I love books set in the past, as you know by now. Whether they were written long ago, or are what I consider to be "historical fiction" (set in a time prior to the age the author lived in), I love learning about how life was different in time gone by, and how it was also the same as what we have today. People haven't changed much since the fall into sin, and that saying that "the more things change, the more they stay the same" definitely feels true when I'm reading historical fiction.
Anyway, here are the settings I'm most drawn to, in chronological order:
4000 BC-100 AD -- Biblical times. I don't read a lot of fiction set then, though I do really love The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare and Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace. But I do read quite a bit of nonfiction about it -- right now, I'm working my way through When Christ Walked Among Us by James F. Pope.
500-1500 -- Middle Ages. Basically anything involving Robin Hood, King Arthur, knights and ladies and castles. The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle and so on.
1600s -- Elizabethan England. If it involves Shakespeare, I'm interested.
1700s -- American Colonial Era and Revolution. The Felicity books, The Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter, The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare, Sarah Bishop by Scott O'Dell, anything involving Daniel Boone.
1800s -- Napoleonic Wars, British Regency, American frontier life. Jane Austen, Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series. Streams to the River, Rivers to the Sea by Scott O'Dell, anything about Davy Crockett and Kit Carson.
1860s -- American Civil War. Killer Angels by Michael Shaara, books by Shelby Foote, memoirs of soldiers, etc.
1870s-1900 -- American Old West. My favorite era for movies, and the one I love writing in the most. I'm very fond of Zane Grey, getting fonder of Louis L'Amour, and want to try out Max Brand.
1900s -- Victorian Era Britain. I love Sherlock Holmes!
1920s -- the Jazz Age. I love Fitzgerald and Hemingway, books by them or about them. Especially The Sun Also Rises and A Moveable Feast by Hemingway, and Tales of the Jazz Age and Flappers and Philosophers by Fitzgerald.
1940s -- WWII. Basically, anything set during WWII grabs my attention. Sarah Sundin, Raymond Chandler, anything historical about WWII. The Longest Day by Cornelius Ryan, Shadows Over Stonewycke by Michael Phillips and Judith Pella, anything by Bill Mauldin or Ernie Pyle.
That's only 9, but that's all I've got :-)
EDIT: No, it's not! I realized that I was thinking mostly about fiction, but I do read non-fiction (and a bit of fiction) about Biblical times, so I'm adding that to the top of this list.
I love The Witch of Blackbird Pond! I still remember getting it at a school book fair. Didn't you love the book fairs? I'll have to find it on my shelves and give it to my daughter to read, after I reread it myself, of course!
ReplyDeleteJennifer, I must admit I've only been to one book fair, decades ago. It was amazing!
DeleteI think my son is about old enough for EGS's books -- might have to try him on The Sign of the Beaver and see how he likes that one.
Both my kids loved The Sign of the Beaver. My son read it over and over.
DeleteI did too! I have a great fascination with stories about people getting adopted into Indian tribes.
DeleteNice list and I see so many of my favorite books on it. :) I love Killer Angels!
ReplyDeleteI was going to do TTT this week as I love history and all but I found the topic so overwhelming! I like how you separated the books out by years, which makes tons of sense on retrospect. I obviously was trying to mdjd it too complicated for myself.
Thanks, Lois! I went back and edited it this morning because I realized that duh, I read a lot about Biblical times too.
DeleteYou could always do a list even if it's not for TTT...
I've got Victorian, Napoleonic Wars and WWII on my list as well! :) Though I haven't been able to publish it yet, there seems to be a horrible glitch on my blog. I loved this week's Top Ten topic. <3
ReplyDeleteManette, very cool! Hope you can publish it soon. This is probably the TTT topic I've enjoyed the most -- I'm trying to make time to read lots of the entries this time instead of just blogs I'm already familiar with.
DeleteI'm trying something new as a segment of the 50 Classics. As a kid I loved the old sci-fi & bug-eyed monster movies, & bogey-bogey movies. I wasn't so much interested in the horror line.In no particular order:
ReplyDeleteFrankenstein
Dracula
Island of Dr Moreau
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
The War of the Worlds
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
I Am Legend.
The Haunting of Hill House
Just so I don't seem entirely whacked out, my list also includes Austin, Dickens, Hugo, Shakespeare, a few religious works.
That's a cool sublist, Kelda! I've read about half of those :-)
DeleteSee my full list at edificeofthemargent.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteWelcome!
You have a great list!
DeleteLooks like we agree on pretty much everything on this list. :) (No big surprise there, of course.)
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Westerns, have you ever read the Saga of the Sierras series by Brock and Bodie Theone? I don't usually like the Theones' books too much, but Mom owns the whole set of these and I've read most of the books several times. From what I remember, they're all more or less stand-alone, although a few of the books do have recurring characters. Plenty of adventure and great characterizations!
~Eva
Eva, another series I haven't heard of! My library has their "Legends of the West: Volume 2," but that's the only western by them. Should I give that one a whirl?
DeleteFinally, a good birthday gift idea! ;)
DeleteI asked Mom about the Legends of the West volumes, 'cause I know she checked a couple out from the library a while back, and she said they have some of the Saga books in them + some different stories. So I'm sure you'd enjoy the one your library has.
~Eva
Yes, it is!
DeleteI'm just hesitant to get volume 2 before volume 1... but I've added it to my library tbr list :-)
I've been told multiple times that I should try more Westerns - and to start with Max Brand. :)
ReplyDeleteCheck out my TTT.
Hi, Lauren! It's odd, given that I adore western films, but I read very few adult western novels until the last couple of years. I'm not sure what was wrong with me. Hee!
Delete