This week’s topic for Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl) is “Genre Freebie (Pick a genre and build a list around it.)”
As you all probably know by now, my favourite genre is historical fiction. For this week’s list, I decided to highlight some books I haven’t mentioned here very often because I read them before I started my blog in 2009. I’ve included a good variety of different time periods and geographical settings, so I hope there’ll be something to interest everyone.
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1. Sarum by Edward Rutherfurd – I’ve read and enjoyed all nine of Edward Rutherfurd’s books, each of which explores the history of a specific city, region or country, usually over a period of many centuries. I’ve only reviewed his two most recent books, Paris and China, but I think his earlier ones were better, including Sarum which is set around Salisbury and Stonehenge and follows five families from the Ice Age to the present day.
2. North and South by John Jakes – The first in a trilogy in which we follow two families, the Mains from South Carolina and the Hazards from Pennsylvania, before, during and after the American Civil War. I enjoyed all three books, particularly the first two, and also loved the star-studded 1980s miniseries. I felt that the story being told from both perspectives – north and south, Union and Confederacy, slave owner and abolitionist – helped me understand the Civil War in more depth than other books I’ve read.
3. Cloud Mountain by Aimee Liu – I read this when it was first published more than twenty years ago and loved it. It’s about an American woman who marries a Chinese man in the early 20th century – a time when this was not considered acceptable – and it explores issues including racism and prejudice, war and revolution, all set during a fascinating period of Chinese history.
4. Katherine by Anya Seton – Again, I’ve reviewed a few of Anya Seton’s books on my blog, including Devil Water and Dragonwyck, but not my favourite, her 1954 novel Katherine, which tells the story of Katherine Swynford, mistress of John of Gaunt (son of Edward III). It’s much more than just a romance – I loved Seton’s vivid and memorable portrayal of medieval England.
5. The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough – Another classic family saga I enjoyed when I was younger, this time set on a fictional sheep station in Australia where the story of Meggie Cleary and the priest Ralph de Bricassart plays out. It’s also another one that was made into a successful TV miniseries, although in this case I think I preferred the book.
6. Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati – This is the first of a series of six novels, although I lost interest after the third one and haven’t read the rest. The first book introduces us to Elizabeth Middleton, who leaves England in 1792 to join her family in a remote New York mountain village. Donati has said the series was loosely inspired by James Fenimore Cooper’s The Last of the Mohicans.
7. The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons – The first in a trilogy set in Leningrad, now St Petersburg, during World War II and following the story of Tatiana Metanova and her love for the Red Army soldier Alexander Belov. The horrific descriptions of life during the Siege of Leningrad, where the people suffer from the actions of both the Nazis and their own communist government, will stay with me forever.
8. The Physician by Noah Gordon – I loved this book and its sequel, Shaman, and have been meaning to re-read both for years, although I never have. It tells the story of Rob J. Cole, a boy who grows up in 11th century England dreaming of becoming a physician and who later makes the long journey to Persia looking for an opportunity to study medicine and fulfil his dream.
9. Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor – My edition of this book states “The original bodice-ripper is back in print”, which is quite amusing as this 1944 novel is very tame by today’s standards. It follows the adventures of Amber St Clare in Restoration England, during the plague and the Great Fire of London and although I can’t remember much of it now, I do remember being shocked by the unexpected ending!
10. Shogun by James Clavell – I haven’t read much historical fiction set in Japan, but I did read this one, about a 17th century sailor and navigator, John Blackthorne, who is shipwrecked on the coast of feudal Japan. The character is based on William Adams, the first Englishman to visit Japan. I remember finding the book interesting, but it wasn’t one I particularly enjoyed and haven’t been tempted to read again.
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Have you read any of these? What are your favourite historical fiction novels?
She Reads Novels 
I haven’t read any of these yet, but I do like historical fiction. I’ll keep an eye out for them. 🙂
Here is my Top Ten Tuesday post.
Some of these are classics of the historical fiction genre, so definitely worth looking out for.
I love your list! You have a few of my all time favorites on here (I actually almost included Katherine on my list this week, but decided not to because I’d featured it on my blog before).
My interesting in the Wilderness series also waned after the first three, but the last few were still enjoyable enough. I do like Donati’s new series Waverly Place, which follows the grandchildren/great-grandchildren of the Wildness characters, a generation later.
I did Historical Fiction this week too: https://franlaniado.wordpress.com/2023/08/22/top-ten-tuesday-historical-fiction-about-real-people/
Maybe I should have kept going with the Wilderness books. I didn’t know she had started a new series – I’m glad you like it!
I can’t really remember much of what happened in the last few Wilderness books. I don’t think they’re really essential to the new series, which is all new characters and a different setting.
I haven’t read any but I remember watching Shogun in the 80’s and being enthralled! North and South sounds very interesting – great list!
I don’t think I’ve seen the Shogun miniseries but I’m glad you liked it! North and South is great – one of my all-time favourites.
I am in the process of doing a reread of The Thorn Birds….almost finished! I am thoroughly enjoying it, perhaps even more this time than the first. I now have been to many of the places in the book which really brings her descriptions alive for me. As I only read in the evenings, there have been a few very late nights!! I think this book will stay with me for a while.
I have just discovered your blog and am enjoying your thoughtful reviews…thank you.
It’s been a long time since I last read The Thorn Birds, so I’m tempted to reread it myself. I’m pleased to hear you’re enjoying it. It does often add to your appreciation of a book when you’re familiar with the places being described.
Thanks for the kind words about my blog!
I’ve always wanted to read The Thorn Birds. Need to add it to my list.
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thank you!
The Thorn Birds is a great book. I definitely recommend adding it to your list.
I have read 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10. My favorite historical novels are anything written by Dorothy Dunnett, but especially her Lymond Chronicles series. Although the first book in the series is a little difficult because of the archaic poetry frequently quoted, I just skipped over it, and afterwards she doesn’t have as much of it. Her House of Niccolo series is also excellent as well as King Hereafter.
Yes, Dunnett is my favourite too, although I didn’t include her on this list as I only discovered her after I started blogging. I’ve just finished one of her Johnson Johnson mysteries, which I’ll probably be reviewing later this week, but I prefer her historical novels.
Yes, I prefer them too. I find her mysteries a bit hard to follow sometimes.
It’s always fun to see what people read pre-blog. Thanks for sharing!
Yes, I think it’s always interesting.
I’m enjoying seeing all the different topics people have chosen. I chose Scottish Historical Fiction this week. From your list I’ve read North & South and The Thorn Birds.
Yes, there’s a good variety of topics being chosen this week. I love Scottish historical fiction!
Interesting to see older books, I’ve read none of thema and hadn’t even heard of a few of thema.
I used to read older books all the time; it was only after I started blogging that I started to get tempted by all the newly published books. I blame NetGalley for that!
I had Into the Wilderness on my list for years but never got to it. I haven’t even read The Thorn Birds!
I like family sagas, but not straight-up historical fiction so much.
I read all kinds of historical fiction, but I’ve always particularly enjoyed family sagas. I would highly recommend reading The Thorn Birds!
I have recently finished Katherine by Anya Seton and thoroughly enjoyed it. While I was reading it, I couldn’t help but wonder if Sharon Kay Penman and other historical novelists of her generation had read Katherine in their formative years. I will try to find some of your suggestions. Thank you for what you do.
I’m glad you enjoyed Katherine. It’s such a classic of the genre, I’m sure Penman and other authors of medieval fiction will have read it.
I love The Thornbirds! And I love that mini series they did of North and South. Great TTT list. 😀
Yes, that was a great miniseries – one of my favourites!
Katherine was the first or among the first historical fiction books I read and I loved it! And kept reading it thanks to that book.
Katherine is an all-time favourite of mine. It wasn’t the first historical fiction book I read, but it was one of the first set in the medieval period and I loved it. I’m glad you did too!
I recently read a historical fiction set in 16th-century Japan called The African Samurai. It’s about Yasuke, the first foreign-born samurai.
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/visit-michigan-in-ten-books/
I haven’t heard of that book, but it sounds fascinating. Thanks, Pam!
Excellent topic & list! Having to stop myself now from re-reading The Thorn Birds for the billionth time –or watching it! My brother LOVED Shogun
It’s been a long time since I read or watched The Thorn Birds and I’m tempted now too!
Richard Chamberlain!!
I’m a big hist fic fan as well, although I actually haven’t read any of these. I started THE THORNBIRDS, but I couldn’t get into it. It might have just been a mood/timing thing, though.
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
Sorry you couldn’t get into The Thorn Birds – but yes, mood and timing can be so important!
I’ve read The Thorn Birds and Shogun and one other I think on your list. To add a couple of my own I’d add The Name of the Rose and Foucault’s Pendulum both by Umberto Eco
I’ve read The Name of the Rose, which I enjoyed, but I haven’t read Foucault’s Pendulum or anything else by Umberto Eco yet.
Fantastic post! Some wonderful books here! I also love North and South and John Jakes anything.
The North and South trilogy is my favourite by John Jakes, but I’ve enjoyed others by him too. I thought Homeland was another good one.
The only one of those listed I’ve read is ‘Shogun’ which I devoured *ages* ago after really enjoying the TV series. ‘The Bronze Horseman’ looks interesting! I’ll add it to my Investigate List.
I didn’t watch the TV series of Shogun, but I did find the book interesting as it was the first book I’d read set in Japan.
This is a great list! I’ve read about half of the titles and look forward to reading the other half. Thanks for sharing!
I hope you enjoy the ones you haven’t read yet!
I haven’t read any of these even the more well known novels but will be adding them to my ever growing ‘to be read’ list! I particularly enjoy multi-volume stories so it is nice to discover some that I haven’t come across before.
I hope you have the opportunity to read some of these. A few of them, like Katherine and The Thorn Birds, are now considered classics so definitely worth reading.
Historical fiction is my favorite too! Thanks for the recommendations.
I hope you’re able to read some of these!
Sarum is one I read long before the blog, and before I had visited Salisbury and Stonehenge – I should reread it. I’ve heard of, but not read many of the others. The Physician is one I’d not come across before and it looks interesting. I see it’s actually a trilogy.
The Physician is a great book. I have read the whole trilogy and all three are good, but they are all set in completely different time periods and the third one in particular feels very disconnected from the others.