So, we’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.
This week’s prompt is: 21st Century Books I Think Will Become Classics (Submitted by Lisa of Hopewell)
I found this week’s prompt to be a toughie and I wasn’t entirely jamming with it because I don’t tend to read a lot of classics, but I was also too tired to find a new topic to do, so I decided to dive in and see what I could come up with! I changed the wording of the prompt slightly because I’m not confident at all in my ability to discern which books will become classics but I feel like maybe these books have potential? For starters, I needed to refresh my memory of what makes a classic.
A classic usually expresses some artistic quality—an expression of life, truth, and beauty. A classic stands the test of time. The work is usually considered to be a representation of the period in which it was written, and the work merits lasting recognition. A classic has a certain universal appeal. Great works of literature touch us to our very core beings—partly because they integrate themes that are understood by readers from a wide range of backgrounds and levels of experience. Themes of love, hate, death, life, and faith touch upon some of our most basic emotional responses. A classic makes connections.
ThoughtCo.
With this definition in mind, I managed to come up with a list of books that I think fit the bill— plus, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all of these books and not only have they left a strong impression on me but they’re ones that I frequently recommend to others! I know many people would disagree with at least one of these for sure 😂 Without further ado, let’s get right to it…
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng – my review
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune – my review
Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam – my review
Normal People by Sally Rooney – my review
A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult – my review
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi – my review
Nevermoor Series by Jessica Townsend – my review
Have you read any of these books? Do you think any of them could become classics? What 21st century books made it onto your ‘classics’ list?
dinipandareads 
Haha I edited this topic to classics I’ve never read because I just stalled trying to come up with titles for the actual prompt. Kudos for your list! ☺️ Shadow of the Wind has come up to me before, so maybe it’s time I bump that one up on my tbr.
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Haha, I was so brain pooped that I didn’t even think to do something like that—it would’ve been much easier 😂 But I still had fun coming up with this list! I would defo recommend bumping it up! It’s such a wonderful book 😍
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You chose well, I think. I’m in complete agreement with most of the books you’ve listed that I’ve read, and I’m eager to read those on your list that I haven’t.
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Thank you! I hope you enjoy the ones you haven’t read it whenever you read them! 😃
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Great list! I haven’t read any of these personally but have seen people talk about a lot of them! It was definitely a hard topic this week, lol.
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I really should read The Houes in the Cerulean Sea sometime!
My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-21st-century-books-i-think-will-become-classics/
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Yes, I would highly recommend it! 😃
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Excellent choices! I wonder about this topic every once in a while, so it’s so great to see everyone else’s thoughts on it. ❤️
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I don’t think about it often cos I don’t read classics often either but it was definitely fun to see what other people think about it! So many great recs too 😍
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I hope Klune’s book will be a classic. It’s so beautiful and thought provoking.
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It really is beautiful and I have hope that it’ll become a classic 😃
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The Shadow of the Wind is a great choice! I loved that book though I don’t talk about it nearly enough. Great post, Dini!
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I feel like I don’t talk about that book enough either. I’m hoping to re-read it to finally give it a proper review this year 😃
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I never know what to suggest when someone asks me what books I think will become classics. I don’t think my tastes really align with the kind of books that have lasting, universal appeal.
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Haha, same here so it made coming up with a list this week much harder, but I still had fun thinking about it!
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Nice work, I definitely agree with a lot of these! The Nickel Boys has been on my TBR way too long.
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It was a pretty short read and I couldn’t put it down once I started. I hope you enjoy it if you pick it up!
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I see we picked a couple of the same books! This week was a hard topic, I ended up picking books mostly on the basis of my enjoying them and hoping others would too. I think your point about them making a strong impression is a good one, and I sort of did that without meaning too. There are books I’ve loved, but wouldn’t imagining being ‘classics’ in decades time.
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I think what the more “scholarly” types would deem a classic would be very different to what I’d think of as a classic but I think if they leave a mark on you and is relevant to what’s happening in the world at the moment, it should be considered a classic!
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I’m so happy to see The House in the Cerulean Sea on your list! It’s a fave of mine and I agree that it has such ‘classic’ potential.
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It really does and its made it onto so many lists this week for great reason. It’s probably the book I saw the most 😂
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This was a tough topic this week for sure but love your list, I haven’t read any of them but have been meaning to read some of them. Definitely need to read The House in the Cerulean Sea.
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Thanks, Yolanda! It was definitely a toughie but I had fun thinking about it. And YES, Cerulean Sea is AMAZING!I hope you love it whenever you get the chance to pick it up 😃
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Such a tough topic but I love your list! I love how it’s so diverse in genres too. Nevermoor!! Oh gosh, yes! I love that series so much. I still need to read Hosseini! I’ve seen him on a few lists today. I own this book but haven’t read it! lol.
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I’ve read all of Hosseini’s books and he really knows how to tug on those heartstrings! It’s a pretty quick read once you get into it… If you do pick it up, I hope you enjoy it 😍
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That’s good to know! I will eventually… just don’t know when! Ah, so many books. haha!!
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Ha, it’s so hard to determine a classic! I know a lot of people loved Normal People, so that makes a lot of sense.
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It really is hard to determine what will become a classic 😂 Normal People is very polarising but I absolutely loved what Rooney did with it!
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Ha, polarising is a very accurate word for the opinions around that! I’ll have to try it and see where mine lies 🙂
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I loved A Spark of Light, it’s my definitely my favourite of Jodi Picoult’s more recent books. I read Little Fires Everywhere last year and it was fine, but the plot was a bit all over the place for me.
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2022/03/29/top-ten-tuesday-361/
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I don’t read Picoult as often these days but I really enjoyed it, especially the unique way it was told (though I get why people hated the way it was told too lol)!
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Yeah I can understand why, I did find it confusing at first, but once I settled into it, I was glad it was told that way, I definitely agree that it was unique and allowed you to see the events from a unique perspective.
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I read two of these books. Normal People was such a strange experience. It was like watching a train wreck. I couldn’t look away.
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Haha, it really was… That my second book by Rooney and I went in expecting to hate it (cos I completely disliked the first book of hers I read) so I was shocked by how much it stuck with me. 😂
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It was an odd experience. I was angry at their choices, but I had to keep reading.
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Yeah, it’s hard to know which books will stand the test of time. It was a fun topic to think about, though!
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
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Despite being a tough one, it was defo fun to think about! 😃 Thanks for stopping by!
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Little Fires is one I was super curious about… something about the premise made me want to read it but I haven’t gotten to it yet unfortunately. I definitely like your list though and I agree- books that have an effect or we want to recommend to others are awesome choices!
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It was very different to what I expected but in the best way. I loved it 😃 If you do pick it up, I hope you enjoy it too!
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Thanks!
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Great picks, Dini! The House in the Cerulean Sea is on mine too. I have Hosseini too but a different book – The Kite Runner. And I’ve heard a lot about Little Fires Everywhere – definitely want to check it out.
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Cerulean Sea is a fantastic book and its made it onto so many lists this week for great reason! The Kite Runner is also one of my faves and I hope it becomes a classic too (so hard to choose between the two lol). It’s brutal at times but wow, so poignant. And I hope you enjoy LFE if you pick it up 😃
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I have books 2, 3, and 7 on my list, as well. I haven’t read any of the others but I’ve heard of them a lot, so I’m sure they are also great. I love all those lists with so many great recommendations.
Thanks for visiting my TTT this week. As usual, I couldn’t restrict myself but it still is a TTT (Top Twenty Tuesday).
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So many great recommendations this week from everyone! Thanks for stopping by, Marianne 😍
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Punching the Air is such a good one. I can definitely see it becoming a classic. I must pick up Nevermoor this year!
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I think it should be required reading—it was fantastic! Heartbreaking but powerful. And aah, I hope you love Nevermoor! It’s one of my all-time faves 😍
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I really hope that TJ Klune will be considered a classic some day. It’s such a special book.
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It really is and I think its made a whole lot of lists today for great reason 😃
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I hope Nevermoor becomes a classic. I would have loved that series as a kid.
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Omg, I hope so too! I adore that series as an adult and would’ve gone absolutely wild for it as a kid too! 😍
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Nevermoor yes ❤ I really need to read The House at the Cerulean Sea.
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[…] #TopTenTuesday: 21st Century Books That Could Be Classics! […]
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I was in the same boat with this prompt, but I also didn’t have time or brain power to come up with a different one. Haha! I just decided to not overanalyze it and pick what came to my mind first. 😉 I agree with all your choices that I’ve read. I still need to read many of these, though. I’m hoping to get to The House in the Cerulean Sea this summer. I also need to read A Thousand Splendid Suns and The Shadow of the Wind. Great choices!
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Nevermoor and The House in the Cerulean Sea! 😍😍😍
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