Best Historical Fiction
Growing up, historical fiction was always my favorite genre. Whether To Kill a Mockingbird or A Separate Peace, these were my go to reads.
Historical fiction's still my favorite genre to read and here are a few of my favorite books & favorite authors in this category.
Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, & the rise of Protestant Britain
In case you haven't checked out Hilary Mantel's trilogy on Thomas Cromwell, advisor to Henry VIII and the mastermind behind Henry VIII's divorce from Queen Katherine, marriage to Anne Boleyn, and subsequent beheading of Queen Anne, Wolf Hall is a must read.
Hilary writes this first novel in the Cromwell trilogy from the point of view of Thomas Cromwell himself. If you're able to stick with the disjointed and abrupt memories of Thomas growing up, you'll be rewarded with a richness of prose unsurpassed by any other book I've ever read.
Grab the tissues once you arrive at the rustling of feathers.
From isolation nation to WW1: The bombing of the Lusitania
Erik Larson is a master of storytelling, and if more of his work were on high school reading lists, we'd all know our history better.
Dead Wake is my favorite Erik Larson book of the several that I've read. A page turner from beginning to end, this paints the stage of world events that led to America's entrance into World War I.
Next up on my list of Erik Larson reads are Thunderstruck, the story of Marconi's invention of the radio and its overlap with Britain's 2nd most famous murderer, and In the Garden of the Beasts, the story of America's first ambassador to Nazi Germany.
Devil in the White City also isn't to be missed. This is another account of a murderer overlapping with the electricity race between Edison & Nikola Tesla (the superior inventor by far!) In fact, Nikola Tesla's one of my favorite people in all of history, and if you happen to know of any great Tesla reads, drop them in the comments below.
A coming of age story in the poor South
You may know Rick Bragg from the last page of the Southern Living magazine. Rick's got a way with words that make you laugh while touching your soul all at the same time.
Technically, this isn't fiction, it's a real live account of Rick's life growing up dirt poor in the deep South, but as only Rick Bragg's able to do, it reads like an enthralling afternoon page turner.
I've had a few of his books on my "to read" list for a few years now and finally picked up All over but the shouting.
From chapter 1, I learned more about the Korean War than I ever knew... and my grandpa fought in that war.
This one's an easy poolside read and like all of Rick's works, one to make you smile even while it tugs at your heartstrings.
What's your favorite historical fiction
Who are some of your favorite historical fiction authors, and what's your favorite historical fiction book? Let me know in the comments below.
About the Author
Brandy's a formulation scientist and self-proclaimed health geek who loves hiking, gardening, bird-watching, and body boarding.
Her struggle with acne during her teens and 20s led to a holistic and healthy approach to skincare, embracing skin as an organ to be loved and cared for rather than a canvas to wage war on.
Since 2008, she's been developing all-in-one products for a simple routine at home, & Rain Organica started when her backpacking friends asked for a portable skincare routine to keep their skin healthy & happy on and off the trails.
You can try Rain Organica for yourself with The Essentials Kit, a complete skincare routine in just 3 steps.
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