2022 Introductions

[Melissa]

Hi everyone! I've been lurking on and off for awhile (mostly off, because my cat was sick for awhile before he died and Busy Life Syndrome in general), but I'd like to get more active, because I love historical fiction.

[Jennifer]

Hi! I am really new to groups on Goodreads…this is fun! I live in Snohomish, Washington State with my husband and our 4 boys. I work outside the home yet still find the time to read just about everyday (you should see the piles of laundry I, therefore, never seem to get to!). Historical fiction is my favorite genre. I just love learning while also escaping into a great story. Of course we must all have that in common! I am really enjoying perusing the posts here which are giving me copious ideas for my next reads.

[Martin]

I have just submitted my latest novel, Twenty Six Days, to the Fitzcarraldo Novel Prize Competition. Twenty Six Days is as yet unpublished and tells Poland's story from 1939 to 1970 through the intertwining lives of 4 young people from a small town. At its heart is an old man's search for the sister left behind in Poland when the war started and never heard from again. So it's a mystery story as much as it is historical fiction or a personal journey towards the truth. I think submitting writing to competitions is a good thing in that it helps keep the (unpublished author's) hopes alive! So, fingers crossed....

[John]

Hello, I’m John. I took early retirement and with a large garden/orchard I have become almost self sufficient: my responsibilities at present rest with a small group of not-so-able hedgehogs. The neighbours became aware that I was caring for a hog with one-eye and a hospice seemed to blossom from there. Returning to university, I read history and that led me to such works as: The Great Game - The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia, On Secret Service East of Constantinople - The Plot to Bring Down the British Empire, and the like; all of which gripped me and I class as exceptional thriller/suspense/mysteries. My grandmother on my mother’s side was a White Russian and as youngster she left Russia in 1921, under the care of her father and mother. Her father was killed in Ukraine; and so she made the crossing from France to Blighty with her mother in November of 1923. From their accounts the journey across Europe was most harrowing. My mother has the family book and the the dairies of both her grandparents. I have often thought of creating a manuscript from those, but feel unqualified and not able to do justice to their story. There is no mention in my great-grandparent’s memoirs of escape lines and safe houses, but my grandmother, during her later years with what she excused as her failing memory, often spoke of ‘the kindest of people’ and how they are the only reason she survived. I spend time researching escape-lines, underground networks and life-in-the shadows. I won’t claim a need to find evidence of who might have helped my grandmother, as I am content with a desire to more fully understand the ways and means by which many sought to resist oppression even in the face of the great risk to them and their family. I yearn for well-researched, real-life thrillers focused on 20th Century Europe.

[Beth]

Hi, …. one and all,

I am Bethany (I answer to Beth) and I’m a farmer’s girl. The family have a farm here in Ireland and I just adore the life. I have a great family, Mum and Dad and three bothers: none of whom read.

I’m not happy with noisy places, so avoid the pubs and clubs: I fell off a horse when I was young and banged my tiny brain quite hard (weeks in the hospital, as I couldn’t remember too much after it) although the doctors don’t believe or know if that has anything to do with it - I just get wrinkly in crowded, noisy places.

My brothers are all married and their wives are great; me, …. I’m in my early twenties and intend to avoid that BIG STEP for a good few years yet.

My reading has gone all over the place since school; of late - and why I joined Goodreads - I have the urge for exiting recent history accounts and true to life stories: it started by reading, ‘Out of Africa’. A few books later I came upon, ’Touching the Void’, which took my breath away. My eldest brother is a climber (not so much now, as he has a daughter), but that was better that any thriller I had read. I really enjoy reading about girls that have done good and although I’m sure I’ll never stray too far from the farm, I do dream of what some women have achieved. Stories of SOE girls and the like are becoming my favourite right now.

I hope to pick up tips from y’all, who’ve probably been at it far longer than me.

[Jimp]

Hello Group,
James Patrick, I'm known by all as 'Jimp' - my elder brothers started that (short for JimmyP) and so it was carried over to school and then my adult life. My wife-to-be, when we first met, thought it most funny. Jimp, I find from her, [a Norwegian], in the English dictionary means: scant, slender and I am slender [long-distance runner slender]. A sport I love and love much more as it helped break the ice when I met Tordis (Tor): an angel. Tor she told me means Thor. I'm most fascinated by thriller/suspense - fiction/non-fiction and have always taken an interest in books concerning the modern history of Europe and of late more the second war and the years post those dark times. If anyone has recommendations, I would be most grateful. Happy reading to all.

[Jenny]

Good morning,
My name is Jenny and I live and work in the beautiful state of Wyoming. I am looking forward to some interesting discussions and intriguing reading. Enjoy the day!

[Marilyn]

Hi, I am Marilyn. I live in Alabama USA and love historical fiction, science fiction, fantasy and literature. I am currently writing a novel about Johannes Kepler and am looking for beta readers. My strongest influences for this project are Hillary Mantel and Susanna Clarke. Big fan of Toni Morrison and George R.R. Martin, both of whom I consider historical fiction. Love reading anything that is well written and mind-expanding though. Please get in touch if you'd like to do a beta-read-trade or just parlay about projects and writing.

[Angela]

Hi, I'm Angela from Florida, a former Social Studies teacher and book lover, especially history and historical fiction. I joined to branch out from my usual authors, such as Sharon Kay Penman, Elizabeth Chadwick, Ken Follett, and Phillipa Gregory. My latest loves are the Ceridwen Saga by Octavia Randolf and The Lost Queen series by Signe Pike. I also like to grab the occasional book from the bestsellers lists, just to help me converse with regular humans who don't dwell in medieval times! I was thrilled to find this group!

[Jan]

Welcome, Angela! I'm a retired social studies teacher and an historical fiction and history reader as well. I'm currently reading
The Fountains of Silence set in Spain 20 years after the Spanish Civil War.

[Angela]

Thanks, Jan! I was looking for a book with Spain as a setting since I was just in Spain last month! I've enjoyed two other books of hers, so I'll add that one to my list!

[Linda]

Hello, Angela. I am also a retired social studies teacher. I am so glad you mentioned Ceridwen! I love those books. I also like all of the authors you mentioned. One of my favorites is Cynthia Harrod-Eagles who wrote a long, long series about a family in England.

[Vera]

Thank you for having me. I'm an avid reader of historical fiction and a debut author of the time-travel romantic suspense “Through the Veneer of Time,” out in March, 2023 ☘️ Looking forward to connecting over books!

[Angela]

Linda wrote: "Hello, Angela. I am also a retired social studies teacher. I am so glad you mentioned Ceridwen! I love those books. I also like all of the authors you mentioned. One of my favorites is Cynthia Harr..."

Hi Linda! Nice to meet you! I have not heard of Cynthia Harrod-Eagles. Thanks for mentioning her series. I will have to check those out!

[Lisa]

Hello! I love to read and write HF. In fact, I'm in the process of signing a contract with a traditional publisher for my latest book. Exciting!
My recent historical fiction reads include: The Indigo Girl, The Tobacco Wives and Under a Gilded Moon. Look forward to your book recommendations!

[lu ann]

Hello group! I am a retired special education teacher and have finally have time to read for fun! I enjoy historical history especially of the 20th century in England and Europe, but I will go back in time as well. I also love mystery and murder stories. I like to figure out who done it!

Like I said, I am a retired teacher, gardener, Grammie to two sweet boys and wife to children’s author. His book is on Amazon. I live in the US in Arkansas in the Ozark Mountains. I hope to find good ideas on what to read. Thanks-Lu

[Laura]

lu ann wrote: "Hello group! I am a retired special education teacher and have finally have time to read for fun! I enjoy historical history especially of the 20th century in England and Europe, but I will go back..."
Welcome, Lu Ann! If you are looking to read an exciting mystery/thriller, consider "Look Closer" by David Ellis. I'm about 80% through the book right now, and I can't put it down! Another good one is "Miracle Creek" by Angie Kim. For historical fiction, a bit different from the usual, I recommend "A Gentleman in Moscow" by Amor Towles.

[Meg]

Hi Everyone,
I am Meg, from London, Ontario, a transplant from Rochester, New York. I love historical fiction, and am fascinated by how much was accomplished with very little. My recent historical reads include: The Engineer's Wife, The Next Ship Home: A Novel of Ellis Island, and Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption. My next historical fiction in my stack of books is Radar Girls. I am still working, soon to be an empty nester and am married.. I am always interested in what others are reading, and am open to book suggestions to add to my stack. I am looking forward to being a part of this group.

[Cecelia]

A Deadly Gilded Free Fall Good Morning, I wanted to introduce myself and my Historical Crime Fiction Series to this group of avid readers. For those that love well-researched historical novels set in the Gilded Age, you will love this series and my other books on cocktails from this time. You can read more about my work and please don't hesitate to reach out to say hello. C

[Jan]

Hello, everyone, I am Jan M. Walton, reader and author, in Clearwater Beach, Florida. I have an author page on Goodreads. Currently reading Forever by Pete Hamill, recently read Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead. Love to learn through stories like these.

[Cindy]

Hi everyone my name is Cindy Ross. I’m a doctor in Orange Beach, Alabama. I usually read between 85-100 books a year. Recently dipped my toes into fiction and fell in love with historical fiction. Always looking for recommendations and new like minded friends.

[Andrew]

85-100 books per year !!!! That's incredible.

What period in history do you like? That will help me recommend some books.

BTW: I do research in critical care.

[Lawrie]

Cindy wrote: "Hi everyone my name is Cindy Ross. I’m a doctor in Orange Beach, Alabama. I usually read between 85-100 books a year. Recently dipped my toes into fiction and fell in love with historical fiction. ..."

That’s great to hear Like others have mentioned do you have a favourite time period or location for your historical fiction?

[Anne]

I’m Kelly, mom, nurse, etc etc (there’s a lot of living in those “etc.” but I’m not in the mood to traipse them all out and bore you all.

I love to read historical fiction, mostly war focused and specifically WW2 and the Civil War, if possible from the female perspective.

I live in mid-Missouri where it gets too hot and too cold and we all wonder why the heck we live here. 😏

[Carrie]

Lawrie wrote: "Cindy wrote: "Hi everyone my name is Cindy Ross. I’m a doctor in Orange Beach, Alabama. I usually read between 85-100 books a year. Recently dipped my toes into fiction and fell in love with histor..."

Two of my favorite periods are early 20th century and World War II especially books featuring women.

[Andrew]

Hmmm. Not exactly my forte. There's a book called "The Star and the Shamrock" by Jean Grainger that is o.k. It involves an Irishwoman's attempt to take in Jewish children sent by their parents to escape Nazi Germany.

[Philip]

Hi. 68 year old retired teacher. I'm just recovering from a nasty bout of Readers' Block. For the last four or five years I've been unable to focus my attention on a book for any length of time. I then realised that Facebook and Twitter were the cause of my demise.
Maybe somebody here can help? I'm looking for historic fiction titles but books that aren't too long.
At the start of my reading career, books used to be about 200-250 pages long then around 1990 they all started putting on weight to about 450 pages. Any suggestions?

[Paul]

Philip wrote: "Hi. 68 year old retired teacher. I'm just recovering from a nasty bout of Readers' Block. For the last four or five years I've been unable to focus my attention on a book for any length of time. I ..."
Hi Philip,
I'm not too sure which historical fiction period interests you, but a good series to read are the BROTHER CADFAEL books by Ellis Peters. The books are set in early Medieval England and are very well written and accurately researched by the author. There are 20 books in the series and nearly all are about 200 pages in length. The first book in the series is A MORBID TASTE FOR BONES. I've read and enjoyed all the Cadfael books and my overall rating for the series would be 4.5 stars. Hope this helps.

[Bonnie]

Hi I'm Bonnie. I'm a book blogger and I also do member reviews for the Historical Novel Society. My blog is www.bonniereadsandwrites.com. I read more than one genre, but historical fiction is my favorite, especially if it includes a mashup of time travel or magical realism.

[Bonnie]

Hi I'm Bonnie. I'm from Tennessee. I'm a book blogger and I also do member reviews for the Historical Novel Society. I review several genres, but Historical Fiction is my favorite, especially if there is a bit of a mashup with time travel or magical realism.

[Stephanie]

I'm Stephanie - I'm new to the group but love historical fiction. It's my fav genre. I love World War II books (esp Kate Quinn), but have read lots of other historical fiction genres too (Eg Before we were yours, the paper daughters of China town). Can't wait for my first group read!!!! How do I find out the sept book?

[Peggyzbooksnmusic]

Welcome, Stephanie. The September group read is The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner. Sorry, don't know how to post link to our group homepage which shows current and upcoming group reads.

[ryal]

Hi, happy belated New Year! I love how organized, fresh and truly book-focused (readers & writers) GR has been in my experience over the years. I recently found this GR Group, Historical Fictionistas, maybe earlier this year; hard to remember exactly since there is so much going on and I read/listen to books for my primary escapism.
I like to tell myself I am building my own smallish book community here. Queen of my own one-person book club. Free to be spontaneous, adventurous, mysterious or plain ole' serious. I have found I gravitate toward historical fiction, almost exclusively about women.
So grateful to be here!

[Denise]

Hello I'm Denise. I've been living in New York City for 40 plus years and recently moved back to Michigan where I was born. Now living in Birmingham, MI. It is quite the culture shock. Not sure this is going to work out. We shall see. Historical fiction has always been one of my favorite genres and I look forward to reading some with you. I also like nonfiction, science - so many! I tend to read several books at the same time. One audiobook, one non-fiction,one fiction at least. The library in this town seems to be quite lovely and has sales which I'm looking forward to. I'm hoping to volunteer there as well.

[Kiersten]

Hi everyone!

I'm new. Just joined and happy to be here!

I love to read historical fiction, particularly settings from the 1910s through the 1940s. Give me a good WWI or WWII story, and I'm hooked! However, I write historical fantasy/romance set during the American Revolutionary War. I do not read this time period so I can keep my work as original as possible and focus on reading only primary sources from the 18th century.

I hail from Upstate NY and love to travel to the places I read or write about.

Currently - from this genre - I am reading "In Another Time" by Jillian Cantor (though it lives in my car. Picked it up at an indie bookstore and keep it there for those crazy times when I find myself waiting somewhere and need something to read. Print copies for first place!)

I also just added multiple different WWII settings with "library" or "librarian" or "book/s" in the title, because who can resist combos like that? So many good books to read.

It's great to meet you all!

[Chris]

Hi, everybody! I'm brand new - just joined today! I live outside of Los Angeles with my wife and two kids. I've been in show business for thirty years now and have always appreciated a good story. In college I narrowly missed minoring in history because I kept taking history classes as my electives.

And I've always loved historical fiction. Two of my more recent reads (don't read nearly as much as I'd like as we home school our kids) are by Bernard Cornwell: 1356 and Agincourt.

I write as well, and am putting the finishing touches on my own bit of historical sci-fi which will be the first in a series that weaves throughout history, so any era is fair game. The first book deals with 10th Century Anglo Saxon England and the Viking Age while the next will take place in WWII.

It's important for me to get a sense of what we all enjoy about our historical fiction - it isn't just the feeling of an age, or the technical aspects, though those matter. I think a large part is the characters and how they echo some of the same struggles we contend with today, sometimes thousands of years later.

Can't wait to hear everyone's recommendations and jump into a discussion or two!

[Jan Mc]

Hello! I'm an editor and I help authors publish their work. I haven't joined a new GR group in a while and love historical fiction, so here we go! I'd like to keep up on what group members are reading, of course, and especially in audiobook format, which I love. I look forward to exploring the group folders and meeting some new fellow readers.

[Debra]

Hi Jan, Glad to see an editor here. I have a question for you: I have Word read my manuscript aloud so I can get an idea of what it will sound like when in audio format. As you know, with whisper sync, the audio must be exactly like the written form. But sometimes, for clarity, I feel I must use the character's name for audio when I use a pronoun in the text. Have you any advice on this?
Thanks,
Debra Borchert

[Robin H-R]

Greetings from the high desert of Central Oregon...

Historical Fiction has been my preferred reading since my elementary days ( I loved reading about the "wagon trains"). My favorite periods are the American Civil War and the 1920's. I read a lot of historical mysteries (Victorian's are my favorite). I have a morbid passion for Jack the Ripper novels, and I hate romances...LOL.

I like the writings of Edward Rutherford, Max Collins, and John Jakes (I've read the Bicentennial Series twice, and plan to read it again). My TBR list is HUGE, and grows daily. I like reading series' and family sagas.

I'm looking forward to new reading challenges. I jumped on the Monopoly train; it really looks like a fun challenge.

Robin H-R

[Lisa]

Hi!
My name is Lisa and I need a wee primer on exactly how this works. I read the Group Rules, but is there a "How we operate" section that I'm missing?
I understand you vote for a title for each month..but how does one know when the title has been selected?
Also, I see that November's book starts on November 1st. Do you start reading then, and simply go to "Discussion" any time during the month to see what others are saying about the book?
Sorry to be such a noob, but there you have it. :)
I'm really looking forward to this new experience!
Please someone have patience and mercy and let me know the drill? Thank you so much!!

[Jules]

I've been posting in this group for several months but just realized I never formally introduced myself! I am an author writing under the pen name is Jules Larimore. I love older historical fiction, especially Medieval, Renaissance, and the Enlightenment periods. I have one book published, The Muse of Freedom: a Cevenoles Sagas novel, and I am currently writing the second in a series that is focused on the French Cevenoles in the late 17th century. I've been so fascinated by the region that I plan to write more set in the Gorges du Tarn of the Cevennes mountains, including one about a Merovingian princess who wants only to help heal leapers and the sick instead of being forced to marry.

[Thomas]

Hi, I’m Tom. I’m new. I’ve used Goodreads forever, but just to keep a list of my reading. I’ve never joined in any group – in any kind of SNS anywhere! So perhaps that makes me doubly new. I am from Illinois, but work in Tokyo and live just outside the city limits. I read a wide variety of stuff, but am partial to historical fiction. Read "The Sympathizer" and "All the Light We Cannot See" back-to-back earlier in the year. Two really fine reads.

[Tom]

Hi, I'm Tom. I've been using Goodreads since earlier this year and love how it helps me find new books and authors. This is my first post on a group! I hope to check out what like-minded people talk about. I love history and, being English, British history (sorry to be boring!); I love to learn more and broaden my horizons!

[Thomas]

You're Tom? I'm Tom as well. And we both posted our intros on the same day, almost within the same hour! How 'bout that!?

Let me say it is always nice to meet another Tom. In my experience, Toms tend to be the best.

Tom

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~]

Hello everyone!
I am so happy to discover this group. I'm from India, and have been an avid reader almost throughout my life. While I read almost every genre, historical fiction is among my favourites. Reviewing is something I have begun just a couple of years ago, and I currently ensure that I review every single book I read. Looking forward to getting many wonderful hist-fic suggestions from this group. :)

[Tom]

Hello, Rosh!

And yes, Tom, I did think it was quite the coincidence! Toms are definitely a good bet - my best mate is one too :)

[Elizabeth]

Hi everybody! I’m Liz and I live in Saint Paul. I joined Goodreads on 1/1/21 in order to start using my time more productively during the pandemic. A person can only play online solitaire so many times before going off the deep end!

For ‘21 I challenged myself to read 50 books but only got to 46. Still, I considered it a success because that was certainly more than I would have read otherwise! A couple of my favorite books from ‘21 were the novel Passing and the nonfiction Ornament of the World about medieval Spain.

This year I pledged 60 books and am 3/4 of the way there, almost on track to reach my goal. My favorites from this year include the novel Fight Night and a short diary by a pistol of a 13-year-old girl in 1927, Through No Fault of My Own.

[Janice]

Elizabeth wrote: "Hi everybody! I’m Liz and I live in Saint Paul. I joined Goodreads on 1/1/21 in order to start using my time more productively during the pandemic. A person can only play online solitaire so many t..."

Wow!!! 46 is a lot of books!! I also read Passing and loved it. I actually listened to it and then watched the film; loved both.

[Jeanna]

Hello! My name is Jeanna and I'm a school nurse at a middle school in Nashville, TN. I love historical fiction, particularly books about Tudor England and Asian history.

I'm really happy to have found this group and look forward to getting to know you all.

[T.M.]

My friends and family know me as Mike, but my author name is T. M. Brown. I am from Newnan (Grantville) Georgia. I am father of three and grandfather of nine and great grandfather of three. It is for them I write my books as my legacy to them. After investing 7 years writing Southern small-town mystery/suspense novels, I stumbled across a historical story while visiting Darien and Sapelo Island on Georgia's storied coast. Though I interject history into all my stories, my next novel, The Last Laird of Sapelo, is truly a well-researched historical story that explains why the freed Geechee slaves who had worked Sapelo's fields returned following the Civil War and thrived until ownership of the island changed in the 20th-Century. The story will be out July 2023 by Koehler Books.

I welcome connecting with those in the group who enjoy reading pre- and post Civil War era stories. Thank you all.