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 »
Editorial Content for Etna
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
To really understand Paul Yoon's new novel, I went back and read his tribute to his dog Oscar, which was one of the short pieces in the collection THE BEST DOG IN THE WORLD: Essays on Love. And while I didn't cry while reading ETNA, I did when I reread “Oscar,” substituting the fictional Etna for Yoon's actual dog. Read More
Teaser
Set in a fictional country in the present day, this is a story told through the eyes of an ex-military dog, Etna. After surviving years of a devastating war, Etna decides one night to leave the men he has fought alongside for years and return home --- to the place where he was taken from when he was young, in the thin but persistent hope that if a home exists for him, it might be there. Thus begins an exhilarating odyssey told through the eyes of a dog as he traverses across ruined landscapes and fights to survive in a world that, even in peacetime, proves to be just as precarious. Along the way, he encounters other animals and humans who are attempting to figure out how to start again. What makes a life when there is no home to go back to? How do we begin to trust each other again after such profound loss?
Promo
Set in a fictional country in the present day, this is a story told through the eyes of an ex-military dog, Etna. After surviving years of a devastating war, Etna decides one night to leave the men he has fought alongside for years and return home --- to the place where he was taken from when he was young, in the thin but persistent hope that if a home exists for him, it might be there. Thus begins an exhilarating odyssey told through the eyes of a dog as he traverses across ruined landscapes and fights to survive in a world that, even in peacetime, proves to be just as precarious. Along the way, he encounters other animals and humans who are attempting to figure out how to start again. What makes a life when there is no home to go back to? How do we begin to trust each other again after such profound loss?
About the Book
Beloved author Paul Yoon, winner of The Story Prize, is back with the unforgettable story of a working dog, Etna, who, after a devastating war, embarks on an odyssey in the hopes of returning home.
Set in a fictional country in the present day, this is a story told through the eyes of an ex-military dog, Etna. After surviving years of a devastating war, Etna decides one night to leave the men he has fought alongside for years and return home --- to the place where he was taken from when he was young, in the thin but persistent hope that if a home exists for him, it might be there.
Thus begins an exhilarating odyssey told through the eyes of a dog as he traverses across ruined landscapes and fights to survive in a world that, even in peacetime, proves to be just as precarious. Along the way, he encounters other animals and humans who are attempting to figure out how to start again. What makes a life when there is no home to go back to? How do we begin to trust each other again after such profound loss?
This is a novel about the power of an idea, about never giving up, and ultimately a novel about finding hope in the most dire of times.
Audiobook available, read by Shrader Thomas
Editorial Content for The Seekers of Deer Creek
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Thao Thai, the bestselling author of BANYAN MOON, returns with THE SEEKERS OF DEER CREEK. This sweeping and powerful literary mystery is about two sisters on a quest for a long-forgotten artist --- and the surprising truths about family and forgiveness that they discover instead. Read More
Teaser
Sisters Vivi and Calla Nguyễn have little in common. Vivi lives an orderly and predictable life. She works as an art conservator at a museum in Chicago, but she refuses to examine her own dark history. Calla leads a much bolder, if occasionally reckless, existence. She’s an accomplished artist with a flair for the dramatic. She’s also a recovering addict. Months after the two fall out in the wake of their father’s death, Calla appears on the steps of the museum with a sketch and a letter she found in their father’s belongings. The sketch is an exact copy of Blue Mirror, a striking painting by a Vietnamese painter named K.P. Lý. In the letter, Lý writes about a mysterious lost work of art. Calla is convinced it is meant for their family, and that it was their father’s deathbed wish for her and Vivi to find it together.
Promo
Sisters Vivi and Calla Nguyễn have little in common. Vivi lives an orderly and predictable life. She works as an art conservator at a museum in Chicago, but she refuses to examine her own dark history. Calla leads a much bolder, if occasionally reckless, existence. She’s an accomplished artist with a flair for the dramatic. She’s also a recovering addict. Months after the two fall out in the wake of their father’s death, Calla appears on the steps of the museum with a sketch and a letter she found in their father’s belongings. The sketch is an exact copy of Blue Mirror, a striking painting by a Vietnamese painter named K.P. Lý. In the letter, Lý writes about a mysterious lost work of art. Calla is convinced it is meant for their family, and that it was their father’s deathbed wish for her and Vivi to find it together.
About the Book
From the national bestselling author of BANYAN MOON, a captivating, evocative story of two estranged sisters on a quest to find a painting by a forgotten Vietnamese artist that holds the truth of their family’s fractured past.
Aside from the fact they are sisters, Vivi and Calla Nguyễn have little in common.
Vivi, the eldest, lives an orderly and predictable life. She works as an art conservator at a museum in Chicago, carefully preserving pieces of the past, all the while refusing to examine her own dark history.
Calla leads a much bolder, if occasionally reckless, existence. She’s an accomplished artist with a flair for the dramatic, charming and intriguing everyone she meets. She’s also a recovering addict, constantly causing Vivi to worry.
Months after the two fall out in the wake of their father’s death, Calla appears on the steps of the museum with a sketch and a letter she found in their father’s belongings. The sketch is an exact copy of Blue Mirror, a striking painting by a Vietnamese painter named K.P. Lý. In the letter, Lý writes about a mysterious lost work of art. Calla is convinced it is meant for their family, and that it was their father’s deathbed wish for her and Vivi to find it together. Intrigued yet reluctant to follow her capricious sister, Vivi must decide whether she’s willing to face or shut the door to the past.
From the ghostly Wisconsin woods to a glittering estate in the French countryside to a sprawling ancestral home teetering on the edge of a ravine in Việt Nam, THE SEEKERS OF DEER CREEK is a story of sisters, art and the irresistible gravity of the past --- how it endures across time and generations, always present even when buried.
Audiobook available, read by Quyen Ngo
Editorial Content for Furious Violet
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
I like to think that I'm a discerning reader, a savvy selector of books for all the right reasons. But I confess that every once in a while a book comes along whose cover is just too fascinating to ignore. Read More
Teaser
Violet “West” Shelley has unwillingly spent her life in the spotlight as the only daughter of a legendary poet and feminist icon who died tragically young. Now, as the self-described “lowbrow” crime journalist approaches 50 --- burned out, creatively blocked, and far older than her mother ever was --- she retreats to her hometown in the Colorado mountains hometown to finish a long-overdue book about the “Crying Killer,” a notorious serial killer who sobs for his mother after committing his crimes. But what begins as a bid for solitude quickly spirals into something far more sinister. A stalker emerges, insisting that West is their long-lost mother, though she has never had children. As the threats escalate, West is drawn into a chilling psychological web where the boundaries between fiction and reality begin to collapse.
Promo
Violet “West” Shelley has unwillingly spent her life in the spotlight as the only daughter of a legendary poet and feminist icon who died tragically young. Now, as the self-described “lowbrow” crime journalist approaches 50 --- burned out, creatively blocked, and far older than her mother ever was --- she retreats to her hometown in the Colorado mountains hometown to finish a long-overdue book about the “Crying Killer,” a notorious serial killer who sobs for his mother after committing his crimes. But what begins as a bid for solitude quickly spirals into something far more sinister. A stalker emerges, insisting that West is their long-lost mother, though she has never had children. As the threats escalate, West is drawn into a chilling psychological web where the boundaries between fiction and reality begin to collapse.
About the Book
From the author of the bestselling phenomenon DIETLAND comes a razor-sharp, subversive thriller about motherhood, obsession, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive.
Violet “West” Shelley has unwillingly spent her life in the spotlight as the only daughter of a legendary poet and feminist icon who died tragically young. Now, as the self-described “lowbrow” crime journalist approaches 50 --- burned out, creatively blocked, and far older than her mother ever was --- she retreats to her hometown in the Colorado mountains hometown to finish a long-overdue book about the “Crying Killer,” a notorious serial killer who sobs for his mother after committing his crimes.
But what begins as a bid for solitude quickly spirals into something far more sinister. A stalker emerges --- mysterious, relentless, with accusations disturbingly intimate. This invisible stranger insists that West is their long-lost mother, though West has never had children. As the threats escalate and her carefully defended privacy starts to shatter, West is drawn into a chilling psychological web where the boundaries between fiction and reality begin to collapse.
Is she being watched? Hunted? Or is her own mind turning against her?
Gripping, provocative and laced with pitch-black humor, FURIOUS VIOLET is a psychological thrill ride and a fierce exploration of mothers (real and imagined), fame and the question of who can lay claim to women’s bodies of work --- and their bodies themselves. Once again, Sarai Walker has delivered a subversively brilliant heroine unlike any other: damaged, defiant and utterly unforgettable.
Audiobook available, read by Joy Nash
Editorial Content for Your Fellow Americans: Dispatches from Across the Country We Call Home
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Independent journalist and filmmaker Peter Santenello has been around the world more than once. In YOUR FELLOW AMERICANS, he combines his talents as a wordsmith with his concentrated attention to his native land in its 250th year. Read More
Teaser
Have you ever swapped stories on a porch with Amish snowbirds in Florida? Searched for reindeer with the Siberian Yupik in Alaska? Been a guest on a houseboat deep in the Louisiana bayou? Peter Santenello hadn’t either until, after years spent traveling through 85 countries and living abroad, he realized the most unfamiliar territory was often his own American backyard. And so, with a camera in hand and an open mind, he began visiting communities across the country, places that most of the media overlooks or misrepresents, from tiny towns in Appalachia to the streets of East LA. What began as curiosity became --- one story at a time --- an intimate, revealing portrait of America today.
Promo
Have you ever swapped stories on a porch with Amish snowbirds in Florida? Searched for reindeer with the Siberian Yupik in Alaska? Been a guest on a houseboat deep in the Louisiana bayou? Peter Santenello hadn’t either until, after years spent traveling through 85 countries and living abroad, he realized the most unfamiliar territory was often his own American backyard. And so, with a camera in hand and an open mind, he began visiting communities across the country, places that most of the media overlooks or misrepresents, from tiny towns in Appalachia to the streets of East LA. What began as curiosity became --- one story at a time --- an intimate, revealing portrait of America today.
About the Book
Come along with an adventurous and charismatic independent journalist (perhaps you're one of his four million subscribers on YouTube) on a journey through some of the very best of America, reminding us of all the reasons we’ve got to love this place and one another.
Have you ever swapped stories on a porch with Amish snowbirds in Florida? Searched for reindeer with the Siberian Yupik in Alaska? Been a guest on a houseboat deep in the Louisiana bayou?
Peter Santenello hadn’t either until, after years spent traveling through 85 countries and living abroad, he realized the most unfamiliar territory was often his own American backyard. And so, with a camera in hand and an open mind, he began visiting communities across the country, places that most of the media overlooks or misrepresents, from tiny towns in Appalachia to the streets of East LA.
What began as curiosity became --- one story at a time --- an intimate, revealing portrait of America today.
From road trips and chance encounters to dinners shared in locals’ homes, YOUR FELLOW AMERICANS captures what makes this country so dynamic, so resilient, and, most of all, so very human. Because what Peter discovered on his travels wasn’t a nation torn in two. He found something more complex and more powerful: people who want to be seen, who are willing to listen, and who still believe we’re more alike than we are different.
With humor, exuberance and reverence for the human spirit, YOUR FELLOW AMERICANS is a celebration of the United States that exists far beyond the headlines --- and an invitation to sit down, open up, and rediscover the soul of this place that we call home.
Audiobook available, read by Peter Santenello





























































































































































