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.

12 Tips for Approaching a Goodreads Reading Challenge (Or Any Reading Challenge)

Yesterday, I made a post talking about where I'm at with my Goodreads reading challenge. However, today I wanted to focus on tips and suggestions for tackling your own Goodreads reading challenge.

A lot of these tips will most likely overlap with reading tips I've given in the past, so don't be surprised or confused about that. Many reading tips do correlate with different sections of reading, whether it's a reading challenge, reading more, or other.

Here are 12 tips for approaching a Goodreads reading challenge (or any reading challenge).

Tip 1: Set a goal that's right for you.

You don't need to set a reading goal of 100+ books because that's what other people are doing. If you feel comfortable reading 100+ books in one year, then set that as your goal if you think you can do it. However, just because Friend A and Person B are setting their goals at 100 and 200 books respectively, that doesn't mean you have to. If a goal of 50 books feels right for you, then that's what it should be.

Tip 2: Pace yourself.

I feel like I've touched on this tip a few times, but pacing yourself is super important for reading. It's not always the healthiest thing to be reading book after book after book after book. You don't have to read slowly, but allow yourself some breathing room between books, and even between activities. I.e. give yourself time to go from studying to reading for fun.

Tip 3: Include any and all books you read for classes if you're a student.

If you're a student like me, include the books you read for your classes. Yes, this includes any textbooks you have to read. This really depends on the subject material of the books, but include these books. That'll bump up the number of books you've read by the end of the semester.

Note: Not everyone will want to do this, and that's okay. It may be because they want to include only the books they actively chose to read (rather than being assigned something), or they don't actually read books assigned in class. (We've all been there at some point...) Do what you feel comfortable doing.

Tip 4: Have a book on hand at all times.

I've talked about this a bunch already, but I'll say one last thing on it. Having a book on hand at all times will help you out in the end, no matter the reason.

Tip 5: Don't limit yourself to physical books.

I have talked about this one so much, but I'll mention it again. Ebooks and audiobooks are so helpful, especially if you're out and about.

Tip 6: Borrow books.

Whether it's from your local library or from reader friends and family, borrowing books is a great help to your reading challenge. And there are apps, like Libby and OverDrive, that will let you borrow audiobooks and ebooks from the library. However, if you're borrowing a physical book, please remember to return the book in the condition it was given to you.

Tip 7: If you have friends and family who are big readers, do a buddy read or two.

Buddy reads can really help you get through a book. How you set up the buddy read is up to you. You can meet regularly and read the book together for an hour, or you can set a date to be finished by and discuss it then. You can read another book at the same time.

Tip 8: Set aside time to read.

This is the most crucial tip in my opinion. Setting aside time to read can ultimately help you read more. You'll ultimately finish more books as a result. It doesn't matter if this time is daily or weekly as long as you have time you know you can just relax and read.

Tip 9: Read 2-3 books at once, if you feel comfortable doing so.

I've talked about reading 2+ books at once, and if you feel comfortable doing it, it can also help bump up how many books you read per year. However, all the other tips do come into play with this one.

Tip 10: Have any physical books you're currently reading in an obvious spot.

Having a stack of your currently reading pile (the physical books, at least), can help you gauge what books you need to finish. It can also help you determine if your currently reading list is getting a bit too big or long.

Tip 11: Keep track of your TBR and currently reading piles.

Whether you do this through Goodreads, a notebook, a document, or otherwise, keep track of what's on your TBR list and what you're currently reading. This way, you can know what you have read, what you need to finish, and what you can read next.

Tip 12: It is okay to DNF books.

Thank god DNF-ing books is becoming more normal. But there are still some of us readers out there who aren't comfortable with this concept quite yet. It is okay to DNF books. It doesn't matter the reason, but if you aren't feeling a book, it's okay to set it down.

Where I'm At With My Goodreads Reading Challenge

I thought I'd give you all an update on how I'm doing with my Goodreads reading challenge. If you aren't familiar with the Goodreads reading challenge, here's the gist: you set a specific number of books that you plan to read over the course of the year.

Since I've started the Goodreads reading challenge, I've changed my reading goal a couple of times. I either increased or decreased the number of books based on how many books I've read by that point. Usually, this happens by the end of the year, usually in late November or December. And I usually do this when I feel like I can squeeze in a couple more books or if I want to relieve any pressure or stress.

This year, my reading goal is at 125 books. I think I changed it once earlier this year, but I can't quite recall. (Oops, lol.) To meet this goal, I need to read about 10.5 books per month. So far, I've read 56 books. Apparently, I'm also 8 books ahead of schedule. I'm actually feeling pretty good about my reading challenge for 2021, which is a positive thing.

To calculate how many books you need to read per month to meet your reading challenge, simply divide your reading goal by 12. For mine, it's 125÷12, which results in 10.416. I just rounded mine up to 10.5 since that's the easiest thing to do.

However, do not feel pressured to know how many books you need to read per month. If it helps you gauge your time, then go for it. But it's not a necessity. Oftentimes, it can stress you out. Unless calculating how many books you need to read per month actually helps you in one way or another, don't feel obligated to do it.

10 Tips for How to Begin a History Research Paper

Given what I posted yesterday, I wanted to make a post on how to begin a history research paper. Whether this paper is for a class, for publication, or for any other reason, I hope this post helps you begin your research and research paper.

This post will focus on __ tips for beginning your history research paper.

Tip 1: First, and foremost, you need to know what you'll write about in your history paper.

If you're writing a research paper for a history class, you most likely have a prompt of some sort. However, you should know how you'll answer that prompt. Do you agree with the prompt? Disagree with it? Are you in the middle ground when it comes to the prompt? (Yes, you can agree and disagree with a prompt, especially if it has multiple parts to it.) However, if you're a professional historian, you won't have an official "prompt" for your paper. You may have topics you want to write on based on books you've read or something you've watched. No matter what situation you're in, you need to know what your paper will be about. So know what your prompt is, know what question you're trying to answer.

Tip 2: Go to Amazon (US link), Goodreads, Google Books, and Google NGram and look up books on your topic.

Look at the years the books were published. If it's a more recently published book, maybe steer away from that topic. If the book was published 10 or more years ago, then feel free to go with the topic Looking at the sites listed above can also show you how much has been written on a particular topic, so they're definitely great resources to start off at.

Tip 3: If you're able, read the first chapter or two of any books you find.

Usually, you can get books 100+ years old for free through Google Books. However, if copyright is still in place due to how old the book is, Google Books usually offers a preview of some sort. Amazon may also offer previews, but book previews are hit or miss on Amazon. Usually, you get the author's thesis within the first chapter of the book they wrote on the topic. And you can 100% disagree with their thesis in your own thesis. I.e. if someone says that the Crusades were only about religion, but you found evidence to the contrary, you can say that: "[Scholar A] claimed in [Source B] that the Crusades were only about religion. The Crusades were not just about religion. They were about X, Y, and Z as well."

Tip 4: Use Wikipedia as a starting point.

I made the following post about using Wikipedia back in March: Why Wikipedia IS Your Best Friend for Research. As I mentioned in that post, though, Wikipedia is only a starting point for your research. It is a great place to start your research because you can get basic information on your research topic. From there, you can move on to databases and other resources for your paper.

Tip 5: Remember that your paper should be based mostly on primary sources.

Your research paper needs to be based on your interpretations and argument about the primary sources for your topic. While secondary sources can be helpful for boosting an argument, those secondary sources are not what your paper should be based on.

Tip 6: Secondary sources should be used mostly for context and historiography.

Historiography is the study of history and/or historical writing. This is where your secondary sources come in the handiest - you're showing what other scholars have said about a topic, and you're giving context to your own paper. However, your secondary sources shouldn't outnumber your primary sources,

Tip 7: Take notes on your sources.

Your notes do not have to be super in-depth and detailed. It can be as simple as what quotes you want to use in your paper. However, taking notes on your sources can really help hone in your thesis and argument if you have notes and keep them all in one place.

Tip 8: Paraphrase quotes as much as possible.

When you paraphrase quotes, you show that you have an understanding of that quote, and you can make it easier for your readers to understand. Unless your research paper is heavily based on a person's writing, or you can't think of a better way to rephrase the quote, you want to paraphrase quotes as much as possible. And depending on the quote's length, it can really tidy up your paper.

Tip 9: Remember that you will be using the Chicago citation style with most history research papers.

The two most useful resources are the Chicago Manual of Style Online and Kate Turabian's A Manuel for Writers (US Amazon link) for learning how to set up Chicago citations for both the bibliography and footnotes. It can be confusing, whether or not you're used to it. So remember to always look at these two sources for help.

Tip 10: If you can't find enough primary sources for your paper, or you can't get access to primary sources, it's okay to change gears for your paper. But make sure to do it as early as possible.

I had to do this with my paper for my history proseminar in the Spring 2021 semester. I was finding primary resources for one part of my thesis, but I didn't have access to them without paying 50+ USD. As a university student, paying $50+ for one primary resource that I was probably not going to look at again is not the best option for me right now. That's when I had to switch gears. And it is perfectly okay to switch gears. But you need to do it as early as possible so that you're not rushing at the end to wrap up your paper.

Specific Resources for Research on Google: Google Books and Google NGram

This is a resource I learned about over this past semester, and I found it so useful. Google Books and Google NGram are two of the most useful Google sources for researching, especially if you aren't attached to a school or university.

In my History Proseminar class this past semester (the Spring 2021 semester by the US university system), I wrote a research paper on the writings of Giovanni Belzoni and Thomas Young, two Egyptologists who worked for the British in the early 19th century. My paper turned out really well, and I got a __% on it.

However, I wouldn't have been able to get far in my research without Google Books or the Google NGram. My university's databases had some resources, but they didn't have enough primary sources for me to make a strong case for my thesis. That's where Google Books and Google NGram came in to the picture.

Why is Google NGram so useful? In Google NGram, you can include 1 or more terms, phrases, names, etc., and see when the term(s) was most used during a specific period of time. You can also set a specific time frame for the term you're searching for, For your research, this can really help you figure out what periods of time your primary sources should be coming from.

Why is Google Books so useful? If there is a primary resource you need, and it's over 100 years old, you will most likely be able to access that resource through Google Books. And YES, books are considered primary resources IF they're published during the time the event happened, are autobiographies, or are by the person you're researching. Books aren't always primary resources, but they can be.

Has Reading Changed or Helped Me?

This may sound like a cliche. And it is. "[Insert word/activity] changed me." But that doesn't mean that this phrase doesn't hold ground when it comes to important items or activities in your life.

For me, reading has "changed" me quite a bit. I put changed in quotations because I don't think reading has changed me in the traditional meaning of the word "change."

Reading has changed me in the sense that, as I grow older and read more, my curiosity only increases. It's also changed me in the sense that I feel like I have an entire world open to me, at my disposal. And in Covid, quarantine times, reading has definitely helped me "go places" while at home. Reading history books - the Tudors, Ancient Egypt, world history, etc. - has also changed me. It's helped me to understand history in relation to today. It's also humbled me quite a bit.

So, for me at least, reading hasn't so much "changed" me. There are a lot of things that factor into who I am. As a result, as much as it pains me to say this, reading is simply one factor in what makes me "me." I guess that means it's more helped me rather than changed me.

June 2021 TBR

It's that time of the month: my monthly TBR list! As you may know from my TBR posts over on my history bookstagram, I keep my monthly TBR at 6 books per month.

June's TBR post should be up on my history bookstagram by 7:00am PT (Pacific Time/West Coast of North America).

June 2021 TBR

1. The Red Prince, Helen Carr
2. Beyond the Halls, Mackenzie Finklea
3. Elizabeth I, Margaret George

June 2021 TBR: Books I Need to Finish

1. Oriental Mythology (The Masks of God #2), Joseph Campbell
2. The Pull of the Stars, Emma Donoghue
3. The Nightingale, Kristin Hannah
4. The Fountains of Silence, Ruta Sepetys

I'm keeping my official TBR at 3 books this month, mainly because of the 4 books I started in May and need to finish.