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Best Historical Fiction books??:)

Favorite Historical Fiction books??:)

Carolina #questionnaire #historical fiction #history

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1,042 Answers

Erin

The Outlander series, by far!

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Brittani

Outlander.

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Mark

Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon Chronicles.

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Hunter

Robert McCammon’s Matthew Corbett series (SPEAKS THE NIGHTBIRD)

CJ Sansom’s Matthew Shardlake series (DISSOLUTION)

2
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Heidi

Hild. It’s fantastic!

0
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Jennifer

The Veronica Speedwell series!!

1
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Ellen

Haven’t heard of these books before! Put them on my TBR list! Sounds good!

1
Jennifer

They are amazing!

0
Julie

American’s First Daughter, and My Dear Hamilton.

7
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Belinda

Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel

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Alisa

Yes!

0
Andrea

All the Light we Cannot See. The Book Thief. Lonesome Dove. Cold Mountain.

13
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Catherine

Phillipa Gregory books are well loved. One of them is coming to Starz this year.

9
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Ellen

Which one? I saw The White Queen a few years ago on I think Starz. Love her books.

1
Catherine

@Ellen I think The Spanish Princess is coming this year, but they also are planning to do the Cousins series if I read the notice correctly.

1
Kathy

F

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Jack

The Terror by Dan Simmons

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Mary

Widow of the South.

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Stefanie

Oh I’m so glad you said this! I’ve been wanting to read it forever!!!

2
Peggy

That was a great story!

1
Alicia

I’ve only read one, but it was great. Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Suzanne Clark

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Sara

One of my favorite books ever. Suzanne Clark’s prose is top drawer and the story…love the story. Before reading it I would definitely have walked upon the fairy roads. Not so sure now 🙂

1
Judy

Books by Michelle Moran

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Judy

And Allison Pataki

0
Kim

Loved Marie Antoinette by Michelle Moran as well as her Egyptian queen books.

3
Ellen

Added to my TBR list’

1
Mary

Mrs. Tom Thumb

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Lori

Widow of the South is very good. Salt to the Sea, also.

4
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Jack

The Pale Blue Eye by Louis Bayard

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Lori

This year, it’s Varina by Charles Frazier.

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Debbie

Les Mes

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Melissa

The Tudor series and the cousin war series, both Phillippa Gregory, she s the reason why I fell in love with historical fiction!!!!

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Annette

The entire Outlander series by Ms Gabaldon!

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Amanda

The Alice Network by @Kate

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Helene

My Dear Hamilton

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Sandi

Currently reading.

0
Mary

Exodus by Leon Uris

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Sandi

All his books are fantastic. I’m partial to Trinity. Must be my Irish ☘️ ancestry.

5
Grace

Following

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Kate

The Swan Thief

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Christine

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate.

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Christa

Reading that now for my book club.

1
Christine

@Christa It’s a great story. Enjoy!

0
Ellen

Loved it! Sad but good story. Really liked it! Read it on my own and liked it so much that I selected it for my book group this year!

1
Christine

@Ellen Very sad but well worth the read.

0
Jill

Any Rand, Ken Follett, Nelson DeMille

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Elaine

Wolf hall – by Hilary Mantel

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Debra

Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

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Susan

That entire series !

1
Ellen

I haven’t read it yet but on my TBR list!

1
Jessica

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. Also, The Pillars of the Earth and The Century Trilogy by Ken Follett. Plus the Outlander series. I could go on and on!

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Gina

All my favorites, too! Have you read the Bronze Horseman series by Pauline Simmons?

2
Gina

Also, Jeffrey Archer

3
Jessica

No, I haven’t! I’ll look those up now. Thanks!

0
Ellen

Hadn’t heard of him! Books look good! added to my TBR list.

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Gina

Jeffrey Archer The Clifton series

1
Melissa

@Gina absolutely love love love the Bronze Horseman series!!!

0
Dominic

These among others

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Ellen

Reading Beneath A Scarlet Sky now. Added The Thief of Auschwitz to my TBR list. Have read the other two and really liked them! Great choices!

1
Whitney

The Kitchen House, Glory Over Everything, The Book Thief, The Silent Companions, Beloved, The Thorn Birds, Lonesome Dove, Their Eyes Were Watching God, All the Light We Cannot See.

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Christa

GWTW, Brendan Chronicles, The Nightingale, Beneath the Scarlet Sky

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Mary

GWTW started me reading books about that historical time.

1
Kay

Katherine by Anya Seton. A truly great book: plague, murder, love, betrayal, redemption, etc.

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Catherine

I used to love Anya Seton books!

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Christa

I loved that book. Would love to read it again.

0
Kay

@Christa I’ve read it 6 times over the decades!

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Roslyn

I read all the Anya Seton books I could get my hands on as a teenager!

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Ellen

Added it to my TBR!

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Kay

@Ellen I hope you can find it cuz I believe it’s outta print.

0
Christa

@Kay I am so excited. Found it on Amazon in Kindle version. ?

1
Kay

@Christa good to know!

1
Anne

Where to start? Pillars of the Earth, Winds of War, War & Remembrance, The Book Thief, Mila 18, Wolf Hall, The Nightingale, All the Light We Cannot See.

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Shannon

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay, The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

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Peggy

All soooo good!

1
Melissa

The Nightingale and Sarah’s Key were both such amazing books!❤️ I have not yet read The Alice Network but will add it to my list!

1
Shannon

@Melissa Definitely read The Alice Network!!!!

0
Karen

Katherine is a great book. Allison Weir wrote an in depth study of her life that is excellent also

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Ellen

Just added her books to my TBR list!

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Jamie

Susannah Kearsley books!

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Mary

Vera Cruz by Rosalind Wright

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Ali

The Book Thief, Things Fall Apart, Lonesome Dove

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Terry

Harvard Yard, Cape Cod, and Back Bay are all great books written by William Martin. While all those books are centered in Massachusetts history, he has others ranging from the Constitution, Wall Street, to Annapolis or the Gold Rush. Fast paced, fun reads. Kind of Dan Brown-like. Some of my favorites.

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Mary

Bernard Cromwell’s Sharpe Series and most Regency Novels by Georgette Heyer.

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Rex

Dear and Glorious Physician , Taylor Caldwell

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Jamie

I like Alison Weir’s stuff a lot and the ne I enjoyed most was, “The Lady Elizabeth.” I’ve read other of Weir’s works and like her style a lot.

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Melinda

Jamie Guidry, The Six Wives of Henry VIII is one of the very best books I have ever read.

3
Trina

I will give you my top authors for historical fiction…
Sharon Kay Penman
Margret George
Ken Follet
John Jakes
David Liss
Helen Hollick
Diana Gabaldon
Wilbur Smith
Sarah Donati
Ann Weir

All are wonderful?

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Patricia

Sharon Kay Penman awesome. I was trying to see if it was on the list. 🙂

0
Trina

Patricia Vander Laan
Loved every one of her books… Here
be Dragons!

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Patricia

Yes, my aunt introduced me to her, and I read everything she had written at that point. Love her work.

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Trina

@Patricia
Forgot …
James Clavell (shogun series).

1
Tyra

Mount Vernon Love Story

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Mary

Tale of Two Cities; The Book Thief; Grapes of Wrath; Slaughter House 5; The Bible

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Dina

The Paris Wife.

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Carrie

Phillipa Gregory’s books. All of them 🙂

4
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Marianne

All the Light I Cannot See

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Patricia

Jack Whyte’s series ‘A dream of eagles’

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Kate

Thanks. Getting from the library. So many books, so little time

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Mary

Wolf Hall

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Pam

Gone to Soldiers by Marge Percy

1
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Mindy

Anything by Jennifer Donnely. Her Tea Rose series is very good.

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Susie

Adelsverein Trilogy

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Katy

The Terror.

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Mari

The Terror was so great!

1
Katy

Yes! I loved both the book and AMC’s adaptation.?

0
Jennifer

Time and again by jack finney

3
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Desiree

My faves- Sussana Kearsley, Ken Follett, Diana Galbadon there are more but these are my top 3.

2
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Charlotte

Before We Were Yours, The Stars are FIre, Home for Unwanted Girls, the Alice Network.

2
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Carole

Starting with Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer and going on through Eloisa James and Julia Quinn at a few others Regency Romances. Years ago I read a series centered around one family and Williamsburg, Virginia but I can’t remember the author right off hand.. But it was a good view of American history from the colonial times up thru WWI

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Monica

Was it the John Jake series?

0
Carole

@Monica I didn’t find the name of the series on Amazon but I did find the author: Els wyth Thane. The first on is Dawn’s Early Light. And another thing in goes up to the WWII not WWI

0
Kathleen

Loving Frank, The Paris Wife, The Other Einstein.

4
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Darlene

Lauraine Snelling book series…..read in order!

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Karen

I love the Brooch series by Katherine Lowery Logan. Also pillars of the earth by Ken Follet.

1
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Tami

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

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Connie

Jan Westcott’s The Tower and the Dream

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Angel

Before We Were Yours by L. Wingate and The House of Velvet and Glass by K. Howe are two of my recent favorites.

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Nancy

Phillipa Greggory

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Mary

Ken Follet Pillars of the Earth series; Sara Donati Wilderness series

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Laurin

The Tea Planter’s Wife and Lilac Girls

2
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Judy

Beneath a scarlet sky, Rebecca s key.

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Ryan

Pillars of the Earth!

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Charlotte

Love and other consolation prizes

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Deborah

Anya Seton, THE WINTHROP WOMAN. DEVIL WATER.

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Charlotte

Devil in the White CIty

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Louise

Awesome read! It’s nonfiction that reads like fiction

2
Nancy

The other Boylen Girl, The Miniaturist, The Underground Railrood, The Muse

1
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Denise

There are so many….where do I begin? My favorite kind of reading! Ken Follett, Alison Weir, Phillipa Gregory, the Nightengale by Hannah, depends on the setting you are looking for?

1
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Joshua

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Regeneration by Pat Barker

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Susan

The Moreland series by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles. There are a bunch of them.

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Mary-Ellen

Trinity or anything else by Leon Uris

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Connie

Trinity was excellent

0
Carolyn

French Lieutenant’s Woman by John Fowles, The Weight of Water by Anita Shreve

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Mary-Ellen

The Far Pavilions by MM Kaye. I was so sad when it ended because I wanted it to go on forever…

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Linda

And her Shadow of the Moon was awesome as well!

1
Mary

Les Miserables!!!! Oh my… it is long… read it in stages, but it is so very worth it!

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Mike

Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin novels.
J.G. Farrell’s Siege of Krishnapur
Frans G. Bengtsson’s The Long Ships

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Ellen

Ken Follett

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Kandace

One Thousand White Women, The Nightingale, The Alice Project, The Dove Keepers.

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Louise

I loved the Dove Keepers

1
Sandra

One thousand white women very good

3
Mary-Ellen

Chris Bohaljian has quite a few: Sandcastle Girls, the Light in the Ruins.

1
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Steven

Lonesome Dove

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Crystal

Irving Stone, Jane Austen, Khaled Hosseini, The Story Teller-Picoult, Those Who Save Us-Blum, Lisa See, Leon Uris

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Dotty

Just picked up The Story Teller at Half Priced Books!

1
Amanda

Poldark series of book’s

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Catherine

I’ve read most of them. A dismal time period for the commoner in England. The gruesome jails and near starvation described in the novels is quite graphic. I also love the Outlander series, where the woman is the central character, and Jamie is the beloved.

1
Victoria

@Catherine I’ve read both series, love them both!

1
Lari

Savannah series by Eugenia @Price

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Sandy

Queen Elizabeth I. What a bad ass!

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Nancy

Shaara, McMurtry, Mitchener, Plaidy…some authors to check out!

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Mary

How can folks not be saying Les Mis? I know, I know, it’s long…. but so worth it!

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Catherine

Not thinking about it, although it was my first long novel I couldn’t put down. This was before there was the broadway musical. Now, I can’t think about it, without hearing the music playing.

1
Mary

@Catherine it is one of those books that grabbed me on so many levels. It just speaks to my soul.

1
JD

Sublime. When I finished Les Mis, all I could do was walk from one room to another, sobbing. No other book has so affected me.

1
Mary

@JD same here…. and every time I see the movie or play.

2
Penny

Ken Follett

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Renee

Ahab’s Wife, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Fever 1793 (young adult), The Year of the Hangman (young adult alternate history)

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Renee

And of course Ken Follet

1
Felice

Guernsey Lit… Great book. A must read.

1
Sara

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is one of the best books I have come across. I have read it several times and find new things to love.

2
Chandra

That’s one I’m looking forward to reading!

0
Mary-Ellen

Not All Bastards are From Vienna by Andrea Molesini

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Dotty

Herman Wouk

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Mike

Lonesome Dove

6
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Joan

Kate Morton books

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Susie

Have read all of them and she has a new one coming out Later this year if I am not mistaken

0
Joan

@Susie yes!!?

0
Louise

I recently read The House at Riverton, and loved it

1
Susie

@Joan , my kids no longer ask what I want for Christmas….. Amazon gift card is a “ no brainer”?

0
Joan

@Susie aw yes!!! The PERFECT gift?

0
Shelby

The Historian by Elizabeth Kastova. Nefertiti, and The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran, and anything by Phillipa Gregory

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Linda

The Historian was an excellent book!!

3
Ila

Belva Plain…”Evergreen.”

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Annette

Herman Wouk wrote the best!

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Kathie

Mila 18 by Leon Uris
The Covenant by James Michener
Two books that started me reading a wave of HF throughout my life. A favorite genre for me………

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Renee

I love Léon Uris!!

3
Dotty

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

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Susie

One of my all-time favorites

1
Lori

I almost forgot about this one! Excellent!!!

0
Mish

One of my favorite books ever!
Please let me know if anyone has a recommendation that compares.

0
Kim

The Agony and the Ecstasy by Taylor Caldwell – correction Irving Stone – so long ago!

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Bernice

Irving Stone wrote The Agony and The Ecstasy

2
Kim

OOPS – You are correct I read so much of their work in the 1960’s and 70’s it is hard remember which one wrote which book. The list of historical fiction I have read is in the hundreds as a result of tackling this around age 9 or 10.

1
Kathie

Reading Leon Uris in the 9th grade started me down an informative and enlightening path of HF books throughout my life.

1
Susie

Boy, now you all have done it! Historical fiction is my favorite genre. Taking this thread to the top and getting out my paper and pencil. I am 68 and there may not be enough time for me to read all the books I want to read.?

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Catherine

Will always be mine!

0
Peggy

? I am doing the same thing! I am not feeling well today so as I am listening to the Maggie Hope Series on auto books from the on line library as I make my list. The first book that got me hooked and looking for more Historical Fictions was by Tess Garritsen’s called “The Bone Garden “. It was so good!

0
Rebecka

Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner

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Susanne

Tracy Chavelier- esp The Girl with the Pearl Earring & Remarkable Creatures.

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Judy

James Michenor
Diana Galbadon
Leon Uris

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Joanna

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks!

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Jacqueline

Outlander

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Nina

I love this genre!
The Other Einstein, The Alice Network, The Designer, The Address, and A Gentleman in Moscow

4
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Susie

I have read everyone of these books and they are all good

3
Joseph

Oliver Wiswell by Kenneth Roberts. Great book on the American Revolution from the loyalist perspective. Read it as a boy and have enjoyed it again since.

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Susie

The Savannah Quartet, The Florida Trilogy, and the St. Simons Trilogy by Eugenia Price triggered my love for historical Fiction over 30 years ago. I loved every book of hers I read and they are all set in the south

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Barbara

The nightingale

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Wendy

When I was a teen I read a lot of what were called Gothic Romances. Mary Steward wrote quite a few.

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Valerie

The Nightingale…The Alice Network….series about all of the Tudor wives of Henry 8th…..

5
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Valerie

Pillars of the Earth series…I forgot…

9
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Lori

Moloka’i by Alan Brennert (about the leprosy colony in Hawaii) is a wonderful novel that comes full circle. I’m so happy a coworker recommended it to me as I would have definitely missed this one!

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Felice

You should check out The Samurai’s Garden. I loved this book so much I literally hugged it.

0
Lori

@Felice ….i will definitely check it out….cuz I sure could use a hug-worthy book right now!

1
Kimberly

Outlander

4
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Christine

Reading “All the Light We Cannot See” right now- it is excellent. I didn’t think I would like it based on a summary, but the structure and pace are riveting.

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Lori

In my top 5 🙂

2
Robyn

Nicholas and Alexandra about the last Russian Tsar.

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Linda

Read this in high school when it first came out and have read everything non-fiction I could about this time period since then!

1
Robyn

@Linda – I did the same!! I continue to read everything I can find about them. Such a fascinating, but tragic, time in history.

1
Kim

If you are referring to Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K Massie it is a Biography. Robert K Massie won the Pulitzer for his biography Peter the Great: His Life And Times. Massie is renowned for his History & Biography books. He won the Pulitzer because he did so much research into the records his books read almost like novels.

0
Susan

The Wall by John Hersey about the Warsaw ghetto. I couldn’t believe that it was fiction though it was based on truth. All of Leon Uris is great

1
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Monica

The Child From the Sea by Elizabeth Goudge. HF about Lucy Walter, first mistress of British King Charles II … or was she truly his lawful wife? Made me fall in love with Wales.

1
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Lisa

The Other Boleyn Girl

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Lila

Fortunes daughter by Isabella Allende. A Fine balance by Rohinton Mistry.

1
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JD

A Fine Balance was amazing!

0
Loisann

Sharon Kay Penman

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Jo

Wolf Hall and sequel by Hilary Mantel

4
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Carol

Lost in Shangri-La
Rocket Girl
The Telling Room
Remarkable Creatures

0
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Jana

Outlander

4
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Catherine

Outlander is historical fiction overlapping historical fiction. In my opinion, people reject it if they are unable to except the premise, of time shifting. Then, we have a male that is the love object, with the woman moving the plot. It’s what I love about it..radically different from a male point of view.

3
Jana

So true! My favorite by far

0
Jennifer

Almost anything by Bernard Cornwell

2
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Betsy

Books by Sharon Kay Penman, particularly her Welsh princes trilogy. Personal favorite is When Christ and all his Saints Slept.

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Susie

The Red Tent is really good

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Linda

Eugenia Price’s “Savannah” quartet.

1
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Tabitha

Outlander

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Tammy

Love this book!

3
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Lynne

Yes! I read this years ago and still remember the feeling I had when I had finished it. It was a great book!

0
Linda

Ken Follett ‘ s series

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Amber

America’s First Daughter, about Thomas Jefferson’s daughter Patsy.

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Susie

And My Dear Hamilton

1
Amber

Yes, I just started it 🙂

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Susie

@Amber , Will make you realize that dirty politics is not just a recent phenomenon

2
Amber

Which they don’t teach you in school

2
Lynn

The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

5
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Louise

So good

0
Lynne

Lonesome Dove, Hanta Yo, Tai Pan…too many to list!

2
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David

The Rule of Four

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Elizabeth

Anything by Karen Kingsbury . She writes Christian fiction. Also Tracie Peterson is great too

1
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Kay

Lavender girl by Natasha Boyd. Fantastic read!

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Michelle

The Red Heart is a favorite. The Sixth Wife is another good one.

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Susan

The Red Heart is great!

0
Michelle

It’s one of my favorites

0
Rebecca

Agree with Killer Angels, but would add April Morning for young teens.

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Sandra

Maurice Druon’s The Accursed Kings (Les Rois Maudit) series; it is sort of a Games of Thrones as straight history.

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Mary

Gone With The Wind

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Frances

The Bastard by John Jakes

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Susie

That whole series is a good read along with the north and south trilogy

2
Frances

I haven’t read the rest, but my dad owns the entire collection so when I needed a historical fiction for a history class in high school he gave me the first one and I loved it! I never read the rest of them, but I’ve always meant to. By now I’d have to reread it, I barely remember it, I only remember loving it from start to finish.

2
Lynne

@Frances read it. You won’t be sorry. I loved this series.

2
Roxane

This year – Next Year In Havana (goes back and forth present to past)

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Gerry

on my list to read

0
Roxane

it’s good!!

1
Sharon

The Nightingale

7
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Amy

The winter garden

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Susie

Kristin Hannah… The great alone, the Nightingale, Winter Garden, Firefly Lane

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Jan

To Kill a Mockingbird

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Cyndi

The Pillars Of the Earth series, and the 20th Century series, both by Ken Follett.

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Beth

Cutting for Stone and Year of Wonders and People of the Book

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Anne

Yes! How could I have forgotten Year of Wonders?

1
Beth

and I forgot In the Garden of the Beast. However it’s nonfiction

1
Anne

@Beth and if we’re mentioning non-fiction(&why not?) then Killers of the Flower Moon, which reads like a novel.

2
Eliza

Winds of War and War and Remembrance

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Jan

following

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Maryann

Enemy Woman…. (the US civil war)….Lonesome Dove.

1
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Laurel

Gentleman in Moscow.

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Susie

A partial list of my books set in Asia

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Susie

And the rest

1
Carly

Such a great collection! Wow!

0
Carly

@Susie Are you on goodreads? I would love to follow you, if that’s not too creepy 🙂

0
Susie

@Carly yes I am ….. no issue with that at all. I create shelves on Goodreads but also create collections on my Kindle,….. have also recently started journaling where I write about a page of info on setting, characters,plot, and position in a series if applicable and of course an overall opinion of the book! I am a recently retired school teacher and may be getting carried away

0
Carly

@Susie Oh my goodness, that is terrific! I wish I had time to journal like that.

0
Susie

Carly Friedman Texas resident Washington County

0
Joan

Devil in the white city

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Maryann

Was that book mostly fact or fiction. I never got to finish it.

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Joan

@Maryann blend of botb

1
Gerry

My library has it shelved as non-fiction.

1
Kathy

a series by Miriam Grace Monfredo, takes place from about the 1840’s-civil war in Central NYS and beyond; also several books by Jennifer Chiaverini.

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Glenda

Great suggestions!

0
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Beth

The Lymond Chronicles by Dorothy Dunnett – about Scotland – I think he’s 14yo in the beginning of the story – he goes to many countries (4 books). The Angelique series by Sergeanne Golon (a husband/wife effort) (10 books). You may not find them easily, I read these 40 years ago.

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Cynthia

I don’t feel I’ve read a huge amount of historical fiction so I have few options to pick from but I did love The Secret Life it Bees and am currently reading Noon at Tiffany’s, which is magnificent.

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Kelly

Eugenia Price Books!

Far Pavilions!

Both of these are oldies but popped into my head.

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Carol

The Devil in the White City, The Radium Girls

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Gerry

Both are excellent, but they’re also narrative non-fiction.

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Sheri

The Other Boleyn Girl

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Andrea

A Tale of Two Cities, but I have hundreds of “favorites”.

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Lynne

The Kent Family Chronicles.

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Patricia

The Secret Wife by Gill Paul. This is a fictional story of the Romanovs. Great story.

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Pam

Book Thief

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Lori-Suzanne

texas city love amid the ruins

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Laurel

I just finished Golden Hill by Francis Spufford. New York 1747. Excellent.

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Linda

The Summer Before the War

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Ellen

Lilac Girls Philippa Gregory books, Night, Patrick O’Brian books. Historical Fiction is my favorite genre. Thanks for question Carolina!

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Kathryn

Buddha in the Attic! It’s about when America forced people of Japanese descent into camps. It’s short, but it’s unlike anything I’ve ever read. I love it!

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Susie

Our book club read for October here in Texas….. camp in South Texas near the border with Mexico during WWII

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Kathryn

I’ll add this one to my pile!

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Peggy

Our book club read The Train to Crystal City and everyone loved it!!!!!! Me too!!!

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Kimberly

“The Sandcastle Girls” by Chris Bohjalian.

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Betsy

Earth’s Children series; Pillars in the Earth

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Betsy

To be fair, Earth’s Children is a “Pre-historical“ fiction novel series. 😉

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Mary

The Widow’s War by Sally Gunning. It’s the first in a trilogy. Early pre-revolutinary time frame in the northeast of the “soon to be” USA.

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Jan

The Maisie Dobbs series are well written, well researched and very engaging books written by Jacqueline Winspear. Maisie is kinda a grown up British Nancy Drew, only better. The author focuses on WWI period, and does her research!

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Peggy

That is on my list as well. I am working on the Maggie Hope series and finishing the Dr. Thomas Silkstone series. They are both very good.

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Beth

Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear

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Barb

Outlander series !!

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Melinda

First Man in Rome. So good. In fact I might see if I can find a copy just to reread it.

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Gillian

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

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Trish

Loved all the Poldark books !!

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Connie

Outlander

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Melanie

The Red Tent

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Margaret

Lady Macbeth by Susan Fraser King

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Robyn

The Nightengale

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Catie

Here’s one you might not hve heard of: I, Claudius by Robert Graves.

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Cheryle

Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan.

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Joan

Any book by Phillipa Gregory.

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Michele

All the Light We Cannot See

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Beth

Loved that book!

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Pam

The Thornbirds

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JD

The Known World by Edward P. Jones. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

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Katie

The Book Thief

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Maggie

The Traitors Wife

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Abra

Trinity

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Amber

Outlander

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Annie

Outlander

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Bobbi

Tracy Chevalier’s books are excellent.

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Catherine

I’m thinking nine.

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Shanna

I forgot to add her!

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H

Freeman by Leonard Pitts

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Tammy

I loved John Jakes’ Civil War Trilogy. North and South was the first book, I believe.

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Valerie

Outlander!!!

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Nicole

Far too many great ones to pick a favorite, especially since it’s my go-to genre!

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Jennifer

Right! I usually go with the favorite “right now. ” ?

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Amy

Dreamland Burning by Jennifer Latham, The Obituary Writer

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Ayme

Memoir of a geisha. Shogun. Last of the Breed

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Cindy

Too many to mention including all that have been listed, but I would also add one of my favorites, The Invention of Wings.

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Cheryl

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie @Ford

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Bonnie

Gore Vidal’s Lincoln. Also been years since I read them & maybe as an adult would feel differently but both The Agony & the Ecstasy & The Robe

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Alisa

The Agony and the Ecstasy is incredible!

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Lila

These is my words

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Cheryl

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

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Heather

Pachinko

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Linda

The Maisie Dobbs series is my favorite. I will also add Forever Amber which I read many, many years ago.

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Pat

The Nightingale

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Lori

So many! Sarah’s Key, Pillars Of The Earth, And The Mountains Echoed, The Thornbirds….. I can go on and on.

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Valerie

Into the Woods series by Sara Donati.

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Jeanne

She doesn’t get enough recognition.

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Valerie

@Jeanne Totally agree!

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Sandy

Love is Eternal by Irving Stone.

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Laurie

I love Phillipa Gregory and Margaret George

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Lynda

Outlander!!

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Lora

Outlander series

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Betty

Angela’s Ashes

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Valerie

Anne Perry’s Victorian era mysteries. Outlander.

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April

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

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Kristen

Outlander’s not considered true historical fiction. It’s a mix of historical fiction, science fiction (due to time travel element), & romance.

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Lisa

Shadow of the Wind & The Red Tent

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Janelle

Yes, how’d I forget those?!

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Cynthia

The Lilac Girls

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Billie

Outlander

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Alicia

The help, orphan train, the underground railroad, Johnny tremaine (ya), fever 1793 (ya), Boston girl, angelas ashes, great gatsby, little women, atonement, many many others.

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Michael

Flashman novels

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Anne

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

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Karen

The Nightengale by Kristin Hannah

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Jen

agreed!

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Patty

Just finished Caleb’s Crossing. Good history almost 150 years before American Revolution.

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Nicole

I like Geraldine Brooks. Have you read Year of Wonders?

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Anne

I like her too and Year of Wonders is my favorite.

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Connie

My favorite of Brooks’ is People of the Book

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Nicole

@Connie I loved that one, too!

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Mary

Loved Year of Wonders and Caleb’s Crossing.

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Crystal

The Fool’s Guild Series by Alan Gordon & Sister Fidelma Murder Mysteries by Peter Tremayne

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Cheryl

Michener novels

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Barbara

Somewhere in France

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Norma

Yes. GREAT BOOK

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Karen

Shanandoah Sisters series followed by Carolina Cousins series. Author is Michael R Phillips

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Felice

The Secret Book of Grazzi de Rossi

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Virginia

The White Queen

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Chris

I haven’t read it for many years, not really sure of the name anymore. As a young teen I read it, and again in my mid to late 20’s. It was The Journeyer or The Journeyman, something like that, written by someone Jennings. Fictitious tale of a young Marco Polo traveling the Silk Road with his uncles. Story has stayed with me all my life. Way too graphic and mature for the age I first read it, but I turned out??

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Bobbi

Dickens wrote a lot of historical fiction.

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Kriste

Before We Were Yours by Wingate, Against the Tide by Camden

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Judy

Any Leon Iris

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Sandra

Leon Uris’ Exodus & The Diary of Anne Frank changed my life by altering the way i saw the world and how I would live my life by teaching tolerance and fighting prejudice.

1
Alisa

The Haj

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Judy

Uris

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Claudia

Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant.

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Barbara

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate.

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Amy

The Bronze Horseman

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Alisa

YES

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Sandra

Cane river by lalita tademy montana 1948 by Larry Watson in the time of butterflies by Julia Alvarez the kitchen boy by Robert Alexander the madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean heretic’s daughter by Kathleen Kent

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Sandra

♡ julie alvarez
have 1948 on my to read shelf

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Debra

Outlander, hands down.

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Linda

Just started the tv series. Looks promising.

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Melanie

The Muralist BA Shapiro

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Linda

The Guilded Hour by Sara Donati
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

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Laura

The Greatest Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick, Katherine by Anya Seton, and Outlander

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Zivadinka

Anything by Alexander Dumas

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Maureen

Moloka’i and Honolulu by Alan Brennert.

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Katy

I’m putting both of these on my goodreads list –thank you!

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Candice

Brennert will be coming out with a sequel in 2-2019 A daughter of Moloka’i

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Katy

Thank you!

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Dayna
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Kelly

Great question! This is my favorite genre by far. I’d add The Josephine Bonaporte trilogy from Sandra Gulland,
Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis de Bernières,
The Memoirs of Cleopatra – Margaret George,
Suite Francaise – Irene Nemirovsky,
The Last Days of Night – Graham Moore,
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena – Anhony Mara

I also loved Pachinko,, Nicholas & Alexandra, and Homegoing.

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Kristen

I’m on the hold list for Pachinko. I’ve heard it’s amazing!

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Kelly

@Kristen I loved it so much that I still think about those characters months after finishing the book. A fascinating read – I wish I could read it again for the first time

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Kristen

@Kelly can’t wait to read it!

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Mish

@Kristen it is! Also check out Cutting for Stone if you haven’t read it.

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Sylvia

Lilac Girls

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Kristen

All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

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Elizabeth

Lots of books, but two authors I love are Edward Rutherford and Dorothy Dunnett

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Katy

An amazing book.

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Peggy

Pillars Of The Earth Grapes If Wrath

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Peggy

Lilac Girls

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Brenda

Rome series by McCullough

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Randi

F

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April

Out of The Easy by Ruta Sepetys

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Eileen

The Last Town on Earth

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Eric

Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel

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Marie

Paula McLain’s The Paris Wife, Circling the Sun and Love and Ruin. Two books about martha Jefferson Randolph: Monticello and America’s First Daughter. And of course, My Dear Hamilton

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Michele

I loved Circling the Sun!

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Marie

@Michele, you should read the other too, I bet you would enjoy them!

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Maureen

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly.

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Melissa

Reading it now!

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Karen

Kenneth Roberts. All of the Hornblower books.

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Maureen

The German Girl by Armando Lucas Correa.

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Karen

The Winds of War by Herman Wouk. It’s a wonderful book. I started War and Remembrance as soon as I finished W of W but put it down half way through and never picked it up again. The treatment of the Jews was described so graphically.

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Sheri

my favorite also. i fell so in love with the characters

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Dotty

War and Remembrance is a difficult read, but so worth it! I also put it down years ago, but I recently picked it back up and read it. Not a only did I learn more about World War 2 than I ever learned in school, but I enjoyed revisiting the characters from The Winds of War.

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Karen

@Sheri yes!

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Betty

A Gentleman in Moscow

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Ceili

I just read The Secret Life of Mrs. London, The Mermaid, and The Game of Hope. Widely different time periods but really enjoyable. Past favorites include Scarlet Petal and The White, Mistress of Rome, Gladiatrix, Gone With The Wind, Outlander, The Book of Eleanor, Time Traveler’s Wife.

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Suzanne

Poldark

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Bernie

It’s usually the last one I read. I’m currently into a trilogy by Jeff Shaara, although Michael Shaara wrote the first one which is KILLER ANGELS. This isthe retelling of the battle at Gettysburg.

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Deborahe

Very good writer. Read them a few summers ago.

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Andi

Pillars of the Earth, The Book Thief, Outlander, From Sand and Ash, The Nightingale… I have a lot of favorites in this genre.

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Christine

Andi Reads: Please help me with Pillars of the Earth. I have tried to get through it and am struggling. I find it plodding. I am only 200 pages in and trying to decide why I should continue.

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Maureen

The Fire by Night and the Alice Network.

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G-a

Walk in My Soul by Lucia St.Clair Robson, about Sam Houston’s life with the Cherokees.

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Susan

Sounds good. I like books about Native Americans

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Maureen

Beneath a Scarlet Sky.

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Carolyn

read. And when I do have time to read, how do I decide on which wonderful book to read?

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Maureen

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd.

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Susan

Has anyone else read any of James Alexander Thom’s books? I love everything I have read by him.

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Carolyn

Outlander

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Alisa

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Cry of the Peacock
The Dovekeepers was decent.
Lots of those that have already been mentioned above.
Poisonwood Bible
Cleopatra’s Sister

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Jennifer

Reading A Tree grows in Brooklyn now.

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Alisa

@Jennifer One of the few books I have read numerous times! Hope you enjoy. <3

1
Jennifer

Alisa Rosado Swissa loving it!!!

1
Linda

The Devil in the White City and In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson.

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Angela

Great books

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Erin

Great books! But they’re nonfiction.

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Susan

I loved Devil in the White City, but didn’t care for Garden of Beasts

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Linda

@Angela I forgot to mention Thunderstruck also by Erik Larson.

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Kimberly

Pillars of the Earth, followed by the Sand Castle Girls. Molokai, and The book Thief

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Eric

War and Peace, Pillars of the Earth

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Jennifer

The Jungle

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Jan

Outlander; all 8
books!

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Mary

Anything by Phillipa Gregory or Alison Weir

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Kimberly

The Nightingale, All the Light You Cannot See, Lilac Girls, The Heart’s Invisible Furies, Daughters of the Dragon.

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Emily

Trapeze and Tightrope by Simon Mawer. One is a sequel to the other!

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Eileen

I love Margaret George’s and Edward Rutherford’s historical fiction.

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Kathryn

The Right Stuff

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Sandra

Great Non-Fiction Book & wonderful film directed by Philip Kaufman starring Sam Shepard, Ed Harris, & Scott Glenn.

1
Patricia

I also recently read Flight of the Sparrow: A Novel of Early America. Loved this too.

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Sue

Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian.

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Susan

I just got this. Can’t wait to read.

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Vicki

I read this. It’s good

1
Taylor

Three Sisters, Three Queens; The Constant Princess; The White Queen; and the White Princess all by Philippa Gregory or Nefertiti; The Heretic Queen; and Rebel Queen by Michelle Moran!

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Jean

October Sky

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Janie

The Traitor’s Wife by Allison Pataki

1
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Elyse

All the Light We Cannot See

3
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Kathi

Beneath a Scarlet Sky and Lilac Girls

1
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Gretchen

The Lilac Girls

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Janet

Your picks my choices too.

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Alex

The civil war brides

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Susan

The Underground Railroad

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Sandra

I loved the combination of history & magical realism.

1
Joan

Grapes of Wrath

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Jerri

A Gentleman in Moscow, The Night Soldiers Series, . . . And Ladies of the Club, The Outlander Series

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Karen

Oh yes…And Ladies of the Club! So good!

3
Deborah

Grapes of Wrath. All the Light We Cannot See

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Betty

Island Under the Sea

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Caroline

Lilac Girls!

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Harriett

All of Edward Rutherford’s and Susan Howatch and Sharon Kay Penman, too.

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Vicki

Green Darkness by Anya Seaton

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Sandy

Centennial and Pillars of the Earth. Also Mists of Avalon.

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Kim

I just finished A Very Long Engagement. Quite the ensemble of characters.

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Sandra