Thursday, June 29, 2017

RJF ~ Favorite Historical Fiction books

Hello all! Today I'm posting as a part of Deborah's Recommend June Fest. So I'm going to give you a list of my favorite Historical Fiction books. Since it's like, my favorite genre ever. I know, you never would have guessed. xD



London in the Dark: 


London, 1910

Budding Private Detective Cyril Arlington Hartwell has a conundrum. London is being ravaged by the largest run of thefts in recent history. His hunch that it is all tied together may put him and those he loves in more danger than he could have reckoned.

Olivia Larken Hartwell is just home from boarding school for the summer anticipating time with her adoring parents.She misses her absent brother, Cyril, hoping for the day he will finally come home. But tragedy strikes, causing upheaval for all concerned and changes her life in a way she never could have imagined. 

Olivia, Cyril, and their friends must bring the hidden to light, seek to execute justice, and dispel the darkness that hovers over London… and their hearts.



Resist:


Munich, Germany 1942—Hans Scholl never intended to get his younger sister involved in an underground resistance. When Sophie Scholl finds out, she insists on joining Hans and his close friends in writing and distributing anti-Nazi leaflets entitled, The White Rose. The young university students call out to the German people, begging them to not allow their consciences to become dormant, but to resist their tyrannical leader and corrupt government. Hans knows the consequences for their actions—execution for committing high treason—but firm in his convictions, he’s prepared to lose his life for a righteous cause. Based on a true story, Hans, Sophie and all the members of The White Rose resistance will forever inspire and challenge us to do what is right in the midst of overwhelming evil. 


Emmeline:


What if Jane Austen’s Emma lived in America in the year 1930? 

The talk of stock market crashes and depression isn’t going to keep Emmeline Wellington down. Born to wealth and privilege, Emmeline wants nothing more than to help her new friend, Catarina, find a husband. Emmeline sets her sights on one of the town’s most eligible bachelors, but nothing seems to go right. Even her friend and neighbor Fredrick Knight seems to question her at every turn. 

Will she help Catarina find the man of her dreams? Why is her father acting so strangely? Will the downturn affect her life, despite her best efforts? 


When Tides Turn:


Tess Beaumont is tired of being thought of as just a pretty face. Eager to do her part for the war effort, she joins the Navy's newly established WAVES program for women. Perhaps there she can convince people that there is more to her than meets the eye.

Lt. Dan Avery has been using his skills in the fight against German U-boats and hoping to make admiral. The last thing he wants to see on his radar is a girl like Tess. Convinced that romance will interfere with his goals, Dan is determined to stay the course, no matter how intriguing a distraction Tess is.

But love, like war, is unpredictable. When Dan is shipped out at the peak of the Battle of the Atlantic, he finds himself torn between his lifelong career goals and his desire to help the beguiling Tess root out a possible spy on shore. Could this fun-loving glamour girl really be the one? 


The Butterfly and the Violin:


A Mysterious painting breathes hope and beauty into the darkest corners of Auschwitz--and the loneliest hearts of Manhattan.

Manhattan art dealer Sera James watched her world crumble at the altar two years ago, and her heart is still fragile. Her desire for distraction reignites a passion for a mysterious portrait she first saw as a young girl--a painting of a young violinist with piercing blue eyes.

In her search for the painting, Sera crosses paths with William Hanover--the grandson of a wealthy California real estate mogul--who may be the key to uncovering the hidden masterpiece. Together Sera and William slowly unravel the story behind the painting's subject: Austrian violinist Adele Von Bron.

A darling of the Austrian aristocracy of 1942, talented violinist, and daughter to a high-ranking member of the Third Reich, Adele risks everything when she begins smuggling Jews out of Vienna. In a heartbeat, her life of prosperity and privilege dissolves into a world of starvation and barbed wire.

As Sera untangles the secrets behind the painting, she finds beauty in the most unlikely of places: the grim camps of Auschwitz and the inner recesses of her own troubled heart.



Brothers in Arms:


Franz Kappel and Japhet Buchanan never expected their friendship to be tested by the Th ird Reich. Friends from early childhood, the boys form an inseparable, brotherly bond. Growing up in a little German village, they escape most of the struggles of war until the day Japhet is banished from school for being a Jew, and later has a rib broken when other village boys beat him up. Franz learns he is putting himself in danger for spending so much time with Japhet but continues to stand up for his Jewish friend even at the risk to himself. Th en one day their lives are shattered when they see first-hand that the price of being a Jew is dangerously high. 
With the war now on their doorsteps, Franz and Japhet come up with a desperate plan to save their families and get them out of Germany alive. Leaving behind the lives they've always known, they move into Berlin with nothing to protect them but forged papers and each other. Convinced their friendship can keep them going, the boys try and make a new life for themselves while trying to keep their true identities and Japhet's heritage a secret. Taking his best friend's safety upon himself, Franz joins the Nazis in an attempt to get valuable information. At the same time, Japhet joins the Jewish Resistance, neither friend telling the other of their new occupations.
With everyone in their world telling them a Nazi and a Jew can't be friends, it is only a matter of time before they believe all the lies themselves, until neither is certain if they are fi ghting against a race of people or fi ghting for their homeland. Somehow they have to survive the horrors of World War II, even when all of Germany seems to be against them.


There are just a few of my favorites. Tell me, have you read any of them? Do any of them sound like one you'd enjoy? 


10 comments:

  1. Book recommendation posts are always a lot of fun! :)
    “London in the Dark” sounds good. I’d like to read it sometime. I still haven’t gotten around to reading “When Tides Turn”, but I really want to later this summer! :D

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    1. Yesss, they are! I'm so glad you agree. ;)
      It is really good! I think you'd enjoy it! and You MUST read 'When Tides Turn"!!! It's my favorite Sarah Sundin book EVER! :D

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  2. Thank you so much for participating in the Fest! I was so excited to see this post!!

    I've only read "London in the Dark", but I've been wanting to read the other ones for quite a while now. Hopefully not too much longer. ;)

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    1. Of course! Thank you for hosting it. ;) I meant to post a bit earlier, but better late than never, right? xD

      *nods* You must read the others! I have a couple of them, if you'd be interested in borrowing them sometime... :)

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  3. Haven't read any here but this was really cool and I must get to reading more hi-fi (that is the correct term, yes?) And I think I would like them all but it seems you have pasted the same synopsis for the last two books? I have been toying with the idea of writing some historical fiction myself :)

    Lisa
    www.thisinkwell.blogspot.com

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    1. Historical fiction is just. plain. awesome. I adore it so much! ^-^
      *headesk* Yes, I did. And I proofread the post twice. Goes to show how much my editing works. ;P Thanks for pointing it out; it's fixed now!
      Oh, that would be so cool! What time period would you write in?

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    2. I am thinking of 1950s Singapore or early 1900s Finland (my roots, see?) and so far my ideas sound good. just... research. Haha it always feels daunting xD

      And I really wanna read Brothers in Arms :)

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    3. Oh, those sounds interesting! And yeah, research can be time consuming, but I love it so much! Often it's my favorite part of the writing process. ;)

      Yes, you should. You will cry, but it is amazing and worth it. xD

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  4. I'm so honored that RESIST is on your list! Thank you! I'll have to check out some of these titles. I've read "The Butterfly and the Violin" and "Brothers-in-Arms" and loved them both!

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    1. Oh, of course! I love your book so much! I need to get my own copy and stop borrowing our library's. xD
      Ohh, yes, those were both really good! Along with "Resist", those two and "When Tides Turn" are probably my favorite Historical fiction titles, if I had to chose just a handful. Have you read any of Sarah Sundin's books?
      All of hers are so, so good, and very realistic and historically accurate!

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