HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK LIST
Find your next favorite historical fiction book! This book list features dozens of recommendations organized by time period for your viewing pleasure!
Find your next favorite historical fiction book! This book list features dozens of recommendations organized by time period for your viewing pleasure!
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
Penn Hills Library<br />
Historical<br />
Fiction<br />
Book List<br />
Find you next favorite historical<br />
fiction book! This book list features<br />
dozens of recommendations organized<br />
by time period for your viewing<br />
pleasure!
A Note for Readers<br />
Every book has some buzzwords<br />
which are taken from the<br />
website/app The Story Graph,<br />
which is a Black owned business and<br />
an awesome app for logging the<br />
books you read, tracking reading<br />
stats, participating in reading<br />
challenges, and more! You can<br />
download Story Graph for free at<br />
https://app.thestorygraph.com/
Classical Antiquity<br />
8th century BC and the 5th century AD<br />
A Thousand Ships by<br />
Natalie Haynes<br />
fiction historical literary<br />
adventurous emotional sad mediumpaced<br />
The Emperor’s Babe by<br />
Bernadine Evaristo<br />
fiction historical poetry challenging<br />
emotional reflective medium-paced<br />
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant<br />
fiction historical religion<br />
emotional reflective sad mediumpaced
Classical Antiquity<br />
8th century BC and the 5th century AD<br />
Thebes at War by<br />
Naguib Mahfouz<br />
fiction historical literary<br />
challenging informative reflective<br />
slow-paced<br />
I, Claudius by Robert Graves<br />
fiction classics historical<br />
challenging informative reflective<br />
medium-paced<br />
The Book of Longings by Sue<br />
Monk Kidd<br />
fiction historical challenging<br />
emotional reflective medium-paced
Classical Antiquity<br />
8th century BC and the 5th century AD<br />
Akhenaten by Naguib Mahfouz<br />
fiction historical challenging<br />
informative reflective slowpaced
Medieval Era<br />
476 CE to the 14th century<br />
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott<br />
fiction classics historical<br />
adventurous slow-paced<br />
Essex Dogs by Dan Jones<br />
fiction historical thriller<br />
adventurous dark tense mediumpaced<br />
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell<br />
fiction historical literary<br />
emotional reflective sad mediumpaced
Medieval Era<br />
476 CE to the 14th century<br />
The Mists of Avalon by<br />
Marion Zimmer Bradley<br />
fiction fantasy historical<br />
adventurous dark slow-paced<br />
Matrix by Lauren Groff<br />
fiction feminism historical lgbtqia+<br />
literary challenging emotional<br />
reflective medium-paced<br />
The Lost Queen by Signe Pike<br />
fiction fantasy historical<br />
adventurous emotional mediumpaced
Renaissance Era<br />
14th century to early 17th century<br />
She Who Became the Sun by<br />
Shelley Parker-Chan<br />
fiction fantasy historical lgbtqia+<br />
adventurous dark emotional<br />
medium-paced<br />
The Dance Tree by Kiran Millwood<br />
Hargrave<br />
fiction historical lgbtqia+ dark<br />
emotional sad medium-paced<br />
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel<br />
fiction historical literary<br />
challenging dark tense slowpaced
Renaissance Era<br />
14th century to early 17th century<br />
Girl with a Pearl Earring by<br />
Tracy Chevalier<br />
fiction historical emotional<br />
mysterious tense medium-paced<br />
Pope Joan by Donna Wollfolk<br />
Cross<br />
fiction historical informative<br />
inspiring slow-paced<br />
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony<br />
Doerr<br />
fiction historical literary speculative<br />
fiction adventurous emotional<br />
reflective medium-paced
Renaissance Era<br />
14th century to early 17th century<br />
The Bear and the Nightingale by<br />
Katherine Arden<br />
fiction fantasy historical<br />
adventurous dark mysterious<br />
medium-paced<br />
The Name of the Rose by Umberto<br />
Eco<br />
fiction historical mystery<br />
challenging dark mysterious slowpaced<br />
The Enchantress of Florence<br />
by Salman Rushdie<br />
fiction fantasy historical magical<br />
realism adventurous challenging<br />
reflective slow-paced
18th Century<br />
1700 - 1799<br />
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi<br />
fiction historical literary<br />
emotional reflective sad<br />
medium-paced<br />
The Book of Night Women by<br />
Marlon James<br />
fiction historical challenging dark<br />
emotional medium-paced<br />
Mademoiselle Revolution by Zoe<br />
Sivak<br />
fiction historical lgbtqia+<br />
challenging dark emotional<br />
medium-paced
18th Century<br />
1700 - 1799<br />
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon<br />
fiction fantasy historical<br />
romance adventurous mediumpaced<br />
The Coffin Path by Katherine<br />
Clements<br />
fiction historical horror dark<br />
mysterious tense slow-paced<br />
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah<br />
Penner<br />
fiction historical adventurous<br />
mysterious medium-paced
18th Century<br />
1700 - 1799<br />
The Books of Jacob by Olga<br />
Tokarczuk<br />
fiction historical literary<br />
challenging reflective slowpaced
19th Century<br />
1800-1899<br />
Beloved by Toni Morrison<br />
fiction classics historical<br />
literary dark emotional sad<br />
slow-paced<br />
A Ballad of Love and Glory by<br />
Reyna Grande<br />
fiction historical emotional<br />
informative sad medium-paced<br />
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and<br />
Virtue by Mackenzi Lee<br />
fiction historical lgbtqia+ romance<br />
young adult adventurous funny<br />
lighthearted medium-paced
19th Century<br />
1800-1899<br />
Tipping the Velvet by Sarah<br />
Waters<br />
fiction historical lgbtqia+<br />
adventurous emotional mediumpaced<br />
River of Teeth by Sarah<br />
Gailey<br />
fiction historical lgbtqia+<br />
adventurous fast-paced<br />
The House is On Fire by Rachel<br />
Beanland<br />
fiction historical emotional<br />
reflective sad medium-paced
19th Century<br />
1800-1899<br />
Infamous by Lex Croucher<br />
fiction historical lgbtqia+<br />
romance emotional funny<br />
lighthearted medium-paced<br />
Conjure Women by Afia<br />
Atakora<br />
fiction fantasy historical literary<br />
magical realism dark emotional<br />
sad slow-paced<br />
How Much of These Hills is Gold<br />
by C Pam Zhang<br />
fiction historical lgbtqia+ literary<br />
adventurous emotional reflective<br />
medium-paced
Early 20th century<br />
& World War I<br />
1900-1919<br />
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee<br />
fiction historical literary<br />
emotional reflective sad<br />
medium-paced<br />
The Pull of the Stars by<br />
Emma Donoghue<br />
fiction historical emotional<br />
medium-paced<br />
The Gods of Tango by Carolina de<br />
Robertis<br />
fiction historical lgbtqia+<br />
emotional reflective slow-paced
Early 20th century<br />
& World War I<br />
1900-1919<br />
Lone Women by Victor LaValle<br />
fiction fantasy historical horror<br />
dark emotional reflective<br />
medium-paced<br />
The Last Russian Doll by<br />
Kristen Loesch<br />
fiction historical emotional<br />
mysterious medium-paced<br />
The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell<br />
fiction historical literary<br />
adventurous emotional mediumpaced
Jazz Age & Great Depression<br />
1920s - 1930s<br />
Jazz by Toni Morrison<br />
fiction classics historical literary<br />
challenging reflective slowpaced<br />
Gods of Jade and Shadow by<br />
Silvia Moreno-Garcia<br />
fiction fantasy historical<br />
adventurous emotional mediumpaced<br />
These Violent Delights by Chloe<br />
Gong<br />
fiction fantasy historical romance<br />
young adult adventurous dark<br />
mysterious medium-paced
Jazz Age & Great Depression<br />
1920s - 1930s<br />
Mumbo Jumbo by Ishmael Reed<br />
fiction classics literary race<br />
challenging reflective mediumpaced<br />
Jazz Moon by Joe Okonkwo<br />
fiction historical lgbtqia+<br />
romance reflective slowpaced<br />
The Four Winds by Kristin<br />
Hannah<br />
fiction historical emotional<br />
inspiring sad medium-paced
Jazz Age & Great Depression<br />
1920s - 1930s<br />
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor<br />
Towles<br />
fiction historical literary emotional<br />
hopeful reflective medium-paced<br />
The Amazing Adventures of<br />
Kavalier and Clay by Michael<br />
Chabon<br />
fiction historical emotional funny<br />
reflective slow-paced<br />
Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark<br />
fiction fantasy historical horror<br />
adventurous dark tense fastpaced
Jazz Age & Great Depression<br />
1920s - 1930s<br />
Trust by Hernan Diaz<br />
fiction historical literary<br />
challenging mysterious reflective<br />
medium-paced
World War II<br />
1935-1945<br />
The Librarian of Auschwitz: The<br />
Graphic Novel by Antonio Iturbe<br />
fiction historical young adult<br />
emotional reflective sad slow-paced<br />
A Jewish Girl in Paris by<br />
Melanie Levensohn<br />
fiction historical mediumpaced<br />
All the Light We Cannot See by<br />
Anthony Doerr<br />
fiction historical literary emotional<br />
reflective sad medium-paced
World War II<br />
1935-1945<br />
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak<br />
fiction historical young adult<br />
dark emotional sad mediumpaced<br />
Hungry Ghosts by Kevin Jared<br />
Hosein<br />
fiction historical literary<br />
emotional reflective mediumpaced<br />
The Companion by E.E.<br />
Ottoman<br />
fiction historical lgbtqia+<br />
romance emotional hopeful<br />
medium-paced
World War II<br />
1935-1945<br />
Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter<br />
Mosley<br />
fiction crime mystery mysterious<br />
reflective fast-paced<br />
Transcription by Kate<br />
Atkinson<br />
fiction historical mysterious<br />
medium-paced
Late 20th Century<br />
1950s-1980s<br />
The Nickel Boys by Colson<br />
Whitehead<br />
fiction historical literary dark<br />
emotional sad medium-paced<br />
Kololo Hill by Neema Shah<br />
fiction historical emotional<br />
reflective medium-paced<br />
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler<br />
fiction classics historical<br />
speculative fiction dark emotional<br />
tense medium-paced
Late 20th Century<br />
1950s-1980s<br />
Last Night at The Telegraph Club<br />
by Malinda Lo<br />
fiction historical lgbtqia+ romance<br />
young adult emotional hopeful<br />
medium-paced<br />
Music From Another World by<br />
Robin Talley<br />
fiction historical lgbtqia+ young<br />
adult emotional slow-paced<br />
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor<br />
Jenkins Reid<br />
fiction literary emotional<br />
reflective medium-paced
Late 20th Century<br />
1950s-1980s<br />
Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez<br />
fiction contemporary lgbtqia+ race<br />
challenging emotional reflective<br />
medium-paced<br />
Notes of a Crocodile by Qiu<br />
Miaojin, Translated by Bonnie<br />
Huie<br />
fiction classics lgbtqia+ literary dark<br />
emotional reflective medium-paced<br />
Dust Child by Nguyễñ Phan Quế́<br />
Mai<br />
fiction historical emotional<br />
informative sad medium-paced
Late 20th Century<br />
1950s-1980s<br />
The Cold Cold Ground by Adrian<br />
McKinty<br />
fiction crime mystery dark<br />
mysterious reflective fast-paced<br />
Who Is Vera Kelly? by Rosalie<br />
Knecht<br />
fiction lgbtqia+ mystery<br />
lighthearted mysterious slowpaced
Change language