Historical Fictionistas discussion

This thread is here to help those indecisive members among us (myself included!) to decide on a book to read next.

Here's the idea:
- When you're looking for help deciding on a book, post here. You can specify that you'd like the book to be chosen from a specific GR shelf, or from a specific genre, or whatever you'd like.
- Then someone will choose a book for you to read from that criteria.

Preferably, I would like for the person who receives the recommendation to actually read the book that is chosen for them, but it's not required. It's not as much fun if we don't actually participate fully, though, right?

I like to think that this could spawn a lot of discussion regarding the books that are recommended: why the person chose it, what the person who received the recommendation thought of it, etc. Feel free to start any new threads you like about books, either in this folder or the "Discuss amongst yourselves" folder. :)

I hope that this is a success, I love random recommendations, so as soon as my Harry Potter re-read is done, I'll be giving this a go myself!! :D

Nobody's willing to go first? Chickens! :P

Where was this when I needed it last night?! lol

Being created? ;)

Becky - I might use this later but right now I know the next five books I am reading for the challenge and then 2 for other GR groups and 2 for local clubs so for the next 9 books I read I am completely scheduled.

I was just kidding around, Linda! It's not life or death! ;)

I got it - I just thought that others might be like me and have several books lined up because of the challenge, etc. which by the way I am really having fun with - finding books that fit the tasks was a bit like a treasure hunt with the prize being great reading time.

Oh OK... I just didn't want anyone to feel like I was being a whip-weilding slave-driver or anything. (That's Jackie! :P)

I have to read my pile of library books first.

Becky wrote: "Oh OK... I just didn't want anyone to feel like I was being a whip-weilding slave-driver or anything. (That's Jackie! :P)"

Is she like Cat woman? The whole whip thing...that's the only person (Halle Berry) I have seen that can actually use a whip without hurting themselves!

check out "The man from Snowy River" not only can he use a whip...but he can do it while ridig a horse, charging down a crazy steep hill. Not a whip-weilding slave-driver but still impressive. I need to get that movie...love it!

Uhh, have we all forgotten Indiana Jones?? O_O

Oh yeah...I did forget about him! I'm not sure how. He's the original whip wielder. Good thinking.

I thought we were supposed to be talking about what books to read next.

Yeah, but I don't mind if we have a little fun in the meantime. :)

Okay, I am looking for a book that is a total mind bender. Like the movie "The Game". I could not figure out for the life of me what was going on, but I loved it. So if anyone has any suggestions for something like that...give 'em up!

Danielle wrote: "Okay, I am looking for a book that is a total mind bender. Like the movie "The Game". I could not figure out for the life of me what was going on, but I loved it. So if anyone has any suggestion..."

YAY! I do: Shutter Island. That book had me completely O_O at the end. :D

Becky, My sister recommended that one as well. I will wait to watch the film then so I am fully surprised! Have you seen the film? If so, how was it compared to the book?

Danielle wrote: "Okay, I am looking for a book that is a total mind bender. Like the movie "The Game". I could not figure out for the life of me what was going on, but I loved it. So if anyone has any suggestion..."

Something really out there?
That for me has to be
The Great and Secret Show by Clive Barker

Now, this is no political thriller, or crime thriller, this is pure fantasy mind bender.

If I was going to recommend a crime thriller mind bender well that would have to be;

The Poet by Michael Connelly it is one of those addictive books that is hard to put down.

Shutter Island was good. I think my review starts out something like "I don't know what I expected for the ending, but it wasn't that!"

Danielle wrote: "Becky, My sister recommended that one as well. I will wait to watch the film then so I am fully surprised! Have you seen the film? If so, how was it compared to the book?"

This is not my usual type of book. Initially I thought it was more horror, which I do not enjoy, but actually it was more a thriller mystery as it unfolded. I was totally into it and then saw the movie after reading the book. Both were good and the movie mostly followed the lines of the book. I had a hint of what was going to happen, yet at the end it leaves the reader/viewer almost to decide a major part of what had/did/would happen on their own. Even though it was not my typical read, I really did enjoy it and would recommend it highly.

Thanks for the feedback! I will be checking these out and get back to you:)

Heather wrote: "Kristi, The Man from Snowy River was one of our family's favorite movies! I can't tell you how many times I've seen that. I love that movie! "

When he cracks his whip and rides through the other horses to take the drop, and gallop down it on his brumby....and that theme song is playing....I cry everytime. Without fail.

Have you all read the poem that started it? BY Banjo Patterson?
As an Australian, I can tell you all that this poem and the poet Banjo Patterson is legendary downunder.
http://www.wallisandmatilda.com.au/ma...

You see mention of Clancy of the Overflow in the Man From Snowy River poem. Banjo Patterson also wrote a poem about him;
http://www.wallisandmatilda.com.au/cl...

I highly recommend Banjo Patterson to anyone who is interested in poetry and/or Victorian/19th century Australian poetry. His poetry says a lot about our history. All the places are real as are a lot of the people he writes about.
Here is a selection of Pattersons poems if you'd like to read them;
http://www.wallisandmatilda.com.au/ma...
I recommend The Man from Iron bark also.

I haven't seen the movie yet, Danielle, so I don't know. I wanted to see it in the theater, but never got around to it, and of course now its out. :(

Terri! I had no idea it was from a poem! I love the poem, very vivid, you can really see how they got the movie from it! Thanks for posting it!

I'm glad you guys appreciate The man From Snow River. that is really cool because it does mean so much to Australians (as does the man who wrote it).
When I was a little kid in Primary School (5yrs old through to 12yrs old) we were taught to know The Man From Snowy River and Clancy of the Overflow off by heart. I can only remember certain parts of the snowy river poem without looking, but I can say the whole Clancy of the Overflow by memory. It was my favourite.

Heather, glad to have inspired you to show another generation this legendary story. But, I ask, do you mind crying in front of the kids? :-)

Okay, since Historical Fiction is new for me, and since I'm a series driven reader, I'm in need of a Historical Fiction series to start. I really have no other preferences other than it be a series book.

Can anyone help?

Southpaw, a lot of our members really love the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon.

Another one that would be a bit more... in depth would be the Rome series by Colleen McCullough starting with The First Man in Rome.

If you're looking for something a bit lighter and with a bit more of a fantasy bent to it, I'd suggest Libba Bray's YA/HF/Fantasy trilogy A Great and Terrible Beauty, Rebel Angels, and The Sweet Far Thing. These are great and fun, set in Victorian England and about magic and mystery.

Good luck!

I second the Outlander series. There is also another series that is similar called Into the Wilderness. I have not read it yet, but I've heard good things.

If you like YA The Luxe is a pretty good series. It's short at 4 books and it's like Gossip Girl meets Victorian times.

The Clan of the Cave Bear is about cave men and women...if you're into that type of thing. I read the first one and it was okay for me, but others have raved about it.


Are you looking for a meaty series or some light fluffy reading? I have a couple of romance series that I enjoy that are considered HF, but are fluffy reading.

Thanks for the info Becky and Jackie.

Becky, I didn't realize the Outlander series was considered HF...just goes to show I know nothing of this genre.

Jackie, I have read the Luxe Series by Anna Godbersen. I did not realize they were HF, either. I just finished the last one a couple months back.

I do read a tremendous amount of romance, (both historical and contemporary) so I really enjoy fluffy reading, Jackie. If you can point me in the right direction on those series, that would be great.

I don't know what it is about the Outlander series. I've picked up that first book several times, gotten just a few pages in, and had to put it back down. I'm not sure what my problem is. I just can't seem to read it right now. Doesn't make sense I know, but there you have it. I know it's me, because everybody loves that series.

The first... 50-100 pages or so of Outlander are not at ALL like the rest of the book. Once you get past that, it just sucks you right in and you can't put it down. I think that you would really like it. :)

Give it another shot... give it 100 pages and if you aren't drawn in, then you can definitely say that you gave it a try.

I've only read the first one in the series, but it was very good. :)

(PS. Can I call you SP? That's much easier to type than Southpaw... plus I'm lazy. =\) LOL

Becky wrote: "(PS. Can I call you SP? That's much easier to type than Southpaw... plus I'm lazy. =\) LOL"

LOL. Yes Becky, many people do. It's quite alright.

You are right of course about Outlander, and I know this. I just need to try again.

I've been wanting to read more books taking place in Asian countries, especially Japan and China. I really liked Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and The Good Earth is one of my favorite books. Most of the books I read regarding Japan are non-fiction and I tend to read about samurai and geisha for some reason now that I think about it, haha!

Memoirs of a Geisha is a terrific read, if you haven't read it already. Miss One Thousand Spring Blossoms: A Novel is much more obscure but a really terrific read - shy western engineer comes to Japan and falls in love with everything, including a geisha. Great book.

Southpaw...I got chance to check your shelves to get an idea of what you've read. I see if you read most of Lisa Kleypas, who I love....well just her HF series- The Wallflowers and The Hathaways.

I recommend Julie Garwood if you haven't tried her. Her heroines are similar to Kleypas- funny, intelligent and witty and her Highland heros are alpha and hot. I don't like her contempories, but I'm just not a fan of romance contemporary.

I also like Lauren Willig. The The Secret History of the Pink Carnation series is pretty good. Again funny heroines, great interaction and even a bit of mystery thrown in which helps to keep the series going.

If you like Egypt you can try Michelle Moran's Nefertiti and The Heretic Queen. Not really a series but one builds on the other. It's considered YA, but to me it's geared towards a more mature audience.

Like Becky said, I would give Outlander a try again because it does get better as the book move on. If you audio I hear the audio is great, but it's looooonng one. lol.

Moony wrote: "I've been wanting to read more books taking place in Asian countries, especially Japan and China. I really liked Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and The Good Earth is one of my favorite books. Most ..."


I 2nd Kate's rec of Memoirs of a Geisha. It's one of my favorite books and I LOVE the movie adaptation. It's one of the best IMO.

I also like anything by Amy Tan. I think all of her books touch on Chinese or Asian culture.

Another one I liked was Women of the Silk. I have The Street of a Thousand Blossoms by the same author waiting to be read.

Currently, I'm reading Shogun which focuses on Japanese culture. It's a whopper though at 1000+ pages, but so far it's been a fast paced read and everyone I know who has read loves it.


Here are a few others that I enjoyed:
Empress Orchid
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
Digging to America- this one touches a little on Asian culture

I hated Memoirs of a Geisha... and I think I must be the only reader who does! But I will look into the others, thanks! My online library account only holds 20 books on the to-be-requested section so I best get to reading some more to make room for all these selections, haha!

Oh, Jackie, I've read The Street of a Thousand Blossoms and love it! My copy is autographed by the author because I managed to catch her at a signing when she came through my state. She was a pleasure to talk to. Have you read The Samurai's Garden? I haven't read Women of the Silk, but I plan to read all of Gail's books at some point. The only other book I've read has been Dreaming Water. All her books are amazing.

Moony wrote: "I've been wanting to read more books taking place in Asian countries, especially Japan and China. ..."

Some of my favorites set in Japan are: and
and for a Chinese setting I liked

Jackie wrote: "Southpaw...I got chance to check your shelves to get an idea of what you've read. I see if you read most of Lisa Kleypas, who I love....well just her HF series- The Wallflowers and T..."

Thanks for the help, Jackie. I will check these out as well.

I do audio, but mainly for the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die; however that doesn't mean I couldn't do it for Outlander. I may do that.

Sandra wrote: "Moony wrote: "I've been wanting to read more books taking place in Asian countries, especially Japan and China. ..."

Some of my favorites set in Japan are: and ..."

For Japan I liked:
The Teahouse Fireby Ellis Avery

Southpaw; Don't feel too bad about not liking Outlander. I don't like them either. (Sorry Outlander lovers, I do not mean to offend). :-)
I don't read romance books so don't know if I can adevise you well, but the Bernard Cornwell King Arthur series is very good. There is three in the series starting with The Winter King . I think quite a few 'Historical Fictionista' group members would vouch for this series.

Moony;
You said China and Japan? What about Mongol history and the Khan's.
Conn Iggulden does a very good series. The fourth book has just been released over here.
The four books are...
Genghis : Birth of an Empire
Lords of the Bow
Bones of the Hills
Empire of Silver

As for Japan, I have heard good things about;
Some Prefer Nettles
and have heard of, but have no feedback on;
The Tale of Genji

Oh and Moony, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to mention Tears of the Moon by an Australian author Di Morrissey. Whilst not set in Japan, it is centred on Broome in Western Australia during the early 1900's. The Japanese pearling industry was taking off, and thousands of Japanese pearl divers and their families immigrated to Western Australia to dive for native pearl oysters.
It is a very good love story set against the rugged Western Australian environment, Australian Aboriginal culture and the Japanese Pearlers.

Risa wrote: "Moony - I'm curious...why did you hate Memoirs of a Geisha?

Jackie - read your mention of Amy Tan. What books of hers would your recommend for someone about to read her for the first time?"

LOL! I had the same question for Moony.

Moony, I have not read any others by her. You are so lucky to have met her!

Risa- I would recommend The Joy Luck Club. It's the first one I read by her and I also remember liking the movie for this one. I also enjoyed The Bonesetter's Daughter.

Terri wrote: "Southpaw; Don't feel too bad about not liking Outlander. I don't like them either. (Sorry Outlander lovers, I do not mean to offend). :-)
I don't read romance books so don't know if I can adevise y..."

I will recommend the books of Gail Tsukiyama , , . I enjoyed all of them

Terri wrote: "Southpaw; Don't feel too bad about not liking Outlander. I don't like them either. (Sorry Outlander lovers, I do not mean to offend). :-)"

LOL No offense taken... However I would say that one should read at least 1/2 of the book before deciding if it's for them or not... Like you, I don't read romance either, and so I read Outlander because my friends kept recommending it to me, and I did so thinking that I would hate it... but I didn't.

It's certainly not for everyone... but from time to time, I think that we even surprise ourselves with what we like. I know I do!!

Edit to add: I should say that I don't really count myself as an "Outlander lover", though. I enjoyed the book, but I wasn't compelled to read out the series at all, and the first book stands alone just fine. :)

LOL...Becky, I thought I might be the only one here that didn't read romance. Phew! Not that there's anything wrong with romance, of course. I did my fair share of HF romance when I was in my late teens, very early twenties. I can appreciate the allure of a good bodice ripper, I just don't go in for them anymore.

Terri wrote: "LOL...Becky, I thought I might be the only one here that didn't read romance. Phew! Not that there's anything wrong with romance, of course. I did my fair share of HF romance when I was in my late ..."

Nope! Not the only one. I am not AGAINST reading them... I would never say that I won't read them, but I don't look for them or gravitate towards them either.
HF Romance is easier for me to read because I can enjoy the setting as much as the story, and don't feel like I'm reading it ONLY for the romance.

I don't care for romance either.

:-) I remember 'back in the day' reading a bit of Georgette Heyer.It was when I was like, 15 or something, my Mum used to get Heyer for me from the library when she picked out Dad's books. I didn't really go into it at the time, was more interested in Trixie Beldon.
I do own some Georgette Heyer now. Have picked them up in bulk secondhand book boxes bought from car boot sales etc over the years. I haven't read them.