Hello and welcome back to another instalment of Top 10 Tuesday, hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. It features a different bookish related theme each week and this week we are talking…..
21st Century Books I Think Will Become Classics
Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
I love this book! It was one of my favourite reads of this decade for sure and I think it has a great chance to become a classic, especially if the movie does well and further cements it. It’s been on the bestseller lists for years now, pretty much without break.
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
I thought this whole series was wonderful but I really loved the first book. I think these are accessible for a lot of readers and it’s just a riveting story. There’s also a television adaptation but I haven’t seen that yet.
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
I haven’t read this yet but I do own it. I’ve heard a lot of amazing things about it, it won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and was long listed for a Booker. It twists history into speculative fiction by making the Underground Railroad an actual railroad and I feel like this just might carry forward for a long time as an important book.
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Is it even Top 10 Tuesday if I don’t have this book on the list? Once again, I still haven’t read this, I’ve had it on my TBR for what feels like decades now and I added it to my 22 in 2022 pile, determined that this be the year. I know this is deeply traumatising but everyone still says it’s so good.
Beloved by Toni Morrison
I think this book will definitely achieve classic status in years to come.
The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
I read this a few years ago and I was well above the age it was aimed at but I still really enjoyed it and found it a very powerful story. It’s definitely the sort of book I wish had been around more when I was in my teens and going through those formative years and it’s the sort of book I hope my kids read. I definitely think it has the ability to stay relevant and stay something that people really connect with.
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
I wasn’t sure whether to include this one (which I haven’t read) or The Secret History (which I have). Ultimately I went with this one because of its long list of accolades and although that doesn’t necessarily make a good book it does tend to keep them on people’s radars and on study lists and bestseller lists, all things that could definitely push this one into classic territory in years to come.
Suite Française by Irène Némirovsky
This is a tragic story – this book was written by a woman born in Ukraine, who was living in Paris in WWII. She was also Jewish and she was arrested and sent to Auschwitz before her intended five part novel was finished. This is parts 1 and 2, published posthumously decades after her death in the concentration camp. This has been on my TBR for years.
The Last Migration (aka Migrations) by Charlotte McConaghy
One of my favourite books ever that I’ve read in recent times, so I certainly hope this becomes a classic. I think it’s an incredible book (and it’s being made into a movie too, which has the power to seriously push it in a big way, if it’s done right).
The Sympathiser by Viet Thang Nguyen
This has also been on my TBR for quite a while – I’ve heard so many incredible things about it. I’ve actually read a book of short stories collated by this author on refugees and that was incredible. I’m really keen to read this – it’s set in Vietnam in the 1970s and a Viet Cong sympathiser who is watching and reporting on people who are planning to flee the country.
To be honest I think it’s pretty hard to predict books that might become classics in the future. But these are some that I think could definitely get there, even though some of these here I haven’t actually read yet! I should keep this list to reflect back on one day, when I’m old & grey and see if any of my predictions panned out!
All The Books I Can Read 
Where The Crawdads Sing is such a good book!
It is absolutely one of my faves. I hope the movie does it justice (I am so picky when movies are made from my favourite books!)
Fantastic list and I agree with so many of these: Whitehead, Morriston… interesting to see the others that you include too that I’ve not come across yet!
This is my list of possible classics of the future – there are so many others too!
I think this is a fun one but a tough one because there’s really no way of knowing! Just gotta go with the books we think should or will (there are definitely some that will become classics that I know I won’t agree with haha).
I have The Goldfinch also. I am a super fan of that book but didn’t really like the movie. My TTT list of books I hope will become classics
I put The Goldfinch on my 22 in 2022 pile so I’m hoping that I get to it this year. I did really enjoy The Secret History.
I also have Where the Crawdads sing and I think it will be a strong contestant for today’s TTT. A Little Life was a strong read and might stand the test of time too.
Happy TTT!
Elza Reads
I really need to get to A Little Life, it’s just the trauma is so daunting haha.
Some interesting books here. I haven’t read any of them but they do look good. It was hard trying to find something that would become a classic wasn’t it?! I like the idea of looking back on it in the future to see whether any became classics.
Happy TTT!
Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog
My TTT post: https://budgettalesblog.wordpress.com/2022/03/29/top-10-tuesday-22/
It think it’s very hard to predict! I chose some books I loved that I hope will and some that I haven’t read yet that I think might, based on what I’ve heard. But I feel like it’s also so random, what ends up standing the test of time.
It really is random! And I think luck as well. Right time right place.
I haven’t heard of a few of these, so I must try and do so.
My TTT
https://seriesbooklover.wordpress.com/2022/03/29/top-ten-tuesday-21st-century-books-i-think-will-become-classics/
Hopefully you find something you love!
I can’t believe I didn’t think of The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, it’s a favourite of mine! You’re definitely correct about Where The Crawdads Sing, with the movie coming out soon it’s all I’ve been seeing for the last week.
The Perks of Being A Wallflower is so good, I hope it ends up being the sort of book kids read for school. And Crawdads has already managed to stay very relevant in terms of sales and stuff so far, I think the movie will contribute a lot to that too
I had A Little Life on my list too, although I haven’t read it. Beloved and The Underground Railway are great choices.
Yeah I definitely included some I hadn’t read but think are possibilities based on buzz and things I’ve seen others say!
Same here although it has me think I really should readcsome of them…
So many of these are still on my TBR but I’ve heard lots of good things about them. I’m particularly keen on reading My Brilliant Friend and The Underground Railroad at some point this year. Whitehead’s The Nickel Boys made it onto my list today!
I think that Whitehead is probably the sort of author that will have multiple books seen to be classics, in years to come!
Beloved is an excellent choice.
My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-21st-century-books-i-think-will-become-classics/
I just need to actually read it now!
Fantastic list. Here is my post-https://paigesofnovels.wordpress.com/2022/03/29/top-ten-tuesday-21st-century-books-i-think-will-become-classics/.
Thanks for visiting!
Perks of Being A Wallflower definitely seems like something that could be taught in schools in the future! I enjoyed that one a lot more than Lord of The Flies, one of the books we actually had to read for our English GCSE.
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2022/03/29/top-ten-tuesday-361/
I do wonder if the kids of the future will regard books like The Perks of Being A Wallflower the same way we regarded the books we had to read from “year ago” for our school years!
I mean probably, from my experience of school, my English teachers did nothing to foster a love of reading in us, it was all just about learning for the exam.
Yes and a huge emphasis on over-analysing the text. Trying to imbibe deeper meaning or multiple meanings into every scene and sentence and to me, that definitely kills enjoyment of books. Just let them read and react to it, rather than trying to force on them everything the author may or may not have intended.
Ah yes, I totally agree! I got so tired of my English teacher trying to get to us to find metaphors and symbolism in the text. Sometimes a pig is just a pig!
Migrations is high up on my TBR, but sadly not available at our libraries yet. It sometimes takes a while for books to travel our way. I did read Where The Crawdads Sing though and even though about adding it to my own Classics List today. It was a good read, but I recently understood the writer is a bit controversial.
Hopefully it becomes available for you soon, it’s such a wonderful book! And yes, I think the Crawdads writer is a bit controversial from her and her husband’s time in Africa – but authors like JK Rowling are still very popular so there will always be people that separate the author’s controversial behaviour from their work, I guess!
I have not read Where the Crawdads Sing but it is one I plan to read this year. I have also seen it on several lists today. My post: https://cindysbookcorner.blogspot.com/2022/03/top-ten-tuesday-books-i-think-could-be.html
It was just one of those books that really resonated with me. I do hope you enjoy it
Great list! I still need to read Crawdads but hoping to get to it soon! I loved Perks of Being a Wallflower.
My Top Ten!
Hope you love Crawdads as much as I did!
Thank you!
I’ve only read one of these, but I know enough about the rest of them to agree with your selections. Great list!
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
Thank you Susan!
I’ve read most of these! I forgot about The Perks Of Being A Wallflower. I think that book will stick around for a long time.
I hope so, I think it’s a great book for teens to experience
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