#OOCZ Recs: Historical Fiction 📚 Back to the Past! 💗

Hello fellow bookworms 💗 I have been wanting to do this recommendation series since last year! #OOCZRecs is inspired by my Out of Comfort Zone Challenge and aims to recommend a) books I have discovered outside of my comfort zone OR b) books within my comfort zone that I can recommend to people new to the genre (these will be explicitly titled Beginner’s Guide to distinguish them). I’m hoping this can be a resource for people hoping to explore a new genre, but not knowing where to start! 🥰 I’ll be doing these every month (or couple of months depending on my schedule) and covering different genres and age ranges. We’re starting with HISTORICAL FICTION because I’m aiming to read as much of this genre as possible this month for #DevourYourTBR’s challenge 😊 All covers link back to Goodreads so you can read the synopsis and I have also included buzzwords and my review for each of the books!

📚 Pre-19th Century 📚

• His Fair Assassin by Robin LaFevers ✨ 13th Century ✨ Brittany, Assassin Nuns, Political Intrigue ✨ Read my Review
• My Lady Jane by Ashton, Hand, Meadows ✨ 1535 ✨ Humorous Fantasy retelling of Lady Jane Grey ✨ Read my Review
• Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones ✨ Between 1756-1791 ✨ Austria, during Mozart’s Time ✨ Read my Review

➽ It was interesting to see that I have mostly read books from the 19th and 20th centuries when it comes to Historical Fiction, but there are also great books set before these times! I only have three books that are set between the 13th and 18th century but hope to read more books set before the 19th century in the future. I want to explore more time periods that I haven’t read much from 😊

📒 19th Century 📒

• A Holiday by Gaslight by Mimi Matthews ✨ 19th Century ✨ Victorian Christmas Novella ✨ Read my Review
• My Plain Jane by Ashton, Hand, Meadows ✨ 1834 ✨ Jane Eyre Retelling, Bronte Sisters ✨ Read my Review
• My Calamity Jane by Ashton, Hand, Meadows ✨ 1876 ✨ American Wild West ✨ Read my Review

• Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco ✨ 1888 ✨ London, Jack the Ripper ✨ Read my Review
• The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi ✨ 1889 ✨ Paris, Heists & Puzzles ✨ Read my Review
• The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee ✨ 1890 ✨ Atlanta, Georgia ✨ Read my Review
• Jackaby by William Ritter ✨ 1892 ✨ New England, Paranormal Mystery ✨ Read my Review

➽ The books that I recommend from the 19th century are all very different from each other and are set in many different places, so I hope there is something that catches your interest! There are books set in America (including the Wild West), in London during Victorian Times and also in Paris! Many of them also have fantasy elements (The Gilded Wolves, Jackaby, The Lady Janies), which is something I personally love 🥰

📖 World War 2 (1939-1945) + 20th Century 📖

• Nothing But Sky by Amy Trueblood ✨ 1920s ✨ Barnstorming & Wingwalking in America post World War 1 ✨ Read my Review
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak ✨ World War 2 ✨ Narrated by Death, Foster Family ✨ Read my Review
• Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein ✨ World War 2 ✨ British Spy caught in France & subsequent interrogation ✨ Read my Review

• Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys ✨ World War 2 ✨ Greatest tragedy in maritime history ✨ Read my Review
• White Rose by Kip Wilson ✨ World War 2 ✨ Retelling of Sophie Scholl’s story, Written in verse ✨ Read my Review
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Shaffer & Barrows ✨ 1946 ✨ Post-War, Letter Writing ✨ Read my Review

• The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid ✨ 1950s-Present ✨ Retelling of Evelyn Hugo’s life story ✨ Read my Review
• I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys ✨ 1989 ✨ Romania’s Revolution ✨ Read my Review

➽ Most books that I recommend are from the 20th century! There are many great books covering the second world war, as I think it’s still important to read perspectives from this time period. However, I have also read books that are set after the first world war and directly after the second world war, showing the impact of these events and how people are coping. I have also recently read a book set in the 80s about Romania’s revolution and hope to read more books set in this time period!

Have you read any of the books from my list? Did you like them? What are your favorite historical fiction books? 💗

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