Historical Fictionistas discussion
Recommendations?
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What Should I Read Next?
Lori wrote: "Pam:The library may be kind and give you a library card even with you at the temporary home in FL. Ask them but of course encourage your daughter as well to get her library card and support the..."
That's a great idea Lori. My husband tells me that you have to have proof of residency, but maybe he's wrong. Regardless, I will get daughter to get a library card.
There is also a wonderful family book store in this little town (Deland, Florida), which I have been going to for years. They have new and used books and I can get lost in there for hours:)
Pam, I get so happy when a book I love is loved by another. I am smiling!!! Have fun with your granddaughter. I will cross my finger for you, so you can get the book from a library soon. Terrible to have to stop in the middle.
Chrissie wrote: "Pam, I get so happy when a book I love is loved by another. I am smiling!!! Have fun with your granddaughter. I will cross my finger for you, so you can get the book from a library soon. Terrible t..."Hi Chrissie!! I am having a wonderful time with Gdaughter, but not getting to read as much as I'm accustomed to. Still a pleasant trade off:)
I just called the local library and they don't have a copy, but the next town over does. Problem is that they are very strict about issuing cards. Proof of residency req'd. As of April they will issue a non-resident card for $50/year or $30/6 mos. Hmmmmm I could buy quite a few used books for that. Guess I'll get my daughter to get a card and check out books for me.
That is a neat feeling when someone so enjoys one of your fav. books:) thanks
Pam, I would do the same. Have your daughter borrow it. But soon!
I'm sad that they wouldn't make an exception for you since you are there just temporarily with your daughter who is a resident. Another thought. If your daughter gets her card, the library sometimes is able to get books from the surrounding towns. They have a system where you can borrow from any town that reciprocates. Have her ask and then you would have a better chance of getting your book.
Lori wrote: "I'm sad that they wouldn't make an exception for you since you are there just temporarily with your daughter who is a resident. Another thought. If your daughter gets her card, the library sometime..."Good idea, Lori. I'll do that. Can't just read half of my book, now can I??
Jenna wrote: "thank you so much I've already read Nefertiti and the Mistress of Rome
but the others sound great!
thanks again"
Jenna, Rubies of the Viper is a great book set in ancient Rome. It's by a new author and has the love interest you're looking for. I'm not sure it's in libraries yet but I know it's available as an e-book as well as in print.
Hello all, I come seeking your help again. I am looking for a good historical mystery. I've been looking through list after list and I don't know what to select. I know one thing for sure...I've been reading a lot of books recently with themes of love and relationships and I need a change of pace. It also seems that many of my recent books have been from the woman's point of view and it's been a while since I've read something from the male perspective. I was looking at some Ken Follett historical mysteries and those looked attractive and I was also looking at others that had won mystery writing awards. But, I couldn't really figure out what I should pick. In addition, I would like to be able to use this book in the current reading challenge. I'd appreciate the help. Thank you!
Amy wrote: "Hello all, I come seeking your help again. I am looking for a good historical mystery. I've been looking through list after list and I don't know what to select. I know one thing for sure...I've..."Amy, If you haven't yet read The Pillars of the Earth, that would be an excellent choice. It's an important book, and a joy to read.
Wendy wrote: "Amy wrote: "Hello all, I come seeking your help again. I am looking for a good historical mystery. I've been looking through list after list and I don't know what to select. I know one thing for..."Thank you Wendy for your response. Unfortunately, I have read The Pillars of the Earth. Twice. When it was first released and then again this past summer.
I guess I should also mention that I'd like something less than 500 pages. I'm currently reading a 900+ page book and don't think I can do another one like that so soon afterwards.
I wish I could help but I haven't read that many HF mysteries without love, relationships or from a woman's pov. Only thing that really comes to mind is Sherlock Holmes. :/
Amy wrote: "Wendy wrote: "Amy wrote: "Hello all, I come seeking your help again. I am looking for a good historical mystery. I've been looking through list after list and I don't know what to select. I know..."Have you considered some of the older historical fiction novels? You'd probably enjoy any of Thomas Costain's books -- for example The Black Rose or Below the Salt?
The Historian is a good one. It's not a quick read though and not sure if it counts as HF.
Amy, how about The Chatham School Affair? It's got some suspense and mystery to it, it's from a male perspective, and it won an award, so you could use it for that category for the challenge. There's no sleuth exactly, but there is some suspense and a good story to unravel.
Oh, a good mystery and is HF is The Alienist it might be his first book too, not sure, you'd have to check on that one.
Thank you all for your recommendations. They have definitely given me something to think about. ToniS - The Chatham School Affair looks very good. I will be seriously considering it.
Kristine - you are very right to recommend The Alienist. I read that book back in the summer of '98 and I also read The Angel of Darkness as well. They were both very good.
Wendy - thank you again for your suggestions. I think those particular books may go further back in history than I prefer to go.
I'd like to suggest C. J. Sansom's Matthew Shardlake series. They are very well written mysteries and have an excellent sense of the Tudor period. The series begins with Dissolution.
I'm still trying to finish No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War IIBeen at it a long time, and it's not that it is a slow book. I've been babysitting my 4 month old Granddaughter every day:~) So my routine is severely disturbed...LOL I know that prolific readers like Chrissie (wink wink) will think me the slowest reader on God's Green Earth!!
Soon as I can get my hands on a copy, I plan to read next, Once More...From the Beginning
I don't think anyone has ever written a book about the Old Testament with humor, and from a woman's viewpoint. Can't wait to start it. One review:
"Once More...From the Beginning is a deeply entertaining re-telling of the highlights of the Old Testament from a savvy woman's perspective. The more you know about David, Saul, Abraham, Adam, Cain and Abel the more fun you will have. Of course the women enter stage right at the appropriate times: from the Queen o' Sheba to the clean-er Sheba (Bathsheba) as well as the particularly compelling Judith and the less compelling Jezebel."
I will have a great time reading it and really learn some "Old Testament" with lots of humor thrown in!!
Pam, no, no , no - enjoy your time with your grandchild! You can read later. I too added Once More....From the Beginning. So it is both informative AND funny? Or is it only funny if you know all the biblical stories before you start the book. In such a case I might not get half of the jokes.....
Chrissie wrote: "Pam, no, no , no - enjoy your time with your grandchild! You can read later. I too added Once More....From the Beginning. So it is both informative AND funny? Or is it only funny if you know all th..."Chrissie, when I wrote Once More...From the Beginning, I especially had in mind the people (most of us) who had never succeeded in plowing their way through all the battles and begats of the bible itself.
You don't have to know a word of the bible to enjoy this book. And the incidents are taken directly from the words in the original. Only the motivations have been reinterpreted -- because my guess is as good as anybody's.
Wendy, thanks for explaining. ANOTHER book craving to be read. Pam and I consistently find books that apeal to eachother!
Wendy wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Pam, no, no , no - enjoy your time with your grandchild! You can read later. I too added Once More....From the Beginning. So it is both informative AND funny? Or is it only funny i..."Chrissie wrote: "Wendy, thanks for explaining. ANOTHER book craving to be read. Pam and I consistently find books that apeal to eachother!"
So true....(wink)
Seems like I mark as "to read" almost everything Chrissie is reading, which is only serving to make my TBR shelf longer, since I'm not getting much reading done:~)
ToniS, Just thought I'd mention that I started reading The Chatham School Affair last night. Thanks for the recommendation. I've only read the first couple of chapters, but I'm already looking forward to reading more.
Chrissie wrote: "Pam, I have the same problem!"Hmmm, every time I glance at "What are you reading now", you always seem to be onto something new!!
Pam, I love reading, and my grandchildren are far away. I love The Beautiful Mrs. Seidenman: A Novel, and it is amazing how this author is capable of writing holocaust literature that has humor!
I'm not sure if I should post this here, but I need some help on the The Secret History of the Pink Carnation series by Lauren Willig. I won the newest one The Betrayal of the Blood Lily through First-Reads (yay!) and my question is this: Is it necessary to read the series in order? From what I can tell from reading the synopses of the books, each one has a different heroine. Btw, I'm reading the first one now (and I'm loving it!) and I have the entire series.
Amy wrote: "ToniS, Just thought I'd mention that I started reading The Chatham School Affair last night. Thanks for the recommendation. I've only read the first couple of chapters, but I'm alre..."Great! I hope you like it.
OK, how do I suggest the best books? There are so many. I put all my 5 star books on a shelf entitled "favorites". There are all different kinds of books there - for kids, memoirs, dog books, art, philosophy, non-fiction and fiction. All were amazing for me, truely amazing. Everybody likes different things and sometimes we are looking for a book concerning a particular theme. Maybe this link to my favorites shelf will help you:http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/...
I hope so. There has to be something for everybody.
Chrissie wrote: "I love The Beautiful Mrs. Seidenman: A Novel, and it is amazing how this author is capable of writing holocaust literature that..."The Beautiful Mrs. Seidenman sounds very interesting – I added it to my TBR list, which is growing a lot faster than I can read….what to do? I have now a long list of amazing books to read, to last me for years…
Kimberly wrote: "I'm not sure if I should post this here, but I need some help on the The Secret History of the Pink Carnation series by Lauren Willig. I won the newest one [book:The Be..."Hi Kimberly! You really don't have to read the other ones first, at least for Blood Lily, it's a lot more separate than the other books. I hope you enjoy it! The Pink Carnation series is a favorite series of mine to just relax and sink into.
Amy,I agree with Shomeret and also recommend C.J Sansom. I just read Dissolution and enjoyed it. So, if you are still looking for male authored mystery after your current read.....there's that. :-)
I'll be moving onto the others in the series as soon as I have completed reading the millions of other books I have in a pile on my desk.
I own quite a few unread books and have been trying to get them all read, but, since joining the library, I can't help ordering more books from there than I can possibly read in 6 weeks.
Emily wrote: "Kimberly wrote: "I'm not sure if I should post this here, but I need some help on the The Secret History of the Pink Carnation series by Lauren Willig. I won the newest..."Thanks Emily! Pink Carnation is so great! I've never read a book that can lightly mix together humor, mystery, and historical fiction as well as it does. I'm really looking forward to the rest of the series :)
Xyz99 wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "I love The Beautiful Mrs. Seidenman: A Novel, and it is amazing how this author is capable of writing holocaust literature that..."The Beautiful Mrs. Seidenman so..."
I lust add that right now I am hitting a rough patch with the book! I will uppdate my review as I go on, but here it is so far:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I really enjoyed "Stone's Fall" by Iain Pears. Gave new perspective to the lead up to World War I. Very interesting mystery and suspense up to the last page. Not a book you see recommended often either!
In response to Amy's message 279 I enjoyed these historical mysteries with male central characters and not a lot of romance involved:
Some Danger Involved set in 1880s London and
The Killing Way with an historical rather than legendary Arthurian setting.
You might also try The Last Kashmiri Rose set in India during the British Raj, 1920s period.
All are first in series, are fairly short, have lots of interesting action, characters & settings.
Sandra, Thank you so much for recommending these books. I have added The Killing Way and The Last Kashmiri Rose directly to my TBR list. They look wonderful! I selected The Chatham School Affair shortly after getting it's recommendation, but these books will also be considered for future reading. Thanks again!
Right now I am reading Kafka on the Shore and 150 pages in and I'm not enthralled. I just finished reading The Hunger Games series (read it all in a week!). Does anyone have any suggestions for a book that is one of those you just CAN'T put down?!?!
Lindsay wrote: "Right now I am reading Kafka on the Shore and 150 pages in and I'm not enthralled. I just finished reading The Hunger Games series (read it all in a week!). Does anyone have any suggestions for a..."If you like fantasy The Name of the Wind, which I'm currently reading, is one of those CAN'T PUT IT DOWN books. :)
Jackie I just started that book. I heard so many great things about it. It is my Kindle book, I have about 3 books going at any given time (kindle, real and audio). Am I addicted to reading or what??
Heather wrote: "Lindsay, have you read Mistress of Rome yet? That book was impossible for me to put down! It's very fast paced and there's non-stop action. I loved it!"Ok I can't handle it anymore, just reserved this book from the library :)
LOL Margaret!! As a book addict I understand. I try to limit myself to 2- an audio and a physical book or my nook.
Thanks Jackie and Heather! Bother are on my TBR list. After I finish trucking through Kafka I'll read both!
hi, im looking for historical fiction with a romantic twist and well written characters. What should i try. Thanks!
I just finished The Winter Sea and really enjoyed it. It is set in Scotland and switches back and forth from current times to the early 1700's.
Henry, Here are two of the best.The Valley of Decision, by Marcia Davenport - in my opinion one of the best books ever written.
Katherine, by Anya Seton
The Valley of Decision looks interesting - added it to my TBRs.
Thanks maude, added valley of decisions to my TBR's.
Hey Lindsay....A can-not-put-it-down book...The Help! I know, tons of hype, yadda, yadda....but it really is good.
Historical Fictionistas
Books mentioned in this topic
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Mary Doria Russell (other topics)Elizabeth Chadwick (other topics)
Lauren Willig (other topics)
Lauren Willig (other topics)
Lauren Willig (other topics)
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The library may be kind and give you a library card even with you at the temporary home in FL. Ask them but of course encourage your daughter as well to get her library card and support the local home of books & media.