Historical Fictionistas discussion
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2023 - What Are You Reading?
I've just noticed this feed and am browsing for my next great book. Just finished two I LOVED: HORSE by Geradine Brooks, about a discarded painting, a skeleton in the attic, and the greatest racehorse in American history. LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Bonnie Garmus gives one a taste of what it was like to be a female scientist in the 1960s. Both exceptional books!
Night Wherever We Go by Tracey Rose Peyton
Good story, writing could have been better.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Patti wrote: "I've just noticed this feed and am browsing for my next great book. Just finished two I LOVED: HORSE by Geradine Brooks, about a discarded painting, a skeleton in the attic, and the greatest raceho..."I also loved Horse. Lessons in chemistry is on my wish list. Thanks for the reminders.
I'm currently reading The Marriage Portrait and The Final Girl Support Group as a break from Philippa Gregory's Plantagenet novels. I love Gregory's books, but it is nice to read something with more story telling elements than historical recounts. Also interesting switching from first person POV to third person POV!
I just read the first GR review of The Final Girl Support Group. It is funny but I am not going to read after reading it.
Doris Lessing showed in 1963 that it wasn't possible for even A Woman on a Roof to escape unwanted attention. I'm not sure things have changed that much in 50 years, have they?
2.5~3★ My review of A Woman on A Roof with a link to the short story itself
I was hoping to find an answer to What Are Mondays Good For, Anyway?, not being a fan of Mondays, and while I enjoyed the illustrations, I don't think I'd have been happy sending my kids to school with these suggestions.
2.5★ My review of What Are Mondays Good For, Anyway? with illustrations, of course
Finished a 1937 mystery that I enjoyed a lot, These Names Make Clues by E. C. R. Lorac, and am excited to start reading my first ever Daphne du Maurier, Jamaica Inn.
A classic that I somehow missed! A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle has everything I'd have loved as a young reader: kids on a quest, a mysterious missing father, magic spirits, time travel, and Evil to be overcome! I still enjoyed it now.
4★ My review of A Wrinkle in Time
PattyMacDotComma wrote: "A classic that I somehow missed! A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle has everything I'd have loved as a young reader: kids on a quest, a mysterious missing father, m..."Loved this series! Read it years ago with our sons.
Green for Danger is an absolutely wonderful classic crime novel, set in a military hospital during the Blitz. A mail carrier injured by a bomb dies on the operating table—and it quickly becomes clear that this is murder and not a medical mishap. The killer must be someone amoung a small, close-knit group of doctors and nurses. The plotting is brilliant, rich with details (many of them red herrings) that keep readers guessing until the end.My ***** review: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...
The Fourth Enemy, by Anne Perry is an excellent historical mystery set in pre-WWI London. It resonates more than one might like with our own times.My ***** review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
PattyMacDotComma wrote: "A classic that I somehow missed! A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle has everything I'd have loved as a young reader: kids on a quest, a mysterious missing father, m..."I read that about a month ago and enjoyed it.
Sarah-Hope wrote: "
Green for Danger is an absolutely wonderful classic crime novel, set in a military hospital during the Blitz. A mail carrier injured by a bomb d..."Thanks for the suggestion. My library has it. It is now in my holds.
If you're looking for something completely different, try
Hoard It All Before: A humorous cozy mystery with a dragon detectiveFrom goodreads.com: "Note: While this cozy mystery is mostly clean, it does have a lusty, chain-smoking unicorn who makes more than a few naughty innuendos, a dragon that drinks heavily, a tiny bit of swearing, and (obviously) there's a murder along the way."
Set in 1930's Oregon ( :) ), this was a fun read with great quirky characters. First in a series.
@Robin: Dragons and fun mysteries with "creatures."Along those lines, try Kim M. Watt's books.
Baking Bad and
Gobbelino London & a Scourge of Pleasantries. KMWatt.com for other books and free downloads of short stories.
Peggyzbooksnmusic wrote: "Donna wrote: "Peggyzbooksnmusic wrote: "Finished Lock Up Honesty #8 Francis Bacon historical mystery by Anna Castle. Set in 16th century England. Rated 5 stars. Det..."Thanks!
Historical fiction is one of my go-to genres, so I can't believe I haven't picked one up in over 6 months!! I just finished Anya Seton's first novel My Theodosia. I knew nothing about the daughter of Aaron Burr & wonder after reading this how much of it was based in fact. A generous 3 star.
]I see that it was published in 1941. I wonder if Theodosa told you about the time it was written ? Sometimes I find it fun to look at books in the light of when they were written and what was going on.
For my book challenge I was looking for a book on a world leader. I came up withThe Great Successor: The Divinely Perfect Destiny of Brilliant Comrade Kim Jong Un
I have just started it and it is extremely interesting.
Six Ostriches
is the next in Philipp Schott's Canadian vet mystery series. I enjoyed it without knowing anything about the previous book, Fifty-Four Pigs. It's an entertaining mix of ancient Icelandic sagas, cults, sacrifices... and ostriches.
4★ My review of Six Ostriches
Finished When Time Stopped: A Memoir of My Father's War and What Remains
by Ariana NeumannMy Review: www.goodreads.com/review/show/5376738164
Chris wrote: "Historical fiction is one of my Katherinego-to genres, so I can't believe I haven't picked one up in over 6 months!! I just finished Anya Seton's first novel My Theodosia. I knew nothing about ..."Chris; Haven't read My Theodosia although I loved Katherine. I think I rated it 4 or 5 stars.
Edited: Gave Katherine 4 stars although I didn't write a review.
Thanks for the Katherine suggestion. I just put it on my wish list at the library. The picture of the cover on Overdrive is totally different. The one on GR looks contemporary and I had no idea it was so historical.
Rachel wrote: "Thanks for the Katherine suggestion. I just put it on my wish list at the library. The picture of the cover on Overdrive is totally different. The one on GR looks contemporary and I had no idea it ..."Good news that your library has Katherine! I bought the Kindle version when it was on sale. Just checked & our library has it as Libby Audio & Hoopla Audio. Maybe some day will do a re read as Audio.
The Magician’s Daughter by H.G. Parry
Pretty good if you treat it as a YA Historical Fantasy than an adult fantasy.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
is an absolutely brilliant novel that isn't getting the attention it deserves. It begins a bit slowly, but builds into a complexity that attempts to understand the politics of Georgia, the former Soviet Republics, and its people from multiple perspectives. There are many messages in this book, but no one message beyond, perhaps, "Things are complicated, and we need to see them in their full complexity."My ***** review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Rosh [busy month; will catch up soon!] wrote: "The Magician’s Daughter by H.G. Parry
Pretty good if you treat it as a YA Historical Fantasy than an adult fantasy.
h..."
Rosh [busy month; will catch up soon!] wrote: "The Magician’s Daughter by H.G. Parry

Pretty good if you treat it as a YA Historical Fantasy than an adult fantasy.
h..."
Sad to say my library does not have Magician's Daughter. It sounds lovely. I asked them to buy it. My fingers are crossed.
Sarah-Hope wrote: "
is an absolutely brilliant novel that isn't getting the attention it deserves. It begins a bit slowly, but builds into a ..."I just read a sample of the book. My library does not have it but I am going to recommend it because of you and the quote on the first page. "Gaiety is the most outstanding feature of the Soviet Union" Joseph Stalin.
Rachel wrote: "Sad to say my library does not have Magician's Daughter. It sounds lovely. I asked them to buy it. My fingers are crossed."Good luck! I hope you can get your hands on it soon. It's an enjoyable read if you go in with the right expectations. :)
Janice wrote: "I am rereading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen."Janice; Enjoy! Have read this umpteen times. My favorite Jane Austen!
Jane Austen is still being read for a reason!I just started listening to Becoming by Michelle Obama.
So far it is excellent.
Thanks for the recommendation. I just put it on my wish list at the library. Also put An Officer and a Spy by the same author. What could be better than getting recommendations and putting them on the wish list.
I highly recommend HORSE by Geraldine Brooks. Excellent historical fiction with many themes and lots of meticulously researched history.
I was pretty sure that The Bullet That Missed would actually hit the mark. Of course I enjoyed Richard Osman's unusual Thursday Murder Club of elderly sleuths. Wonderful characters, actual danger.
5★ My review of The Bullet That Missed
Peggyzbooksnmusic wrote: "Janice wrote: "I am rereading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen."Janice; Enjoy! Have read this umpteen times. My favorite Jane Austen!"
Thank you! And it's my favourite too! I have lost count of how many times I have reread it over the years. :)
Pippa wrote: "About to start: The LeviathanI'm a bit of a sucker for books told in the first person."
Me too. I feel like the character is talking to me.
In the Country of Others is a historical fiction by Leïla Slimani set in Morocco in the 1940s and 1950s. It is the story of French woman Mathilda who falls in love with the handsome Moroccan soldier Amine during the war and returns to Morocco with him seeking romance and adventure. Here is my review
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My **** review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...