Tags
Anne Perry, Barbara Kyle, Bernard Cornwell, Colleen McCullough, CW Gortner, Deanna Raybourn, Diana Gabaldon, Edward Rutherfurd, Elizabeth Chadwick, Emma Darwin, favourite historical fiction authors, Geraldine Brooks, Harry Sidebottom, Helen Hollick, Hilary Mantel, historical fiction survey, Jacqueline Winspear, John Jakes, Ken Follett, Lindsey Davis, Margaret George, Michelle Moran, Sarah Dunant, Sarah Waters, Sharon Kay Penman, Susan Higginbotham
After conducting the historical fiction survey and discovering a bunch of favourite authors, I decided that I should read as many of them as possible – not all their work but at least one book each. In some cases – Philippa Gregory is an example – I had already experienced the author but others, like CW Gortner or Deanna Raybourn, were unknown to me. So here’s my progress on the top 40, by the way, I’m concentrating on living authors.
READ OR READING
- Sharon Kay Penman – Time and Chance
- Philippa Gregory – the latest was Fallen Skies (an early work set in post-WWI times)
- Elizabeth Chadwick – The Running Vixen
- Bernard Cornwell – Sword Song
- Ken Follett – Fall of Giants
- CW Gortner – The Last Queen and The Queen’s Vow
- Michelle Moran – Cleopatra’s Daughter
- Susan Higginbotham – Traitor’s Wife
- Helen Hollick – Forever Queen
- Anne Perry – The Sheen on the Silk
- Geraldine Brooks – People of the Book
- Jacqueline Winspear – Maisie Dobbs
- Deanna Raybourn – Silent in the Sanctuary and Silent in the Grave
TO BE READ
- Diana Gabaldon – one of her Lord John Grey series (since I’ve read almost all of Outlander)
- Alison Weir – Mistress of the Monarchy (a new author for me)
- Margaret George – Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles (such a tragic figure)
- CJ Sansom – Heartstone (one of his Matthew Shardlake series)
- Tracy Chevalier – The Virgin Blue (interweaving present and past)
- Hilary Mantel – Bring up the Bodies (completing the Wolf Hall story)
- Sarah Dunant – Sacred Hearts (set in a 16th Italian convent)
- Colleen McCullough – The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet (haven’t read this Australian author since The Thorn Birds)
- Lindsey Davis – The Course of Honour (another new author)
- Edward Rutherfurd – Dublin (who can resist Dublin?)
- Sarah Waters – The Night Watch (WWII is up my alley)
- Jean Auel – I’ve read them all (no pun intended)
- John Jakes – On Secret Service (because I enjoy spies)
I have my work cut out for me. I’ll be trying to figure out what makes them such favourites.
PS – I’ve also read The Mathematics of Love by Emma Darwin, Fire in the East by Harry Sidebottom and The King’s Daughter by Barbara Kyle.
