Skip to main content

History class making you think the past is dusty and dull? Make history come alive with a little help from the historical fiction reading lists!

In Historical Fiction: 20th Century and Onward, explore the Turn of the Century, the Great Depression, WWII, the Civil Rights Movement, plus much more!

Chasing Charity: Texas Fortunes Trilogy, Book 2 by Marcia Gruver

In this second book of the Texas Fortunes series, Charity Bloom is left stranded at the altar after her best friend takes off with her fiance. How will she ever show her face in town again? After Buddy Pierce discovers oil on the Bloom property, he realizes the real treasure may be above ground-in the form of Charity Bloom. Can he strike it rich in Charity? When her ex-fiance decides he wants her back, whom will Charity choose--the handsome roughneck or the deceitful rogue?

Courting Trouble by Deeanne Gist

It's 1894, the year of Essie's thirtieth birthday, and she decides the Lord has more important things to do than provide her a husband. If she wants one, she needs to catch him herself. So, she writes down the names of all the eligible bachelors in her small Texas town, makes a list of their attributes and drawbacks, closes her eyes, twirls her finger, and...picks one.

Kaspar the Titanic Cat written by Michael Morpurgo, illustrated by Michael Foreman

When Kaspar the cat first arrived at London’s Savoy Hotel, it was Johnny Trott who carried him in. But when tragedy befalls the Countess during her stay, Kaspar becomes more than Johnny’s responsibility: Kaspar is Johnny’s new cat, and his new best friend.

War Horse by Michael Morpurgo

In 1914, Joey, a beautiful bay-red foal with a distinctive cross on his nose, is sold to the army and thrust into the midst of the war on the Western Front. With his officer, he charges toward the enemy, witnessing the horror of the battles in France.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Living in Germany during World War II, young Liesel Meminger scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can't resist --- books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids.

Countdown by Deborah Wiles

It's 1962, and it seems everyone is living in fear. Twelve-year-old Franny Chapman lives with her family in Washington, DC, during the days surrounding the Cuban Missile Crisis. Amidst the pervasive threat of nuclear war, Franny must face the tension between herself and her younger brother, figure out where she fits in with her family, and look beyond outward appearances.

Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood

As much as Glory wants to turn 12, sometimes she wishes she could turn back the clock a year. Her sister Jesslyn no longer has the time of day for her now that she’s entering high school. Things have always been so easy with her best friend Frankie, but now suddenly they aren’t. And then there’s the debate about whether or not the town should keep the segregated public pool open.

More books like the ones on this list »

History class making you think the past is dusty and dull? Make history come alive with a little help from the historical fiction reading lists!

In Historical Fiction: Before the 20th Century, explore the Medieval age, Salem Witch Trials, moving to the Western Frontier and the Civil War, plus much more!

To see historical fiction books from the 20th century and onward, click here.

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

As the Revolutionary War begins, 13-year-old Isabel wages her own fight...for freedom. Promised freedom upon the death of their owner, she and her sister, Ruth, in a cruel twist of fate become the property of a malicious New York City couple, the Locktons, who have no sympathy for the American Revolution and even less for Ruth and Isabel. When Isabel meets Curzon, a slave with ties to the Patriots, he encourages her to spy on her owners, who know details of British plans for invasion. She is reluctant at first, but when the unthinkable happens to Ruth, Isabel realizes her loyalty is available to the bidder who can provide her with freedom.

More books like the ones on this list »

George Pelecanos, author of The Blue Flame

The neon “Strange Investigations” sign may be flickering in disrepair outside his office, but private investigator Derek Strange is still accepting new cases. When a flashy drug lawyer hires him to prove an alibi for an accused murderer, Strange can’t help getting drawn into the darkness. In his hunt for answers, he stands his ground against some of Washington, D.C.’s most dangerous criminals, and a police department that doesn’t entirely welcome his interference. As the violence escalates and claims another victim, the raised stakes force Strange to question his own moves. Are his instincts still intact?

Sarah Pekkanen, author of The Women in White

In 1964, four remarkable young women at a prestigious university became the subjects of parapsychology experiments by a visionary scientist. On the cusp of a historic breakthrough, the women mysteriously vanished and the program was erased from history. Decades later, Riley Bell accepts a caretaker job for an elderly widow named Betty. Riley steps into a home that is frozen in another era --- no microwaves, televisions or cell phones, and Betty has never heard of the internet. As the story unfolds across two timelines --- Betty’s 1960s era of 5:00 martinis and high-stakes experiments, and Riley’s quest to uncover the truth about the missing women --- old secrets rise to the surface. And the only way to survive is to confront the mystery that has lingered for 60 years.

Téa Obreht, author of Sunrise

In 2024, Nina’s small-engine plane crashes into a lake in the Wyoming mountains. She stumbles upon Sunrise, a town of the Old West that holds the missing link to a ghost story 100 years in the making. In 2003, Sand Daw’s golden boy, Coll, is putting the finishing touches on the town’s annual historical reenactment. But when an upstart would-be author comes to him with questions about one of Sunrise’s most beloved figures, it threatens to upend everything he thought he knew about the city --- and himself. In 1902, town founder, gunslinger and legendary pulp hero Anton Vargas returns to Sunrise and quickly takes charge of a group searching for a missing boy. But who really is Vargas? These three strangers are separated by time and circumstance. But Sunrise’s many secrets are like gunpowder: quiet and contained until they encounter a spark.

Richard Russo, author of Under the Falls

When Tyler Sinclair left Stone Mountain at 18, he had no plans of returning. Armed with a guitar, his most prized possession, he disappeared without so much as a goodbye. Eighteen years later, Tyler, now the frontman of a famous band aptly named Stone Mountain, finds himself returning to his hometown for a one-night-only benefit concert to support his old friend, Doc, who lost feeling in his legs following a childhood accident. As Tyler ascends the mountain, memories of his childhood come rushing back --- memories of his abusive father and despondent mother, of the friends he left behind. And he quickly learns that, for many people on Stone Mountain, the past does not feel like so long ago, and not everyone has been eagerly awaiting his return.

Karin Slaughter, author of The Secrets We Hide

1601 Iris Drive looks like any other house on the quiet, residential street. But rumors are rampant about the Vickery family and what goes on behind closed doors. When gunshots ring out, Sheriff Emmy Clifton and her sister, ex-federal agent Jude Archer, discover a devastating crime scene. Allison Vickery has been murdered in her own kitchen, and her teenage daughter is bleeding upstairs, left for dead. Everyone thinks they know what happened. But secrets are buried everywhere in this small town. And it’s up to Emmy Clifton to uncover the truth.

Editorial Content for Broken Plea: The Explosive Search for Truth Behind the Idaho Murders

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Philip Zozzaro

On July 2, 2025, Bryan Kohberger pled guilty to the murders of four University of Idaho students. The prosecution had its final word on the matter before members of the victims’ families spoke about the losses they had suffered. Kohberger offered no allocution and was sentenced to life in prison on July 23rd of that year. Read More

Teaser

Was there more than one killer? Had the crime scene been cleaned and sanitized before the police arrived? Was furniture staged to throw off detectives? In the aftermath of Bryan Kohberger's request to withdraw his guilty plea, there are more questions than ever before. In the early morning hours of November 13, 2022, four lives were lost in a brutal crime in Moscow, Idaho. When a suspect accepted a plea bargain, the story seemed settled. Justice, many believed, had been served. BROKEN PLEA prophetically challenges that assumption. Drawing on court records, investigative timelines, witness statements and apparently overlooked inconsistencies, this meticulously researched exposé examines how a rush to judgment may have shaped one of the most closely watched murder cases in recent memory.

Promo

Was there more than one killer? Had the crime scene been cleaned and sanitized before the police arrived? Was furniture staged to throw off detectives? In the aftermath of Bryan Kohberger's request to withdraw his guilty plea, there are more questions than ever before. In the early morning hours of November 13, 2022, four lives were lost in a brutal crime in Moscow, Idaho. When a suspect accepted a plea bargain, the story seemed settled. Justice, many believed, had been served. BROKEN PLEA prophetically challenges that assumption. Drawing on court records, investigative timelines, witness statements and apparently overlooked inconsistencies, this meticulously researched exposé examines how a rush to judgment may have shaped one of the most closely watched murder cases in recent memory.

About the Book

In one of the most extraordinary true crime stories ever published, BROKEN PLEA questions what really happened in the house on King Road --- and the results of that investigation, still unfolding in real time, will astound you.

Was there more than one killer? Had the crime scene been cleaned and sanitized before the police arrived? Was furniture staged to throw off detectives? In the aftermath of Bryan Kohberger's request to withdraw his guilty plea, there are more questions than ever before.

In the early morning hours of November 13, 2022, four lives were lost in a brutal crime in Moscow, Idaho --- and a nation demanded answers. When a suspect accepted a plea bargain, the story seemed settled. Justice, many believed, had been served.

BROKEN PLEA prophetically challenges that assumption.

Drawing on court records, investigative timelines, witness statements and apparently overlooked inconsistencies, this meticulously researched exposé examines how a rush to judgment may have shaped one of the most closely watched murder cases in recent memory. As the official narrative hardened, critical leads went unexplored, contradictory evidence was minimized, and alternative explanations faded from view.

This book does not claim certainty where none exists. Instead, it asks the questions that were never fully pursued: What happens when pressure to close a case outweighs the search for truth? What evidence may have been sidelined, and why? And what are the consequences when a plea doesn’t end scrutiny but invites it?

Clear-eyed, unsparing and deeply unsettling, BROKEN PLEA reopens a case that never should have closed as it did --- and invites readers to look again at what justice demands when the truth remains unresolved.

Audiobook available, read by Dion Graham

Editorial Content for Take What You Can

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Norah Piehl

Any relationship that starts in college and extends into early midlife needs to either bend or break. As people grow up, inevitably they must continually choose one another or to grow apart. Naima Coster's third novel, TAKE WHAT YOU CAN, explores these dynamics and more over the course of a years-long friendship. Read More

Teaser

Val and Milly fell in love with France at the same time they fell in love with each other and became immediate best friends. Then they bonded as the only Black students on a study-abroad trip. Now they are in their 30s, each married and with a baby girl on the way. When Milly suggests Val move to New York so they can raise their daughters together, it’s a resounding yes. Despite their excitement, the pair secretly wonders if their friendship has always worked best as a trio. On that first trip to France, these two motherless daughters were taken under the wing of an older woman named Helene. She showered them with money, love and attention and showed them the possibilities of an independent and abundant future. But now, without Helene and her guidance, who are Milly and Val?

Promo

Val and Milly fell in love with France at the same time they fell in love with each other and became immediate best friends. Then they bonded as the only Black students on a study-abroad trip. Now they are in their 30s, each married and with a baby girl on the way. When Milly suggests Val move to New York so they can raise their daughters together, it’s a resounding yes. Despite their excitement, the pair secretly wonders if their friendship has always worked best as a trio. On that first trip to France, these two motherless daughters were taken under the wing of an older woman named Helene. She showered them with money, love and attention and showed them the possibilities of an independent and abundant future. But now, without Helene and her guidance, who are Milly and Val?

About the Book

From the New York Times bestselling author of WHAT’S MINE AND YOURS comes a rich, panoramic exploration of friendship, class, new motherhood and independence.

Val and Milly fell in love with France at the same time they fell in love with each other and became immediate best friends. Then they bonded as the only Black students on a study-abroad trip. Now they are in their 30s, each married and with a baby girl on the way. When Milly suggests Val move to New York so they can raise their daughters together after a decade apart, it’s a resounding yes.

Despite their excitement, the pair secretly wonders if their friendship has always worked best as a trio. On that first trip to France, these two motherless daughters were taken under the wing of an older woman named Helene. She showered them with money, love and attention and showed them the possibilities of an independent and abundant future. But now, without Helene and her guidance, who are Milly and Val?

Milly, a successful influencer married to restaurant royalty, is occupied with her desire for freedom. Val, a brilliant journalist, is unsure if she fits into Milly’s new world. The realities of class and social capital, of strained marriages and the demands of motherhood, serve as constant reminders of how far apart they’ve grown. And no matter how much they try to avoid it, everything comes back to the rift that began all those years ago in France. What they’ve long tried to bury may finally destroy their sisterhood.

Weaving between Brooklyn brownstones and the glittering beaches of southern France, TAKE WHAT YOU CAN is a dazzling novel exploring what it means to be a mother when you have none, a sister without blood ties, and a woman in pursuit of the life she wants. With her signature sharply observed prose, Naima Coster illustrates how to be --- and to stay --- someone’s person through all phases of life.

Audiobook available, read by January LaVoy

Editorial Content for Time to Burn

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Rebecca Munro

Ellery Lloyd --- the bestselling husband-and-wife duo known for works such as THE CLUB and THE FINAL ACT OF JULIETTE WILLOUGHBY --- pen their most ambitious, genre-bending thriller yet in TIME TO BURN. Read More

Teaser

Mercurial tech entrepreneur Inigo Frank has perfected commercial time travel. His company, Tempus Tours, has been approved for just one route so far: a journey back to London in 1941, to the days of the Blitz, allowing the super-rich to experience the awesome sights and sounds of the aerial bombardment of the capital during World War II. To immortalize his achievement, Frank enlists award-winning filmmaker Phoebe Hunt to create a fly-on-the-wall documentary. On her first day shadowing Inigo, she is set to witness the return of a billionaire property developer and his family from their trip to the past. But instead of their awe-filled return, she captures the group arriving bloodied and traumatized, with one of their number missing. Phoebe recognizes the missing woman, who is not who she claims to be and has every reason to harbor a grudge against her.

Promo

Mercurial tech entrepreneur Inigo Frank has perfected commercial time travel. His company, Tempus Tours, has been approved for just one route so far: a journey back to London in 1941, to the days of the Blitz, allowing the super-rich to experience the awesome sights and sounds of the aerial bombardment of the capital during World War II. To immortalize his achievement, Frank enlists award-winning filmmaker Phoebe Hunt to create a fly-on-the-wall documentary. On her first day shadowing Inigo, she is set to witness the return of a billionaire property developer and his family from their trip to the past. But instead of their awe-filled return, she captures the group arriving bloodied and traumatized, with one of their number missing. Phoebe recognizes the missing woman, who is not who she claims to be and has every reason to harbor a grudge against her.

About the Book

From the New York Times bestselling author of THE CLUB comes a gripping mystery about time travel tourism and the dangerous consequences which ensue when the privileged make the past their playground.

Mercurial tech entrepreneur Inigo Frank has perfected commercial time travel, though it is tightly regulated and so expensive that it’s open only to the very wealthiest.

His company, Tempus Tours, has so far been approved for just one route: a journey back to London in 1941, to the days of the Blitz, allowing the super-rich to experience the awesome sights and sounds of the aerial bombardment of the capital during World War II. It’s a slick operation --- routes across the wartime city are meticulously plotted, guides are extensively trained, and rules for the time tourists are strictly enforced.

To immortalize his achievement, Frank enlists award-winning filmmaker Phoebe Hunt to create a fly-on-the-wall documentary. On her first day shadowing Inigo, she is set to witness the return of a billionaire property developer and his family from their trip to the past. But instead of their awe-filled return, she captures the group arriving bloodied and traumatized, with one of their number missing.

Not only that, but Phoebe recognizes the missing woman, and knows not only that she’s not who she claims to be but that she has every reason to harbor a grudge against her. And as events begin to unravel in the present day, it seems increasingly clear that she had sinister motives for returning to the past --- and that people close to Phoebe are in danger.

Phoebe must race to untangle the truth --- before past and the future are rewritten.

With this inventive, propulsive and genre-bending page turner, the bestselling author of THE CLUB and THE FINAL ACT OF JULIETTE WILLOUGHBY once again delivers an enthralling tale of legacy and wealth, history and technology with a gripping mystery at its core.

Audiobook available, read by Louise Brealey