"Top Ten Tuesday" is an original feature/weekly meme created on the blog "The Broke and the Bookish". This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at "The Broke and the Bookish".
It is now hosted by Jana from That Artsy Reader Girl.
This week, our topic is 21st Century Books I Think Will Become Classics
Of course, I couldn't restrict myself to ten of those books. After all, the century is already more than two decades old. I could have named a hundred that might become classics or that I would like to become classics. In the end, I made a compromise and listed 20 books. Some of them are my favourites, some of them are one of the best books (in my opinion) by some of my favourite authors, some have received renowned prizes already (Nobel, Pulitzer, Booker, German Independent Book Shops, Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, ...), some have been made into films. The authors are from Australia, German, Ireland, Nigeria, Spain Switzerland, Turkey, the UK, and the USA. But they all share one remarkable trait: they are all fantastic books.
Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi "Half of a Yellow Sun" - 2006
Boyne, John "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" - 2006
Chevalier, Tracy "Remarkable Creatures" - 2009
Doerr, Anthony "All the Light We Cannot See" - 2014
Grenville, Kate "The Secret River" - 2005
Hislop, Victoria "The Island" - 2005
Kingsolver, Barbara "The Lacuna" - 2009
Lamb, Wally "The Hour I First Believed" - 2008
Mantel, Hilary "Wolf Hall" - 2009
Mercier, Pascal "Night Train to Lisbon" (GE: Nachtzug nach Lissabon) - 2004
Myers, Benjamin "The Offing" - 2019
Oates, Joyce Carol "The Falls" - 2004
Owens, Delia "Where the Crawdads Sing" - 2018
Pamuk, Orhan "The Museum of Innocence" (TR: Masumiyet Müzesi) - 2008
Ruiz Zafón, Carlos "The Shadow of the Wind" (E: La sombra del viento) - 2001
Shaffer, Mary Ann & Barrows, Annie "The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society" - 2008
Shriver, Lionel "We Need to Talk About Kevin" - 2003
Stockett, Kathryn "The Help" - 2009
Whitehead, Colson "Underground Railroad" - 2016
Zusak, Markus "The Book Thief" - 2005
Can I decide my favourite? I don't think so. They were all great. I'm looking forward to seeing lists by other bloggers. I wonder how many of us will predict the same books.
And if you are "just" a reader, please, let me know what your favourite book of this century is so far.
📚 Happy Reading! 📚
Interesting list. I've read 2 of those but own another 7. I've been thinking about scheduling 'Night Train to Lisbon' soon (as part of a triple read about night trains) and I think after seeing this list - and your recommendation - I'll be scheduling it a bit sooner... Cool!
ReplyDeleteI'll have to ponder my fave 21st century book and get back to you! [muses]
Sounds great, Kitten. I hope you'll like "Night Train to Lisbon" as much as I did. I have read several other books of the author in the meantime and the next one is on my TBR pile.
DeleteLooking forward to your list. It's so interesting to see other lists and compare. So far, I have found at least one book on most pages.
Ah, yes, The Book Thief. And I agree with Wolf Hall, too.
ReplyDeleteI have seen "The Book Thief" on several lists, so I guess that is a good bet, Deb. Looking forward to seeing your choices, they are always so great.
DeleteA great looking list! I found it hard to find books that would become classics. I think that the books that I read are good for the moment, but won't necessarily be popular in the future - more one hit wonder type books!
ReplyDeleteHappy TTT
Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog
My TTT post: https://budgettalesblog.wordpress.com/2022/03/29/top-10-tuesday-22/
One never knows, Emily. There are several on my list that I have seen on others as well but we don't know what the future generation will think. I guess it also depends what the future brings. Thanks for the link.
DeleteSo far I've seen The Book Thief and Shadow of the Wind on a few others' lists, and they seem like such perfect fits for this! The Help is a great add too. I'm so impressed your found twenty because I really struggled with this one. 😂
ReplyDeleteYes, me, too, Jennifer, so I guess they are good suggestions. We'll see. I found "The Help" simply fantastic, I had seen it on a shelf in our bookshop before I heard of the hype but I absolutely loved it. And even the film wasn't bad this time, so we will see how popular it is in a couple of decades.
DeleteSnap, I picked The Book Thief too! Well done on managing to think of twenty, I think you nailed it.
ReplyDeletehttps://veebookishbooks.wordpress.com/2022/03/29/these-books-are-going-to-be-future-classics-probably-top-ten-tuesday/
Thanks, Vee. I have seen it on quite a few posts, so I guess we are right there. But - we never know.
DeleteI am always bad at restricting myself to ten books only, especially since I read so much and have been in book clubs for ages now, so there are a few that I believe will stay popular. But - it was still TTT. LOL
Thanks for the link.
Half of a Yellow Sun was on my list, too!
ReplyDeleteOh, that's nice, Lydia. I haven't seen that on other people's lists but now I am really looking forward to yours. I bet there are a few that I eliminated on yours. There were just too many.
DeleteI had Shadow of the Wind on my list today too 😃 Underground Railroad is also quite a popular pick today as I've seen it on quite a few lists. Well done on coming up with more than 10—I struggled a bit with this topic!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Dini. Nice that you also chose "Underground Railroad", I just bought Colson Whitehead's third book.
DeleteAnd yes, "Shadow of the Wind" is one of my all time favourite books (or better tetralogy), such a great story, it just had to get on the list.
We all have different topics where we struggle. I think my age helped with this one. LOL
Great list! I did something a little different this week, but if I hadn't done that, then Where The Crawdads Sing and The Book Thief would have made my "classics" list too!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lindsey, I remember seeing the "Crawdads" on your blog, and "The Book Thief was on several. So, I'm not surprised. But I'm curious to see what you did this week. See you on your page.
DeleteGreat list! I have read The Guernsey book and have Where the Crawdads Sing and The Book Thief on my physical TBR cart to read soonish! My post: https://cindysbookcorner.blogspot.com/2022/03/top-ten-tuesday-books-i-think-could-be.html
ReplyDeleteThanks, Cindy. You are in for some great reads then.
DeleteInteresting list
ReplyDeleteMy TTT
https://seriesbooklover.wordpress.com/2022/03/29/top-ten-tuesday-21st-century-books-i-think-will-become-classics/
Thanks, Anita. Looking forward to your list.
DeleteThe Book Thief has been very popular this week!
ReplyDeleteMy TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2022/03/29/top-ten-tuesday-361/
So true, Jo, I think if someone put all the lists together, that might make #1.
DeleteYou picked some great books for your list! I couldn't even begin to come up with a list for this week's TTT: too many choices! :)
ReplyDeleteYou are right, Lark, that's why I ended up with twenty instead of ten. LOL
DeleteHaven't read all of these! cheers
ReplyDeletePS thanks for the kind birthday wishes.
Well, we can't read all books, unfortunately. Maybe some will make it onto your pile one day.
DeleteAnd you're welcome. Your blog has given me so much, so many ideas and new blogger friends, I am always happy to "talk" to you.
THE BOOK THIEF and THE HELP are both on my list today. THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS is also a great pick. I loved that book when I read it! I wasn't as fond of GUERNSEY as a lot of people are, but I still think it fits on this list. In fact, I've seen it several times today. Great picks!
ReplyDeleteHappy TTT!
Thanks, Susan. I tried to pick books that I liked and that I thought might become classics, there would have been more if I'd included all that I would have wanted to become popular. And, we can't all like the same books, "Guernsey" is a popular book but there are afew on many people's list that I didn't like but could agree that they become classics.
DeleteSo many good ones here. Crawdads I can definitely see, and quite a few others, even if I haven't read I know there's so much love for them. As for my favorite book so far... wow, that's a toughie!
ReplyDeleteWell, Greg, even though I came up with twenty, I found it tough, I had to eliminate those where I would have wished them to become classics but it's more my dream than anything, so I didn't put them on the list. That made it easier though still hard.
DeleteGood choices. I have read 10 or them. I have tried two times to read The Book Thief, but is not able to go more than a few pages.
ReplyDeleteWell, Lisbeth, there are always books beloved by others that we just can't get into. I have a few like that. If I look at all the other lists, "The Book Thief" is probably the book that is on most of them. We will have to talk about it one day. Whenever you are coming down South the next time. :)
DeleteI had a hard time restricting myself to 10 books too. There are so many that I'd like to see become classics! The Help and Book Thief made my list too.
ReplyDeleteHa! I'm glad I'm not the only one, Aj, I'll have to check out your list.
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