Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

I like historical novels, as I think some of you do too. Do you have some favorites?

Oh, I believe historical fiction is my favorite genre, Elizabeth! I could talk about historical fiction all day long! :)

I know I comment about Ahab's Wife: Or, The Star-gazer: A Novel time and time again, but that book deserves it! I love it! I think it tops my historical fiction favorites. I also enjoyed The Crimson Petal and the White and Memoirs of a Geisha. I love all historical fiction, I seem to find myself particlarly drawn to the depression era as well as medieval England. Currently, I have been reading The Red Tent and really enjoying it!

Oh, I forgot a couple more!

The Pillars of the Earth
Gone With the Wind (of course!)
Forever Amber (Even though the main character was so pathetic, I still loved it!)
Lonesome Dove
and Someone Knows My Name

So many great historical fiction out there! Anyone read The Dress Lodger? Sounds great, I picked it up this past weekend and can't wait to read it.

I have Memoirs of a Geisha on my shelf and keep trying to get to it. ;-)

Okay, the absoulte best ones I have read are the books by Sharon Kay Penman. Her Welsh Trilogy is one of my all-time favorites, and her stand alone books such as Sunne in Splendour is really good too. I like how her books are historically accurate, well researched, and also fantastically written in fiction. I love, love, love that there is the aspect of her made up characters, but blended so well with the true historical figures that it is hard to imagine you are reading something that is fiction and non-fiction at the same time. Also, what I admire about her books is that at the end, she does an author's note and is completely honest about what is true and what she added or made up.

Just wanted to add she has a group of fictional mysteries which I never got in to reading. I never liked them.

Great idea for discussion! I love historical fiction (and even occasionally the factual type history as well). Already, some great recommendations here that I haven't read. I second The Crimson Petal and the White and Memoirs of a Geisha!

In addition, I've really enjoyed The Other Boleyn Girl in fact any by Philippa Gregory about the Tudor court and The Book Thief was particularly capitvating, considering the world war from the perspective of the ordinary German people. For a change of continent,
True History of the Kelly Gang seemed like a very realistic portrayal, I practically felt like I was in the Outback! Oooh, and The Tenderness of Wolves was also excellent. OK, I'm stopping now... honest!

Speaking of a story about WWII from the perspective of the German people, please consider Stones from the River.

Oh, yes, Em! The Book Thief is my favorite read so far of 2010 and who can forgetThe Other Boleyn Girl, definitely my favorite from Philippa Gregory!

Elizabeth, I will look out for that one, it's good to see events from different points of view I think.

I loved Stones from the River. I love Ursla Hegi's books.

Have you read the Hornet's Nest and John Adams?

More and more great historical novels keep occuring to me... I loved Tipping the Velvet and Fingersmith by Sarah Waters and The Passion and Sexing the Cherry by Jeanette Winterson.

The Passion is one of my all time favouites, how didn't I think of that on my first post!

I am reading Someone Knows My Name right now, and I have to agree that it is a wonderful book! Sarah's Key is another great one.

I'm so glad you're enjoying Someone Knows My Name, Kat! It's "unputdownable!" :)

I think there is a difference with historical fiction and period fiction. For me, historical fiction needs to deal with more than just a time in history it has to have historically based figures in it. I liked The Constant Princess the best of the Greggory Tudor books.

Very good distinction, Tera.

Tera - I think you are right on. For me, I feel like most historical romances are period fiction, but, like I mentioned above, I think Sharon Kay Penman's books are more historical fiction.

I enjoy both, depending on my mood. :-)

Monica wrote: "Oh, I forgot a couple more!

The Pillars of the Earth
Gone With the Wind (of course!)
Forever Amber (Even though the main character was so pathetic, I sti..."


Ooohhh, Monica...I just re-read your list! I loved Forever Amber so much that my daughter is named Amber!! Hehe. I read it when I was 14, and it just blew me away.

Sorry I got baby called part way through my last post. I do enjoy both historical fiction and period fiction but I find I often have to ask people to clarify for me when they recommend historical fiction to me if it truly is historical as far as the characters go or just the era.
I really enjoyed a lot of the books listed but for me my favorit "historical" novels have been
The Constant Princess
The Memoirs of Cleopatra
(Margaret George in general is great)
I also think that Michelle Moran has done a great job with historical fiction. I really enjoy her style and her research she does with her historical figures.

Now here is some fictional historical fiction ;) I'm tempted to atleast skim through it. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Some of my favorite period fiction has been The Pillars of the Earth and Gone With the Wind

That's an interesting point Tera, I've never considered the difference before - I think I prefer historical fiction to period fiction as a rule.

I was just watching Philippa Gregory interviewed on TV about where she writes and she has a wonderful house, with her office overlooking the North York Moors - absolutely beautiful (if a bit blustery) - I'm quite envious.

I recommend Winter in Madrid. I really liked it. Part romance, part thriller, with Franco and the Spain civil war as background. Definitely historical fiction.

What a wonderful topic. I have never thought about historical versus period fiction. Going by the definition I guess I read more period fiction than historical. I never liked history in school, so learning through books that have a captivating storyline is ideal for me. I am forever sharing what I'm reading with my husband (a non-reader, but loves history)

Years ago I read everything I could get my hands on by John Jakes. Here are some of my newer ones I so truly adored:

These Is My Words by Nancy E. Turner
Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I know there are many, many more. Thanks to all of you who have added new ones to my list!

One of my favorite historical/period fiction novel (not sure which category to place this in since it does have actual historical figures and events in it) is Restoration by Rose Tremain.

My most favorite historical fiction novels are:

The Daughters Of Fortune Series by Judith Pella

The Yukon Quest Series by Tracy Peterson

Well, I checked my read list and here are a few more I loved:

The Handmaid and the Carpenter: A Novel by Elizabeth Berg
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
Enemy Women: A Novel by Paulette Jiles
Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibagiza
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

Okay...enough, enough!!

Perhaps The Heretic's Daughter and Loving Frank?

Loving Frank was fabulous. I'm really enjoying Cloudsplitter, our current chunky read. Pre civil war. Given historical vs period fiction, true historical novel. I've even looked up the area on the 1850 census.

I also liked the "Book Thief", Two girls from Gettysburg (Young Adult), Memoirs of a Geisha (could not believe it was written by a man!) The Help, Guernesy Potato Peel Society, 84 Charing Cross Road, Summer at Tiffany's, to name a few. I am sure I will think of some more!

84, Charing Cross Road is not fiction. This was the actual correspondence between the author, Helene Hanff, and the used bookseller in London.

Oh, I love historical fiction! I'm going to have to compile a thread...hmmm :)

You are right, Elizabeth - so actually, The Summer at Tiffany's is not fiction either - I believe it is a memoir of a woman who worked at Tiffany's during the war years.

I adored Summer at Tiffany. It was such fun to read....

84, Charing Cross Road was such a wonderful read!

Has anyone read A Thousand White Women? It was terrific.

Hi Meg, is it this one? One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd. It sounds fabulous - I've not come across it before.

Yes and it was terrific. I highly recommend it.

I wish book clubs could have lists in them - then we could create a member historical fiction bookshelf so I could keep track of all these great recs.

I am also a fan of The Other Boleyn Girl and Memiors of a Geisha. :)

Has anyone read The Hornet's Nest? It is the only novel written by a president (Carter) about the Revolutionary War (Southern viewpoint). He uses some of his relatives in the book. It is really excellent.

Anyone know the 1986 movie based on the book "Charing Cross Road" stars Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins. Don't know how close it is to the book??

Meg and Em - I've read the "Thousand White Women..." and really enjoyed it.

Nancy wrote: "Anyone know the 1986 movie based on the book "Charing Cross Road" stars Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins. Don't know how close it is to the book??"

Yes, Nancy! After reading and LOVING the book, I simply HAD to see the film. It was wonderful as well! But, of course, can you expect any less from Anthony Hopkins and Anne Bancroft?

Meg wrote: "Has anyone read A Thousand White Women? It was terrific."

Oh, yes! I thought it was so good and such an enlightening story! Talk about the strength and sisterhood of women!

From Booklist, by Grace Fill

"An American western with a most unusual twist, this is an imaginative fictional account of the participation of May Dodd and others in the controversial "Brides for Indians" program, a clandestine U.S. government^-sponsored program intended to instruct "savages" in the ways of civilization and to assimilate the Indians into white culture through the offspring of these unions. May's personal journals, loaded with humor and intelligent reflection, describe the adventures of some very colorful white brides (including one black one), their marriages to Cheyenne warriors, and the natural abundance of life on the prairie before the final press of the white man's civilization. Fergus is gifted in his ability to portray the perceptions and emotions of women. He writes with tremendous insight and sensitivity about the individual community and the political and religious issues of the time, many of which are still relevant today. This book is artistically rendered with meticulous attention to small details that bring to life the daily concerns of a group of hardy souls at a pivotal time in U.S. history."

The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway is a marvelous historical ficrion!

I love historical fiction. I love seeing how other people lived and what they thought and believed. Other cultures fascinate me and a lot can be learned from a well researched book. Some of my favorites are Memoirs of a Geisha, The Other Boleyn Girl, Gone With the Wind, March, and The Painter from Shanghai.

Kathryn wrote: "What a wonderful topic. I have never thought about historical versus period fiction. Going by the definition I guess I read more period fiction than historical. I never liked history in school, ..."

Oh, Kathryn, I loved These Is My Words! Thank you for reminding me of it.

I am a history buff and love to read historical fiction as well as period fiction -

I have read some of what you all have already listed and a few are already on my tbr and now I will be adding a few more.

A few that I liked are: The White Queen, Wideacre, Philippa GregoryThe Other Boleyn Girl - I have all of Philippa Gregory's books and will get to the rest of them one day

I also liked everything John Jakes wrote, The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End both by Ken Follett and author I really like is James Alexander Thom - I have read all of his books and loved them.

I love love Historical Fiction. I haven't read any in a long time but will for sure be adding all the books I can to my list. I do love Phillipa Gregory. I have read a few of hers, like The Other Boleyn Girl and The Constant Princess. I started another one (can't think of the name), but we then moved and the book as been misplaced.

Monica, I was reading back over the thread. I have read "The Dress Lodger" and thought it was good. Loved "Pillars of the Earth" and look forward to the sequel, hopefully this summer. I love Allison Weir's writing on the Tudor era, although I don't think her earlier work counts as fiction. Maybe we should start a history/non-fiction thread!

May be we should Nancy, if you like non-fiction but still want a readable book - I enjoyed Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser, though it took me weeks and weeks to read it!

I like them all, period fiction, historical fiction and historical non-fiction. Good observation!! LOL Sometimes the non-fiction is difficult reading. I'll look that one up Em - Thanks! I find the older I get the more non-fiction interests me. Hmmm...