Historical Fictionistas discussion

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The Front Parlor > What are you reading? 2024 Version

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message 401: by Carolyn (new)

Carolyn | 169 comments I also enjoyed this instalment in one of my all time favourite historical mystery series set in regency London.

What Cannot Be Said (Sebastian St. Cyr, #19) by C.S. Harris What Cannot Be Said by C.S. Harris

review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


Rosh ~catching up slowly~ (roshreviews) | 375 comments The Curse of the Flores Women by Angélica Lopes
The Curse of the Flores Women by Angélica Lopes
An English translation of a Brazilian novel (written in Portuguese originally.) A good option for literary fiction readers.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


message 404: by PattyMacDotComma (new)

PattyMacDotComma | 1295 comments Andrew McGahan was a fine Australian writer who won the 2005 Miles Franklin Award for The White Earth, which certainly meets the criteria, being of the highest literary merit and presenting Australian life in any of its phases. I do love a good historical mystery.
The White Earth by Andrew McGahan My review of The White Earth


message 405: by Thomas (new)

Thomas (tom471) | 142 comments I read Where Roses Never Die by Gunnar Staalesen It is a private eye mystery set in Norway. My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


message 406: by Chris (new)

Chris | 552 comments Finished Caravan by Dorothy Gilman. Written in 1992. Young woman is taken captive after her husband & others are massacred in the Saharan desert in the early 19th C. This is Caressa's story of the 3 years she spent there.


message 407: by Tiziana (new)

Tiziana | 117 comments Clean historical adventure-romance suitablefor cozy mystery readers, clean romance readers, Downton Abbey fans, Scarlet Pimpernel fans.

A Revolution of Hearts A Revolution of Hearts by Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen

My 4 stars review :
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


message 408: by Thomas (new)

Thomas (tom471) | 142 comments I read Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp by Michelle Moran It is an excellent reconstruction of the life of Maria von Trapp. My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


message 409: by Peggyzbooksnmusic (new)

Peggyzbooksnmusic | 1034 comments Finished A Time of Love and Tartan #12 in the 44 Scotand Street series by Alexander McCall Smith. Rated 4 stars.
Link to my short spoiler free review of this charming contemporary fiction:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


Rosh ~catching up slowly~ (roshreviews) | 375 comments Shanghailanders by Juli Min
Shanghailanders by Juli Min
A literary fiction with reverse storytelling, going from 2040 to 2014. An innovative structure but a bit tricky to read. Good for those who like character-oriented writing.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


message 411: by Michelle (new)

Michelle (michelletm81) | 3 comments Just finished The Girl from the Channel Islands by Jenny Lecoat

It was a bit fluffier than I expected, especially considering the setting and subject matter. A bit of chick lit never hurt anyone lol, but I would've preferred something a bit more substantial.


message 412: by Cheryl A (new)

Cheryl A | 1054 comments Michelle wrote: "Just finished The Girl from the Channel Islands by Jenny Lecoat

It was a bit fluffier than I expected, especially considering the setting and subject matter. A bit of chick lit never hurt any..."


Funny that you should say this. For the first time in years, I just added a new shelf entitled "Historical Chick Lit" - I've have had a number of books lately that really fall into this catalog. More chick lit than history and I needed a way to tag things where history takes a back seat.


Rosh ~catching up slowly~ (roshreviews) | 375 comments The Same Bright Stars by Ethan Joella
The Same Bright Stars by Ethan Joella
This book doesn't disappoint! Ethan Joella is one of the few male authors to write characters' emotions so well.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


message 414: by Michelle (new)

Michelle (michelletm81) | 3 comments Cheryl A wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Just finished The Girl from the Channel Islands by Jenny Lecoat

It was a bit fluffier than I expected, especially considering the setting and subject matter. A bit of chick l..."


Ha, yeah! I've been running into so many like this lately! Did I just now know it's a genre?


message 417: by Alice (new)

Alice | 6431 comments I finished A Girl Called Samson A Girl Called Samson by Amy Harmon by Amy Harmon. I enjoyed it very much. A lot of book was set in Massachusetts near were I grew up and of ancestors are mentioned in the book. I didn't like the romance in last third of book. It was not accurate.


message 418: by Margaret (new)

Margaret Crampton (cramptonmargaret) | 8159 comments I’m
Reading [ Book: The Lady in the van] by Alan Bennet


message 420: by Janice (new)

Janice | 639 comments I am rereading Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen and Romans: Bible #45, ESV. <3


message 422: by Thomas (new)

Thomas (tom471) | 142 comments I read Forgotten on Sunday by Valérie Perrin It is historical/literary fiction, set in a small town in France. It was a bestseller in France. My 3.5 star review, rounded down. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


message 424: by Cheryl A (new)

Cheryl A | 1054 comments Michelle wrote: "Cheryl A wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Just finished The Girl from the Channel Islands by Jenny Lecoat

It was a bit fluffier than I expected, especially considering the setting and subject matter...."


IDK if it's an actual genre, but there's certainly a lot of them out there :). Usually the cover will give you a hint...lone woman, usually in a hat, looking pensively off into the distance...but then there's titles like The Time in Between by María Dueñas which are actual historical fiction with interpersonal relationships.
Books are a bigger crap shoot than the tables in Vegas!!


message 425: by Tiziana (new)

Tiziana | 117 comments Compelling historical fiction set in the Kingdom of Poland in 1610.
Adventure, military action, love, rivalry for power, best friends and bitter enemies... it's all there!

The Heart of a Hussar The Heart of a Hussar (The Winged Warrior, #1) by Griffin Brady by Griffin Brady

Here is my 5 star review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


message 426: by Peggyzbooksnmusic (new)

Peggyzbooksnmusic | 1034 comments Tiziana wrote: "Compelling historical fiction set in the Kingdom of Poland in 1610.
Adventure, military action, love, rivalry for power, best friends and bitter enemies... it's all there!

[book:The Heart of a Hus..."


Tiziana; Great review! I checked our library and Hoopla but it's only available on Kindle Unlimited. So I put it on my wish list as occasionally Amazon will give me a free month of Kindle Unlimted.


message 427: by Donna (new)

Donna (drspoon) | 32 comments Just started A Hollow Crown (Saxon #2) by Helen Hollick A Hollow Crown by Helen Hollick about Emma of Normandy, Medieval times. A real door stopper at 850+ pages!


message 428: by Peggyzbooksnmusic (new)

Peggyzbooksnmusic | 1034 comments Donna wrote: "Just started A Hollow Crown (Saxon #2) by Helen Hollick A Hollow Crown by Helen Hollick about Emma of Normandy, Medieval times. A real door stopper at 850+ pages!"

Donna; Looking forward to your thoughts on this as I own on Kindle and need to make time to read. Just a side note: This also goes by the title The Forever Queen. I wish publishers wouldn't change titles! There is also a prequel: I Am the Chosen King.


message 429: by Thomas (new)

Thomas (tom471) | 142 comments I read The River Runs Orange by R.J. Harlick It is a mystery/thriller set in rural northwestern Quebec, Canada. I recommend the series to cozy mystery fans. It is book 3 in the series. My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


message 430: by Donna (new)

Donna (drspoon) | 32 comments Peggyzbooksnmusic wrote: "Donna wrote: "Just started A Hollow Crown (Saxon #2) by Helen Hollick A Hollow Crown by Helen Hollick about Emma of Normandy, Medieval times. A real door stopper at 850+ page..."

Yes, I should have mentioned the other title. Also, I Am the Chosen King has another title Harold The King. It was the first of the two to be published, but chronologically comes second. All a little confusing, isn’t it?


message 431: by Peggyzbooksnmusic (new)

Peggyzbooksnmusic | 1034 comments Donna wrote: "Peggyzbooksnmusic wrote: "Donna wrote: "Just started A Hollow Crown (Saxon #2) by Helen Hollick A Hollow Crown by Helen Hollick about Emma of Normandy, Medieval times. A real..."

Donna; Thanks for mentioning Harold The King. So confusing! Have often wondered if publishers do this on purpose hoping that buyers won't notice to increase sales.


message 432: by Alice (new)

Alice | 6431 comments I finished an excellent book Crow Mary Crow Mary by Kathleen Grissom . Set in 1800 Montana and Canada. Real story of Crow Mary. A Crow Indian who married a white man. Excellet information of time. Her great grand daughter helped with the book. I highy recocmmend.


message 433: by Maureen (new)

Maureen (maursbooks) | 588 comments Alice wrote: "I finished an excellent book Crow MaryCrow Mary by Kathleen Grissom. Set in 1800 Montana and Canada. Real story of Crow Mary. A Crow Indian who married a white man. Excellet inform..."

I am so glad you enjoyed it Alice., I have wanted to read this book for awhile now. Kathleen Grissom is a wonderful author, I have read her other two books.


message 434: by Sarah-Hope (new)

Sarah-Hope | 123 comments Finished House of Shades. I was impressed by Lianne Dillsworth's 2020 debut novel, Theatre of Marvels, and House of Shades is, if anything, ever better than the first. Both novels take place in Victorian London and examine life from the point of view of Black women.

My ***** review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


message 435: by Sarah-Hope (new)

Sarah-Hope | 123 comments The Mummy of Mayfair is the second volume in Jeri Westerson's Irregular Detectives historical mysteries series.Who are these detectives and why are they irregular? They're among the now-adult members of Sherlock Holmes' Baker Street Irregulars, the street urchins Holmes used to gather information across large swathes of London. Children, especially poor children, draw little attention in Victorian London. They can observe without being observed and can easily find their way into unusual or risky locations.

My **** review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


message 436: by Sarah-Hope (new)

Sarah-Hope | 123 comments The short overview of Nicked is this: young monk dreams of St. Nicholas, tells others (who see it as a moment of economic opportunity) of his dream, resulting in relic hunter, monk, and local political bigwig—along with crews of oarsmen and soldiers/mercenaries—finding themselves asea with a mission of stealing the remains of St. Nicholas in order to profit the local abbey and town.

My ***** review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


message 437: by Sarah-Hope (new)

Sarah-Hope | 123 comments The Murder of Mr. Ma is one of those books that just keeps getting better and better as one reads.I enjoyed it from the start—and by the end I was deep into that conflicted feeling of must-read-another-chapter vs. but-if-I-read-more-the-book-will-end-sooner. The Murder of Mr. Ma is set in London shortly after the end of WWI, focusing on its Chinese community, particularly men who worked under contract during that war—and whose contract stipulations about where the would work and what kind of work they would do were rarely honored.

My **** review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


message 438: by Sarah-Hope (new)

Sarah-Hope | 123 comments Hall of Mirrors id a mystery set in 1950s Washington, D.C., featuring two gay couples: one female, one male. The author parcels out information a little at a time, creating tension among the characters because some of them know more about what's going on than others.

My **** review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


message 439: by Sarah-Hope (new)

Sarah-Hope | 123 comments Sarah Rayne's The Murderer Inside the Mirror straddles the mystery and romance genres. I love mysteries, especially ones with historical elements, which The Murderer Inside the Mirror definitely has. I generally steer clear of romance. But I'm quite glad that I requested and received a review copy of this title.

My **** review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


message 440: by Nicholas LaMarca (new)

Nicholas LaMarca | 4 comments Historical Fiction this year so far I have read A Chain of Thunder and The Shadow War. I am currently reading The Eagle's Claw. I do jump around a bit on genre's but based on my current pace and what I have on my shelf and lined up in my kindle I think this year from this particular genre I will probably add The Smoke at Dawn, The Fateful Lightning and probably The Frozen Hours rounding out Jeff Shaara's books mixed in with some science fiction and Tom Clancy(very late to the game with him). I plan on starting some of P.T. Deutermann's and Alistair MacLean's stuff next year...


message 441: by Linda (new)

Linda | -44 comments Cheryl A wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Cheryl A wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Just finished The Girl from the Channel Islands by Jenny Lecoat

It was a bit fluffier than I expected, especially considering the setting an..."
when I see a book cover showing a woman looking away from the camera I move on because I have wasted a lot of money on fluff masquerading as historical fiction in the last few years. I prefer more depth, history with very little or no romance. I am glad the covers are all alike to clue me in


message 442: by Thomas (new)

Thomas (tom471) | 142 comments I read A Red Death by Walter Mosley My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
It is book 2 in the Easy Rawlins series, a black unofficial private investigator in 1950s Los Angeles, California.


message 443: by Thomas (new)

Thomas (tom471) | 142 comments I read Robert B. Parker's Grudge Match by Mike Lupica It is book 8 in the Sunny Randall series, started by Parker, and now written by Lupica. I have read the previous 7 books in the series. My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


message 444: by Laurel (new)

Laurel Bradshaw (llawryf) | 41 comments Just finished The House with the Golden Door, book 2 of a trilogy about ancient Pompeii. Not quite as good as the first book, but I still gave it 4 stars. Excellent historical research and emotionally compelling characters. I will read the 3rd book.


message 447: by Wayne (new)

Wayne (wayneenglish) | 20 comments I'm reading The Sackets by Louis L'Amour. It's excellent and a pleasure to read—a superb writer.


message 448: by Donna (new)

Donna (drspoon) | 32 comments I’m reading North Woods by Daniel Mason - about halfway in and I’m loving it.


Rosh ~catching up slowly~ (roshreviews) | 375 comments The Betrayal of Thomas True by A.J. West
The Betrayal of Thomas True by A.J. West
Very much an outlier on this review, but I simply couldn't get into the writing style and plot development. it does have fabulous historical content, though.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


message 450: by Tiziana (last edited Jul 18, 2024 11:34AM) (new)

Tiziana | 117 comments I just finished book #2 in The Winged Warrior series, a wonderful historical fiction that takes place in 1614 Kingdon of Poland.
Love and passions, battle, intrigues and vicious villains... it's a gripping adventure romance.

A Hussar's Promise A Hussar's Promise (The Winged Warrior, #2) by Griffin Brady by Griffin Brady

Here is my 5 stars review :
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


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