Historical Fictionistas discussion
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Ancient History (Old Threads)
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2020 Introduction
Hi! My name is Brenda, I’ve been a member of Goodreads (actively) since the beginning of this year and am excited to find this group, I love historical fiction. I don’t know that I have a favorite, there are so many good books out there. I will read just about anything if it’s interesting and well written. I also read a lot of classic lit, French lit, some science, popular non-fiction, spy novels, etc., I’m the typical eclectic reader.
I do enjoy the group reads and find I get so much more out of the book than just my own views.
Hi, everyone. My name is Janet Savin, and I’ve just joined. I’ve loved history and historical fiction ever since I was a kid. It’s very difficult to single out one novel as a favourite. Because I love the work of Shakespeare and his contemporaries, both playwrights and poets, I’m partial to fiction about the Tudors, and thought I Elizabeth by Rosalind Miles was a tour de force. I’ve been reading Hilary Mantel’s Cromwell trilogy and am about a quarter of the way through The Mirror and the Light. Although I have some minor quibbles, I feel that the trilogy is unsurpassed. I’m a writer and am enjoying analysing Mantel’s style and structure as well as simply reading the story for itself.I was born in the United States but moved to France 35 years ago. I live in a village next to the bell tower of an 11th century church. I’ve been in much older places: temples in Egypt, Pompeii, Petra. But when I stand in the entrance of this church and think that a people with whom I feel an affinity and whose way of life I know somewhat and share have been congregating here for a thousand years, I get a frisson every time.
Jessalyn wrote: "Hey everyone! I can't remember if I posted on here before so here goes again. I'm 27 and my name is Jessalyn Joy. I live in central Iowa. My favorite historical novel is This Light Between Us. It's..."Hi, Jessalyn. Where in Iowa do you live? I was born in Newton and spent part of my childhood there.
Dave wrote: "Hello again, I live in south central PA. I've got to say my favorite historical novels are uncountable! Once of them is The Scarlet Letter. Did you know Hawthorne was a grandson of one of the judge..."I did not know that about Hawthorne. I've always loved The Scarlet Letter but have not read it for decades.
Welcome, Janet! I liked your evocation of the connection you feel to times past in your village. As a teenager I spent a summer living with a family in the Dordogne and was overwhelmed with that feeling every day. A peak experience was when the father of my host family, who was a forester, let me down on a rope into a cave full of prehistoric cave paintings that he had discovered!
Hello all:I'm Sandra, avid reader of Historical Fiction, and also author of Historical Fiction. I have a number of favorite books and authors, just to name a few: An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris, The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, The Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George, Elizabeth Chadwick's novels, Isabel Allende's books, etc. Feel free to browse through my books/page.
Nice meeting you all!
Indra wrote: "Hello, everyone! My name is Indra Zuno and I live in San Diego, CA. I'm a Spanish Court Interpreter, mostly in Federal court. Something funny/interesting about me is that I used to act in Mexican t..."I really appreciated "Panther in the Sky" also. I have an affinity toward Native-American history.
Chris wrote: "Hi, my name is Chris Oswald. I have always loved history and reading, although I was almost eight years old before I learned to read! Recently, I have sold my business. I still invest in business b..."You might enjoy A. B. Guthrie Jr.'s series of novels about the development of the West beginning with "The Big Sky."
Hello! My name is Madison and I'm Calgary, AB. I've been on Goodreads for a while but this year it's been my goal to read more consistently. My favourite historical fiction books are the Book Thief by Markus Zusak, and All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. I'm also interested in books that take place during the Cultural Revolution. Looking forward to discovering more books in the genre and discussing them with you all!
Hi! My name is Megan! I have been a history lover most of my life and adore historical fiction...in fact that is predominantly all that I read!
I don’t have a favorite book or time period as I love so many. Each time period has beautiful moments and I anticipate learning about more each time I start a new book!
You should both have a lot of fun here, Madison and Megan--look forward to hearing your thoughts and seeing what you're reading.
Hi, I'm Lori and I just joined. Love to read anything and everything but I have developed a particular fondness for historical fiction. I've read most of Phillipa Gregory's books, and am particularly interested in English history, but by no means am I limited to only that era. I'm looking forward to joining discussions with people who have similar interests. I'm currently reading "The Blue," which is technically not historical fiction but does have a historical setting.The Blue.
Welcome, Lori! I looked up the book you mentioned and it looks like historical fiction to me (and quite interesting). I don't believe historical fiction has to be about known historical figures--though some would call this kind of fiction "period" instead of "historical" because of the fictional characters. I've been assured by various people that fiction written in a historical period that features fictional characters can be considered historical, at least for purposes of this group.
Hi!I'm Christopher from the Philippines. I think I have read enough books of different genres to consider HF as my favorite genre. I love fantasy books as well, from the Firebird Series by Claudia Gray to the Strange the Dreamer duology by Laini Taylor. But when I read All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, the first HF book I read, my eyes were opened to a marvelous world where I'm continuously amazed by how HF authors play with the historical past and how I could search on the internet the setting in which the story was in and get a really vivid image of the world the character lives in.
I'm looking forward to know more HF books through the different discussions and recommendations here. I'm currently finishing "The Bones of Grace" from the Bangla Desh trilogy by Tahmima Anam. I'm truly in awe how you really can absorb the real culture and history of a place from HF books which is exactly what is happening to me right now: I want to go to Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, witness their religion, admire their fashion, and be immersed in their culture. :>
Hello! I hope everyone is keeping safe during this difficult time. I'm very excited to be a part of this group. Not only do I enjoy writing historical fiction, it is one of my favorite genres to read. I can't wait to check out the novels written by group members. Take care.
Hello Everyone. I'm new here my name is Wendy Bayne I live in Brantford Ontario Canada. I am a retired nurse and avid reader. I have been captivated by 19th century Britain since I was a young girl. I like books with a twist of intrigue and mystery. I admit to being a Jane Austen fan. But my current favourite authors are Anne Perry, C.S. Harris and Anna Lee Huber. I also have been know to wandered into the fantasy realm on occasion.After reading historical fiction for decades I decided to give it a try myself.
I wrote my first book over four years ago and only recently had the nerve to seek getting it publish it will be released May 4th. I'm still writing and reading for my own pleasure.
Congratulations on climbing the mountain of publication, Wendy! I’m a fellow nineteenth-century Britain fan and am writing in that time and place as well. I look forward to learning more about your book, and having an ally in this group for getting the occasional group read set in our favorite time and place.
Abigail wrote: "Congratulations on climbing the mountain of publication, Wendy! I’m a fellow nineteenth-century Britain fan and am writing in that time and place as well. I look forward to learning more about your..."Hi Abigail! I'll be happy to be your ally. I would love to hear more about your writings as well.
Hello, my name is Violet and I'm an historical fiction reader, creative writer, and knitter, as well as someone who works in the library system. It's really hard to pick a favourite, but some of my top favourite HF are: Burial Rites The Nightingale and Mara, Daughter of the Nile
Mod
Hello, I am a long-time historical novel reader and as of last year, I'm now an historical novelist. I want to read more widely within the genre for times when I'm not researching new works, and hopefully find a fresh mix of historical and other genre novels, which is why I'm here. Favorites include: [[book:The Chef's Apprentice|9187843], any Wilbur Smith, and my current read is The Golem and the Jinni.
Hello Everyone. I'm Patrick and I live in Lancashire. I've been a great fan of history for as long as I can remember, so naturally, historical fiction forms a good deal of my fiction reading.I'm a volunteer archaeologist and have worked on several excavations in the past.
Naming a favourite author is something I always find very difficult. What I can say is that in the past I have enjoyed books by Lindsey Davis (of course), C. J. Sansom, Bernard Cornwell, Phillipa Gregory, Simon Scarrow, David Wishart and Justin Hill. I'm sure there are others, but off the top of my head, that's all I can think of at the moment.
I also read a LOT of actual history, so I do prefer authors who do their research properly, like those mentioned above.
It's great to be here and I look forward to many interesting discussions.
Stay safe.
Hi, my name is Kellie. I am from Minnesota US, but now I live in Yorkshire England with my husband. My current favorite historical novel is "King Hereafter" by Dorothy Dunnet. I have always liked historical fiction, especially very well researched and accurate stories that let me learn about different times and places without drowning in lists of battles and dates. I also like historical mysteries by authors like Margaret Fraser, Ellis peters, and Candace Robb. It was fun to read introductions by others in the group and see that I have read and enjoyed many of your favorite novels, too.
Kellie wrote: "Hi, my name is Kellie. I am from Minnesota US, but now I live in Yorkshire England with my husband. My current favorite historical novel is "King Hereafter" by Dorothy Dunnet. I have always liked h..."Welcome!
Hi everyone!I've only just joined Goodreads a few months ago, so I'm still pretty new. I live in the Bay Area and love reading and music. One of my favorite genres is historical fiction. My favorite historical fiction novel is either Les Misérables, Salt to the Sea, or The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I can't choose just one.
Author post:I wrote the first two books of a series: 54 and 53-52 BC. It happens in Ptolemaic Egypt, but Cleopatra isn't the main character (she's just 15). It follows the lives of peasants, sailors, scribes, and priestesses just trying to get by, and drafted into a 2000 mile adventure by the crown. Not Game of Thrones, more like "Scrubs". The books are humorous fiction, touching on the actual Delphi intelligence network, and playing with the multi-cultural environment of the times.
Caesar is in Gaul, but he's not a puffed up heroic figure speaking with an elitist Shakespearean accent. He's a very clever general, but also a harried administrator just trying to get stuff done. This is 6 yrs before Caesar ever steps foot in Egypt: no "bodice bursting" here ... but it's not for the kiddies (adult humor and situations).
Characters move around historical events of the times, sometimes causing them. I only filled out personalities, I didn't change history. There's a "What's True" section at the end to illustrate how much I didn't have to make up.
"Look Inside" butchered my indentation. You can download clean .pdf's of the same material from my webpage.
Cleopatra 54 BC: When Your Father Leaves You The Family Business ~or~ Who Let The Scribes Out?
Cleopatra 53-52 BC: Gold Is Where You Find It ~or~ Supersize Me!
Hello, I´m Michaela from Vienna, Austria, and I love historical novels. The one group with reads till the Middle Ages doesn´t do group reads anymore, the other does more books set in the 20th/21st century, so I hope to find in this group what I´ve benn looking for.My other book interests are Classics, detective stories and the one or other easy read. Also open to broaden my horizon.
Hi, I’m W.M. Wiltshire and I joined Goodreads a while back and am still trying to figure out how everything works. I enjoy Wilbur Smith’s Egypt series and Simon Scarrow’s Eagle series, I also enjoyed David Gemmell and Conn Iggulden.
Mod
Hi All,I'm Scott Austin Tirrell. I'm an author that doesn't always write pure historical fiction, but all my books have a bit of history in them. My most recent book, The Slaying of the Bull takes place in 1241 during the Mongol invasion of Europe. It is the first book in a series titled, the Tocharian Gospels that will cover a period of 800 years. I love history and excited to join this group.
Cheers!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
Hi everyone, I'm Wendy and I'm excited to be a part of this group! I'm a California writer from San Mateo, CA, looking to get to know other writers and lovers of historical fiction. I adore historical fiction--both reading and writing. Probably one of my favorites is "Sudden Country" by Karen Fisher...who else agrees?
Hi everyone. I am Stephenie and I am from Malaysia in Southeast Asia. I discovered my love for history back in high school and although I couldn't be an archaeologist, I am still able to learn and digest history through books. 98% of the books I have in my kindle and physical books are either historical fiction and historical non-fiction. Besides hoping to discover new books that are not in my TBR, I also hope to share my own preferred books on other histories especially by authors from the Asian region. And of course to participate in the interesting discussions that are alive here.
Hey everyone!I am so glad I found this group! My absolute favourite genre to read is Historical Fiction! I am hoping to get some new book ideas from this group and engage in many discussions about the historical fiction books we are reading. I am currently reading, Birds Without Wings by Louis de Bernieres (for the second time) and I love it! I recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction.
Also, I am a history teacher so I am always trying to convince my high school students to give historical fiction books a try! If anyone has any good suggestions for historical fiction books for teens, please let me know.
If your interested in learning more about me or the books I have read, I have a book review blog with some of my recent historical fiction novels! turningpageswithtrish.com
Thanks!
New Historical Novel Takes on Reconstruction — the Roots of America’s Racial DivideSOMETHING IN MADNESS, the startling conclusion to my Southern DarkHorse Trilogy, will be released Oct. 23. Set in 1865 Mississippi during one of the darkest and least understood periods in American history, SOMETHING IN MADNESS uses real events and attitudes from the era, as well as varied points of view — black, white, mixed-race, Native American, male and female — to ground both the characters and the story in reality.
Learn more and preorder now! http://www.edprotzel.com/something-in...
Hi everyone! I’m new to the group and this is my first comment. I’m Chase, and I’m from Oregon! My favorite historical fiction novel is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I’m new to the reading world and would love recommendations or suggestions!
Welcome, Chase! Recommend This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger. Set in 1930's America. Two of my favorite historical fiction authors are Sharon Kay Penman and Geraldine Brooks.
Hi Everyone! I can't believe I just discovered the wonderful world of Goodreads - better late than never! I'm from Michigan and up until recently I haven't had time to chip away at my book collection. I just finished The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet. My favorite book is The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. I don't really have a particular time period I stick to as I love getting lost in all history.
I've lived in Europe and Asia for a bit and have a passion for understanding different cultures and other parts of the world so I try to search out historical fiction that spans different areas of the globe.
Looking forward to being a part of this group! Cheers
Welcome, Alissa! Happy reading :)
Hello everyone! I’m Frances. I’m so pleased that there’s a group on GR like this one. We didn’t have books available in my country the Philippines when I was growing up. But I was fortunate enough that when my parents would travel to HongKong ( it was then still a colony of the UK) they would bring me home a book of Jean Plaidy. They’d wait for Christmas or my birthday to give it to me as a gift. So it would be so much more precious!!! So my first books as a young adult were about the Tudors and the Plantagenets. Since then I’ve always been interested in historical fiction. On your booklist you have Becoming Bonnie. That will definitely go on my TBR list!
Hi everyone! I'm Klaus and I've been on Goodreads for a while now...time to enter some groups! My favourite book is The Game of Kings by the brilliant, late Dorothy Dunnett. I also love Hilary Mantel's writing and books about the Tudor period in general.
Mod
Welcome, Frances and Klaus! Happy reading :)
Good day everyone. Not sure if or when I introduced myself. I'm Marianne Petit. I live on Long Island NY. So far, I written four historical books and one fantasy. My favorite genres are Native American/ the Old West romances. My fifth book, a Time- travel titled: Timeless River, was just published this year. I love to paint and garden.
Hello, Historical Fictionistas. I've recently joined goodreads and am delighted to become a member of your group.
Although I write thrillers (and internet content about gardening), historical fiction is possibly my favourite genre to read.
I've loved Bernard Cornwell's books for years, particularly the Sharpe series, and am also a huge fan of Maurice Druon, author of The Accursed Kings.
Slightly different, I know, but I've just started a novel called 'Signal Red', by Robert Ryan. It's historical fiction based on The Great Train Robbery in the 1960s (if you're not from the UK, you might need to google this). I'm finding it difficult to put the book down at the moment and will post a review on my profile page once I've finished.
Anyway, all the best and hope to speak to some of you again soon.
Although I write thrillers (and internet content about gardening), historical fiction is possibly my favourite genre to read.
I've loved Bernard Cornwell's books for years, particularly the Sharpe series, and am also a huge fan of Maurice Druon, author of The Accursed Kings.
Slightly different, I know, but I've just started a novel called 'Signal Red', by Robert Ryan. It's historical fiction based on The Great Train Robbery in the 1960s (if you're not from the UK, you might need to google this). I'm finding it difficult to put the book down at the moment and will post a review on my profile page once I've finished.
Anyway, all the best and hope to speak to some of you again soon.
Hello! My name is Tiffany. I have always loved historical fiction and remember always picking up books from my school library that were from this genre. I fell in love with the Dear Canada books at a young age, but have since broadened my reading within historical fiction.I love Jack Whyte's A Dream of Eagles Cycle, Bernard Cornwell, Alexandre Dumas (his historical fiction novels), Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Brigadier Gerard and Sir Nigel, Helen Hollick's Emma and Arthurian trilogy, Bride of New France by Suzanne Desrochers, and Plague by C.C. Humphries.
I hope to read more books that are historical fiction. :)
Hi! I'm Sean Adams, I joined Goodreads only a few months ago. I really love the book discussions! I am also a brand spanking new self-published author of a prehistoric fiction novel. I live in Mozambique, (Southern Africa) in a very interesting place at the end of a marsh.So many favorites in this genre, but Wilbur Smith for me is a master, especially "River God" and "Birds of Prey."
Look forward to making new friends here! - Cheers.
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Historical Fictionistas
Books mentioned in this topic
Mary, Everything (other topics)Time and Again (other topics)
Outlander (other topics)
The Game of Kings (other topics)
Becoming Bonnie (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Jessica Estevao (other topics)Katherine Bolger Hyde (other topics)
Hilary Mantel (other topics)
Geraldine Brooks (other topics)
William Kent Krueger (other topics)
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Welcome Abigail 😊