Category Archives: Historical fiction

OUTLANDER by Diana Gabaldon

Posted on April 19, 2020 by OnlyGoodBooks

Reading a long book is a commitment; reading a series of long books is a SERIOUS commitment, not to be undertaken lightly.  You don’t want to start something that you can’t finish.  And I have a constant pile of shorter … Continue reading →

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A WELL-BEHAVED WOMAN by Therese Anne Fowler

Posted on March 25, 2019 by OnlyGoodBooks

Coincidentally, a few months before I read Therese Anne Fowler’s latest novel focused on another dynamic woman in history (her previous gem was ZELDA), I visited some friends in Asheville, North Carolina and took an eye-popping tour of the Biltmore … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Gilded Age, Historical fiction, Novel, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

LOVE AND RUIN by Paula McLain

Posted on May 13, 2018 by OnlyGoodBooks

If you are a Paula McLain fan like me, you already know that she is brilliant at capturing the voices and lives of strong women in history. You’ve read Circling the Sun (about Beryl Clutterbuck—later Markham) and The Paris Wife … Continue reading →

Posted in Biography, Fiction, Historical fiction, Memoir, Travel, Writing, WWII | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Z: A NOVEL OF ZELDA FITZGERALD by Therese Anne Fowler

Posted on August 26, 2017 by OnlyGoodBooks

The beauty of a good book is that it makes you want to read more. Or write something. Or both. Therese Anne Fowler’s Z, a fictionalized account of Zelda Fitzgerald’s life, is such a book. You will want to read … Continue reading →

Posted in 1920s, Fiction, For EDUCATORS, Historical fiction, Novel, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

RULES OF CIVILITY by Amor Towles

Posted on July 11, 2017 by OnlyGoodBooks

When a friend recommended the new novel by Amor Towles, GENTLEMAN OF MOSCOW, I did a little research and discovered that his first novel, RULES OF CIVILITY, received high praise, too. Let’s start with the paperback, I thought. RULES OF … Continue reading →

Posted in 1930s, Fiction, Historical fiction, Novel | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

THE SUMMER BEFORE THE WAR by Helen Simonson

Posted on November 16, 2016 by OnlyGoodBooks

Helen Simonson, author of Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand, which I also loved, has produced another comforting installment for those of us inclined to cuddle up under a blanket. Whether you are suffering from the flu or simply trying not to … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Historical fiction, Novel, WWI | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

CIRCLING THE SUN by Paula McLain

Posted on September 26, 2015 by OnlyGoodBooks

One thing we could all use in this world is more empathy. I was thinking about this problem while reading Paula McLain’s latest historical fiction memoir, CIRCLING THE SUN, which puts us deeply in the shoes of Beryl Clutterbuck—later Markham—who … Continue reading →

Posted in Biography, Fiction, Historical fiction, Memoir, Novel | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

LIFE AFTER LIFE by Kate Atkinson

Posted on January 16, 2015 by OnlyGoodBooks

The idea of immortality is, to say the least, not new. To consider some popular media examples: in the 1993 movie Groundhog Day, Bill Murray’s character, an arrogant weatherman, is forced to live the same day over and over until … Continue reading →

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THE PAYING GUESTS by Sarah Waters

Posted on January 11, 2015 by OnlyGoodBooks

This historical novel by Sarah Waters is inviting, seductive, mysterious, extremely attentive to detail, and densely stuffed with dilemmas about desire. The story begins with deceptive simplicity: a British mother and her only surviving relation, her daughter, are unable to make ends … Continue reading →

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