Historical Fiction - A Week of Recommendations

Hello, everyone! I'm so excited to be sharing A Week of Recommendations with you all! Just to recap quickly, if you missed my post about this you can check it out here and check out the schedule of what genre of books will be posted on what day. Today we're talking about historical fiction novels, which I haven't read much about in the past but I'm really loving lately. Historical fiction has incredible world building amidst the story, and I have some recommendations to share with you all!

no. 1 - The Falconer by Elizabeth May

The Falconer is the sort of story that's unlike anything I've ever read. It's historical fiction meets steampunk meets fantasy and faeries. If that's not unique enough to get your attention, let's add incredible characters and world building, a daring race and mystery set in 1800's Scotland, and one of the most unpredictable stories and endings I read last year. I ended up emailing Cassi of My Thoughts...Literally! about this book because I loved it so much and had to talk to someone about it. The sequel for this one comes out in a few months and I am so excited to continue on with this series.

no. 2 - The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner

This is another historical fiction that has some paranormal elements to it. The Red Necklace has a lot of mystery and drama to it. It's set during the French Revolution and tells the story of several very different narrators and protagonists. I loved reading about all the different stories and the mystery and suspense made me so nervous for the characters! I've yet to pick up the sequel but I definitely hope to in the near future.

no. 3 - The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

This is the first novel by Victoria Schwab I've read, but it definitely won't be the last! I loved her storytelling and how this novel was told. It felt like we were drawn in to this old story and tale following Lexi and the mystery of what's going on in the town of Near. Also, for some reason, reading this reminded me of watching Hocus Pocus with my family and so I was totally picturing that old town kind of setting for this novel. 

no. 4 - Sekret by Lindsay Smith

This is a book I read with Cassi and we both really enjoyed it. Sekret is set in Cold War era Soviet Union, and a lot of the novel centers around Yelena and how she is navigating having supernatural powers. I thought the characters in this story were really unique and had a good character dynamic, as well as a story with a lot of mystery and intrigue. I'm really excited to read the sequel soon with Cassi! I also have a review of Sekret posted here.

no. 5 - The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I read The Book Thief years ago with a friend and I still remember being so moved by that book. It's very unusual- Death is the narrator and it tells the story of a girl living through World War II. Although it's been so long since I've read this book, I think I want to reread it sometime. It's incredibly written and a memorable story.

So, here is the first day of A Week of Recommendations! Let me know if you've read any of these, or want a review of some of the ones I don't have reviews posted for. Also, please share any recommendations for historical fiction in the comments, and don't forget tomorrow's theme is fantasy novels and science fiction, so if you're curious be sure to stop by then, and I would love to hear your recommendations for that as well!

From the paper world,
V

Let's Talk Historical Fiction

Ok! So, normally I don’t read historical fiction. Normally I don’t post rambly posts. But, today, I wanted to talk about historical fiction, which is a genre I honestly don’t read much of. However, I’ve been reading a very long YA historical fiction novel lately, and I just have to talk about it and how it’s been making me think about YA historical fiction in general. The book is Brazen by Katherine Longshore, which came out earlier this year and was one that tons of book bloggers were excited to talk about. And I can honestly see why. I’m not going to be doing a review of it right now, but reading Brazen has made me want to talk more about YA historical fiction, what I like about the genre, and more!

So, to begin let’s talk about something specific to Brazen but that indicates something very important to how I read historical fiction, and that is- I must have an interest in the historical time period the book is set in. Brazen, if you are unfamiliar with this book, is set in Tudor England. This is an era that always fascinated me. It was a time of turbulent change, with the glitz and glamour of the old court serving as a background for huge political upheaval and, of course, Henry VIII’s six marriages. I always thought that this was a time of interest to me. Sometimes, I may pick up a novel that I’m not very familiar with the setting of, but that is alright because it takes me to my next point.

Sometimes (and this is not always 100% true, but it’s something I’ve noticed recently) I enjoy reading books about times or people I’m not very familiar with, because it includes the element of surprise. Yes, I know historical fiction is just that- fiction- but I like knowing some aspects of a book but learning more about characters or a time period I wasn’t as familiar with and then researching it more after I read. (Yes, I have done that with one or two books before.) With Brazen, the story revolves around Henry Fitzroy and Mary Howard. I know of Henry Fitzroy but I don’t know anything beyond the basic of he was Henry VIII’s son. So, not knowing anything of what’s happening with those two characters but being familiar with the Tudor court and the other main characters has been interesting. (Oh, and I’ve loved how this book has talked more about how the day to day court life was, but I’ll save all of this for my review of the book later.)

So, in general, I am definitely wanting to read more historical fiction, and talk about what works for me in book genres and what doesn’t. If you have any historical fiction recommendations for me, let me know in the comments, or if you have another genre you want me to share my thoughts on in a more discussion post, comment! Before I go, though, I’ll leave you with some historical fiction novels I’ve read and enjoyed!

My List of Top Historical Fiction and SciFi from the beginning of the year

The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner

Sekret by Lindsay Smith

My Review of Sekret

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

From the paper world,
V

The First Half of 2014 Part I - Top Five Historical Fiction and ScienceFiction

Today I'm starting a new mini-series celebrating the fact that we are halfway through 2014, and I have discovered some really great books this year that I'd like to share with you all! Today I wanted to start with Science Fiction and Historical Fiction. These are two genres that I haven't read as much of before 2014, but thankfully this year I found quite a few that I've loved within the first six months of 2014. Historical fiction particuarlly was a genre that generally hadn't appealed to me, so I'm really happy to have several new beloved historical fiction YA to share with you.

In no particular order...

no. 1 - These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

My first completed read of the year, and what a fantastic start to 2014. I've reviewed this on both Goodreads and the blog, and basically this is a great science fiction that's intense, a tale of survival and excellent character development.

no. 2 - Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers

I don't know why I delayed picking this sequel up for so long. Dark Triumph is the second book in His Fair Assassins series, and Sybella's tale was beautifully written. I loved seeing more of the story that had started in Grave Mercy, and especially meeting the new characters and seeing the returning ones once more. I adored this book and reviewed it on Goodreads.

no. 3 - Alienated by Melissa Landers

I read this as part of a readalong that A Book Utopia hosted, and it came at the perfect time for me. I had read a book that I was feeling very disappointed in, and it was a series ending book so I'm sure many readers can agree how pivotal those can often be. I felt as if I were in a reading funk- not a slump but just not as engaged with what I was reading. This science fiction with a lighthearted feel and witty writing and characters instantly cured me, and I thought it was a great sci-fi read.

no. 4 - The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner

This is a historical fiction set in the dramatic period of the French Revolution. The writing, characters, and intricate weaving of magic and history in this book completely captivated me. I had never heard anything about this book but it's really wonderful and part of a duology if I'm not mistaken. 

no. 5 - Sekret by Lindsay Smith

This 2014 debut is unique, as it's about a girl with supernatural abilities set in Soviet Russia. Yulia is interesting, resourceful, and has a dry wit and style that makes her narration memorable. I loved the group dynamics in this story, and also how the setting and time period are so unique.

So, here is the start of a series where I can look back at the first half of 2014 and share some of my favorite reads with you all. Let me know what your favorite sci-fi and historical ficiton reads were down in the comments below!

From the paper world,

V