Hello fellow bookworms, after bidding so long to 2021, it is now time to wrap-up my reading for my second year taking part in the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge, hosted by Marg of The Intrepid Reader. First things first, here’s what I managed to read, in the order I read them:
- The Mother’s Day Mystery by Peter Bartram (2018) ⭐⭐
- The Phantom Tree by Nicola Cornick (2016) ⭐⭐⭐
- Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott (1819) ⭐⭐⭐
- The Memory Tree by John A. Heldt (2018) ⭐
- The Story of the British Isles in 100 Places by Neil Oliver (2018) ⭐⭐⭐
- Justice Hall by Laurie R. King (2002)
- Anna of Kleve: The Queen of Secrets by Alison Weir (2019)
- The Red-Haired Archaeologist Digs Israel by Amanda Hope Haley (2021)
- The Comedy Club Mystery by Peter Bartram (2019)
- The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley (2011)
- A Tapestry of Treason by Anne O’Brien (2019)
- The Tale of the Tailor and the Three Dead King by Dan Jones (2021) ⭐
- The Crusades: A Very Brief History by Mark Black (2012) ⭐
- Anne, The Rose of Hever by Maureen Peters (1969) ⭐⭐
- Katheryn Howard, The Tainted Queen by Alison Weir (2020)
- The Gilded Lily: The Life and Loves of the Fabulous Lillie Langtry by Ernest Dudley (1958)
- History of the Christian Church in the First Century by Edward Burton (2012)
- The Game by Laurie R. King (2004)
I was aiming to reach the Medieval level (15 books) and as you can see I have beaten my goal for a second year in a row! Like I mentioned in my 2021 wrap-up post, my increase in reading has definitely been helped by me consciously making more time for favourite genres and authors, which as you can see there are quite a few multiple reads of authors on my list this time and historical-fiction is one of my favourite genres! 😁
I have again loved taking part in this challenge and enjoyed all of these books, however my favourite books I read for the challenge would have to be: The Phantom Tree by Nicola Cornick (2016) and The Story of the British Isles in 100 Places by Neil Oliver (2018) 🏆
But that’s not all folks! After two, fun and successful years taking part, it is a no brainer I will be joining in again in 2022. Here is a recap of the rules for the challenge, taken from Marg’s blog:
Everyone can participate! If you don’t have a blog you can post a link to your review if it’s posted on Goodreads, Facebook, or Amazon, or you can add your book title and thoughts in the comment section if you wish.
Any sub-genre of historical fiction is accepted (Historical Romance, Historical Mystery, Historical Fantasy, Young Adult, History/Non-Fiction, etc.)
During the following 12 months you can choose one of the different reading levels:
20th Century Reader – 2 books
Victorian Reader – 5 books
Renaissance Reader – 10 books
Medieval – 15 books
Ancient History – 25 books
Prehistoric – 50+ books
Although I managed to surpass the Medieval level (15 books) last year, this year I am going to stick at the same level, as Ancient History level (25 books) is maybe too a big of a leap for me! 😅 Now here are some historical-fictions on my TBR I am particularly excited to read:
- The Kingmaker’s Daughter by Philippa Gregory (2012)
- Katharine Parr: the Sixth Wife by Alison Weir (2021)
- Queen’s Gambit by Elizabeth Fremantle (2012)
- Katharina Fortitude by Margaret Skea (2019)
- Locked Rooms by Laurie R. King (2005)
- The Lady of the Ravens by Joanna Hickson (2020)
- The Garment by Catherine Cookson (1962)
- The Queen’s Rival by Anne O’Brien (2020)
I am also looking forward to seeing what others are reading and discovering new novels, authors and bloggers. Let me know if you’re planning to take part too!
What great historical-fiction did you read in 2021? What historical-fictions are you looking forward to in 2022? Any of the books on my TBR you think I should push to the top of the pile? Let me know in the comments below!
Well done Jessica. I did manage to fit in a few historical reads – off the top of my head KJ Maitland’s Drowned city.
Lynn 😀
Thank you, Lynn and I will have to check out Maitland’s Drowned City at some point, having enjoyed other books of hers. 🙂
You did really well! Well done! Happy New Year!
Thank you, Nikki and a Happy New Year to you too! 😃
What a great challenge and well done, you, for surpassing your goal!! Historical Fiction is one of my favorite genres, so I enjoy seeing what all you’ve read.
Thank you, Kelly and hopefully here’s to another great year of historical reading! 😊
Well done! That’s a great result. Good luck with reaching the Medieval level again this year. I really enjoyed Katharine Parr, Queen’s Gambit and The Lady of the Ravens.
Thank you, Helen and I am looking forward to reading all those you enjoyed, especially poor Queen’s Gambit which has been on my TBR shelf for far too long! 😊
Well done for completing this challenge! Looks amazing. I am interested in both The Crusades: A Very Brief History and The Story of the British Isles in 100 Places, but I see that you did not rate them that high. I did not read many historical fiction novels last year, but I managed The Colour
by Rose Tremain, which I found ok and will be on a lookout for more books set around the American or New Zealand’s Gold Rush of the 1840-60s.
Thank you, Diana! My review for The Crusades is upcoming but really it only got my lowest rating because it is VERY short and I wanted more. As for The Story of the British Isles in 100 Places I don’t why you think I didn’t rate?! It is my most recommended read of the year, it got my highest rating, and my review couldn’t gush about it anymore! 😁
Good luck with your own historical-fiction reading this year and I hope you are able to find more books set around the American or New Zealand’s Gold Rush of the 1840-60s. 🤞
Sorry, I probably meant it only about your feeling about The Crusades! If you find it of interest, a couple of years before I read illustrated book Sébastien Mamerot: A Chronicle of the Crusades and I loved it not only for its illustrations but also for the fact that Mamerot was a contemporary and his views are therefore invaluable.
Ah I understand, Diana and thank you so much for the recommendation! I will definitely check that out further. 😃