8 Tips for Getting into the Historical Fiction Genre

This is a blog post I've debated publishing here to my blog. I publish so many tips and suggestions posts here. I thought this type of post would be a bit redundant and repetitive given similar posts in the past. However, as I started thinking about it (and after a few messages over on my Bookstagram about this), I thought this may be a nice type of post to draft and publish. So yesterday, today, and tomorrow, I'll focus on tips for getting into certain genres that I read a lot.

For today, here are 8 tips for getting into the historical fiction genre.

Tip 1: Do your research.

Historical fiction is not the end all be all of history. It is fiction for a reason. As a result, if you want to learn more about a specific point in time, you can start with historical fiction, but you should not end there.

Tip 2: Don't worry about not knowing everything.

With historical fiction, you don't need to know everything about when the book's taking place. That's partially what makes it enjoyable. And it's also where Tip 1 comes into play. If you're curious, the option to do your research is always open to you.

Tip 3: Look into the author of the book.

This is a similar reason as to yesterday's post when I included it there. It's always a plus to look into the author of the book: do they typically write historical fiction, how much research did they put into the book, and other similar questions.

Tip 4: Look for books that focus on histories you're interested in.

Again, I included this tip for similar reasons as to yesterday's post. For that reason, I won't go into too much detail. But, like yesterday's posts, if you're reading a historical fiction book on a particular point in history (country, people, or other) that you're not interested in, you're not as likely to enjoy the book.

Tip 5: Be aware that there are a lot of sub-genres in the historical fiction genre.

Most of the sub-genres in historical fiction are genres in their own right: romance, sci-fi, etc. As a result, you won't enjoy a historical fiction romance if you're not a big romance person. This is a good thing to be aware of.

Tip 6: Be aware of the time period of the historical fiction work.

This is a similar tip to Tips 1-2. This will help you do your research if you want. Additionally, as mentioned in Tip 2, you don't need to know everything.

Tip 7: Be cautious of "What If" scenarios in historical fiction.

"What If" scenarios can be fun to grapple with, and it can be good in historical fiction if done well. However, it's good to be aware, if not cautious, of these what-if scenarios. That way, you know that it's not going to be fully accurate to actual history.

Tip 8: Be wary of how high-profile historical figures are portrayed.

I'm thinking of figures like Napoleon Bonaparte or Queen Cleopatra. There are quite a few stereotypes surrounding high-profile historical figures. As a result, if they're the focus in a historical fiction book, be a bit wary of how they're portrayed.

My Thoughts on My First BotM Box

As I mentioned yesterday, I got my first Book of the Month box in July. When I'm writing this (July, soon after I ordered my box), I'm still figuring out BotM, its website, and what exactly comes with a BotM subscription.

So far, it seems like you get one credit per month with your subscription to BotM. With that credit, you can choose a book from that month's book selection. Additionally, you can add on 1-2 more books for around 10-15 USD, depending on the book. (Pro-tip: subscribe to some BookTubers and watch their videos, because they may have a video where they were sponsored by BotM, and you can use their code.)

The two books I got were Sisters in Arms by Kaia Alderson and The People We Keep by Allison Larkin. I honestly think that being able to get 1-3 books for 10-15 USD is an amazing deal. This becomes even more of an amazing deal when, from what I understand, Book of the Month deals with hardcover books, which tend to be 20-30 USD or more.

Kaia Alderson's Sisters in Arms

Think of it this way: one hardcover is normally 20-30 USD. This means that two hardcovers are normally 40-60 USD, and three hardcovers are 60-90 USD. To get 1-3 hardcovers, with free shipping, for 10-20 USD is mind-blowing for me. One of those hardcovers can be covered by that month's credit.

(Certain hardcovers may be more than this. These are numbers are the average for what I've seen hardcovers go for, not including shipping.)

If I had the opportunity, and more importantly the money, I would buy every and any book I see that catches my attention. I don't care if the book is paperback or hardback - if it catches my eye for whatever reason, I would buy it if I had the means. However, recently, I've been trying to figure out how I can still read more without spending as much money. Apps like Libby have really helped me out in this way since I can just borrow books I'm unsure about. However, I have noticed that Libby doesn't have a lot of the recent releases I want to read before purchase.

This is why BotM is useful for me. I can buy recent releases at affordable prices without breaking my wallet. Additionally, you can skip a month and roll your credit over to the next month if none of the book selections of a particular month don't catch your eye. BotM is the only book subscription box where I've understood that you can skip a month without repercussions. (There are most likely some book subscription boxes with this bonus, but I can't name them.)

Allison Larkin's The People We Keep

I really hope to enjoy Sisters in Arms and The People We Keep sometime soon. However, there are so many books currently on my up-and-coming TBR (and because I'm in school with a bunch of reading already). As a result, I'm probably going to read these when I have a bit of a lull in school work and/or am on break.

My Top 8 Historical Fiction Book Recommendations

It's another book recommendations post! (Wow, two in one month . . . I won't post any more until next month lol.)

Unlike my post on historical fiction recommendations that don't revolve around WWII, this post will focus on my top 8 historical fiction book recommendations, no matter the setting.

My top 8 historical fiction book recommendations:

1. The Pull of the Stars, Emma Donoghue
2. Helen of Troy, Margaret George
3. The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller
4. The Paris Orphan, Natasha Lester
5. The Paris Seamstress, Natasha Lester
6. The Paris Secret, Natasha Lester
7. The Fountains of Silence, Ruta Sepetys
8. The Book Thief, Markus Zusak

6 Topics/Backdrops I'd Like to See in Historical Fiction

Piggybacking off of yesterday's post, I thought I'd make a post of what I'd like to see more in historical fiction. Honestly, there is so much I'd like to see in the genre. And many topics have to be done just right for it to be a good book in my opinion.

As I said in yesterday's post, there is a lot of World War II historical fiction. This isn't an issue, and it can definitely be good if done right. However, there are so many directions an author can go in when writing historical fiction. It doesn't have to be World War II, and it doesn't even have to be a war.

Here are 6 topics/backdrops I'd like to see in historical fiction. Some of these topics/backdrops do have to be written about with consideration, but there is so much to explore in all 6 of these!

Topic/Backdrop 1: Leadership

Initially, I had this as "monarchy," but I feel like "leadership" suits this better. But think about how much can be done if you look at Rome's Senate (or even emperors), or Athens' democracy, or Sparta's oligarchy-type situation. So much can be done if authors look at the leadership roles and positions within historic civilizations, past and present.

Topic/Backdrop 2: Egypt

I know I mentioned Anne Rice's Ramses the Damned duology yesterday, and I know there are some other historical fiction books about or set in Egypt out there. But there is so much to be explored within Egyptian history, and it makes a great backdrop for historical fiction.

Topic/Backdrop 3: Nubia

Nubia is essentially modern-day Sudan, and again: there is so much to explore here. Egypt got much of its gold from Nubia. And there's the relationship between Egypt and Nubia to consider here too.

Topic/Backdrop 4: Ancient Greece

I don't think I need to explain this one much, but it feels like I haven't seen any historical fiction set in Ancient Greece. Authors could look at the city-states, the relationship with the Mediterranean, and so much more. 

Topic/Backdrop 5: (Pre-)Colonial United States and Americas

The Colonial United States and the original 13 colonies would be a fun topic to cover in historical fiction. Although it's a short period of time, roughly 169 years between the founding of Jamestown and the start of the American Revolution, there are so many possibilities. If an author wanted to go the Pre-Colonial Americas route with their fiction, this is where they'd have to be careful and do a bunch of research around their book's topic.

Topic/Backdrop 6: Celtic Britain

Celtic Britain - or any Celtic civilization in Europe - would be so fun to read about. And if an author doesn't factor in the negative Roman view of the Celts, than a book on the subject could be so fun to read.

Why is World War II Such a Popular Topic for Historical Fiction Authors?

The historical fiction genre of books and literature is, to be frank, inundated with World War II settings. This is something I've always found a bit overwhelming. While it is a good backdrop for a story, there are too many books with WWII as its setting in one form or another.

Don't get me wrong. I have enjoyed the historical fiction books I've read that have WWII as its setting. I haven't read a lot, but I have enjoyed them. But there are so many books out there now that focus on WWII and/or its aftermath that it feels like too much.

So, why is this the case?

Firstly, World War II is fairly close to when we're living right now. It started 82 years ago and ended 75 years ago. It hasn't been even 100 years since the end of the war, let alone its start.

Secondly, there's a lot - and I mean a whole lot - of documentation surrounding World War II. War correspondence, newspapers, radio broadcasts, limited television, and others. There are leaders' speeches, negotiations, treaties, and others. While not all of this information is easily accessible by the layperson, it's very easy to do research regarding WWII.

However, I do think that there is a thin line between a well-written WWII historical fiction book and a poorly-written book on the same topic. And this line can represent different standards for different people, depending on their preferences.

Personally, I tend to steer away from war or military history, both in the nonfiction and fiction genres of literature. There isn't anything wrong with it, but it just doesn't help my own mental health. And I'm not really a war history buff.

I would like to see more variety in the historical genre fiction. And there is some of variety in the genre, even more so if you include mythology retellings (think The Song of Achilles, Circe, or Helen of Troy). There have been some World War I historical fiction books. Anne Rice wrote Ramses the Damned duology and The Feast of All Saints. There's also Margaret George's Nero duology along with some of her other fictional biographies of other historical figures (Cleopatra, Henry VIII, Mary Queen of Scotland).

So there is a lot of variety if you know what you're looking for (i.e. subject of the book or even a specific author). It's just that the historical fiction genre is pretty much flooded with World War II.

Why Being Selective of Your Reading is a Good Habit to Have

I got the idea for this blog post from a video I watched recently on A Clockwork Reader's YouTube channel: every book I read in 2020. In it, she mentioned that she was going to be more selective in the books she read for 2021.

Being open to all genres is a great way to approach reading. You're introduced to more books, more authors. As a result, you have more opportunity to find new books and authors that may become your favorites.

However, being selective about your reading and curating what books you read can greatly improve the overall quality of your reading.

With social media like book blogs, booktube, and bookstagram, it's easy to get swept up in the idea of quantity over quality. It's easy to think that the quantity of books you consume over a certain period of time is more important than the quality of your reads.

By "quality of your reads," I mean how many books you actually enjoyed. When it comes to reading, being selective of the books you read can really improve your overall reading year.

Here are 3 ways you can improve your reading year and be selective about what you read:

1. Know the basics of the book(s) you're planning to read. Look at its synopsis. Find it on Goodreads and look at the ratings and reviews. See what the statistics for how many 1-star, 2-star, 3-star, 4-star, and 5-star ratings there are. Also take a look at reviews (spoiler free) under each rating to get a rounded view of the book.
2. Come to terms with the fact that it's okay to DNF books. Setting a book down and no longer reading it is perfectly fine to do, especially if you're not liking the book.
3. Limit yourself to your favorite genres. You are always free to explore new or different genres, but if you limit whatever books you read to your favorite genre(s), it'll make for a much better reading year.

Book Formats: Where and How to Use Different Forms of Books

There are 3 formats of books, as we all know: physical, ebook, and audiobook. There are times and places where we can use one or more of the book formats, and hopefully this post will help you discern and prepare for those moments.

Physical books. They tend to be the preference among readers. However, there is a time and place for physical books. If you're at home, or relaxing in any other place that doesn't require much attention from you (such as a line, driving, and a wait, in some situations), those are good places to have access to whatever physical book(s) you're reading. If you're a passenger in a transportation vehicle (car, bus, train, etc.) and don't get motion sick, then that is also a good time to have a physical book on hand. (However, you should know to not read a physical book if you're the driver.) Places like beaches and pools are also good places to have a physical book for reading, if you take the proper precautions to take care of your books.

Electronic books, usually referred to as ebooks. Ebooks tend to be useful in most of the same situations as physical books are. It's easier to have an ebook for a wait - like in a line or for an appointment - if you have something like the Kindle app on your phone or iPad. It can be easy to carry around your phone or iPad over a physical book, and ebooks tend to be easier to have when you're not at home.

Audiobooks. Audiobooks, whether through Audible or another streaming service, are the easiest to have on hand when you're not at home. All you need is the app on your phone, and you have easy access to audiobooks. Audiobooks are great reading sources, and you can use them when you're in the car driving, or if you get motion sick but still want to read on a transportation vehicle. They can also be useful for when you're doing activities that don't require much attention, like exercise, laundry, or the dishes.

Why Authors Don't Have to Be Fully Accurate with Historical Fiction

Back on January 29, I made a post on what my preferences are for historical fiction. You can see the post linked here: What I Consider "Historical Fiction." Today's post is something I hinted at in that post: why authors don't have to be fully accurate with historical fiction.

Today's post is going to elaborate on the following comment I made in the post from January 29:

There is nothing wrong with an author wanting to be accurate with the historical fiction book they're writing. However, historical fiction is fiction for a reason. If an author wants to be completely accurate to the history they're writing, they should just write a history nonfiction book.

You can see the post I linked above for what I look in a historical fiction novel. One big think I'm not looking for - along with many others - in historical fiction is historical accuracy.

As I mentioned in the quote above, historical fiction is fiction for a reason. Whether you're reading historical fiction or fiction under another genre (such as fantasy), you're usually looking to escape the real world and what's happened in it. It's nice to have accurate homages in a historical fiction book, but they have to be small and not overwhelming the book.

What I Consider "Historical Fiction"

For me, historical fiction has been a hit-or-miss genre. You can see more details on my relationship with the genre at the following posts: My Relationship with Historical Fiction (Part 1) and My Relationship with Historical Fiction (Part 2).

Historical fiction can be a hard genre to define, and it can change slightly for different people. In my opinion, setting and plot are the most important factors to a historical fiction book.

Other than the setting and plot, a historical fiction novel is free range for the author. It's "free range" for the author because the story doesn't need to be completely accurate to actual history.

Please note that there is nothing wrong with an author wanting to be accurate with the historical fiction book they're writing. However, historical fiction is fiction for a reason. If an author wants to be completely accurate to the history they're writing, they should just write a history nonfiction book. (This is something that will its own post in February, so that's all I'll say.)

Even if it's under the historical fiction genre on Goodreads, I have a few requirements for me to consider a book historical fiction. I mentioned setting and plot earlier. My personal preference is that the setting and plot needs to be saturated in historical vibes. I need things like language, clothing, and mood that show me the time period the author is trying to encapsulate. I think that language, mood, and clothing are important to represent in historical fiction. They're not the same as modern day language, mood, and clothing. The time period can't just be hinted at or stated in the book's synopsis.

Why History is My Preferred Genre

In this post, I'm referring to the historical nonfiction and historical fiction sub-genres as just as just their main genre, history.

For me, the long and short of this answer is this: I love history. I'm getting my degree in history, and I hope to make a career out of it. In my experience, though, saying "I love history" supposedly isn't enough when I'm asked why I read mostly history.

I had to take a bit of time to think about a more detailed answer, but I think I have a definite answer.

I find that reading history really energizes me, and I absolutely love learning. For me, reading books that add to what I plan to make a career of is both entertaining and a learning experience.

I have nothing against other genres. Starting in mid-November 2020, I've read quite a few more books within the fantasy genre. However, history is the genre I gravitate to.

For more details, please go read yesterday's post: Why You Shouldn't Assume That People Who Reads Exclusively History, Classics, or Nonfiction Are Snobs.

Why You Shouldn't Assume That People Who Reads Exclusively History, Classics, or Nonfiction Are Snobs

For clarification: under the umbrella genre of "history," I am including the sub-genres of historical nonfiction and historical fiction.

Here's the long and short of why history is my preferred genre for reading: I love history, and I'm a history major.

There is always that small percentage of people that gives me a stink eye when I say I enjoy the history genre. I seemingly always need to explain to them that, "No, I'm not a genre snob. I just like reading within my genre of choice." I want to say that you will never see nor hear me bringing down another literary genre just because it's not my taste.

We all, as individuals, have our own unique tastes when it comes to what we do and don't read. This is something I respect.

I do understand why people who read only nonfiction, classics, or history came to be seen as snobs. Most of the time, they were bringing down other genres for not being as "sophisticated" (whatever that means).

In today's literary climate, I don't think it's fair to think people are snobs when they only read nonfiction, classics, or history. Most of the people I've encountered who read exclusively in these 3 particular genres are not snobs in any way, shape, or form. Granted, some of them are snobs, but it isn't fair to generalize an entire group of readers by just a small percentage of that group.

Here's my request for those of you who don't read history or historical nonfiction books. If someone tells you that history is their preferred genre, don't just assume that they're snobs. Instead, ask them why it's their preferred genre.

It is okay to have genres you don't like or simply don't want to read. All bookworms have one to two genres that they aren't interested in. Just don't judge someone else if they like a genre or two that you don't.

How I Review Historical Fiction Books

I have gotten a few questions about my review style, so I thought I'd explain it here on my blog. You can see yesterday's post here: How I Review History Books.

Unlike my reviews for history books, my reviews for historical fiction books don't require as much thought or critical thinking. As I mentioned in my post My Relationship with Historical Fiction (Part 2), I do look at/for a few things when reading historical fiction.

1. Historical Accuracy - this is more along the lines of the period in time the book is set and the physical setting
1. Characters can factor into this one, but it really depends on an individual book and if specific people play a role in the book
2. Creative License - this one is pretty self explanatory
3. Believability - is the story believable, taking into account both the historical accuracy and the creative license

While using the Goodreads set up for reviewing books (5/5 star rating and a review), I also have my own personal set up for book reviews, seen below.

Title: ____

Author: ____

Summary: ____

Storyline: 5/5 stars

Characters: 5/5 stars

Setting: 5/5 stars

Overall: 15/15 stars

Similarly with my history book reviews, I use this set up for two reasons.

In my opinion, storyline and setting are some of the more important aspects of historical fiction. Characters do certainly add to it, as they do with any genre, but it's the storyline and the setting that place a book in the historical fiction genre.

The second is that learning about that time is definitely more dependent on the reader for historical fiction books. Either you, as the reader, already know about that time, place, person, etc., or you don't know. In either case, you are ultimately encouraged to learn more to have a better understanding of where the author got the inspiration for the book.

My Relationship with Historical Fiction (Part 2)

See the Part 1 for a bit more context: My Relationship with Historical Fiction (Part 1).

I am very picky about when history - events, people, etc. - are placed into pop culture works like books or movies. Part of my feelings do have to do with the accuracy. However, knowing that these are works of fiction, I do have to remind myself to take that into account.

So here's how I judge the historical fiction books I read

1. Historical Accuracy - this is more along the lines of the period in time the book is set and the physical setting
1. Characters can factor into this one, but it really depends on an individual book and if specific people play a role in the book
2. Creative License - this one is pretty self explanatory
3. Believability - is the story believable, taking into account both the historical accuracy and the creative license

I can't say that any of those points are more important than the others. This is because, when I'm reviewing a historical fiction, all three of those points work together. And even when a book checks off all three of those points, I still may not like the book. It's complicated, I know.

I want to close off this 2-part post by stating the following. It is perfectly okay to be picky about what books you read, no matter the genre(s). You're reading those books, and you have a right to whatever reading standards you hold. However, just because you do or don't like a book doesn't mean other people have to agree with you.

My Relationship with Historical Fiction (Part 1)

If you've kept up with my bookstagram, @historybookreads, for a while now, you know that my main genre is history. If you also kept up with my bookstagram in 2020, you may have noticed that December was my month off from reading history books (both history and historical fiction).

Side note: the topics of reading within one genre and reading outside your preferred genre will be coming up as Controversial Bookish Topics posts in the near future.

I have had a very complicated relationship with historical fiction. Some historical fiction books made me cringe, and others I absolutely loved. There was really no middle ground. I always had strong feelings of some sort after reading historical fiction. See below for the list of historical fiction books I've read.

The Confessions of Young Nero, Margaret George

The Splendor Before the Dark, Margaret George

Lilac Girls, Martha Hall Kelly

Lost Roses, Martha Hall Kelly

The Paris Orphan, Natasha Lester

The Paris Seamstress, Natasha Lester

The Paris Secret, Natasha Lester

The Feast of All Saints, Anne Rice

The Mummy, Anne Rice

The Passion of Cleopatra, Anne Rice