Monday, June 25, 2018

A Trip Into Yesteryear - a reading challenge

One of my favorite genres of books is historical fiction. While I'm becoming quite partial to WWII fiction, there are many other sub-genres under the "historical fiction" heading that I enjoy. There's something pleasantly nostalgic about slipping away with a book that carries me into the past for a while. Another thing I like about these novels is that they help me learn about pieces of history that I might not have learned in school or my own research. The history of the world is extremely vast, and I love getting snippets of true information through fictional stories about different events and figures that played key parts in shaping societies and cultures around the globe. Those books inspire me to learn more about the truth behind the fiction.

Do you have a favorite flavor of historical fiction books? What is it about historical stories that pull you in for hours of enjoyment?

The reading challenge for July is...




... to read historical fiction books.

Big shocker after that introduction, isn't it?

The rules:
1. The books must have been published between 1980 and 2018.
2. The books must take place in a time period prior to the 1980s.




Need ideas?


Here are some of the blast-into-the-past books I've liked in the last couple of years.


 



What will you be reading for our trip into yesteryear?

What is your favorite era to read about?

Who are your top-three favorite historical fiction authors?



Join the conversation!
I love hearing from you.


Log in the last of your classic and vintage titles here.



9 comments:

Rebekah said...

Oh, goody!!!! I was really hoping you'd do a Historical Fiction month. And the publishing dates make it a little more interesting. Maybe I can get some of those books from the library that are on my TBR list now. :)

Andrea Cox said...

Rebekah, I'm glad you're excited about this month. I've been waiting for it all year! Let's read some great historical stories, shall we?

Andrea Cox said...

Here's my first update. I'm hoping another will be coming.
1. Blue Skies Tomorrow by Sarah Sundin - WWII
2. Hidden Faces by Golden Keyes Parsons - Biblical fiction
3. The Winter of Red Snow by Kristiana Gregory - Revolutionary War
4. The Legend of Obadiah Wilder by Erica Vetsch - Wild West
5. Princess Ever After by Rachel Hauck - one POV took place solely in 1914, so WWI

Andrea Cox said...

6. The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman (General Market; cannot recommend) - Medieval Times
7. The Journal of James Edmond Pease by Jim Murphy - American Civil War

I'm still working on one more.

Dawn Cox said...

Andrea,
As you know, I've been working on a screenwriting deadline so my time was quickly approaching to get my challenge book read by the deadline... but I made it! It's 10:30 P.M. on the 31st and I just finished reading "Summer on Sunset Ridge" by Sharlene MacLaren.

Rebekah said...

I wasn't sure I could finish my last book, but I made it yesterday evening. :) Here's my finished list.

1. A Different Kind of Courage by Sarah Holman
2. Whistle-Stop West by Arleta Richardson
3. Prairie Homestead by Arleta Richardson
4. Across the Border by Arleta Richardson
5. Mattie's Heart by Ruth Kyser
6. Crane's Bride by Linda Ford
7. When Beauty Blooms by Victoria Lynn
8. Charity's Code by Hallee Bridgeman
9. Meet Rebecca by Jacqueline Dembar Green
10. Andi Dreams of Gold by Susan K. Marlow
11. Winds of Allegiance by Linda Chaikin
12. Andi Far from Home by Susan K. Marlow
13. Empire Builders by Linda Chaikin

This wasn't the list I thought I'd read this month. But I never made it to the library to get other books and some of these were new, or needed read before my niece reads them. Oh, well. :) It was fun anyway, and I did get a few books read that I had wanted to read.

Andrea Cox said...

Well done, Mom! I knew you could reach both deadlines.

Andrea Cox said...

Fantastic work, Rebekah. That's the thing with reading challenges. They don't always work out the way we predict, but they often help us unload a few books from our bookcases.

Andrea Cox said...

The last book I got in July was Brentwood's Ward by Michelle Griep (Regency era). It was a miss for me.