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Top Ten Tuesday: Books To Read If Your Book Club Likes Historical Fiction


Happy Tuesday and welcome back to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  This week's topic is Books To Read If Your Book Club Likes X.  I selected Historical Fiction.  At the library where I work, historical fiction tends to be one of the most popular genre picks, and in the book club I was in with some friends historical fiction was also a popular choice aside from the cozy mystery.  Here we go in, alphabetical order by author:


Longbourn by Jo Baker - This is a retelling of Pride & Prejudice from the servants perspective.


Belgravia by Julian Fellowes - The author, of course, is the creator of Downton Abbey, so if you're a fan of that tv series you'll have to try his new story set in London's wealthiest district in the 1840s.


Night Song by Tricia Goyer - Easily one of my favorite adult WWII novels.


Ross Poldark by Winston Graham - If you've been watching the new tv adaptation starring Aidan Turner, you need to experience the novels.  The first series includes the first two books, and I've heard the second series will cover books three and four.


The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver - One of my book clubs read this and I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected to.  Before, I likely wouldn't have picked it up do the Oprah's Book Club sticker on the cover of my copy.


Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel - I pushed this way up my tbr after watching the excellent tv miniseries starring Mark Rylance.  In the end, I actually preferred the adaptation, but the novel is well worth reading.


The Paris Wife by Paula McLain - A wonderful piece of historical fiction focusing on Hemingway's first wife, Hadley.  It was so vivid, that at times I forgot I was reading fiction.


An Elephant in the Garden by Michael Morpurgo - Another beautifully written WWII novel by the author of War Horse - it was originally loaned to me by the friend who let me borrow her copy of Night Song.


Shanghai Girls by Lisa See - Beautifully written and well researched story focusing on the lives of two sisters.


Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein - If you haven't tried this wonderful YA WWII novel, what are you waiting for?  Just make sure you have a box of tissues at your side.


Have you tried any of these historical fiction books?  What would you read with your book club?

Comments

  1. So normally I'm not into historical fiction. But that first one sounds so good! I love Pride and Prejudice, so I'll definitely have to give Longbourn a try. :)

    And everyone tells me that Code Name Verity is good.

    Great post!

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  2. The elephant cover caught my eye. :-)
    sherry @ My TT

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  3. Longbourn seems like it would be good- P&P from the servants' perspective- and Code Name Verity is supposed to be quite good. I haven't been reading as much historical fiction but I do love it.

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    1. If you read Code Name Verity, which you really should, you might want to have a box of tissues with you! :)

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  5. Code Name Verity is one of my favorites! It broke my heart. :(

    My Top Ten

    (Posted the wrong link in that other comment! Sorry)

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  6. I haven't read any of these except Code Name Verity and I'm like the one person that didn't like it! LOL! I LOOOOVE Downton Abbey so I really do need to try Belgravia. Also, I need to try the Poldark show and the books sound good too! Great list!

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    1. Yes, I'd like to see what you think of Belgravia! And, Poldark, too. I'm definitely hooked on the show! :D

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  7. Historical fiction is my JAM. I really enjoyed Wolf Hall, and I'm on the loooooong library waiting list for Belgravia.

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    1. Yay! I hope you get it soon - seemed like I waited forever to get it.

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  8. Brilliant list Lauren! I've liked quite a few of these!

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  9. Brilliant choice for this weeks topic. I love a great historical fiction and have only read one of these. That was Code Name Verity and I was like the only human being who did not enjoy that book ahaha. The others sound great though.

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  10. I'm like Charnell, except with Longbourn - I could not even finish it, I hated it so much. I thought Code Name Verity, on the other hand, was terrific. Well, it would be a boring book club if everyone had the same opinions!

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    1. Ah, well - to each their own! :) It would be boring if everyone at book club had the same exact opinions!

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    2. Great list - I loved Longbourn I have to say and I fancy a couple of others off your list - particularly Shanghai Girls.
      Lynn :D

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  11. I want all of these! I actually have a copy of Shanghai Girls and I don't even want to think about how long it's been sitting on my shelf. Longbourn also looks great and there are several on here I haven't heard of but really want to read. Great list!

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    1. Thanks Katherine! I hope you will end up getting to them soon. :)

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  12. You've mentioned some of my favourites there, and others are books which have been on my TBR list for some time. Thanks for the prompt. The covers all call 'come read me.'

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  13. Every once in a while I crave a good historical fiction novel. Code Name Verity is pretty amazing a book. Great list!

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  14. I LOVE Code Name Verity. So EMOTIONAL!! I definitely need more Historical Fiction recs, so I'll definitely keep these in mind! Cool list!!

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  15. Wolf Hall is one I get recommended to me constantly, because of my interest in the time period. I struggle with historical fiction though, because I feel very protective of people I love (or love to hate) and get bothered when authors put words into their mouths. That is so weird of me, isn't it? I'm working on not being such a weirdo and finally trying more historical fiction :)

    http://allthebookblognamesaretaken.blogspot.com/2016/10/top-ten-tuesday_31.html

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    1. It took a little while to get into the swing of the writing style of Wolf Hall, but it was excellent. I'm definitely interested to see what you'll end up thinking of it - words in their mouths or not. :D

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  16. Wolf Hall is one I get recommended to me constantly, because of my interest in the time period. I struggle with historical fiction though, because I feel very protective of people I love (or love to hate) and get bothered when authors put words into their mouths. That is so weird of me, isn't it? I'm working on not being such a weirdo and finally trying more historical fiction :)

    http://allthebookblognamesaretaken.blogspot.com/2016/10/top-ten-tuesday_31.html

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  17. Night Song and Longbourn sound so interesting. I'm definitely looking them up. Great list!

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  18. I haven't read any of these, but I do have Code Name Verity on my kindle, waiting to be read! I'm so glad you liked it, and I will definitely keep a box of tissues by my side when I read it!

    Great List!

    Aditi @ http://athousandwordsamillionbooks.blogspot.in/

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  19. I haven't heard of Belgravia but it sounds great! Thanks for sharing about it.

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  20. I've heard a lot of amazing things about Code Name Verity so I'll definitely have to check out that book soon. I have the first two Poldark books but I'm so engrossed by the show that I completely forgot I had them haha.

    - Lois @ My Midnight Musing.

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  21. Wolf Hall is still in my TBR. Your list is really nice one!

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  22. I keep seeing Poldark the show pass me by. I never realized it is actually a book. Great list

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    1. Yes, it is! Season 1 covers books 1 and 2, season 2 is supposed to cover books 3 and 4. :)

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