Top Ten Tuesday: Books We Hope Aren't Forgotten

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted at The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's topic is focusing on books that we hope will remain "on the radar" of readers. Either current lower-hyped titles that we thought were great, or really great older books that might be forgotten down the line. Now, I tend to remember authors a lot more than I remember specific books. So here are a few books & authors that I hope will continue to be remembered and treasured down the line...

10. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

I don't remember when I first read this book—probably 3rd or 4th grade—but I do remember it was the very first book to make me cry. A well-written story, great characters, and a heart-wrenching ending, this is definitely one I hope continues to be carried in children's sections for decades to come.

9. J.R.R. Tolkien

An author I don't think will ever be forgotten, Mr. Tolkien created characters, a language, and a world which has been passed down to new generations and shared with new audiences. There is a timelessness to his tales, though some are more memorable than others. Nonetheless, I hope his memory and his works survive long into the future.

8. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

A series which I probably picked up at too-young an age, but still lingers with me nonetheless. I've re-read the first couple books but have yet to delve back into the third novel a second time. The series as a whole is deceptively simple and innocent, but the subject matter is pretty deep and complex. Still, I hope this series doesn't go the way of the movie and get completely forgotten.

7. Diane Duane

Though I've only managed to read her Young Wizards series, I've heard some great things about her other works as well. Even though her characters are a 'young adult' age, nothing about her books has ever made me feel written-down to. I hope her work continues to be on the radar of children and adults alike.

6. C.S. Lewis

I took a class in college about C.S. Lewis and his works, so I might be a bit biased. Still, whether you're only reading his Chronicles for children, or whether you've ventured into his non-fiction Christian works, I believe he still has a lot to share.

5. Kristin Cashore

This is an author I'm thrilled to follow. I remember when Graceling first came out, I liked it but there were elements that didn't rub right with me. When Fire was released, I loved it so much I couldn't explain it. It was originally going to be my very first review on my blog, but I just couldn't get the wording right.

Bitterblue finally came out this year, and yet again I am stumped on how to review it. There is something that just resonates in all of her books, and I am excited to see her continue to grow with what she releases in the future. Seriously, go pick up her books now!

4. Eoin Colfer

I know I've said this before, but Colfer is quite possibly my favorite male author. I first knew him from his Artemis Fowl series, then his book The Wish List, and finally his addition to the Hitchhiker's series. I was even lucky enough to hear him when he came to talk about the Hitchhiker book. Maybe I'm just a sucker for that Irish accent and a sense of humor. Or maybe his books are really just that great. Regardless, I hope he and his books stay on the reader radar for some time to come.

3. K.A. Applegate

Quite possibly the author who most shaped my literary childhood. I not only read and collected the entire Animorphs series, but I also read her Everworld and Remnants series, which inspired and terrified me, respectively. Though arguably not as 'literary' as YA has been allowed to become in recent years, her books are still exciting reads that I hope aren't completely forgotten as time moves along.

2. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

The world-wide phenomenon that spurred a new age of literature. The Star Wars of books. There are movies, conventions, websites, classes, and more all dedicated to remembering and preserving the magic these books brought us.

I met some of my dearest friends on a fansite and then spent many hours imagining up our own scenarios in the HP world. I own two copies of each of the books (hardbound and paperback) so that I'll have one copy for keeps and one for re-reading.

I don't know that this series will ever fade, and for that I am thankful.

© www.tamorapierce.com

1. Tamora Pierce

I cannot stress enough how amazing all of her books are. Whether it's her anthology of short stories, or her Tortall series or her Emelan series, she never fails to present strong female and male characters in historical and magical worlds. I've never known her books to have a ton of hype surrounding them, and yet her signings and events never fail to fill the seats. She is an amazing person, and I hope she and her work continue to be a staple in YA literature for a very, very long time.

Honorable Mentions:
The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Ender's Game & series by Orson Scott Card
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy & sequels by Douglas Adams
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
1984 by George Orwell
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

So, which books (or authors) are on your list?
Have they already established a legacy, or are they still on the fringe?
Let me hear you howl!