What are the top ten (or top whatever) best historical fiction novels you read this year? Mine were:
The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
As Meat Loves Salt by Maria McCann
Conceit by Mary Novik
A Tabernacle for the Sun by Linda Proud
Great Maria by Cecelia Holland
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman
The Winthrop Woman by Anya Seton
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin
I wrote a little more about why I liked these at
www.HistoricalNovels.info.
I didn't read a lot of historical fiction in 2008, but of the few I read, I really enjoyed
Alias Grace, by Margaret Atwood (Victorian era Canada) and
The Lady and the Unicorn, by Tracy Chevaliar (Medieval Flanders).
In the order I read them:
The Last Queen by C.W. Gortner
Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
The 19th Wife by
David EbershoffWhen the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka
The Dracula Dossier by James Reese
Guernica by Dave Boling
The Whiskey Rebels by David Liss
The Devil's Brood by
Sharon Kay PenmanThe King's Daughter by
Sandra WorthThe Heretic Queen by
Michelle MoranI'm currently reading Mistress Shakespeare by
Karen Harper which certainly has a shot at this list too. If it makes it, I'll have to remove When the Emperor Was Divine, since that was a reread. I would join Margad in adding
The Gargoyle, but I didn't personally classify it as historical fiction, although I certainly see the argument.
Oh, I did love
The Woman Who Gave Birth to Rabbits! I read it a few years ago after reading
Slammerkin by the same author (Emma Donoghue), which I loved enough to search out all the historical fiction she had (at that time) written.
The Sealed Letter, which I read this year, is also good, but didn't quite make my top ten favorites list, probably more because the Victorian setting isn't one that really thrills me than for any other reason.
#11 Kleyed - I loved them, too! I bought
Tatiana's Table, but its on my TBR list at the moment.
I’m a huge historical fiction fan, but I had trouble this year and slogged through a few that I should’ve given up on (maybe that’s why I only read 40 books this year as opposed to my usual 50). ANYways, the standouts:
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
Pillars of the Earth by
Ken Follett- Excellent; haven't read
World Without End yet, have to get on that...
The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir
Outlander/
Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon- the third or forth time reading them, but they consistently rank highly on my all time favorites list, so they belong on this list!
And by far, my best HF read this year:
The Autobiography of Henry VIII by
Margaret George- simply fantastic.
I really like the Raybourn "Silent" books, too. The next one,
Silent on the Moor, is set to come out in March.
I too was one of those people who discovered Deanna Raybourn this year and I was more than thrilled! I'm looking forward to the third book in the series. Has anyone gone to check out her blog?
I've been mixing my historical fiction with a few non-fiction, but here is my list of keepers:
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. Ok, not technically 'historical', but it takes place during an unspecified period which could be turn of the century.
Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks. A fascinating book based on a true story.
Anatomy of Deception by Lawrence Goldstone. A new favorite author!
Conspiracy of Paper and The Whiskey Rebels by David Liss. Both are wonderfully written but a little esoteric at times.
The Meaning of Night by Michael Cox. Thoroughly enjoyable although the ending seemed a little slapdash.
I look forward to reading many, many more in 2009!
Hi robbieg, theaelizabet, and Kasthu--I have indeed read both 'Silent' books and am eagerly awaiting the third. I read Raybourn's blog faithfully as well--she seems quite charming!
I've also just finished the first historical mystery by Tasha Alexander, and her books are in the same vein as Raybourn's--historical mystery with a wee bit of romance.
30: If you like books like the Lady Julia Grey series and the Tasha Alexander books, you may enjoy
The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Bronte. Laura Joh Rowland takes a break from 17th century Japan to turn Charlotte into a detective. I usually shy away from those books that turn a famous author into a detective, except for the fact that the author really makes her heroine believable.
I saw Secret Adventures of Charlotte Bronte at my library, but was afraid it wouldn't work. Now I'll give it a look.
I may try that one Kasthu, though I absolutely draw the line at mysteries solved by Jane Austen or her characters!
SaraHope, I agree with you. I actually saw a series in Borders this week that were mysteries solved by Beatrix Potter!! Can you believe? This should be criminal--I love Beatrix Potter's stories just the way they are--the thought that someone has distorted them into something that she never intended is....well....unthinkable! (I'm sure some may disagree, and I don't mean to offend; this is just my opinion)
Robbieg, I cannot believe! Oh my goodness. In addition to the fact that I'd like to preserve these authors and their characters in my mind as they appeared in the original stories, I don't really read cozies anyway, and I have to imagine that Jane Austen and Beatrix Potter mysteries would lean cozy.
Life Mask is less briskly paced than
Slammerkin, and I didn't really get into it until about halfway through (and it's a very long novel). I was glad I persevered, though. Another good Donoghue is her most recent,
The Sealed Letter, which I've reviewed at
www.HistoricalNovels.info. Of her novels, I'd put Slammerkin at the top, then The Sealed Letter, then Life Mask.
Message edited by its author, Dec 21, 2008, 3:07pm.
#37 - Glad to hear you ranked Slammerkin first. I have read Life Mask which I enjoyed, but also found it slow to get into as well. Have Slammerkin on my TBR pile, this might have just nudged it up a little closer to the top.
Other than the
Patrick O'Brian series, the most moving hist. fiction that I remember is
Gates of Fire by
Steven Pressfield. I still remember the farewell address to Sparta before the 300 marched to Thermopylae: 'For six hundred years, no Spartan woman has seen the smoke of the enemy's campfires. We maintain our freedom by the Rule of Lycurgus, and a stern and difficult Rule it is. There is a price for freedom and it is paid in blood, and we have paid it in full. Those whom we leave behind also suffer, with Grief, Pain beyond bearing, yet it must be borne.' At the pass of Thermopylae are these words; 'Tell them in Sparta, Passerby, that here, obedient to their Laws, we lie'. Would that it were not necessary.
#38 - Do let us know, Delta Queen, what you think when you finish Slammerkin. I was hooked from page 1.
# 41 - I will let you know, I just don't know when, my TBR pile just seems to keep growing and growing!!
I know what you mean. My TBR is totally out of hand!
Margad, I did really enjoy Slammerkin. I posted a thank you to you for giving me the nudge to chose it from my TBR pile, in case you didn't read whatever thread I used (I can't remember myself) I thought I better repeat myself here!
Okay,
Slammerkin is now on my TBR pile for 2009. Thanks, margad and DeltaQueen!
Awhile ago, I posted my favorites (at #16) but noted that there were a couple more whose titles I'd not been able to recall at the time. So, I just remembered one of them: a YA novel about Catherine Howard, Henry VIII's fifth wife ~
The King's Rose by Alisa Libby. Though it is YA, it can be enjoyed by lovers of historical fiction of any age. I enjoyed it while I was reading it, and I've remembered it with pleasure ever since, which to me is one of the best signs of a really good book.
I too really enjoyed Dreamers of the Day, as well as The Book Thief, The Red Tent, and Devil in the White City! I'll have to try some of the others on your list since we seem to have similar taste. Thanks for sharing!
I noticed you like Mary Doria Russell, one of my favorite authors too. Have you read
A Thread of Grace? In my opinion -- her absolute BEST. It's not a happy story though. So far, after 3 years, still the #1 book that our book club has read according to all members.
Really! I very much like Mary Doria Russell and started
A Thread of Grace when it first came out but just couldn't seem to get into it for some reason. Perhaps just not in the mood at the time? Or perhaps it was because I wanted another novel in the same vein as her first two (
The Sparrow (one of my all-time desert-island favorites) and
Children of God).
It's been on my TBR list all along, because I mistrusted my disinterest in it and intended to try again sometime, but am now pushing it to the top of the list on your recommendation.
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