Categories
Past Tense

Libraries in Historical Fiction

Hi historical fiction fans!

I’ve been traveling this past week and enjoying the opportunity to fit in a bit of reading wherever I can. And the books we’re talking about this week also involve a lot of traveling — traveling libraries and librarians, that is. Those, plus some bookish goodies and exciting new releases are what’s in store.

And if you want to even more bookish goodness in your life, subscribe to Book Riot’s newest podcast, First Edition. BookRiot.com co-founder Jeff O’Neal explores the wonderful world of books through interviews, lists, rankings, retrospectives, recommendations, and much more. Recent episodes feature Book Riot editors Kelly and Vanessa discussing the legacy of “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” and trying to pin down the “it” book of April. Subscribe to First Edition on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your podcatcher of choice.

Bookish Goods

Square sticker with multi-colored text reading "support your public library!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" surrounded by simple black border

Support Your Public Library! Sticker from Literary Overflow

We may be talking historical libraries this week, but it’s always a good time to visit — and support — your local library in this day and age. And these adorable stickers are the perfect reminder. $3.50

New Releases

The Tiffany Girls Book Cover

The Tiffany Girls by Shelley Noble (May 9, 2023)

At the end of the 19th century, the Women’s Division of the Tiffany Glass Company in Manahattan are hard at work on the pieces of stained glass that will be part of Louis Comfort Tiffany’s installation at the Paris World’s Fair. They are behind much of the design and construction, but get none of the credit. Emilie, Grace, and Clara are three of these women, and their desire to pursue art in whatever avenue is available to them is what brought them here — and what makes the pieces they work on become world-renowned masterpieces.

Like the Appearance of Horses Book Cover

Like the Appearance of Horses
by Andrew Krivak (May 9, 2023)

A story of the pain and heartbreak of war as well as the borders drawn by families and nations, Like the Appearance of Horses follows three generations of family shaped by global conflict. Starting with Jozef Vinich, the family patriarch, who settles in Pennsylvania after WWI, the men of the family are drawn into almost every conflict over the next century from WWII to Iraq — with all the physicals and psychological wounds that come along with them.

For a more comprehensive list, check out our New Books newsletter

Riot Recommendations

The War Librarian Book Cover

The War Librarian by Addison Armstrong

Intertwining the stories of the first female volunteer librarians during WWI and the first women admitted to the Naval Academy in the 1970s, The War Librarian tells the incredible story of brave and pioneering women. In 1918, timid Emmaline ventures to the frontlines of France, serving as a volunteer librarian and participating in a book club for censored books. Decades later in 1976, Kathleen is eager to prove to herself and her beloved grandmother who raised her that she deserves a spot in the first coed class at the United States Naval Academy — but not everyone among the new class of midshipmen agrees.

The Library of Legends Book Cover

The Library of Legends by Janie Chang

When Japanese bombs begin falling over the city of Nanking, students at Minghua University are told to flee. Lian and her classmates embark on a perilous journey across China to the relative safety of the country’s Western Provinces. But it isn’t just their own lives at risk on this journey; they’ve been entrusted with a collection of 500 year old myths and folklore known as the Library of Legends. And the only thing standing between it and aerial attacks are these young students.

Book cover of The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

The little known story of J.P. Morgan’s personal librarian, Belle da Costa Greene, is one every library lover should read. Belle da Costa Greene becomes one of the most powerful people in the world of art and books in New York, but she’s also hiding a secret that could unravel her life completely: she’s the daughter of the first African American graduate of Harvard, passing off her darker complexion as part of her supposed Portuguese heritage rather than her true ethnicity. It’s the story of an incredibly intelligent and talented woman forced to go to great lengths to make a place for herself in a society that can’t look past race.

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, Litsy, and occasionally Twitter.

Right now I’m reading The Diving Pool by Yoko Ogawa. What about you?

Categories
Past Tense

Nazi Resistant Fighters Win the Day!

Hi historical fiction fans!

Who’s ready for a whole new month of books? I know I am! In addition to some great new releases, we’re talking Nazi resistance fighters this week. Buckle up for some bold characters facing down fascism with both violence and paperwork.

If you want to even more bookish goodness in your life, subscribe to BookRiot’s newest podcast, First Edition. BookRiot.com co-founder Jeff O’Neal explores the wonderful world of books through interviews, lists, rankings, retrospectives, recommendations, and much more. Recent episodes feature Book Riot editors Kelly and Vanessa discussing the legacy of Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret and Professor Erica Williams on American novelist Nella Larsen. Subscribe to First Edition on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your podcatcher of choice.

Bookish Goods

Lime Green enamel pin in the shape of a book with decorative leafy border around the edges and the text "support public libraries" is swirly font

Support Public Libraries Enamel Pin from Good Good Cat

Now more than ever it’s a great time to support public libraries, and this gorgeous enamel pin is a subtle nod of support you can take with you everywhere. $11

New Releases

Can't I Go Instead Book Cover

Can’t I Go Instead by Lee Geum-yi, translated by An Seonjae (May 2, 2023)

When Chaeryeong is implicated in the investigation of her suitor, a Korean Independence activist, she’s sent off to the U.S, newly married to one of her father’s Japanese employees without any say in the matter. In her place, her beloved maidservant is sent to become a “comfort woman” to the Japanese Imperial Army. When they both finally get the chance to return home after the war to an Independent Korea, they must reckon with tangled trajectories their lives have taken.

The East Indian Book Cover

The East Indian by Brinda Charry (May 2, 2023)

After being kidnapped and transported to Jamestown Virginia, Tony is forced to work a tobacco plantation as an indentured servant alongside other kidnapped boys, men from Africa, and an English “mad woman.” He dreams of one day becoming a medicine man, an expert on roots, herbs, and healing. But first, he has to complete the terms of his indenture in a time before indentured servitude calcified into the institution of racialized slavery. The East Indian is inspired by a real historical figure, one of the first natives of the Indian subcontinent to arrive in Colonial America.

For a more comprehensive list, check out our New Books newsletter!

Riot Recommendations

It’s always a good time to fight fascism, and in these two historical novels, the main characters do just that. In Holland and Austria, two women fight back against the Nazis during WWII in very different ways: one becoming an assassin, the other issuing visas.

To Die Beautiful Book Cover

To Die Beautiful by Buzzy Jackson

A shy law student in Nazi-occupied Holland becomes an assassin for the Dutch Resistance when her two Jewish best friends are threatened by the growth of fascism in her country. Her point blank assassinations and bombing of munitions factories puts her on the top of Hitler’s most wanted list with a unique nickname: the Girl with Red Hair. Hannie Schaft is undeniably a war hero. But throughout it all, from killing Nazis to falling in love with a fellow resistor, her determination to stay human is what drives — and terrifies — her.

Night Angels Book Cover

Night Angels by Weina Dai Randel

As the wife of the consul general of China, Grace feels like an outsider in the city of Vienna where her husband has been stationed. She has certain obligations, and that includes helping her husband maintain peaceable relations with the Third Reich. But when her tutor and dear friend, Lola Schnitzler is targeted in a brutal pogrom, Dr. Ho is unable to ignore the Nazi’s violence any longer and issues him and his family visas to Shanghai. As the violence against the Jewish population escalates, the two risk everything to help others escape.

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, Litsy, and occasionally Twitter.

Right now I’m reading Night Theater by Vikram Paralkar. What about you?

Categories
Past Tense

Murderesses on Trial in Historical Fiction

Hi historical fiction fans!

This week we’re talking murder most foul. Or, well, at least people accused of murder most foul in historical fiction. We’ve also good some neat new releases, bookish goodies, and other historical fiction goodness for you.

And if you want even more fascinating stories, informed takes, and useful advice from experts in the world of books and reading to show up in your inbox, you should subscribe to Book Riot’s newest newsletter, The Deep Dive. Subscribe and choose your membership level today at bookriot.substack.com

Bookish Goods

Stationary cards illustrated with colorful watercolor bookshelves

Bookshelf Stationary from A Thing Created

This lovely little stationary set on Etsy is perfect for readers, librarians, teachers, and book lovers alike! $25

New Releases

Madame Pommery Book Cover

Madame Pommery: Creator of Brut Champagne by Rebecca Rosenberg (April 25, 2023)

A newly widowed etiquette teacher with no experience in making champagne decides to create a new version of the drink to support her family, and, in the process, takes champagne from a dessert drink to a dry beverage to be enjoyed anytime. It’s a story of determination, discovery, and invention from a mother determined to change the face of champagne forever.

Where Waters Meet Book Cover

Where Waters Meet by Zhang Ling (May 1, 2023)

After the death of her beloved mother, Rain, Phoenix discovers a suitcase full of mysterious artifacts from her mother’s life. In order to learn the missing pieces of her mother’s early life, Phoenix must travel to China to visit her aunt. But it’s not just her mother’s past that Phoenix discovers along the way, it’s also truths about herself that she never could’ve imagined.

For a more comprehensive list, check out our New Books newsletter!

Riot Recommendations

Another new release I’m excited about this week, The Maiden, follows an accused murderess in 17th century Scotland. I love a historical fiction novel that slowly uncovers the truth of crimes that may — or may not — have occurred, so let’s talk about a few other (accused) murderesses in historical fiction.

The Maiden Book Cover

The Maiden by Kate Foster

In 1679 Edinburgh, a woman is arrested and charged with the murder of her lover. The broadsides have already decided her guilt, and it’s certainly true she had an affair. But does taking a lover also make her guilty of murder? Based on a true story, Foster provides a feminist twist to the lives and fates of women so often silenced by the strong tides of history.

Alias Grace Book Cover

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

Another book based on a true story, Alias Grace imagines what might have really happened to young accused (and convicted) murderer Grace Marks in 19th century Canada. Certainly, her employer and his housekeeper were brutally murdered. Certainly, Grace was there. But was she an innocent victim herself, or a willing co-conspirator as so many believe? And can an expert in the new field of mental illness and mesmerism finally get to the truth or will he fall prey to Grace’s tangled web of truth and lies?

The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins cover image

The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins

After being freed from life on a plantation in Jamaica, Frannie Langton expects to begin life anew. But instead, she’s sold into bondage of another sort as an unwilling servant in London. And although she forges a surprising bond with the strange lady of the house, she soon finds herself accused of the brutal double murder of her employers. Frannie knows no one will believe the truth, especially coming from a Black woman, and that her story is more likely to indict her than free her. But, still, Frannie tells her story, and, in doing so, shows that the whole of English society is to blame.

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, Litsy, and occasionally Twitter.

Right now I’m reading The Lonesome Bodybuilder by Yukiko Motoya.

Categories
Past Tense

Dual Timeline Historical Fiction

Hi historical fiction fans!

Who’s ready for some new releases? We’ve got a couple of really great ones this week as well as a look into dual timeline historical fiction.

If you want even more fascinating stories, informed takes, and useful advice from experts in the world of books and reading to show up in your inbox, you should subscribe to Book Riot’s newest newsletter, The Deep Dive. Subscribe and choose your membership level today at bookriot.substack.com

Bookish Goods

White mug with black and white images of famous Black women writers

Black Women Writer’s Mug from The Trini Gee

Celebrate Black women writers with this lovely mug featuring celebrated writers and poets such as Maya Angelou and Roxanne Gay. $21

New Releases

Kantika Book Cover

Kantika by Elizabeth Graver (April 18, 2023)

Spanning countries and generations, Kantika is an exploration of displacement and the enduring spirit of women no matter their circumstances. After her Sephardic family loses everything in Istanbul, Rebecca is determined to reinvent herself in Barcelona. A failed marriage isn’t what she planned, but the child it brings her is a blessing. And the stepdaughter she gains in a second marriage has a fierceness to match her own. But deciding how to best care for a disabled child is a challenge that pits Rebecca and the newer members of the family against the old.

Symphony of Secrets Book Cover

Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb (April 18, 2023)

The author of The Violin Conspiracy is back with another historical fiction novel about music. When a famous lost opera is uncovered, a beloved American composer’s biggest secret is exposed: the work may have been written by someone else.

For a more comprehensive list, check out our New Books newsletter!

Riot Recommendations

One of our new releases this week, Symphony of Secrets, is a dual timeline historical fiction novel. It follows a present day story as well as a historical narrative, with the stories coming together to create one rich piece of fiction. It’s a pretty common form for historical fiction, so let’s talk about some other great books that utilize it!

The Liar's Dictionary Book Cover

The Liar’s Dictionary by Eley Williams

A woman working for an almost defunct dictionary is helping digitize every single entry when she stumbles across a made up word. During the heyday of Swansby’s Encyclopaedic Dictionary in Victorian London, one discontented lexicographer begins inventing his own definitions for words he believes the English language is missing. The stories blend together beautifully as we witness both the beginning and end of this once-famous dictionary.

Wild Women and the Blues Book Cover

Wild Women and the Blues by Denny S. Bryce

A film student trying to complete his thesis tracks down who was once a dancer in a Chicago club, and possibly the last living link to legendary Black filmmaker Oscar Micheaux. In the present, Sawyer attempts to coax the stories of her Chicago youth out of Honoree Dalcour. As Honoree slowly reveals her secrets, Sawyer discovers that the truth about the past isn’t at all what he expected.

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, Litsy, and occasionally Twitter.

Right now I’m reading Underground by Haruki Murakami. What about you?

Categories
Past Tense

Seaside Historical Fiction

Hi historical fiction fans!

Have you all been enjoying the nice spring weather? I went to a pick-your-own tulip farm over the weekend, and let me tell you it was perfection. Now I’ve got tulip bouquets all over my house and the smell of flowers permeates the air. What could be better?

This week, I’ve got some great new releases and some fun seaside historical fiction for you all to check out. Let’s get into it!

If you want even more fascinating stories, informed takes, and useful advice from experts in the world of books and reading, you should subscribe to Book Riot’s newest newsletter, The Deep Dive. With The Deep Dive, you’ll get exclusive content delivered to your inbox. Subscribe and choose your membership level today at bookriot.substack.com

Bookish Goods

Colorful bookmarks designed to look like concert tickets to Daisy Jones and the Six performances.

Daisy Jones Concert Ticket Bookmarks from Laminated

If you loved the book by Taylor Jenkins Reid — or the recent Amazon Prime adaptation — these Daisy Jones & the Six concert ticket bookmarks are for you. $4

New Releases

The Cuban Heiress Book Cover

The Cuban Heiress by Chanel Cleeton (April 11, 2023)

Chanel Cleeton’s newest historical fiction novel follows two women whose pasts and futures collide on a luxury round-trip cruise from New York to Havana. Catherine Dohan is a heiress who has it all — or so it seems. But when she’s forced to partner up with a jewel thief, her past quickly catches up with her. Elena Palacio is a woman on the run after a devastating betrayal left her penniless and presumed dead. But now she’s returning to Havana, determined to right the wrongs done to her. And the very prey she’s looking for is aboard this ship.

Life and Other Love Songs Book Cover

Life and Other Love Songs
Anissa Gray (April 11, 2023)

The wife and daughter of a man who disappeared in the last decades of the 20th century search for answers about the man they loved but never truly knew in this novel that spans the Great Migration to 1970s Detroit and 1990s New York City. It’s an intimate portrait of the hopes, losses, secrets, and triumphs of an American family.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

Smell the salt air and feel the ocean breeze no matter the weather with these seaside historical fiction novels.

A Hundred Summers Book Cover

A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams

In the summer of 1938, socialites and elites like Lily Dane, her former best friend and former fiancé Budgie, and Nick Greenwald return to Seaview, Rhode Island to get away from it all. But there’s no getting away from their complicated pasts, uneasy secrets, and long-buried dreams. The only question is whether the summer — and their inexorable ties to each other — will leave them unscathed.

Untamed Shore Book Cover

Untamed Shore by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

In this historical thriller from the author of Mexican Gothic, a young woman in 1970s Baja California gets mixed up in the lives of a glamorous American couple whose machinations and deceits threaten to consume her. What begins as a brief escape from her boring existence soon turns into something far more sinister when one of the Americans dies and Viridian lies to protect her new friends.

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, Litsy, and occasionally Twitter.

Right now I’m reading How To Speak Whale by Tom Mustill. What about you?

Categories
Past Tense

All The New Releases

Hi historical fiction fans and happy April!

This week I have lots of early April book releases to tell you about. It’s a really diverse collection with books about WWII, Victorian romance, historical disasters, and a 1950s murder mystery. There’s a little something for everybody.

If you want even more fascinating stories, informed takes, and useful advice from experts in the world of books and reading, you should subscribe to Book Riot’s newest newsletter, The Deep Dive. With The Deep Dive, you’ll get exclusive content delivered to your inbox. Subscribe and choose your membership level today at bookriot.substack.com

Bookish Goods

Green bookmark with red tassel and back featuring illustrations of a woman in a green dress, lipstick, an old film reel, and other images inspired by the novel The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo Bookmark from This Paperback Life Co

This illustrated bookmark inspired by The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid is so perfect. $4

New Releases

The Secret Sister book cover

The Secret Sister by Liz Trenow (April 4, 2023)

When her brother is called up to join the war effort in the coal mines, Lizzie knows Ed, still traumatized from Dunkirk, won’t be able to comply. Refusing to see him branded a deserter, Lizzie answers the call herself, dressed in her brother’s old clothes. But if she’s found out, they’ll both be tried and imprisoned. As she grows closer to another of the Bevin boys called up to the mines, Lizzie has to decide what she’ll willing to risk for love of her brother, love of her country, and love of an entirely new kind.

cover of Ana Maria and The Fox by Liana De la Rosa; Latine couple dancing

Ana María and The Fox by Liana De la Rosa (April 4, 2023)

A Mexican heiress, sent to London with her sisters to escape the French occupation of Mexico, falls for a member of Parliament trying to abolish the trans-Atlantic slave trade in this Victorian historical romance. When a nobleman with ill intentions puts Ana María at risk, Gideon offers the only thing he can think of to protect her: a marriage proposal. But while the marriage offers protection, could it be a chance for love as well?

For a more comprehensive list, check out our New Books newsletter!

Riot Recommendations

There are so many new releases coming out early this month that I couldn’t fit them all in! So here are a few more to check out as you get into your April reading.

The House is on Fire Book Cover

The House Is on Fire by Rachel Beanland (April 4, 2023)

Based on true events, The House Is on Fire tells the story of the Richmond’s theater fire in 1811 Virginia. Four people with very different backgrounds and experiences are drawn together by a series of split second decisions made during that fateful night that will change their lives — and their community — forever.

Homecoming Book Cover

Homecoming by Kate Morton (April 4, 2023)

A shocking murder in 1950s Australia resonates through the years when a journalist discovers her grandmother’s book documenting the investigation many years later. It’s a case that has never been fully resolved, and, as Jess soon finds out, has ties to her own family history.

Puppet Flower Book Cover

Puppet Flower by Yao-Chang Chen, translated by Pao-fang Hsu, Ian Maxwell, and Tung-jung Chen (April 11, 2023)

Based on historical documents with added color from Yao-Chang Chen’s imagination, Puppet Flower depicts a formative moment in Taiwanese history: the sinking of an American merchant ship that would lead to military operations targeting local indigenous tribes. Alongside actual historical figures involved in the conflict, Yao-Chang gives us the story of a mixed-heritage woman named Butterfly who serves as both interpreter and mediator between the Americans and Taiwanese.

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, Litsy, and occasionally Twitter.

Right now I’m reading Flux by Jinwoo Chong. What about you?

Categories
Past Tense

Mary Shelley, Virginia Woolf, and Zelda Fitzgerald: Famous Authors in Historical Fiction

Hi historical fiction fans!

What’s the one thing readers love more than books? Famous authors! Okay, well, maybe that’s a toss up. But I know if you give me half a chance to visit a Jane Austen Museum or visit The Globe, I’m there. So this week we’re talking historical fiction books about famous authors from history.

And if you want even more fascinating stories, informed takes, and useful advice from experts in the world of books and reading, you should subscribe to Book Riot’s newest newsletter, The Deep Dive. With The Deep Dive, you’ll get exclusive content delivered to your inbox. Subscribe and choose your membership level today at bookriot.substack.com

Bookish Goods

Virginia Woolf Mug with Illustrated Bust and Biographical Info

Virginia Woolf Mug from BookishlyUK

Let everyone know your love of literature and Virginia Woolf with this cook mug from Bookishly UK on Etsy. $25

New Releases

Her Lost Words Book Cover

Her Lost Words: A Novel of Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley by Stephanie Marie Thornton (March 28, 2023)

Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley: two literary legends who just so happen to be mother and daughter. Both left indelible marks on history with their groundbreaking writing, from Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Right’s of Women to Shelley’s Frankenstein. But who were they in life? What did they long for? And how did one’s life — and early death — impact the other?

The Great Reclamation Book Cover

The Great Reclamation by Rachel Heng (March 28, 2023)

Growing up in a fishing village in the waning years of British rule in Singapore, Ah Boon is more interested in playing with the girl next door than fishing. But his hopes of impressing Siok Mei are interrupted by the Japanese invasion and occupation of WWII. And as growing resistance movement rises in Singapore, Ah Boon and Siok Mei — along with the rest of the nation — will have to decide what matters most in the quest for independence and modernity.

For a more comprehensive list, check out our New Books newsletter!

Riot Recommendations

The release of Her Lost Words got me thinking about other historical fiction novels about famous writers from history. Here are two I think you all might enjoy:

Vanessa and Her Sister Book Cover

Vanessa and Her Sister by Priya Parmar

Virginia Woolf’s sister, Vanessa, was a gifted painter and part of The Bloomsbury Group alongside the writer in their youth. When the book opens, the sisters and their friends have not yet found the artistic success they will become known for, but it is just beyond the horizon. Then, Vanessa falls in love. And Virginia, who has always lived in the glow of her sister’s constant attention and affection, feels betrayed and abandoned. Vanessa must decide if it’s finally time to do something for herself, even if it means tearing their family apart.

Z A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald Book Cover

Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler

Zelda Fitzgerald, the glittering wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald, was one of the 20th century’s first flappers. She was also a remarkable woman and writer in her own right, whose words and writing were often co-opted (only sometimes with permission) for F. Scott’s own writing. Their story is a tale of romance, adventure, excess, and tragedy — and it reads as if right out of the pages of The Great Gatsby.

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, Litsy, and occasionally Twitter.

Right now I’m reading Lone Women by Victor LaValle. What about you?

Categories
Past Tense

Buzzy New Historical Fiction

Hi historical fiction fans!

Can you believe it’s finally spring? I’m so ready for some warm, breezy weather and the beginning of gardening season. Plus, the nicer weather means it’s going to be prime time for some outside reading. The buzzy new releases we’ve got for you this week would be perfect to take outside on a nice, spring day.

And if you’re looking for even more fascinating stories, informed takes, useful advice, and more from experts in the world of books and reading, subscribe to Book Riot’s newest newsletter, The Deep Dive. With The Deep Dive, you’ll get exclusive content delivered to your inbox from book experts twice a month. It’s a deep dive for book lovers who just can’t get enough. Subscribe and choose your membership level today at bookriot.substack.com

Bookish Goods

Glass Coffee Mug with Text reading "Books & Coffee" in fun font

Books & Coffee Mug from Cuute Cups

Who doesn’t love a good coffee mug, especially one that shows off your love of books? $11

New Releases

Beyond That, The Sea Book Cover

Beyond That, the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash (March 21, 2023)

In this tender novel about family, war, and belonging, a young girl is sent to live with a family in America to escape the Blitz in London. Soon, life in Boston with the Gregorys and their two boys begins to feel more real than anything back home. But when the war ends, Bea is called back to London, and, always the dutiful daughter, she obeys. With her heart pulled between two worlds, Bea must try to move on and create a life of her own in this post-war world.

Lone Women Book Cover

Lone Women by Victor LaValle (March 28, 2023)

The author of The Ballad of Black Tom is back with another alternate history novel, this time set in the American West. Equipped with only a mysterious steamer trunk, Adelaide Henry is on her way to Montana as a homesteader after a terrible secret killed her parents and forced her to flee. She’s taking up the government’s offer for “lone women” to cultivate the land. But Adelaide isn’t alone — not really. And the secret she’s hiding in the trunk, the one that destroyed her life, also might be the only thing keeping her alive.

For a more comprehensive list, check out our New Books newsletter!

Riot Recommendations

As I was deciding what books I wanted to feature this week, I looked into some of the new releases being most tagged as “historical fiction,” this week on Goodreads. Talking about the recent historical fiction books readers are most excited about seemed like a great topic, so here we are. Enjoy these two buzzy books getting lots of tags on Goodreads.

The Shadow of Perseus Book Cover

The Shadow of Perseus by Claire Heywood

In mythology, the tale of Perseus, killer of Medusa, is one you might be well aware of. But his story would’ve been nothing without the women in his life — three women in particular. His mother, Danae, lives in exile due to a prophecy foretelling the death of her father at the hands of her son. Medusa, a gorgon who eschewed all outside contact until she met Perseus, meets a deadly end at his hands. And Andromeda, his future wife, who was prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice to appease the gods and save her people. Perseus ruined their lives. But that doesn’t mean it’s too late to reclaim them.

The House of Eve Book Cover

The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson

Two very different women in 1950s Philadelphia and D.C. face the turmoil of finding love in all the wrong places when they fall for someone, only to have their families disapprove of the relationship. For Ruby Pearsall, this could mean being pulled back into the life of poverty she’s worked so hard to escape. For Eleanor Quarles, it means trying to impress one of the elite Black families of Washington D.C. before they decide not to accept her into their fold.

Check out more new releases being tagged as historical fiction on Goodreads here.

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, Litsy, and occasionally Twitter.

Right now I’m reading The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings. What about you?

Categories
Past Tense

Incredible Women in Historical Fiction

Hi historical fiction fans and Happy Women’s History Month!

This week I’ve got two great new releases about women making the best of difficult situations as well as three historical fiction novels about incredible real women from history. What can I say? We’re all about the ladies today.

And if you’re looking for even more fascinating stories, informed takes, useful advice, and more from experts in the world of books and reading, subscribe to Book Riot’s newest newsletter, The Deep Dive. With The Deep Dive, you’ll get exclusive content delivered to your inbox from book experts twice a month. It’s a deep dive for book lovers who just can’t get enough. Subscribe and choose your membership level today at bookriot.substack.com

Bookish Goods

Embroidered White Book Sleeve with daisy cuttings embroidered all over

Daisy Book Sleeve from Birdie Q Plus Two

Get ready for spring with this lovely book sleeve covered in embroidered daisies. $21

New Releases

Dust Child Book Cover

Dust Child by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai (March 14, 2023)

Split between the war torn years of 1960s Việt Nam and present day, Dust Child tells the story of two sisters who left their rural village to make money romancing American GIs in Sài Gòn. The younger sister falls for a hot shot helicopter pilot, who, years later returns to Việt Nam alongside his wife to reckon with his past. Phong, meanwhile, can never escape from his past; he wears it on his skin as the son of a Black American soldier and a Vietnamese woman. Left at an orphanage, Phong longs for a better life for himself and his family. The past and the present come to a reckoning for these characters as the choices they’ve made — and been left with — become increasingly inescapable.

Eight Strings Book Cover

Eight Strings by Margaret DeRosia (March 14, 2023)

In 19th century Venice, puppeteering is a man’s game. But ever since her grandfather showed her an eight-string marionette, Francesca has dreamed of one day performing in the Minerva Theater. When her father arranges to marry Francesca off to a man, she flees her home and takes up the disguise of an orphan named Franco. Now, securing an apprenticeship is all too possible. But when someone from Franco’s past shows up, will it ruin everything — or be the start of something new?

For a more comprehensive list, check out our New Books newsletter!

Riot Recommendations

March is Women’s History Month in the U.S. so let’s celebrate with these historical fiction books based on real women who made — and changed — history.

Empress Orchid Book Cover

Empress Orchid by Anchee Min

Based on the life of Empress Cixi, Empress Orchid creates a fictionalized account of a girl drawn into the court of the failing Ch’ing Dynasty as a low-level concubine. But Orchid isn’t content to stay in her place. She quickly learns the tricks of concubines and court life to work her way up in the Emperor’s eyes. Min paints a vivid portrait of courtly life in the Ch’ing Dynasty and gives a sympathetic look at an often vilified historical figure.

In the Time of Butterflies Book Cover

In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

In the 1960s Dominican Republic, a vicious dictator called Trujillo ruled with an iron fist. But there were some — brave men and women like the Mirabal sisters — who opposed him. Alvarez tells the story of these sisters as they grew increasingly involved in the resistance and their terror when they’re eventually discovered. It’s not a happy story, but it’s an important one. And these revolutionary sisters deserve to be remembered and celebrated.

Carolina Built Book Cover

Carolina Built by Kianna Alexander

Real estate magnate Josephine N. Leary built a name for herself, but it wasn’t always easy. From her birth on a Southern plantation, growing a family, and teaching herself to be a businesswoman, Josephine knew the only way to create the life she wanted for herself and her family was to do whatever it takes to make her dream a reality. And even as life tries to get in the way, that’s exactly what she does.

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, Litsy, and occasionally Twitter.

Right now I’m reading The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings. What about you?

Categories
Past Tense

Bands, Singers, and Music in Historical Fiction

Hi historical fiction fans!

Ready for a new week of recommendations? We’ve got bookish goods, new releases, and some excellent historical novels about music and musicians.

And if you’re looking for even more fascinating stories, informed takes, useful advice, and more from experts in the world of books and reading, subscribe to Book Riot’s newest newsletter, The Deep Dive. With The Deep Dive, you’ll get exclusive content delivered to your inbox from book experts twice a month. It’s a deep dive for book lovers who just can’t get enough. Subscribe and choose your membership level today at bookriot.substack.com

Bookish Goods

Read Banned Books Mug

I’m loving this mug with a timely and timeless reminder that it’s always a good day to read banned books. $16

New Releases

The Farewell Tour Book Cover

The Farewell Tour by Stephanie Clifford (March 7, 2023)

On a farewell tour to finish off her career in country music, Lil longs for that rush of performing live one last time even as she faces down the hard choices she had to make throughout her time in the male-dominated world of country music. Every choice Lil made got her where she is today, for better or worse, and as she steps up to the stage in her final performance in her hometown, she’ll have to reckon with whether they were the right ones.

River Spirit Book Cover

River Spirit by Leila Aboulela (March 7, 2023)

In late 19th century Sudan, a young woman comes of age in a tumultuous period filled with colonialism, religious tensions, and war. Akuany loses everyone in her family save her brother during a raid on their village in South Sudan, only to be taken in by a young religious merchant who will become her lifeline throughout the coming years. And even as differing choices and loyalties drive them apart, they all fight for a future Sudan where freedom and independence are possible.

For a more comprehensive list, check out our New Books newsletter!

Riot Recommendations

Between talking about The Farewell Tour and the release of Amazon’s adaptation of Daisy Jones and the Six, I though it would be a great time to talk music in historical fiction.

The Songbook of Benny Lament Book Cover

The Songbook of Benny Lament
by Amy Harmon

A musician and songwriter with ties to the mob is content to keep out of the spotlight until the first time he hears Esther Mine sing. Benny writes the powerhouse vocalist a hit song, but as the duo rocket onto a national stage, his past could complicate things. And that’s assuming the country is ready to see a white man and a Black woman together on — and off — stage.

The Final Revival of Opal and Nev Book Cover

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton

Like Daisy Jones and the Six, this novel is told in the style of an oral history, following the stratospheric rise and fall of an interracial rock duo during the 1970s. Years after their break up, Opal and Nev are coming together for one last reunion, and music journalist S. Sunny Shelton is determined to get the full story of her idols straight from the source — no matter how shocking the truth may be.

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, Litsy, and occasionally Twitter.

Right now I’m reading All the Blood We Share by Camilla Bruce. What about you?