Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly prompt hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s prompt is “21st century books destined to be classics”.
When selecting books for this list, I asked myself several questions. What characteristics do classics share? (Universal themes, engaging writing, intriguing characters) What books would people still enjoy reading 100 years from now? If I were teaching a class on 21st century books, what would I assign?
I’m listing The Lightning Thief because it’s book one, but the entire Percy Jackson series is destined to be a classic. Children’s adventure stories never go out of style.
There are so many historical fiction novels about WWII, but this is so beautifully written it is destined to stand the test of time.
While the Percy Jackson books are fun look at Greek Mythology aimed at middle grader readers, Circe is a darker, adult view. I can see this being read in college English classes to look at how our views of mythology have evolved.
Half of a Yellow Sun is set in Africa in the 1960’s as colonialism is coming to an end and Nigeria is being established as an independent republic. Prior to the 21st century, African history was virtually ignored in literature. This book is a perfect example of a modern classic.
This novel stayed with me long after I finished reading. It’s modern but has the feel of classic Hitchcock tale.
This is both one of the funniest and one of saddest books I’ve ever read. Already made into a movie, it’s destined to be a classic.
Even though it’s set in the 1970’s and 80’s, the Alaskan setting gives the feel of the classic pioneer spirit ingrained in American lore, with contemporary issues dealt with head-on.
Coming of Age stories make for great classics. This is a mysterious, thought-provoking book, no matter your religious beliefs.
I think that when scholars look back at hallmarks of 21st century writing, one of the dominant themes will be books about strong women told in dual timelines. This one is set on the island of Jeju in Korea and tells the story of female divers.
Like most classics, the movie didn’t do this book justice. It was twist after twist after twist, that kept the reader guessing the entire time.