Love your enthusiasm for all of these. You’ve certainly made me want to pick all of them up.
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
Thanks Tia!
@ashleybogner84104 жыл бұрын
Your reading taste in historical fiction is very close to mine and I just wanted to say thank you for putting out this content and helping me feel connected with another reader. Happy reading!
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
Thanks :)
@muhlenstedt4 жыл бұрын
I love historical fiction and it was so nice to find your video today.My favorite time period is although the middle ages and an old book "The name of the rose", Umberto Eco has the first place on my list.Have a nice day and thank you!
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
One day I must read Umberto Eco.
@karenkoutsoumbaris63083 жыл бұрын
Once again , Thankyou so much, you are the best for giving us all you passion for the books you love! So good , I love historical fiction.
@katiejlumsden3 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much!
@VaskoBuk4 жыл бұрын
Great video. Full of enthusiasm, as usual. My favourite: Ivo Andric's "The Bridge over the Drina". It simply strikes some intimate cord in my Balkan soul. And it's just a great novel, the guy did win a Nobel prize after all.
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
I must look into it - it sounds great!
@angelalewis61463 жыл бұрын
Thanks for all your recs I love historical fiction and I have been looking for more channels with it.
@katiejlumsden3 жыл бұрын
Thanks very much!
@Bluepianogirl4 жыл бұрын
My other two favourite Dutch Golden Age era books (Beside Girl with a Pearl Earring and the Miniaturist) are The Golden Tulip by Rosalind Laker which is also set in Amsterdam/Delft and deals with a female apprentice to Vermeer but covers so much Dutch history and intrigue and The Anatomy Lesson by Nina Siegal which is based on Rembrandt's famous painting and focuses on multiple perspectives of the day of the dissection theatre that the painting depicts. Both books are absolutely wonderful!
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
Both sound very up my street!
@gdandrews4 жыл бұрын
So many books that you have listed here are my favourites (in particular Life After Life, The Wonder, The Luminaries, Girl With a Pearl Earring), so I'm going to trust your judgement and make sure I read the rest of the books on your list! I recently read The Rapture by Claire McGlasson, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and would easily add to my list of favourite historical fiction novels.
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
I'll add The Rapture to my list :)
@ChristyLuisDostoevskyinSpace4 жыл бұрын
Washington Black sounds so appealing! I put it on hold at the library. Thanks for this list! :)
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
I highly recommend it!
@MaryAmongStories4 жыл бұрын
historical fiction is such a great genre! thank you for the recommendations ^^
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
Agreed!
@aj_paperback12464 жыл бұрын
I just found your channel from Tom reads Things. I have the audio of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street on my phone and i have now downloaded it. Sounds like it is exactly what i need in the run up to Christmas. Thanks for your enthusiasm
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
I hope you like it :)
@lindaklinedinst92364 жыл бұрын
I love reading Historical Fiction....this is one of my favorite Genre's to read. The Book that I am Currently Reading is really good and it is called "The Water Dancer" by Ta-Nehisi Coates. I dearly love this book. You may like this one as well. I have all of the books you mention in the Video written down. They all sound so good. Happy Reading :)
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
I'll have to try The Water Dancer some time.
@tarquinmidwinter2056 Жыл бұрын
An interesting list; I must try to read some of them. My own favourite book is also a historical novel - Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset. Why this book is never mentioned in lists of favourite books or classic literature is a mystery; it is so beautiful, and Undset won the Nobel Prize for Literature largely on the strength of it. One thing I like about it is that it gives us an insight into the 14th Century Norwegian mindset and, unlike so many of today's historical novels, makes no concessions to 21st Century sensibilities.
@angelawebb7676 Жыл бұрын
This sounds interesting. Thank you!
@judybrown16244 жыл бұрын
I've read 9 of these so must read the rest. I loved Life After Life so much and those descriptions of The Blitz still haunt me.
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
Life After Life was just so amazing.
@timsreadingroom4 жыл бұрын
I like the Thomas De Quincey series written by David Morrell. The books are historical thrillers that take place in Victorian London.
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
They sound great!
@hannahs_blog4 жыл бұрын
I haven't read any of these but want to read more historical fiction, this video is very informative!! It's great to see you so passionate about your favourite books as usual :)
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
Thanks! :)
@kimswhims84354 жыл бұрын
The Luminaries would be my favourite of your one's. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles is one of my top favourites this year. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is excellent. Some Australian ones- The Secret River by Kate Grenville, Sorry by Gail Jones, Foals Bread by Gillian Mears, Wanting by Richard Flanagan (and Gould's Book of Fish) and there's a bunch of ones set in Asia and Africa.
@nikkivenable37004 жыл бұрын
The Luminaries has been on my shelf unread for years. I don't know why, but it intimidates me and yet I hear so many people raving about it....I must get to it. Did you find it difficult at all to get into or to follow? Also, I adored A Gentleman in Moscow. It's just amazing. It's in my fav 10 books of all time.
@kimswhims84354 жыл бұрын
@@nikkivenable3700 The Luminaries does take a while to get into. It took me a few goes. Need a quiet block of time to immerse yourself into it.
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
I must read A Gentleman in Moscow some time. And I highly recommend The Luminaries - it takes a little while to get into, but it's very much worth it.
@leas46993 жыл бұрын
I need several lives to read all the books your reviews talk me into 🥰
@katiejlumsden3 жыл бұрын
Ha sorry!
@clairepaley67354 жыл бұрын
I think I might be more of a historical fiction fan than I realised, I didn’t realise how many of my favourites fall into this genre, thanks for these recommendations 😊
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
Thanks :)
@arlena32974 жыл бұрын
The Watchmaker of Filigree Street was my favourite book of the year! I finished it at 2 o’clock in the morning because I couldn’t put it down. An amzing read😍
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
Yay, so glad you loved it! :)
@novellenovels4 жыл бұрын
I’m excited to try the miniaturist 😊 My favourite historical fiction is the binding 😀😀 Great video
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
I really really need to read The Binding!
@myszuna98214 жыл бұрын
I'm really surprised that you did not include "The Crimson Petal and the White" here. If you haven't had the chance to read it, oh, you so must! I think it's right up your alley.
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
Oh, I've read it . . . And I must confess I hated it! It's a long story, but I thought it would be up my alley too and it really, really wasn't!
@y0utubeu5ername4 жыл бұрын
Some of my favourites - the Aubrey Maturin series by Patrick O'Brien, Masters of Rome series by Colleen McCullough abd the Cadfael stories by Ellis Peters.
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the recommendations :)
@carolynhunt73332 жыл бұрын
The Aubrey Maturin series by Patrick O’Brian.
@maryfilippou6667 Жыл бұрын
My favorite is HF Prescott's Man on a Donkey. Still resding it 57 years later! Why is it so little known or read over the years? Medieval, wonderful Dame Christabel Cowper, Abbess.
@sarah-roadworthy4 жыл бұрын
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles, The Son by Phillip Meyer, The Siege by Helen Dunsmore, The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh, The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer. I could go on and on. Historical Fiction is my favorite
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
I need to read some of these!
@timmysmith9991 Жыл бұрын
Gore Vidal's books. Plus Marge Piercy - City of Darkness, City of Light
@frankpellow4 жыл бұрын
I read 'Days Without End' and 'Life after Life' off the back of this video and loved both. Hoping to get to more of the list soon. thanks
@frankpellow4 жыл бұрын
'Girl with the Pearl Earring' was awesome! 'A Place Called WInter' next i think
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
So glad you love those books too. I hope you like A Place Called Winter!
@maryfilippou6667 Жыл бұрын
And really historical in medieval Sweden, Kristin Lavransdatter, by Sigrid Undset. Just withdrew again from Library again today. Reading it forever too, heroine, fecund wife, landskeeper.
@kenphillips5221 Жыл бұрын
nice
@BookZealots4 жыл бұрын
I've had a one or two of these books on my tbr, but added a few more. Thank you. I like Margaret George's books. I haven't read all of them, but she gives a different perspective of the historical people she writes aobut.
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
I must look into her. Thanks for the recommendation.
@carolineharnish56334 жыл бұрын
Child of the Sea, Elizabeth Goudge
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
I'll look up for it!
@seranelson5745 Жыл бұрын
I also loved the masters of Rome series- why isn’t Aren’t the Wolf Hall books on this list?! Hillary Mantel.
@katiejlumsden Жыл бұрын
Because I haven't read them yet!
@davidsigler96902 жыл бұрын
Some of my favorite Historical Fiction authors are Irving Stone, ("The Agony And The Ecstasy" about Michelangelo), also Bernard Cornwell.....Micheal/Jeff Shaara.....top three probably.
@suevanderriet16722 жыл бұрын
Please read STAR OF THE SEA by JOSEPH O CONNOR.. he is SINHEAD O CONNOR'S BROTHER.. a fictional account of Irish in time is potato famine and how the main character moves to England, then goes on ship called STAR OF THE SEA... it has drama, mystery, love, murder and historical facts.. Gets you thinking.. Brilliant writing!
@richardranke31582 жыл бұрын
The way Mark Twain described Historical Fiction in the preface to The Prince and the Pauper:"It may have happened, it may not have happened-but it could have happened."
@margaretroffel3504 жыл бұрын
Loved this video. I have read "Girl with the Pearl Earring", "Affinity" and "The Minaturist" and own "The Luminaries". That means you have given me 11 books to start my reading list with in 2020. Thanks. Have you read Chevalier's "The Virgin Blue"? Incredibly sad but so worthwhile to read.
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
I have not - but I must. I need to read more by her.
@kevinrussell11442 жыл бұрын
I am ashamed to admit I've never read ANY of these, and most of them I've never heard of. Ben Hur, The Source, and Master and Commander are more my speed, but they didn't make the list. Nor did Angle of Repose nor Cold Mountain. I think my preferences (along with me) have been cancelled, but times do change. For all that, your list sounds promising for discovery.
@theodorerhodes78304 жыл бұрын
Have you read Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell? It's a chunky book (my edition is about 1100 pages I think?) but it's about two prissy men trying to bring back magic to england during the napoleonic war but they bite off more than they can chew in making a pact with a fairy. One of the best things I read last year by far!!
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
I haven't yet! I do have a copy so I definitely want to read it soon.
@jimsbooksreadingandstuff4 жыл бұрын
I fear, I can be a bit of a pedant at times, you say "Girl with a Pearl Earring" is set in 17th-century Amsterdam (3:06), it is not, it is set in 17th-century Delft, a different Dutch city. It is a very good book. Having watched your video I now want to check out "Affinity" by Sarah Waters.
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
Oh my goodness, you're quite right! I'm so sorry - it's been a few years since I read it.
@heidilanders98074 жыл бұрын
I have another question that is not related to best historical books. I enjoy your channel very much but would love to find some reviewers who are more middle-aged (in other words, closer to my own age.) Almost all the book reviewers are very young, and their tastes generally diverge from mine. Do any older reviewers have channels?
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
Oh yes, plenty! A few off of the top of my head: kzfaq.info/love/E-lxdtxTUTWEs0xJn-dH0g, kzfaq.info/love/6bvul0RSagcvy7MK7jByIw, kzfaq.info/love/rrFo3tDRDVbX7PZjWx1qYA, kzfaq.info/love/pQsLKy0bh9hRZ3AWQzG-7g, kzfaq.info/love/pyooWkAk5PyjfY-ksJtv5g (though I don't know any of their ages, so I'm guessing!)
@heidilanders98074 жыл бұрын
@@katiejlumsden Thank you!
@RobotPorter4 жыл бұрын
Have you read any of Gore Vidal's historical novels? All worth checking out. But I especially recommend BURR. It offers an irreverent look at the early history of America. And features the kind of details that truly bring the period to life.
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
I have not, but perhaps I should!
@paulapoetry3 жыл бұрын
I write Modern Historical Fiction, and I strongly believe that this should be an official category. On Twitter, I have been able to connect with others who write Modern Historical. I mean, a book set in the 1980s isn't Contemporary, but wouldn't qualify for this. The 1980s and 1990s are long enough ago to be written about in fiction, without the novels merely seeming outdated, in my opinion. Not directly relevant here, but the 60 year aspect made me think of it. Will watch the rest of the video now, which I paused.
@katiejlumsden3 жыл бұрын
I never know where to draw the line for historical fiction - I often use prize's definitions, but I also feel like a book from the 1980s probably has a right to be considered historical fiction!
@launchedathousand4 жыл бұрын
My favourite historical novels are The Colour Purple by Alice Walker and The Tiger Queens by Stephanie Thornton which is about Gengis Khan but told through the women around him and how they are the reason that he succeeded and is remembered. It's such an underrated novel!
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
I really need to read The Colour Purple some time! The Tiger Queen sounds great too.
@launchedathousand4 жыл бұрын
@@katiejlumsden Her books are great as she's a history teacher and chooses women in history that are lesser known to write about!
@creativemind-dh3bc3 жыл бұрын
You can also try reading grave the hidden truth by priyanka khetawat, if you want to go for fictional book with thriller, suspense and mystery Firstly, I was amazed by the attention to details in every chapter and I am sure you would notice it as well. One thing I enjoyed throughout the story is that each scene is happening in multiple locations and I loved the way the author painted the picture in front of me. It was almost like I was there, and I could vividly see what is going on. My favourite part is when all of them get stuck in a cave with another civilisation, who don't even speak the language. I can keep on going, but I am going to stop here as I don't want to spoil too much for the future the readers. Secondly, I was shocked when the author came up with a new script altogether for the ancient civilisation, and I completely enjoyed the riddles Firstly, I was amazed by the attention to details in every chapter and I am sure you would notice it as well. One thing I enjoyed throughout the story is that each scene is happening in multiple locations and I loved the way the author painted the picture in front of me. It was almost like I was there, and I could vividly see what is going on. My favourite part is when all of them get stuck in a cave with another civilisation, who don't even speak the language. I can keep on going, but I am going to stop here as I don't want to spoil too much for the future the readers. Secondly, I was shocked when the author came up with a new script altogether for the ancient civilisation, and I completely enjoyed the riddles sprinkled in the second half of the books led in the second half of the book
@caterinabuttitta96964 жыл бұрын
Hi. Congratulations for the video. In"Life After Life" by Kate Atkinson. The ghost of the child who never left the scene and as a projection of people who incarnate in others, and in others over the years. Book: beautiful, sentimental, unsettling, prophetic.
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
It is such a great book.
@danilopamplona6994 жыл бұрын
My favorite historical fiction was Twenty Years After, of Alexandre Dumas.
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
I must read it one day.
@HannahsBooks4 жыл бұрын
I am eager to read Washington Black. (I’ve been especially intrigued by the massively conflicting reviews I’ve been hearing from friends!)
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
I highly recommend it :)
@SunriseFireberry4 жыл бұрын
No Tale of 2 Cities? I mean I know u haven't read Romola....
@johncrwarner4 жыл бұрын
Is it within the Walter Scott Prize rules of sixty year between date of publication (1859) and the time it is set 1789ish
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
Yep, I'm not sure it would count. Also, I love it, but not as much as these ones I think.
@brianfinnegan6644 жыл бұрын
Nothing in Roman times or even the middle ages/ medieval world??
@katiejlumsden4 жыл бұрын
So, the Cicero series by Robert Harris would be a close contender, but the middles ages and the medieval world just don't interest me as much as the 18th century and 19th centuries.
@brianfinnegan6644 жыл бұрын
@@katiejlumsden I love more modern history as well, im currently reading the 'century trilogy' by ken follett which is ww1, ww2 and cold war but I prefer his kingsbridge trilogy starting in 1120 and ending about 1610. Even as an atheist theres something about a medieval monastery that captures the imagination.
@jean-marieboucherit45182 жыл бұрын
You tale tools fast.
@lupepedraza84974 жыл бұрын
A great review on wonderful books but I was exhausted after listening to you speak, slow down girl, breath!!!!
@a_bookish_gemini4 жыл бұрын
Lupe Pedraza I felt the same way. There are plenty of KZfaq channels I’d love to speed up but man, I wish this one had a slow down button.