They Don't Call It GoodReads for Nothing!

[[deleted user]]

We can hear your to-read shelves groaning already ... but we had to do it. Yep, recommendations! Use this folder to offer or ask for all your recommendation needs and do send our regards to your to-read shelves.

[Gwennie]

Okay, so I just realized that I read quite a bit of adult Historical Fiction, but other then Anne of Green Gables I've read very little YA HF. Ideas? I keep eyeing Revolution at the store...

[Erin]

I highly recommend the Bloody Jacky series.

[[deleted user]]

There are so many great ones, Wendy, I'm sure you'll get a lot of ideas in this group. Do you have a particular time period or event or historical figure you like to read about?

[Gwennie]

I read Bloody Jack, and I had a really hard time with it. I think there's a good chance it was because I was sick so the strong cockney accent made it hard for me to focus. I'm going to try the Audio.

I tend to like things that are around around the beginning 1800's or earlier. I love Mary Queen of Scots (Margaret George's book was one of my favorites). But I'm hoping to stretch that a bit.

[[deleted user]]

Yes, I definitely recommend the audio to anyone who has trouble with the reading because Katherine Kellgren is amazing and really brings Jacky to life.

Have you ever read any of the Gemma Doyle series? It starts with A Great and Terrible Beauty. It is a historical fantasy that takes place in a Victorian boarding school. Victorian era books are a personal favorite of mine.

[Jenny]

The audio is REALLY good. I don't normally like audiobooks, but the narrator for the Bloody Jack books does a great job.

I've heard good things about Revolution, but I haven't read my copy yet. Recently I've read these and liked them:

which is Napoleonic/WWII England historical fantasy (with time travel through a mirror)
New England Victorian period and a girl who sees visions of the future in the sunset

And right now I'm reading which is about a girl whose family is taken from their home during WWII by the Russians in Lithuania and deported to Siberia and struggling to survive.

[Erin]

Wendy F wrote: "I read Bloody Jack, and I had a really hard time with it. I think there's a good chance it was because I was sick so the strong cockney accent made it hard for me to focus. I'm going to try the A..."

I have to agree you about the cockney accent but by the end of the second book she talks normal.

[Gwennie]

I haven't read the Gemma Doyle books, but I've heard alot of people talk about how good they are. I think I'm going to start with that one, I just grabbed the first one for my Kindle.

With Bloody Jack, I just felt like I was decifering most of it, which would be fine but with the fever I felt like I wasn't absorbing much. A friend of mine said that the Audio was wonderful so I held off rating it until I give it another go.

[Gwennie]

Jenny wrote: "The audio is REALLY good. I don't normally like audiobooks, but the narrator for the Bloody Jack books does a great job.

I've heard good things about Revolution, but I haven't read my copy yet. Re..."

Between Shades of Gray sounds excellent! I may have to grab that one too.

[Gwennie]

Erin wrote: "I have to agree you about the cockney accent but by the end of the second book she talks normal..."

Maybe I'll read the second while I try the first on Audio. I saw that it's the group read here next month so I'll probably do it then.

[Gwennie]

Ugh, Between Shades of Gray isn't out yet.

[Jenny]

It comes out tomorrow :)

[Gwennie]

Oh! Thanks! I'm going to have to remember to grab it then, I definitely want to read that.

[Maree]

Haha, talk about timing! I just voted for that as one of the monthly book reads, but it doesn't look like it's going to win.

[Ottilie]

sounds interesting! my poor to-read list!

[Ottilie]

Wendy F wrote: "Ugh, Between Shades of Gray isn't out yet."

AH i know the feeling! I keep looking at books and seeing reviews then see that it isn't out yet!

[[deleted user]]

Has anyone else read the Stravaganza series by Mary Hoffman? The series is about time-travel to an alternate historical Italy (I forget exactly what point in history they focus on), but they're really good! I'm really looking forward to the sixth book coming in 2012, City of Swords.

[[deleted user]]

Never even heard of that one, Amy. I'm going to check it out. Good rec!

[Stacia (the 2010 club)]

Oh I have read the first book of Stravaganza! I keep forgetting to go back and read the second one.

This group might be a good excuse to pick them back up.

[[deleted user]]

Yay! I don't think they get enough attention!

[Stacia (the 2010 club)]

I did, but I think I only gave it about a 3.5 star because of a couple of small details. Something about the main character felt very young and distant to me, and not because of his illness.

The concept of being able to go back and forth between worlds though was a fun one and I had every intention of continuing with the series and got sidetracked.

Are there different characters in each book? I'm not sure how the series develops.

[[deleted user]]

Yep! All the characters are connected, because they go to the same school, but every book has a different MC. And even though it's a different character, all the characters from previous books are in them, which I like. I also really like the time-travel from modern to historical worlds. Which is what I liked about Steel. Haha and don't worry all of us get sidetracked at one point or another.

*Oooh look! A pretty cover...*

[Ottilie]

Amy have you looked into the The Hourglass Door it hints to different times, I can't wait for break to get to the second one I looked at steel! it's good that I hear someone liked it, now I'm about to go look at your other suggestion!

[[deleted user]]

I love that series Ottilie! I'm waiting for the third one, The Forgotten Locket to come out, which is taking forever by the way! I think this series is time travel out of historical Italy to modern times right?

[Ottilie]

Yeah, haha it's fun!

[Stacia (the 2010 club)]

I really enjoyed Hourglass Door as well. It's always nice to find other fans. Not many people know about this trilogy.

[Ottilie]

Its sad that many don't, I'm trying to push it on my friends, I really like how she writes. I love this site finding authors not everyone knows about and reading them to help spread the word of them.

[Emi]

I liked the Hourglass Door, too! Actually, I picked it up after you posted your review, Stacia. To be honest, I was surprised by how much I liked it. I haven't had a chance to pick up the sequel yet, but I plan on reading it eventually!

My TBR list is going to start crying soon. xD

[Ottilie]

Yeah I'm hoping to put a big dent in my to-read list this summer!

[Ottilie]

and there are a couple of books I want to re-read...

[Stacia (the 2010 club)]

Emi wrote: "I liked the Hourglass Door, too! Actually, I picked it up after you posted your review, Stacia. To be honest, I was surprised by how much I liked it. I haven't had a chance to pick up the sequel ye..."

I think the sequel felt a little less "young" to me, which was nice. There wasn't as much of a focus on things like the school play/school dance type aspects like there were in the first book.

Zo sort of got hot out of nowhere, which surprised me. I didn't expect to like him. Dante wasn't around as much though, which was sort of a bummer.

I'm really looking forward to the third book in the trilogy.

[Emi]

Zo shows up more? And is hot? Woah. Didn't expect to hear that, especially since I was like two steps away from hating him in the first book. But it's nice to hear that the sequel is a bit less "young," since I bet the subject matter is a bit darker this time around. In book one, Love was found and lost, and now it has to be found again. Yaaaay!

When is the third one supposed to come out?

[Stacia (the 2010 club)]

I hated his whole rock band in the first book.



May 30th. That's sooner than I remember.

[[deleted user]]

Maybe it's been too long since I read the second book, but I don't ever remember Zo getting hot. Hmmm, I think a reread might be in order.

[Stacia (the 2010 club)]

I'm not quite as far out there as Elle is, but I do have a secret things for villains.

[[deleted user]]

Bad boys do it better, ladies, that is all I'm sayin'. ;)

[[deleted user]]

You do have a point there!

[Stacia (the 2010 club)]

Elle wrote: "Bad boys do it better, ladies, that is all I'm sayin'. ;)"

That's my motto for most "adult" reads. Love me some alpha male-ness.

Never thought about it for YA though, haha.

[[deleted user]]

When I said that Barron from White Cat sprung to mind. I hope he isn't disappointing in Red Glove.

[Stacia (the 2010 club)]

I love Barron! Haven't seen much of him in Red Glove yet, but I'm only a little over 100 pages in.

Can I just say that I love the curseworking world? The fact that they have to suffer a blowback effect (which is a bad thing) for working their magic makes it feel more dangerous.

These books are not historical, but it's hard not to mention this book family when thinking of hot villains.

[[deleted user]]

Stacia *eyes up here* wrote: "Can I just say that I love the curseworking world? The fact that they have to suffer a blowback effect (which is a bad thing) for working their magic makes it feel more dangerous."

Great minds think alike! I just said something to that effect on your status update for it.

Also, I'm terrible about keeping conversations on topic so I imagine this place will just run a muck with unrelated conversation or Emi will start pimp slapping everyone.

[Stacia (the 2010 club)]

I don't see a problem with going off topic as long as it gets back on topic at some point. We'll tend to veer off a little bit here and there, and someone will post something to get us back on track.

[Maree]

Stacia ~ Gadget Girl (bionic parts included) wrote:



"May 30th. That's sooner than I remember."

I hate waiting for books to come out....

[Cass]

I didn't know that was a historical series! Now I'm really interested in it haha.

I really recommend:

Marco Polo, the Mongolian era of conquest, a strong and complex heroine with a swoony romance.
One of the greatest coming of age novels I've read. Somewhat reminiscent of To Kill A Mockingbird, possibly due to the time period and place.
Love love love. Anna Godbersen!
This one has received mixed reviews, but I absolutely fell in love with it. It revolves around the Romanov family and the disasters that transpire.
The lost histories of WWII. Just a tornado of emotions, this one.

What I've found lately is that with historicals, you can see where books connect due to their time periods! And I adore that. Hehe. You don't much see that in other genres.

[Stacia (the 2010 club)]

Cass - wrote: "I didn't know that was a historical series! Now I'm really interested in it haha..."

It's not "technically" a historical series, but I loosely counted it as being associated with one. The books involve time travel. A young apprentice of Da Vinci moves forward in time to the present day, but he still holds on to some of his "old world" views & charm.

I second the Godberson love. The woman can sure craft an emotional storyline.

[Candy]

Ottilie wrote: "I love this site finding authors not everyone knows about and reading them to help spread the word of them."

I so agree. The book I'm reading right now is Timeless.
It's a book set both now and in the past so I think it can be considered historical fiction. Anyway, I picked it up quickly because of THIS site and the author 'friending' me. I've found a lot of books that way or from readers here (like Stacia!) My YA librarian friend is even going to read it because I am, lol!

I just wanted to thank you all for the great books. I've added most of them from this list and I intend on going through more of the HFS threads for other recommendations. Thanks!

[Maree]

Just finished that book actually...it was okay. I kinda liked how because the author is a singer herself, she wrote songs into the book and then recorded them herself, but it also kinda seems a lot like marketing.

Huh, looks like on Friday she's actually doing a signing near me...must contemplate if I want to go or not. My review wasn't very bubbly, but it might be educational.

[Candy]

I'll have to read your review. I'm not that far into it yet, (view spoiler)[she's on her second trip back in time (hide spoiler)], but I guess I just like the idea.

[Jayme(theghostreader)]

I really recommend "Breaking Night" and "Room".