Mastodawn

Hey #Bookstodon - I am in a bit of a reading rut and need some #recommendations to help me get out. Do you have any good recommendations for historical #fiction? I would even take some well-written #history or #travel books. My only restriction is that I would like recommendation not focused on the United States (but I am open if it is good). Thanks!

#Books #literature #historicalfiction #histodon #histodons @bookstodon

@seanbala I found Peter FitzSimmons's The Catalpa Rescue a compelling read. But, it's a story from my area, so I don't know how interesting someone from another country might find it.

@seanbala Colleen McCulloch's Masters of Romes series is a cracking read.

Full Metal Archaeopteryx Nov 24

@seanbala
Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross, perhaps?
@bookstodon

mattmaison Nov 24

I just read The Secret Garden for the first time and it was great!

Humphrey Archer Nov 24

Not what I write, but boosting for visibility

colorblind cowboy Nov 24

@seanbala I don’t read much historical fiction, but I found Barry Unsworth’s “Morality Play” fascinating. It’s about a medieval theatre troupe who uses a play to investigate a murder. Which may sound awful and quaint, but Unsworth is a fantastic writer.

Goes a lot into the way theatre was at one point all about religion and the way early troupes worked.

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/181839/morality-play-by-barry-unsworth/

Morality Play by Barry Unsworth: 9780525434092 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

A New York Times Notable Book In medieval England, a runaway scholar-priest named Nicholas Barber has joined a traveling theater troupe as they make their w...

PenguinRandomhouse.com

@seanbala @bookstodon The seventh cross by Anna Seghers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Seventh_Cross?wprov=sfla) is one of the best books I've read. Also, Yakov's Ladder by Lyudmila Ulitskaya (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyudmila_Ulitskaya?wprov=sfla) is great.

The Seventh Cross - Wikipedia

Hraban (fiëé visuëlle)Nov 24

* Charles de Coster, Ulenspiegel
* Gisbert Haefs, Hannibal
* everything by Umberto Eco

all quite historical; didn’t check which is available in English

Carmilla DeWinter Nov 24

@seanbala @bookstodon The Moor's Account by Laila Lalami has both history and travel in unusual ways compared to European story telling.

@seanbala marion (Zimmer) bradley - avalon series. Based on Arthur saga but from female perspective.

Annatifa Nov 24

@seanbala “In a dark wood wandering” by Hella Haase or Hild by Nicola Griffith. Different locations (France and England) and time periods (early and later Middle Ages) but both so textured, you will feel the dirt between your toes.

morfil (any)🌈Nov 24

@seanbala @bookstodon en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebecca_Gabl%C3%A9

@seanbala @bookstodon The Source, James Michner. Is that too weird?

klausner Nov 24

@seanbala @bookstodon Q by Luther blissett about the reformation in Germany

armadillosoft Nov 24

@seanbala @bookstodon

Simon Winchester's non-fiction tells all kinds of true stories about the history of the world. In his book about the explosion of Krakatoa - https://www.worldofbooks.com/products/krakatoa-book-and-historian-simon-winchester-9780060838591?sku=CIN0060838590VG
you learn about the geological history of the earth, the history of colonialization of the Pacic Rim, how various earthquakes affected human history, etc

But all told as stories about real people.

Krakatoa

armadillosoft Nov 24

@seanbala @bookstodon

Another author who tells compelling non-fiction stories about historical events is Susan Orleans. Her The Orchid Thief - well it is about a weird Floridian. But Florida is not really the US, it's its own unique place.

@Armadillosoft @seanbala @bookstodon was that the somewhat basis for Charlie Kaufman's Adaptation?

armadillosoft Nov 25

@Dubikan @seanbala @bookstodon

It was!

NegativePrimes Nov 24

@seanbala Henryk Sienkewicz's "The Deluge" is considered one of the great treasures of Poland. I recommend the Kuniczak translation.

If you haven't already, check out Anirudh Kanisetti's "Lords of the Deccan". Also check out "Lords of Earth and Sea" by the same author.

Lords of the Deccan: Southern India from the Chalukyas to the Cholas

Mariam al-Masri 1d ago

@seanbala @bookstodon For Middle Eastern historical: Palace series by Naguib Mahfouz, Samarkand by Amin Maalouf, The Doctors' Dinner Party by Ibn Butlan and The Golden Chariot by Salwa Bakr

For Chinese historical: there are classics like Dream of Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin and The Plum in the Golden Vase by Xiaoxiao Sheng.

I'd also rec some works by modern writers like Lisa See.