magic-in-every-book: TOP 5 FAVORITES: HISTORICAL FICTION Historical Fiction became my second favorit
magic-in-every-book: TOP 5 FAVORITES: HISTORICAL FICTION Historical Fiction became my second favorite genre (after Fantasy), only a few years ago with the help of recommendations from Tumblr. Since then, I’ve read as many that I could find. These are the 5 that have made the biggest impact. Keep in mind, all 5 of these books come with plenty of trigger warnings so make sure you are aware before picking up any of these books! 1. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak The Book Thief is a classic. If you’ve been active in any form of book community, you’ve probably heard of it, if you haven’t read it already. This book has such a beautiful and unique way of telling the story, with vibrant characters, and a lot of heartbreak. Taking place during WWII, it follows a young girl with an intense desire to read as she is placed in a new home after the death of her mother. I cannot recommend this book enough and highly encourage you to give it a chance if you haven’t read it yet. 2. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie For a while on tumblr, I was hearing a lot of recommendations for Adichie’s Americanah and We Should All Be Feminists. Sadly, neither of those were books I could get my hands on, so I picked up Half of a Yellow Sun instead. The book focuses on the Biafran War (1967-1970), in which the secessionist state of Biafra tried to separate from Nigeria, resulting in a gruesome war as Nigeria took horrific measures to shut down Biafra. Told in multiple point-of-views throughout a decade, this book is intense, emotional, but incredibly intricate and well written. 3. In the Time of Butterflies by Julia Alvarez Set during the reign of dictator Trujillo in the 1960s of the Dominican Republic, it tells a fictionalized account of the Mirabel sisters or “les mariposas”, three young women who inspired and rebelled against the dictatorship. This book is incredibly powerful, focusing on three women who were very real and did incredible things and inspired a lot of people during a horrific time in the Dominican Republic’s history. The writing is engaging and while the story has a sad end, it’s incredibly feminist and empowering. I won’t lie, I’m mildly obsessed with the Mirabel sisters and their story, and this novel is a perfect, riveting introduction to their legacy. 4. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys Everyone knows Stalin was a bad guy. However, most of my US History classes skated over much of the terror he wreaked. Between Shades of Gray introduced me to the mass deportations of the Baltic States (Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia) as Stalin forced civilians into labor camps. Told from the perspective of a Lithuanian 16-year-old named Lina, it explores the suffering and genocide, Stalin inflicted as well as the strength and hope of the people and the simple things that keep up going. Told in a simple, straight-forward manner, this encouraged me to further learn about Stalin, the USSR, the Baltic Nations, since my education just glossed over most of that a more. Emotional, poignant, and told by historical fiction writer Ruta Sepetys, it’s definitely a book to pick up! 5. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini Chronicling 30 years of Afghan history, A Thousand Splendid Suns focuses on the conditions women were subjected to and the inherent strength of all women. Most everyone has heard of The Kite Runner, Hosseini’s hugely successful first book, but I would argue Suns is even better. Focusing on both the role of mother and wife, as well as the strong friendships between women, this book was beautiful, touching, and heart-breaking. Honestly, I don’t know how to express what I deeply moving story this is, but Hosseini is an incredibly proficient writer and his story of two women and the bond that helps them survive the worst is one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read. -- source link