Top Ten Modern Books I Think Will be Classics Someday

Posted November 17, 2025 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 27 Comments

Welcome to another TTT! This week’s topic is: Modern Books You Think Will Be Classics In The Future, submitted by Veros @ Dark Shelf of Wonders. What makes a book a classic? Well, according to Pan Macmillan (read their article here):

“Put simply, a classic novel is a book that has stood the test of time because it’s so good; it has a gripping story which is expertly crafted and brilliantly expressed. But of course, it’s not just about the story. Like any good recipe, there are a number of key ingredients that make a book a classic.”

The article goes on to list these key ingredients and expound upon them, but I’m going to just share a list of what I found while reading the article:

  • “a certain level of complexity and depth, which enables it to transcend the time in which it was written”
  • “articulates universal themes – like love, morality, death, adversity”
  • “offers revelatory insight and clarity to readers of any era”
  • “always feels fresh”
  • “particularly significant or memorable”
  • “often portrays a particular time and place in an intensely evocative way”
  • “may be the first of its kind, impressively inventive, or the most influential example of a particular genre or literary style”
  • “may be absorbed into our everyday culture”

And this isn’t everything! There’s a lot of info out there about what makes a classic novel. Everyone has their own criteria and I found this topic quite interesting to research. I think they all agree, though, that classic novels are timeless, artistic or literary in nature, and have a memorable main character. So here’s my list of books that I think fit the criteria listed above! Interestingly enough, most of them would fall into the classics for young adults category.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Death is pretty memorable narrator. The power of books and the strength of character are strong themes, and I can see this being required reading in many schools for ages.

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
This book is so incredibly unique and lyrically written. It feels like its set during WW2, but it’s not. The setting feels both historical and modern. The addition of a system of Gods, a magical set of typewriters, and strong themes of love, family, and beating the odds make me think this could easily stand the test of time.

What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon
Another very unique story that features a woman who falls back in time to historic Ireland and has a hand in shaping the events that happened long before she was born. It’s beautiful and full of winding turns and surprising revelations that took my breath away!

The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn
This book is based on the true story of history’s deadliest female sniper. It’s so exciting and wonderfully told. I think another criteria of a classic should be that it teaches you something that compels you to go learn even more. I immediately went to research Mila Pavlichenko when I was finished and gobbled up everything I could find on her.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
This story has the most unique and memorable character I’ve ever read about in any sci-fi novel: Rocky the 5-legged alien. I loved Rocky’s depth of character. I also though the exploration of Earth becoming extinct was incredibly well done. The science is there, but not in an overwhelming way. This book can easily stand with The Time Machine as timeless sci-fi.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
This magical story, inspired by Celtic folklore, centers on man-eating water horses and is beautiful and super unique. It could take place at any time, and features two incredibly memorable characters.

Heart’s Blood by Juliet Marillier
Loosely based on Beauty and the Beast (but make it Irish and medieval), Marillier made the story all her own. There’s a curse and a love story, but Caitrin (the main character) is what I will always remember about this book.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Talk about a book that has become a part of our culture! Who doesn’t joke about being a contestant in the Hunger Games when they’re super hungry? Who hasn’t said “May the odds be ever in your favor.” at least once? This book is referenced in countless other book, movies, TV shows, etc. I often wonder if everyone knows where this phrase even comes from. Katniss is a household name.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
This series has never interested me, and I’ve only read the first book (because it was required reading for my grad school program), but I think everyone can agree that this series is already a classic. It’s part of everyday culture across the world and people probably know their Hogwarts house even if they’ve never read the books.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Again, I read this first book because it was required reading for grad school. Everyone knows Percy Jackson, and the series makes Greek mythology more accessible for younger people. I can see this being read in schools for many years.

Do we have any picks in common?
What do you think makes a novel a classic?

Share this post:

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

27 responses to “Top Ten Modern Books I Think Will be Classics Someday”

  1. Rissi

    I admire that you looked up the key points of making a novel classic. I just looked through some lists and conversation from fellow readers who believe some books are going to classics. This was sure a fun topic though! :)

    Reply
  2. Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog

    A great looking list. I’ve only read Harry Potter. I loved it and have read all the books and constantly get my partner Harry Potter stuff because he loves it. We are gradually introducing it to our oldest son (he has the Lego Hogwarts in his bedroom, has Harry Potter bedcovers and when he was little my partner started to read him his Harry Potter books). We still need to finish the series. We haven’t started on our 2 year old yet 😂

    I did struggle to find potential future classics. I maybe should have looked up the definition 🤔 I don’t know, that might have overwhelmed me more!

    Anyway, have a great week!

    Reply
  6. Joanne @ Portobello Book Blog

    Great choices. I think The Book Thief will be on a lot of lists this week. I had thought about Harry Potter but decided not to include children’s books this week. But I think you’re definitely right about that one!

    Reply
  7. Jessica @ a GREAT read

    Ooh nice picks! I feel like Harry Potter could definitely fit that bill! I still need to read The Divine Rivals and The Scorpio Races! Can’t believe I still need to read the latter after all this time! Lol. I kind of tweaked this one to choose books that I consider “classics.” Whether they are deemed so by society and the bookish society is another thing entirely! Lol.

    Here’s my Tuesday Post

    Have a GREAT day!

    Old Follower :)

    Reply
  8. Marianne @ Let's Read

    I’m glad you are well enough to compile a list this week. Hope you are better than last.
    As we already thought there, we’d both have “The Book Thief”. I would say that is going to be a great classic in the future. That is the only book I have in common with you, though Project Hail Mary in on my TBR list.
    I have also read The Hunger Games and Harry Potter and am sure these will be classics, as well. The only reason I didn’t put them is that they are not exactly the kind of genre I enjoy and I already had far too many books to not put on that list. LOL
    Have a good week.

    Reply
  14. Danyelle

    What happen to the area where you post your link? I cant see it or find it. I was just wondering. I went to the other posts. The link section was not there. What happen?

    Reply
  19. Veros @ Dark Shelf of Wonders

    I love that you included aspects that make books classics. From your list I’ve only read the last three and there’s a bit of cross-over on our lists from them :) I want to read Amy Harmon’s book as well as a couple of others. :) Thanks for picking my suggested topic, that was fun!

    Reply