Historical Fiction Readathon discussion
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Katie
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May 02, 2022 10:36AM
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So, I'm listening to "The Nightingale," I just started "A Journal of the Plague Year," and I'm nearly done with "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton." I've also just begun "The Luminaries," "Hush," and "The Last Tsar's Dragon." So far no losers.
I just started one which isn't even on my extensive TBR! It is The Heretic by Alison Macleod, about Anne Askew, who was killed for her religious beliefs in Tudor England.
Just started an ARC of The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan. Set in early 1940’s England, in London during Nazi bombing and countryside as well. Liking it very well so far.
Hello!FINISHED
Beethoven Was One-Sixteenth Black: And Other Stories by Nadine Gordimer - I always wanted to read a book by Nadine Gordimer and I really liked this book. It is a short story collection which portrays some interesting aspects of South Africa post Apartheid. I am looking forward to read more books by Nadine Gordimer.
READING
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell - I am really enjoying this book, the book is set in Industrial Revolution, showing some important social and economic transformations in England. It is very interesting!
I WILL START
The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris - recommendation from my sister. World War II is a historical time period that I really like to read about. Very exciting to read this book, it seems very compelling.
I went off my TBR! I am reading Perfume by Patrick Süskind; 19th century France (which I am not that familiar) and speculative (I hope!!).
I'm reading Life After Life by Kate Atkinson. It's brilliant and can't put it down! Thanks Katie for recommending :-)
I'm a couple hundred pages into War & Peace. So far I'm enjoying the peaceful elements more than the war aspects. Found it slightly tricky to follow the tactics of the battles!
I’ve started Ariadne which I guess is more myth retelling than historical but I’ve also started my re-read of gone with the wind. Enjoying both so far.
Finished The Victorian Chaise-Longue and currently reading Only Birds Abovehttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
Just finished "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton." Thoroughly enjoyable but not exactly the most historically accurate type of historical fiction. These books are more like a fantasy version of the Regency era, but I love them all the same. It's a weird experience reading multiple historical novels at the same time. All set at different times and taking different approaches to the genre. "The Nightingale" is serious and has a lot of details, "Hush" is set so far in the past that it feels like reading fantasy fiction and "A Journal of the Plague Year" is hyper detailed to the point that it feels like a news report.
I'm reading 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society' and a graphic novel 'The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen vol.1'.
I just started Kindred by Octavia Butler as well as Imperium by Robert Harris. I'm really excited for both!
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I started A Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander book 6) by Diana Gabaldon. I am loving every word.
I'm currently reading 'The Remains of the Day' by Kazuo Ishiguro.
Just finished "The Nightingale" and enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I generally avoid WWII fiction since so much of it is so painful but I felt this book blended the darkness of the war and the horror of the Nazis with themes of hope and courage that I found really inspiring. I also really liked that it told a side that more often gets neglected. This is precisely what I like about historical fiction, when it teaches me new sides of issues that I thought I knew about.
Picked up a copy of The Murder of Mr Wickham. Pausing my other reads to read this one right away.
I flew through Mrs. England by Stacey Halls. Quite the page-turner, and there are still mysteries, right up to the final line of the book! And it got me googling "Norland Nurse", so learned a little along the way, too.
Finished “A Journal of the Plague Year,” it reads like a news article. It’s filled with charts and weekly death counts, which feels very familiar now. Just started “Where the Crawdads Sing” so far pretty interesting.
I finished 'The Remains of the Day'. I really liked it. I enjoyed the writing style and the characterization. The ending made me quite sad.Now I'm reading 'Herzfaden' by Thomas Hettche.
I finished Life After Life, which I thought was a masterpiece. Have gone off-piste from my planned TBR and gone to Greece (for the different country prompt) with The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. I'm really enjoying it :-)
Just finished City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, which I haven’t read. Very engaging story centering around Vivian, a young woman and college failure, who goes in 1940 to live with her Aunt Peg, a bohemian theatre manager, in NYC. Her growth and adventures are well-portrayed.
Nancy wrote: "Just finished City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, which I haven’t read. Very engaging story centering around Vivian, a young woman and college failure, who goes in 1940 t..."Sounds good - thanks Nancy for the review. Will add to my TBR...
I started The Secrets of Latimer HouseThe story of three women who listen to German POWs conversations in secret.
Finished "Kindred" by Octavia E. Butler and loved it. About 200 pages into "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell" by Susanna Clarke and am really enjoying it. I hope to get to "When We Were Orphans," the one Ishiguro novel I haven't read, and hopefully "Hamnet" by Maggie O'Farrell.
I have set aside "The Books of Jacob" about 150 pages in. I think it is absolutely brilliant, but it is a book that needs to be studied as much as read. It takes work. And I love that about challenging books, but I have to be in the right mindset for it in order to get the most out of the experience. I am just not in that mindset right now. I do definitely plan to go back to it at some point, some day.
Finished The Song of Achilles. Definitely enjoyable, but perhaps because of the hype, I wasn't completely blown away. I'm now reading Burial Rites by Hannah Kent, which I read when it first came out. I remember loving it, but want to see if it stands the test of time! Hope everyone is having a good HF month.
A few days ago, I finished A Breath of Snow and Ashes. It was a fantastic 5-star read that I did not want to end. It also ticked off prompts 1, 4, 5, 6, and the Bonus.
Finished War and Peace, what a chunky monkey of a book. Next Amadeus by Peter Schaffer, my favourite play.
I finished Bonnie Prince Charlie: A Tale of Fontenoy and Culloden (set 1745) G.A. Henty 1887, so it fulfills prompts 2,4,6, and 7. This is my second GA Henty book and I have mixed feelings about continuing to read him. His books are written for Victorian Era boys ages 10 and up with young protagonists participating in historical events. His characters are well-drawn, especially Prince Charlie. But, he gets tedious and lets his Imperial prejudices influence his narrative. For instance, he has Scottish characters discussing how much they admire the English soldiers. Really?
Today, I finished both the Kindle and Audible versions of The Moonstone: A Romance by Wilkie Collins with the Audible narrated by JB Harrison. The novel is a detective story set in 1848-1850 and published in 1868. So, the "historical" element was minor, but I am counting it! The book and narration were both excellent and highly enjoyable. It also ticked off prompts 2, 3, 6, 7, and the Bonus at 639 pages and 20 hours.
I finished Engraved on the Heart. Now I am going to start The Seventh Sun for prompt - 5. Read a work of historical fiction with a speculative element It is a fantasy inspired by the Maya and Aztec Mesoamerica.
I finished The Heretic by Alison Macleod, for the prompt to read a book featuring a real person or event. Anne Askew was burned at the stake at the end of Henry VIII's reign for her religious beliefs, which I guess I would call Reformed or possibly Puritan. It was a well-written story, told through the eyes of her maid, Nancy, and framed through an interview (much later after Askew's death) with Nancy by John Fox(e), of the Book of Martyrs fame.
Lorri wrote: "Today, I finished both the Kindle and Audible versions of The Moonstone: A Romance by Wilkie Collins with the Audible narrated by JB Harrison. The novel is a detective story set in 1848-1850 and pu..."Hi Lorri - I too loved the Moonstone and agree that the audible narration is excellent. You covered loads of prompts with that one!
Antigony wrote: "Lorri wrote: "Today, I finished both the Kindle and Audible versions of The Moonstone: A Romance by Wilkie Collins with the Audible narrated by JB Harrison. The novel is a detective story set in 18..."Thanks, Antigony.
It's a good thing my first 3 reads covered all the prompts because it turns out that my 4th read, The Shadowy Horses is contemporary and not set back in time at all! I still enjoyed it, and it fit with my other reads.
Finished In Freedom’s Cause: A Story of Wallace and Bruce by G. A. Henty (set 1293-1315) published in 1885. It fulfills prompts 2,4,6,7. This was my third Henty book and I rated it 4-stars and plan to continue occasionally reading him.
Trying to finish up "The Wonder" by Emma Donoghue before June begins... I am enjoying it a great deal! Wonderful story, so well-written.
Historical Fiction Readathon
Books mentioned in this topic
The Shadowy Horses (other topics)Peril at Owl Park (other topics)
The Heretic (other topics)
The Seventh Sun (other topics)
Engraved on the Heart (other topics)
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