Does anyone else enjoy reading historical fiction? I’m really loving this genre and wondering if anyone has any recommendations?
Does anyone else enjoy reading historical fiction?
I’m really loving this genre and wondering if anyone has any recommendations?
I recently read Orphan Train. It was great.
Its a wonderful book. I loved it.
I had read “Credo” by Melvyn Bragg. It’s set in the 6th-7th century in Ireland and England.
I used to read it a lot but not recently.
I do. Read the Masters of Rome series.
The three musketeers and twenty years after
It’s my favorite genre, especially WWII. I recommend All the Light We Cannot See, Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys, The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah, The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd, The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead, Angela’s Ashese by Frank McCourt, and Life After Life by Kate Atkinson.
I read Tis by Frank McCourt and really had a hard time with all the cursing. Is Angela’s Ashes the same? I’ve wanted to read it but don’t wanna be cussing like a sailor like I did while reading Tis. My three kids thought I’d lost my mind lol
Cursing doesn’t bother me, so I didn’t really notice.
I have a free one. Set in early 1980’s New York and Northern Ireland during the Troubles. You interested? 🙂
Sure
I love reading historical fiction!
I love reading historical fiction!! My favorite is Beatriz Williams
Wolf hall
Historical fiction is my favorite genre after biography. The best book ever is . . . And ladies of the club by Helen Hoover Santmyer. Epic! I am currently reading The Royal Mob by Theresa Sherman. It is great. It is about Queen Victoria’s family.
I love reading historical fiction. My favorite is Stephen Ambrose.
Pillars of the Earth by Ken follet and also the century trilogy by the same author 😉
I read pillars years ago ? loved ot
Philippa Gregory read EVERYTHING. Though I probably love her Tudor and The Cousins’ War series the most
Bernard Cornwell is my favourite, but also CS Forester, Patrick O’Brien, Tracy Chevalier, Frank Delancey, Edward Rutherford, Matthew Pearl, Arianna Franklin, Beverly Swerling, Caleb Carr, Patrick Taylor, Kate Morton. The Midwife of Hope River books were good, The Orphan Train, The Kitchen House, The Yellow House…….
I should add….a lot of my favourites take place in the 1800s as that is my favoutite time period.
My favorite time in history as well. The world changed during that period and I’m still deciding if it changed for the better.
@Lissa the book I’m reading now is late 1700s/early 1800s… it was rough back then …
Favorite genre! Especially WWII and post WWI.
Count of Monte Cristo is a fav. I also enjoy Sherlock, Pride and Prejudice, and Kate Morton’s books. Gail Carrigers Protectorate series is great too but it has some supernatural elements.
Count of monte cristo was like one of the first books i remember reading, like when i was in 6th grade or something..and pride and prejudice..such a wonderful book
Love historical fiction x I read anything by Philipa Gregory Alison Weir C J Samson Rory StClements Ken Follet could go on lol these are my faves oh and Conn Iggulden xx
Yes, I read anything pretty much, lol. Love fiction and non-fiction both. I would recommend reading Becoming Victoria by Kate Williams, if you haven’t yet. It’s so good!
Winter Garden and The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult.
The Other Boleyn Sister
I love love love historical fiction!Read Wildacre by Phillipa Gregory,its amazing and just unbelievably good!
Or you could try When Love Commands by Jennifer Wilde,i didnt want it to end
Have you read the 3 book series?
You mean of Wildacre?The Favoured Child and Meridon?
Anything by Kate Morton, @Susanna, Allyson Richman.
I just read The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton. I loved it! That was my first novel by her and can’t wait to get my hands on more!
Through a glass darkly by kathleen koen! In the company of a Courtesan (fantastic as the following two)., Leonard’s swans, the ruby ring
One of my favorites if not my complete favorite!
I love historical novels. Philippa Gregory, Jean Plaidy…
War and peace ..its a really long one and ive not finished it yet..ive only read like a couple of hundred pages..
Ken Follett series
I love it.
The Accursed Kings by Druon is by far my favorite.
But I really like others too :
The three musketeers by Dumas.
Christian Jacq’s books are marvelous.
La pourpre et l’olivier by Gilbert Sinoue.
Mireille Calmel’s books are great.
The Bronze Horseman. I had to remind myself to breathe while reading it!!
SO good
Love that series.
My fiance loves alternate history fiction. I enjoy Civil War fiction on occasion.
Love historical fiction. C.J.Sansom’s Shardlake series is brilliant for the Tudor period;Georgette Heyer for The Regency;Elizabeth Chadwick for the middle ages..If you prefer 20th century,try Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs series,which starts in 1911 & is up to 1938/9 so far.
Any by Bernard Cornwell.
Most novels by Phillipa Gregory, The Nightingale, The Book Thief
Well if you don’t mind historical inaccuracies because after all it is fiction. Phillipa Gregory has some good books
I’m one who won’t read historical fiction that has inaccuracies…unless, UNLESS the author is up front and tells where fiction veers from fact. Many writers of this genre do that. So many will read historical fiction and then quote it as fact.
Me too like Phillipa Gregory said there is a lot of I for out there in the subjects she writes about. But the personal thoughts of the subjects and conversations we were not privy too are made up. I like it when the authors offer links in their books so you can learn more about the subjects
Yes I love the genre. Crusades is a good book.
Lilac Girls
Alison Weir brilliant author
Works of Valerio Mussimo Manfredi (Alexander series), Conn Iggulden (Genghis Khan series and Julius Ceaser series)
Works by Alex Rutherford as well (Empire of the Mughals series)
I love historical fiction. If you want to read a wonderful series that’s both historical fiction and mysteries, try Sharan Newman’s series of medieval mysteries. I am also partial to Dorothy Dunnett’s books (very dense, very intense reading, lots and lots of layers to her writing). Also Sharon Kay Penman and Margaret George.
Yes
Rutherford’s books ‘London’ and ‘Paris’ are superb. Have read them more than once. He traces a fictional family from hundreds of years ago, to the present time and shows how each generation succeeds or fails in the various historical eras. He has written many others books, but I love these two especially. I’d say they are must reads for those who enjoy historical fiction. You can probably get them for a few cents used on Amazon.
I don’t like historical fiction but if I had to recommend one it would be Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Ken Follet- The pillars of the earth & World without end. Very long books, but worth the read! If I had time i would read these again and again!
My favourite genre! I love reading about Tudor times.
Megan Chance – The fatal key, Philippa Gregory- The other Boleyn girl
One of my favorite genre to read!! When I am reading historical fiction I seem to be stuck in WWII era, not war specifically but that timeframe
Oh you might like the Clifton Chronicles by Jeffrey Archer. There are a total of 7 the follow 2 families thru the years. I absolutely loved them and was sad to see series end.
Edward Rutherford Paris, London and Dublin books and Ken Follett The Pillars of the Earth, World Without End and his trilogy, Fall of Giants, Winter of the World, and Edge of Eternity. Also, James Michener’s The Source
Excellent choice 🙂
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/His_Majesty%27s_Dragon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollows_(series)
Yes, I really enjoyed this series, although I didn’t the prequel “The Turn” as most of the other books.
The Gurnsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, The Book Thief, Orphan Train, Sarah’s Key, Lady of the Butterflies, The Help, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, The Other Boleyn Girl, The Good Earth, The Thornbirds, Water for Elephants, Remarkable Creatures, Boy in the Striped Pajamas, The Forgotten Garden, Mistress of Rome, At the Waters Edge, Shanghai Girls
The Book Thief is one of my favorite books. I also loved The Help. I was surprised they did a halfway decent job with both of those movies as well.
The Thornbirds is one of my favourite books. I read it as a teenager. About 2 years ago I mentioned to my best friend that I’d like to get it to read again. That Christmas she gave it to me as s gift, so Ive read it again and will read it again soon. ?
The Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George, The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber.
My favorites are Afton of Margate Castle and Druids by Morgan Llewellyn
The Orphan’s Tale by Pam jenoff; Windy City Blues by Renee Rosen; the Velvet Hours by Allyson Richman
The book of unholy mischief
I do !!!
I loved this book and had forgotten who wrote it.
Love it
Wow thanks everyone so many good recs!!!! This is the one I’m reading. I’m loving it!! It’s about a young French girl who is forced into an arranged marriage with someone she despises after meeting her soulmate and of course denied his love.. sigh.. sounds like a rough era.. I guess we really don’t have it too bad lol
Totally agree pillars of the earth is amazing could not find the sequel for ages but made it my mission
Giles Kristian’s Raven series if you like Vikings.
Possibly my favorite genre along with thriller/suspense
Any by Philippa Gregory or Alison Weir or Allison Pataki
Yep my 2 favorite authors for this genre. Love these ladies. 🙂
I’d read that !!!
How about Clan of the Cave Bear series? You have it many of my favorites & given some to add to my list.
Piers Anthony’s Geodyssey series is pretty good. It’s a little strange to read, since it essentially reincarnates the same people and follows them through time from the prehistoric caveman days clear through modern and on into the near future… Let’s call it a bunch of educated theories on how “man” has developed certain traits.
Sometimes
Jennifer Chiaverini has some decent Civil War time period books.
I recently finished The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton that was set during WWII and also present day and it was great! Had a couple twists I didn’t expect. I am eager to read more by her. Another good WWII era book is Take Me Home by Dorothy Garlock.
Read the Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton!
I like books that were actually written in their time period – like Bleak House, The Woodlanders, and Les Miserables.
ken follet’s books. the outlander books…
I don’t have much, aside from echoing that The Book Thief is a brilliant read, but I want to follow this thread because I am a fan of the genre as well.
Reading: What Happened To My Sister
By: Elizabeth Flock
The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman, its a regency romance historical fiction
My favorite genre!! The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon is one of my favorites!
Anything by Erik Laarson. Best historical fiction I have ever read. Reviewers agree. Thrilling and ingenious. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Start with Devil in the White City or In the Garden of Beasts. So good.
I love jodi piccoult and bryce courtenay
Jodi Picoult I would catergorize as modern fiction. Nineteen Minutes is one of my favorites by her.
Anything by Clavell or Michener are great.
I’ve read all of Clavell and a lot of Michener. I also like Leon Uris.
@Kathryn I’m trying to write an epic historical novel, so I recently re-read Shogun and now I’m reading Taipan.
I really liked Clavell but it’s been almost 30 years since I read him.
Those books never go out of style.
My first historical fiction was The Agony and the Ecstasy – about Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel.
British History is my favorite.
I love historical fiction… Besides the obvious ones (you know, Gone with the wind, The book thief, memoirs of a geisha..) I think you should try Alan Brennert’s Honolulu. I LOVED it and I hear his Moloka’i is better.!
I love Historical Fiction it’s one of my favorite genres. All of these sound awesome. Totally going to follow this post. 🙂
love it! Just read Killers of the Flower Moon and it was fantastic
I like Phillippa Gregory.
But my all time favorite;
all ten thousand pages of it,
is Diana Gabaldon’s “Outlander Series” and the interwoven “Lord John Series.”
I do.
I love it, but as an author of historical fiction with a new novel out, I have to say that! Have you tried any of Kate Thompson’s novels – she’s rather wonderful as is Elaine Everest and Nancy Revell.
For me, the best historical fiction writer is Sharon Kay Penman. She has done lots of series about the Plantagenets, Richard III etc, King John and the Welsh Princes, wonderful!
Outlander
Love it!
Anything by Pamela Hart
Margaret George, Helen Dunmore, Robert Harris
Mary Stewart’s Crystal Cave series. Robert Graves’ “I Claudius.”
Yes yes yes. I forgot about those! LOVED them.
I used to read Amanda Quick, pseudonym for Jayne Ann Krentz/Jayne Castle.
I’ve read almost every book by her!
The Outlander series
Nefratiti’s (Egyptian queen) heart (sp?) 1st book
Hafestes’ (greek god of …? Metal work) collar 2nd book
I really suck at spelling