house cleaner, karate expert, and reluctant sleuth.  There were 5 books in this series, set in Shakespeare, Arkansas.  The first was Shakespeare's Landlord.  Lily had a lot of secrets and had suffered a lot of trauma in her life.  I'd love to know how she is doing since the last book, Shakespeare's Counselor was published in 2001.

9. The Bo Bradley mystery series by Abigail Padgett - There were 5 books in this series, beginning with Child of Silence.  Bo Bradley was an abuse investigator for the San Diego Juvenile Court System.  She saw and ferreted out some awful things, while trying to keep her own bipolar illness under control.  Bo's character was insightful and tenacious, but she often pushed herself beyond her limits.  I'd love to know how she is doing.  The last book, The Dollmaker's Daughters, was published in 1997.

10. The Benni Harper mystery series by Earlene Fowler - I'm not sure if this series is at an end, but I'm afraid it might be.  There have been 15 books published relating the adventures of Albenia "Benni" Harper, who is the director of a folk art museum in San Celina, California.  She's married to Police Chief Gabe Ortiz and has many family members and friends in the small town.  All the titles of the books are quilting patterns and that craft is included in the books.  The first book is Fool's Puzzle and the latest, Spider Web, was published in 2011.  Come back, Benni!  Come back!!

I could probably think of a bunch of other characters that I'd like to include, but I will end my list at 10.  What characters would you like to visit again??  I'd love to know.  Give me the scoop.