The Shardlake series by C.J Sansom is fantastic! They’re set during the reign of Henry 8th and are about a hunchbacked lawyer who investigates murders and other crimes on behalf of Thomas Cromwell! Great books! And Kenneth Camerons Denton series is great too, that’s another detective series but this time set in victorian London about an American author who moved to London and becomes entangled in police investigations and before he knows it he’s a private investigator!
Depending on the genre… I love Elizabeth Peters, Rhys Bowen, Georgette Heyer, Kerry Greenwood, Fannie Flagg… The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, The Shadow of the Wind, The Book Thief, for a start.
I’ve only read one book in that genre but I love it! It’s Outlander. I will definitely be trying some other historical fiction, using these recommendations. ?
Fall of Giants by Ken Follett. Such an interesting book quite a big one though. It’s set around the First Wold War and the story follows different people who’s live all interconnect. Very well written.
For the American colonial period, My Name Is Resolute by Nancy Turner- couldn’t put it down! By the same author, These Is My Words, time period is the Westward expansion.
The Book Thief. The Reader. Century trilogy by Ken Follett (really anything by him is good.) Salt to the Sea. Dead Wake by Erik Larson (it’s nonfiction but reads like fiction.) New York by Edward Rutherford.
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers and The Mark of the Lion Series by the same author. The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron is excellent also.
If you’re looking for something different, Bec by Darren Shan (the name I use for my YA work) is set 1600 years ago in Celtic Ireland. It’s as historically accurate as I could make it, but also features lots of grisly demons — the perfect mix of history and horror! 🙂
Dinah Jefferies writes richly descriptive books about Ceylon and India. Lots of WW2 genre books include The Kommandant’s Girl by Pam Jenoff. Winter Garden by Kristen Hannah. The Sugar Men by Ray Kingfisher. I could go on.
Gates of Fire by Stephen Pressfield. It’s about the Ancient Greek battle of Thermopylae. It’s not the same as that movie 300. It’s a thousand times better.
The All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness! The second book, Shadow Of Night is set in history. You need to read book 1, A Discovery Of Witches first, though. The author is a historians so everything is accurate, historically.
The Diviners.
The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah
Hi Kathy! I have read The Nightingale by Hannah it’s one of my favorite books! ?
@Keely me too
Stalking Jack The Ripper.
The Travels of Jamie McPhetterx.
The Broken Girls and The English Wife.
Conqueror series ( based on Genghis Khan and his descendants) and emperor series ( Julius Caesar ) by Conn Iggulden …Brilliantly written
The Conqueror Series sounds interesting!
Kitchen House
Outlander
The Midwifes Revolt
Time and Again
Beneath a Scarlett Sky
Book Thief
The Shardlake series by C.J Sansom is fantastic! They’re set during the reign of Henry 8th and are about a hunchbacked lawyer who investigates murders and other crimes on behalf of Thomas Cromwell! Great books! And Kenneth Camerons Denton series is great too, that’s another detective series but this time set in victorian London about an American author who moved to London and becomes entangled in police investigations and before he knows it he’s a private investigator!
Stalking Jack the Ripper
Annie’s Story, Blessed With A Gift
Outlander
The Historian
Oooo the Historian was excellent!
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/alienist-caleb-carr/1100394603?ean=9780812976144#/
The Nightingale, by Kristen Hannah.
The Address by Fiona Davis
Book Thief by Markus Zusak is by far the best book.
I couldn’t get into this one. Not sure why.
@Deborah There is a movie too based on this book with same name. You should try that. I’m sure you would like it.
The Book Thief
All the Light We Cannot See
From sand to Ash by Amy Harmon
The knightingale by Kristin Hannah
The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
There’s just so many. Historical Fiction is my favorite genre of books to read
Song at Dawn by Jean Gill
The Slave Dancer
Book thief
Depending on the genre… I love Elizabeth Peters, Rhys Bowen, Georgette Heyer, Kerry Greenwood, Fannie Flagg…
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, The Shadow of the Wind, The Book Thief, for a start.
Lilac Girls
I’ve only read one book in that genre but I love it! It’s Outlander. I will definitely be trying some other historical fiction, using these recommendations. ?
I absolutely loved outlander!!
Check out books by Philippa Gregory, if you like to read on England of 1800s
Any by Philippa Gregory, Ann O’Brien, Jean Plaidy ? awesome reads
The Romanov prophecy
Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee was phenomenal.
Fall of Giants by Ken Follett. Such an interesting book quite a big one though. It’s set around the First Wold War and the story follows different people who’s live all interconnect. Very well written.
Fall of the Giants is the first of a trilogy….Ken Follett
For the American colonial period, My Name Is Resolute by Nancy Turner- couldn’t put it down! By the same author, These Is My Words, time period is the Westward expansion.
I loved These are my words. There are 2 other books that go with it. I haven’t read the one about the American revolution.
it’s awesome, I hope u get a chance to read it
I started reading Sarah’s Quilt, the sequel to These… but never finished it… someday…
The Nightingale was fantastic .
Dissolution, Dark Fire, Sovereign, Revelation, Heartstone & Lamentation by C J Sansom
The Witchfinders Sister by Beth Underdown
The Suicide Club by Andrew Williams
The Underground Railroad by Colon Whitehead
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys.
The Book Thief. The Reader. Century trilogy by Ken Follett (really anything by him is good.) Salt to the Sea. Dead Wake by Erik Larson (it’s nonfiction but reads like fiction.) New York by Edward Rutherford.
Pink chimneys
Fall of Giants by Ken Follett was great and I am currently reading The Pillars of the Earth by the same author ??
Watch mini series of PoE and its sequel World without End
@Janet I will thanks! I feel like it’s an epic adventure every time I read one of his books
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers and The Mark of the Lion Series by the same author. The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron is excellent also.
My daughter had me read Between shades of gray and salt to the sea by Ruta Sepetys. Both were really good!
Alternate fiction count, if so The Yiddish Policemen’s Union, it’s a mystery novel
The Clifton chronicles by Jeffrey Archer. Can’t put the books down once you start!
“The Water at the End of the World” is a wonderful YA historical fiction set in Peru in the time of the Inca Empire.
Pillars of the earth
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
The Chilbury Ladies Choir by Jennifer Ryan
Anything by Jennifer Robson or Susanna Kearsley
The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillippa Gregory.
If you’re looking for something different, Bec by Darren Shan (the name I use for my YA work) is set 1600 years ago in Celtic Ireland. It’s as historically accurate as I could make it, but also features lots of grisly demons — the perfect mix of history and horror! 🙂
You got my interest! I typically don’t read YA, but can’t pass up anything related to Celtics
@Lysa It’s officially book 4 of its series but can be read as a stand alone – it’s set WAY before the first three.
@Darren Cool! I’ve been looking for a new series. Are the other books a mix of history and horror?
@Lysa No, the others are all set in the present time.
In the Garden of Beasts -Erik Larson
A Feast of Sorrow by Crystal King. Also love authors Steven Saylor, Robert Harris, and Ken Follett.
Dinah Jefferies writes richly descriptive books about Ceylon and India.
Lots of WW2 genre books include
The Kommandant’s Girl by Pam Jenoff.
Winter Garden by Kristen Hannah.
The Sugar Men by Ray Kingfisher.
I could go on.
Wow! What a treasure chest of incredible books … my favorite genre.
Gates of Fire by Stephen Pressfield. It’s about the Ancient Greek battle of Thermopylae. It’s not the same as that movie 300. It’s a thousand times better.
Labyrinth and Citadel by Kate Mosse
I loved this trilogy 🙂
@Tika Me, too. Haven’t read the third yet.
The other boelyn girl
All the light we cannot see
The nightingale
Not sure if it’s already been mentioned, but if you like mystery with your historical fiction then The Bone Garden is amazing!
Go set a watchman
“All the Light we cannot see” Anthony Doer
Following
The Mists of Avalon
The secret wife by Gill Paul. Just reading for a second time – most unusual for me to do that.
Rejection Runs Deep by @Carole, starts in the early 1900’s. Compelling Read
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing. Set during the American Revolution.
We were the lucky ones by Georgia hunter
The All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness! The second book, Shadow Of Night is set in history. You need to read book 1, A Discovery Of Witches first, though. The author is a historians so everything is accurate, historically.
Shadow of Night was so good!
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
That’s in my tbr pile!
Before We Were Yours, by Wingate, and any H.F. book by Jane Kirkpatrick.