I'm getting a late start on next month's topic, but I'll post it late because of BEA. Here's the topic:
Adult Historical Fiction
What are one or two of the best adult historical fiction books you've ever read?
Why?
Leave a comment or email me at alisoncanread@gmail.com with your suggestions.I'm hoping to post the list in mid-June, so be on the look out for the newest edition of Read Outside the Box!!!
I'll do what I can to limit myself to two because HF has always been an absolute favorite of mine. It's what got me reading and blogging to begin with, in fact.
ReplyDeleteSo here are two options:
- A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini - set in the last 40 years in Afghanistan including Soviet presence and the development of the Taliban. Absolutely amazing. He was instantly propelled to one of my favorite authors ever after this.
- Any of the books in her "Of Rome" series by Kate Quinn. I know, I'm cheating by giving you three books but they're great. They're also a really great transition from YA to HF as the themes aren't so... Roman. I mean, yes, there's war and gladiators and other Roman like things but they're written in a way that's easy to digest. Although it's considered a series because they all intertwine, you can really pick up any of the three (Mistress of Rome, Daughters of Rome or Empress of the Seven Hills) without missing a beat.
I'm adding another just in case:
- The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons. It's a long book. And it's kinda dark with intense themes but it is so unbelievably good. It's poetic and tragic and all together amazing. This is probably my favorite of the bunch but it's sort of required that the reader go into it understanding that it's not "a summer read".
Historical Fiction is my favorite genre so it is hard to pick just a few. I would have to go with:
ReplyDeleteThe Lost Wife by Alyson Richman
Lionheart by Sharon Kay Penman
The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman
Here are some that I have enjoyed:
ReplyDeleteThe Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
and my favorite of those listed here:
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
Good luck with your choice!
Does Outlander by Diana Gabaldon count? It's not 100% historical fiction because of the time travel subplot, but it's mostly historical fiction. And it's such a beautiful book.
ReplyDeleteIt should totally count. It's my suggestion for sure.
DeleteI don't read much adult historical fiction, but I did read The Other Boleyn Girl a while back and LOVED that one. I think pretty much anything by Philippa Gregory is a winner:)
ReplyDeleteHere are some of my recent favorites:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13127599-the-shoemaker-s-wife
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6746018-the-distant-hours
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6668592-rainwater
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10815657-mozart-s-last-aria
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10815657-mozart-s-last-aria
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6323104-the-bronze-horseman
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6280392-mistress-of-the-revolution
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7875776-queen-hereafter
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8689913-madame-tussaud
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5999444-annette-vallon
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7864535-russian-winter
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7558747-revolution
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6718608-juliet
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6505109-roses
Lacuna, by Kingsolver.
ReplyDeleteSnow Flower and the Secret Fan, by See
The Dovekeepers by Hoffman
The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant, Juliet by Anne Fortier, and anything by Philippa Greggory.
ReplyDeleteThe Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman, which is about Richard III and the Wars of the Roses, is one of the best novels that I've ever read. There are quite a few parallels between it and George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones (characters, multiple POVs).
ReplyDeleteThe Matthew Shardlake books by C. J. Sansom are mysteries from the time of Henry VIII. They are REALLY good.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite adult historical fiction novels are by Sarah Waters, who writes these twisty, literary books with plenty of mystery and feminine drama. One of the few authors I have an auto-buy. :)
ReplyDeleteFingersmith
Tipping the Velvet
Affinity
The Little Stranger
Look forward to seeing all the other suggestions!
Wendy @ The Midnight Garden
YES! Fingersmith! I read it for a class assignment and it's crazy good.
DeleteI'm not a bit HF reader, so it takes something extra special to keep my attention. Looking forward to the list!
My favorite historical fiction books are The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory, East of Eden by John Steinbeck, and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
ReplyDeleteI know To Kill a Mockingbird can be classified as YA, but think of it more as adult just because the writing is so much more complicated than most YA novels.
Anything by Philippa Gregory or Alison Weir!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is one I can't contribute to. I read a little bit of everything but historical fiction is one I haven't been able to get into. Definitely looking forward to the suggestions so I can try a few and hopefully find something I like!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorote historical fiction is the Soulless series by Gail Carriger! Literally, I feel like I fly back in time with that book.
ReplyDeleteTwo I really liked are:
ReplyDeleteMadame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution
Confessions of Catherine de Medici
LONESOME DOVE, which I thought would be a cheap Western until I read it. Larry McMurtry really earned that Pulitzer, and I loved how nuanced ALL the characters were: not just the Rangers and cowboys, but also the women, the non-white people, and the non-glamorous people.
ReplyDeleteI'll use my second slot for GONE WITH THE WIND, which is now a double whammy as a great work of historical fiction and also a historical document of American perceptions of race during the 1930s.
I love reading historical fiction, so I'm excited to share my favorites as well as see what everyone else comes up with. First for some not so recent ones, anything published by Jean Plaidy, (although my favorites of hers are probably The Loves of Charles II or Victoria Victorious.
ReplyDeleteAs for more recently published books Roses by Leila Meacham, The Tea Rose Trilogy by Jennifer Donnelly, and The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman.
I'd have to second A Thousand Splendid Suns, The Other Boleyn Girl, and Memoirs of Cleopatra. I read those three in high school and remember enjoying them!
ReplyDeleteThe Persian Boy by Mary Renault
ReplyDeleteLike Wendy, I think Sarah Waters is an amazing writer! I love all her books.
ReplyDeleteI love the Tudor period. If you prefer lighter HF, The Other Boleyn Girl is good. If you want a long, more literary book, I liked Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel.
I love Jennifer Donnelly's YA, so I will have to try the Tea Rose. Is it me, or do other bloggers have trouble finding time to read long books that they aren't reviewing???
Yes, I have a lot of trouble finding time to read long books. I actually have the Tea Rose on my shelf and have read 50 pages or so, but it's hard to get through when I have so many other things to read.
DeleteOh boy, limit myself to only two?! I will try :P
ReplyDeleteThe Alexandrian by Martha Rofheart is an awesome, highly under-appreciated book about Cleopatra (with a god awful cover). The first-person narrative really sucked me into the story and made Cleopatra feel like she was sitting right in front of me telling her story. I've read a lot of Cleopatra books, but this is hands down my favorite.
The Master and Commander series by Patrick O'Brian is amazing! The first book was a little hard for me to get into in the beginning because there was a lot of "ship speak" but after that it was smooth sailing (erm, pardon my bad pun). Imagine if Jane Austen met up with the dynamic duo Sherlock Holmes and Watson and they made a book together set during the Napoleonic Wars following the British Royal Navy with a combination of Jane's sly, dry wit and my super cheesy puns and you pretty much have O'Brian's series.
I'm a little late to this, but I really enjoyed The Sandalwood Tree by Elle Newmark, which is set in India just before the exit of the British Raj.
ReplyDelete