What book published in the last decade do you think is destined to be a classic?
Donnaleggate@aol.com
The Cabinet of Curiosities is the best book I've read in a very long time. It was the first one I read of Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston. I could not put it down and was up late at night. I can't wait to start the next one. I've passed this one on to someone else to enjoy.
Rah4ECU@aol.com
Harry Potter
tw1151@comcast.net
There are two that I can think of: The Lord of the Rings and the Harry Potter books.
Kaelesa@aol.com
I think Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is destined to be a classic, at least for children, but also for adults. The characters, writing and setting are very compelling.
JONIVERSON@aol.com
The Chatham School Affair by Thomas H. Cook
MarionK105@aol.com
I think The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell will be one.
DIWMS@aol.com
Well, given it's popularity, I would say the Harry Potter books, though there are many that are wonderful.
kpotts@clintoncable.net
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver will be the next classic. It depicts the arrogance of the new "Right" that has swept the country. Man and God, that age old dilemma, Man and the Jungle, another age old dilemma, Man knows God better than anyone else; the biggest conundrum of all. Barbara Kingsolver has depicted the single-mindedness that grabs the hearts of some people and does not release its mesmerizing power. It is about personalities and how they are allowed to rule because of their seductive power. This book could be about people in any century, but right now it speaks to me of this one.
Linda4500@aol.com
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt.
Myrnapen@aol.com
I think Anita Diamant's The Red Tent is destined to become a classic.
antoinettet@shaw.ca
I think the book The Hours is destined to become a classic.
Fgiitter@aol.com
A Painted House by John Grisham is the best book he's written and should achieve classic status in time. The books in the Harry Potter series are already equal to Tolkien as classics for the junior set.
ALEMESH@aol.com
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver is my vote for a future classic. Just because we think we have God on our side, we cannot slide into religious fanaticism at the expense of family. We also have to remember that, wherever our missionary zeal may take us, we are intruding into a culture that already has their own belief system in place, and we must leave them with a feeling that they did have something of value, even if it is different from our own.
Kufungee@aol.com
Without a doubt, good --- even great --- things come in small packages. Tuesdays with Morrie is absolutely going to be a classic because it appealed to all ages and both sexes --- there's a wonderful message in that little book for all of us without being maudlin.
joswood@adiis.net
Mystic River by Dennis Lehane.
Bdcw50@aol.com
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt.
Angelic808@aol.com
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.
ccopeland@cablespeed.com
Underworld by Don DeLillo --- although not my favorite, it is sure to be listed. My personal picks would be The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver and Bel Canto by Ann Patchett.
Rickimc@aol.com
I think the trilogy His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman will become a classic. The storyline is very imaginative and even more detailed than some earlier fantasy series that have become classics, like C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia or Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea books.
corrieb@rogers.com
I'd say that either Foxfire by Joyce Carol Oates will be a classic orThe Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.
JMeri9580@aol.com
Obviously, The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen, but also perhapsThe Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver and I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb.
JDavid5380@aol.com
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
MSteins@aol.com
Without a doubt the books in the Harry Potter series will be classics. I think they will be read and loved as long as there are children and adults who believe that right will triumph and that there can be some magic in the world.
elinornux@attbi.com
Earth in the Balance by Al Gore is an extraordinary book that the author developed by researching every aspect of ecology that affects people all over the world. Readers are sensitive to Al Gore's sincere desire to protect our Planet Earth for future generatons, and his work through legislation in our nation and the world to protect the environment and its occupants, both human and other species.
Hundreds of individuals and groups have been inspired by reading this book and others like it, such as Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, to protect our heritage. As problems of global warming and conservation continue to escalate, Earth in the Balance is the classic resource that scholars will refer to.
billiegirl20@hotmail.com
I truly believe that Alice Sebold's book The Lovely Bones is destined to be a classic. The beautifully written tale is a perfect read for any number of people.
Frank McCourt's Angela's Ashes is also a beautiful book that will beg to be read for years to come. Sad, yes, but it's also a heartwarming tale of growing up and loving your family through everything. One of my all-time favorite books.
Last, but not least, I wish everyone would read Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore. I cannot say enough about this book. Funny, sad, poignant and absolutely wonderful, this book should be read...and read often. Somewhere I read that a book was being described as "if you can read the English language, you should read this book." That's how I feel about this one.
jgredell@alltel.net
I think that all of Rosamunde Pilcher's books will someday be classics, especially Coming Home and Winter Solstice.
jerrychrys@yahoo.com
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold will become a classic.
Marelleigh@aol.com
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry.
Kec200@aol.com
Probably Harry Potter. A lot of what we consider classics are children's books and involve magic or sorcery in some form. The Wizard of Oz, The Chronicles of Narnia, Mary Poppins, The Polar Express, Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, andThe Jungle Book are just a few that come to mind. The Lovely Bones might be a classic for adults, possibly.
bfjohnston@mpamacs.org
The Shipping News by Annie Proulx.
The House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus.
KLOZIER40@aol.com
Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand.
marilyn.angello@us.mullermartini.com
I think Bel Canto will live on as a classic. Beautiful story, beautifully written.
catfish@millardmanor.com
What will become a classic? Who can tell? But my candidates areGirl With a Pearl Earring, Memoirs of a Geisha and The Hours.
JAM250@aol.com
My favorite book of the last decade was She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb, a wonderful, wonderful book. He so captured the feelings of a female from childhood to adulthood. I read it with both laughter and tears --- a long read but unforgettable.
eleazar@superig.com.br
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen.
Mysabine@aol.com
Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
The Harry Potter series
Bbd33@aol.com
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.
Sandn2shoes@aol.com
I think Empire Falls by Richard Russo is destined to be a classic. The character development is superb. Quite often, with a Pulitzer Prize winner, some part of the puzzle is missing. The characters were real and believable. Also the second part of the puzzle, the plot, was very much there. Again, with Pulitzer Prize winners this is often sacrificed in lieu of character development.
I found the life situation very real and believable. Who doesn't have skeletons in his/her closet? There was a warmth in the writing that kept me reading. I wanted to know what happened. To me this was true literature, even more so than Cold Mountain.
CPerk31966@aol.com
Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible.
MegVT@aol.com
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt.
ROWDYLISTO@aol.com
Although it is not earth-shattering in its subject matter, Skipping Christmas by John Grisham (NOT a murder mystery) would be up there --- at least in the humor/philosophy category. I read this book a while back (2 or 3 years ago) and it was the first one to come to mind.
Martjoyc@aol.com
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon.
Heringbess@aol.com
I would have to say that is a tough one! Atonement, The Hours,The Secret Life of Bees, and The Poisonwood Bible come to mind. I find a book that is not too long and that presents its story and character tersely has a greater impact --- you can focus on the words and style more succinctly.
RGreen1957@aol.com
One Thousand White Women: The Journals of Mary Dodd, by Jim Fergus. Once you open this book, you won't be able to put it down until you've finished it. I have sent this book to dozens of friends and always get the same feedback. Enjoy, it is great.
DCDLSD@aol.com
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry.
Nokegchris@aol.com
I remember the feeling when I first picked up the Harry Potter book. I told my family I am reading a book that will become a children’s classic. I thought I might have had the same feelings that someone else had the first time they read The Wizard of Ozor Little Women --- a book that will become a children's classic, read for generations to come, and yet a book that appeals to adults too.
Hunny3@aol.com
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom!
MLWReader@aol.com
Without question, Stephen King's The Stand is destined to become a classic. It is a superb work; it contains the age-old conflict between good and evil. Plus it is simply a beautifully written and well-crafted tale.
Critics do not take Mr. King's books seriously. Many of them are so much fun and such good reads. Plus, his writing is always top notch. I have always admired the way he gets into people's heads and creates such “everyman” type characters.
I first encountered Stephen King years ago, just before taking off on a trip to Hawaii. I was terrified to fly in those days. While pacing around the airport, checking out the books in the gift shop, I happened upon a hardcover edition of The Shining. I bought it, and it saved the day for me. I got so engrossed in the story that I completely forgot about being scared. (This was my first Stephen King novel, and I was hooked immediately.)
A funny little life incident cements that day in my mind. I was waiting in the Honolulu airport for our little puddle jumper to take us to our island of destination (having successfully flown from L.A. to Honolulu without a crash), and a young man noticed me reading my book. He told me his name was Stephen King and was curious about the book. (This was before our Mr. King was a big name, like now.) Anyway, we laughed and chatted, and I asked him to autograph my book, and he obliged. It is silly now in retrospect, but I'm sure Mr. King, the author, wouldn't mind. That book got me through what would have been a very difficult day for me. The sheer pleasure of a story well-told, plus the fun little encounter with the “other” Stephen King, helped me travel to my destination with very little worry about the flying event itself.
But, back to The Stand, it is a wonderful book, and I believe that it will be read by generations to come, both as an example of good literature and also for the glimpse it gives of the consciousness of our society in the early '90's.
Thank you for the wonderful job you do on this web page. I have been receiving this email newsletter since about 1997. I love it. It makes my week.
RNolan1933@aol.com
A no-brainer…Any or all of the Harry Potter books!!! They have introduced many young people to reading again and have also convinced a lot of us older folk to try them! I read a ton of books a year and even myself (69 years old) look forward to each new book! They bring my grandkids and myself closer together with each new book! For sure, a classic in the making.
AndreaCarter3270@aol.com
Ian Kershaw's 2-volume biography of Adolf Hitler. Volume I is called Hubris and Volume II is called Nemesis. Very compelling reading.
AMYASL100@aol.com
The Harry Potter series
BleuSkyGal@aol.com
I am referring two books that everyone should read: Life of Pi by Yann Martel and An American Summer by Frank Deford.
FifiOToole@aol.com
The Harry Potter series.
booklover57@msn.com
It is very hard to choose just one! I believe that Out of the Night That Covers Me by Pat Cunningham DeVoto may well become a classic.
KathiN123@aol.com
I believe that the books in the Harry Potter series will become a classic because they appeal to all ages.
FaustAtl@aol.com
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett.
Designer50@aol.com
I think all the Harry Potter books will become classics, if not already. They appeal to all ages and have caused many discussions in our house, especially trying to understand all the "hidden" meanings, names, places, etc., mentioned throughout the series.
LongSuz@aol.com
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
flip@tetonvalley.net
Harry Potter
newsssletters@yahoo.com
Skipping Christmas by John Grisham is my choice!
mcgrathc@girlsandboystown.org
There are too many great fiction novels I think should be classics for me to pick one, so I submit a nonfiction book: A Gentle Madness by Nicholas Basbanes.
lorifronk@socal.rr.com
Peace Like a River by Leif Enger. A beautiful, thought-provoking story.
djspoon@attbi.com
Booked to Die by John Dunning.
Quetzi@aol.com
I think the book titled Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende will be a classic. I really enjoyed this book. It teaches you about the British culture that lived in Chile and how they try to maintain their segregation from the local Chilean people. Then, you also learn about the Chinese culture who traveled to San Francisco and California to be a part of the 49ers Gold Rush era. It's a delightful book, but it's also rich with the history of these 3 cultures.
JBark4me@aol.com
The Diana Gabaldon books, beginning with Outlander should definitely become classics. Of course, Harry Potter will be at the head of the list.
UserRbrt189@cs.com
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. Great book!
Momx3gx1b@aol.com
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold and the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling.
