Hi, historical fiction fans!
I hope you have a warm beverage and some free time because you’re not going to want to miss the historical fiction titles we’ve got for you this week. We’re talking historical stars of the stage and screen, from a Greek opera house to New York’s Great White Way. If you’ve ever secretly dreamed of stardom, you’ll love living vicariously through the stars of these historical fiction books.
2024 is the tenth year of the Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons and diversify our TBRs. To get book recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. We’ll also keep you informed about other cool reading challenges, readathons, and more across the bookish internet. If you become a paid subscriber, you get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with a community of passionate, like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. Sign up today!
Bookish Goods
Book Lover Sweatshirt from Tindallclose
Keep cozy in this “book lover” sweatshirt that comes in a variety of comfort colors. $33
New Releases
Diva by Daisy Goodwin (January 23, 2024)
Before he married one of the most famous women in the world, Jackie Kennedy, Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis introduced another woman to his world of glittering excess: an opera star named Maria Callas. Raised in Nazi-occupied Greece by a mother who exploited her beautiful voice, Maria learned early to protect herself from others. But she believed Aristotle Onassis saw through the star to who she really was. She was wrong.
Kinning by Nisi Shawl (January 23, 2024)
In this sequel to Nisi Shawl’s alternate history novel about a free state in colonial Congo, Everfair, peace has finally come. The Great War is over. A sister and brother spread empathy-generating fungus around the world from an aircanoe while the prince and princess of Everfair vie for the throne after the death of their father. Will the country remain a symbol of hope and freedom now that peace has come to its borders?
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
In Diva, you can explore the life of a star, but opera isn’t the only venue you can read about in historical fiction. These books feature stars of the stage and screen that will sweep you away with stories of both the glamour and harsh reality of life in the limelight.
A Tender Thing by Emily Neuberger
A small-town girl with dreams of Broadway, Eleanor O’Hanlon is elated when she catches the attention of a famed composer putting together a new show. Now Eleanor is a leading lady. But “A Tender Thing” has a provocative storyline for 1950s America, featuring a white woman and a Black man falling in love. As the public gains wind of the show, tensions rise, and Eleanor is forced to confront the realities of life in the pre-Civil Rights Movement United States.
Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? by Crystal Smith Paul
When movie star Kitty Karr dies and leaves her fortune to three young Black women, all starlets in their own right, questions abound. What was Kitty’s relationship with this family? And why should people who already have it all gain even more? Elise St. John has questions, too. But she loved Kitty like family, and uncovering the truth will be more complicated and painful than she ever could’ve imagined.
That’s it for now, folks! Stay subscribed for more stories of yesteryear.
If you want to talk books, historical or otherwise, you can find me @rachelsbrittain on Instagram, Goodreads, and Litsy.
Right now, I’m reading To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose. What about you?