My Favourite World War II Fiction Books

[@WomanVsBooks]

I’m the same as you, I love World War Two fiction can’t get enough of it! Great recommendations 😀 I adore The Book Thief, even thinking of it makes me tearful 😢

[@zlatinaradeva8112]

Read ,,salt to the sea"... Amazing book

[@sabcayen9814]

dick slayer “like a river from its course” is in some ways similar to salt to the sea.

[@Karolina-p7z4k]

I highly recommend Salt to the sea and Between shades of gray from Ruta Sepetys. They are my absolute favourites. And also The girl who fell from the sky from Simon Mawer

[@wedazzle2744]

I absolutely loved All The Light We Cannot See and also The Book Thief. I also highly recommend The Boy In The Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

[@jessicawatson7360]

Loved the film and book of The Boy In The Striped Panama’s.

[@scho-ka-kola2917]

Ah yes a very good movie!

[@rashibhanot6259]

Same! All the light we cannot see and the boy in stripped pajamas literally had me crying! Right now I'm trying to convince my friends to read them too!

[@TheBookishLand]

Great book selections, I love historical fiction as well. All the Light We Cannot See has been on my shelf for a while, I really need to pick it up!

[@bookishfairygodmother]

Will you let me know what you think when you decide to read it?

[@TheBookishLand]

Absolutely!

[@jemmaoldridge3492]

Hi - I wonder if you can help: my Dad has severe MS and during Covid I can't visit him, but we can Zoom. So I suggested I could read to him and he loves factual WW2 stories. Do you know of any books designed to be read out loud for adults? I found Enigma by Robert Harris, but it would need "adapting for radio"!! Really hard to follow for the listener. Your thoughts would be welcome.

[@LiaMahony]

All The Light We Cannot See is my bookclub pick this month. It is a reread for me. It stands up beautifully to the second reading.

[@bookishfairygodmother]

Oh wonderful!!! I hope you enjoy every page! :)

[@billywilson2670]

I know this is completely late since the upload was 3 years ago 🤦🏻‍♂️ but I see Gentleman In Moscow on the shelf which I picked that book up for .39 cents at a Salvation Army store which I fully intend to read I just finished Between Shades of Gray, The Girl In The Blue Coat, and even though it’s not fiction I just finished the Night series by Elie Wiesel, and I’m starting All The Light We Cannot See this evening! Can’t wait!

[@suzysanders6267]

I hop you read the nightingale- wow excellent moving

[@lesliebrophy2810]

Yes, please read the Nightingale.

[@Bookshanks]

I'd love to see your 'yet to read' WW2 fiction on your shelves - yes please! Just so I can encourage you to bump Empire of the Sun to the top of the stack! But I do read a huge amount of war fiction and would be really interested in what else you had. I adored the Book Thief too and I really need to read All the Light We Cannot See. Lucy

[@bookishfairygodmother]

Will do! I nearly watched the movie the other day but stopped myself because I have to read the book first!

[@BrittanyW2014]

I have read all of these except Lilac Girls and that is on my TBR list to get from my library. I am a big fan of WWII historical fiction. I think my favorite is All The Light You Cannot See- so beautiful. Have you read The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah?

[@bookishfairygodmother]

I hope you enjoy Lilac Girls! I did read The Nightingale but honestly I wasn't a big fan. The romance really annoyed me.

[@NTHEPAGES]

The Book Thief is one of my favorite books!

[@Tabata774]

Great selection of books. I love historical fiction,too.I read All' the light se cannot see, The book thief and Lilac girls. I recommend you The women in the castle and The German girl. I read them last summer.

[@bookishfairygodmother]

I want to read both of them!!

[@dixieshepherd6604]

I love historical fiction, please do a video of what you have on your shelf! I've read some wonderful books because of your recommendation. Lilac Girls was good, it made we want to find out more about this camp.

[@bookishfairygodmother]

I'll definitely do a video of the WWII books I have on my shelf that I haven't read!!

[@EarlGreyBooks]

I love WWII fiction, but I haven't read All the Light We Cannot See because I know it's going to break me into a million pieces and I'm just not ready! Also, would love to see you talk about all the unread WWII books you have.

[@bookishfairygodmother]

I've read more heartbreaking WWII than All the Light. So don't let that stop you! I'll definitely do a video about my unread WWII books!

[@JayneCatherineOnBooks]

I loved the Secret Keeper too. I have another couple of Kate Morton's books on my shelves ready to read. Ooh Lilac Girls too. This book had a profound effect on me and definitely a tear jerker:-( Being in the UK Ww2 fiction is a favourite of mine. Have you read Sebastian Foulkes Birdsong? That's one of my favourites.:-)

[@bookishfairygodmother]

I haven't read Birdsong! Was that turned into a miniseries? It seems familiar....

[@taranell3138]

You need to read The Nightingale!!!

[@AC-87]

LOVE that one so much!!

[@awanderingmind]

I really enjoyed The Book Thief! I should read more books set in this time period because I really enjoy it. All the Light We Cannot See is on my tbr!

[@bookishfairygodmother]

Oooo I really loved All the Light. It's long and sometimes the plot doesn't move ahead in the same way as TBT but I still loved it.

[@andrewbrendan1579]

Yes, April! I'm already looking forward to a video about the World War II fiction you'll be reading! A TBR for me is "Home Fires Burning" about people in a small town in the U.S. during that time. I've already read "The Indifferent Children" by Louis Auchincloss (his first book and a bestseller); it was a while ago but I believe the story took place in Panama or another warm climate and was about people who work in Army offices rather than are fighting---for the most part. I don't recall the many details but I remember enjoying the book very much.---As I've aged I perceive time differently and the events of World War II that seemed far in the past ended only 15 years before I was born. The war years seem very close to me now that I'm old enough that 15 years isn't a long time.

[@bookishfairygodmother]

Yes exactly! People think it was so long ago but really it was truly recent.

[@Readingindarknesss]

So i know this video’s ancient but im watching in order to pass the time while i have covid. I always do this with new channels because what if i miss something? And i love historical fiction!! And especially world war 2!!! Sarah’s key sounds amazing!!

[@anitahayne8621]

I too adore historical fiction especially WWII and WWI. I love your channel and look forward to your recommendations. Keep the historical recommendations coming.

[@andrewbrendan1579]

Anita, I'd like to highly recommend two novels that deal with the time of World War I: "The Passing Bells" by Philip Rock, about the upstairs and downstairs people of Abingdon Priory during and after the war. Also "The Flowers of the Field" by Sarah Harrison, about three women during World War I. If you haven't already read these novels I think you'll enjoy both of them very much.

[@shelbellernbsn5078]

I’m enjoying reading WWII novels especially about the strong women who assisted by posing as spies. Currently reading: “The Lost Girls of Paris” by Pam Jenoff. I just finished The Nightingale in just 4 days. It’s a thick book but you can fly thru it in no time. April, Thank you for all the other recommendations! Much love from the Texas countryside/middle of no where, Michelle ☀️🌴🐊🐮🐔🐴🐴🐶💛

[@mrchips9852]

Great recommendations, and 1k subscribers exactly! Congratulations 😊

[@KristensLibrary]

Everyone, and I mean everyone, recommends All The Light We Cannot See to me and I am making it a goal for 2018 to read it! Loved to hear your thoughts on it :) My mom actually read Sarah's Key earlier this year and said she really enjoyed it! I haven't seen any one else talk about that book, so I actually was really excited to hear your opinion on it! One question for you, and I know it's kind of personal, but I was wondering how the IVF therapy is going? You don't have to answer it, I just was thinking about you and was wondering how it's going :)

[@bookishfairygodmother]

How wonderful! I feel like you'll start the year off right if you start with All the Light! Thank you for asking about IVF. We haven't done it yet but we are on the list. :) Will talk more about all of that stuff in the New Year! :) Kind of you to check in on me.

[@jessicawatson7360]

I’m really interested to see what the blind rep is like in this book as a visually impaired person myself.

[@springintoreading7225]

The only one I haven't read is The Secret Keeper. I'd love to see your WWII books you haven't read yet:)

[@bookishfairygodmother]

Okay! I'll do that video for sure!

[@sanketmotghare706]

I am very intrested in WW2 I do want to know from literary point of view that brought me over here. I believe all those books you recommend here are worth reading as they projects those catastrophic times. Thank You.

[@mrchips9852]

Absolutely love the secret keeper and I’d love a book in a similar vein so I’ll definitely check some of these out 👍🏻

[@bookishfairygodmother]

I feel like Sarah's Key is most similar considering you get some past/present variations. :)

[@nancytrue7276]

Love WWII fiction, less a fan of the dual-timeline construction generally. Recently read “The Paris Orphan,” by Natasha Lester, loved it, and i thought she did a great job of dual-timeline. Also read “Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers,” by Sara Ackerman, and it was set in Pearl Harbor area, focussed not only on the soldiers there but how Japanese were treated. A bit different setting and great!

[@bethk6022]

I love WWII fiction as well. All the Light We Cannot See was a beautiful book. I'm reading We Were the Lucky Ones right now and enjoying it. It is set in Poland during WWII and focuses on a large Jewish family and how they survive the war. It is a debut novel and the writing is excellent.

[@bookishfairygodmother]

That's been on my radar for a while but I haven't picked it up yet! So happy you give it your approval!

[@polkadotsandpumpkins4328]

All the Light We Cannot See has been on my bookshelf for sooo long. Been meaning to read it but there’s always just too many books!

[@bookishfairygodmother]

I hear ya!

[@BrittBerryStrawberry]

Do you have any recommendations on Christmas time horror/thriller novels?

[@bookishfairygodmother]

Ummmm yes! You should join us at the Dying to Read bookclub. We're reading Hell House in December and it's set at Christmas!!!

[@BrittBerryStrawberry]

Getting Hygge With It I AM in the Club!!!! Lol, joined last month!

[@antoinettevisagie661]

I'm with you. I'm very drawn to Holocaust fiction and personal narratives or fiction where WWII features in some way I just came home from the bookshop with "The German Girl". A few favourites of mine...Kavalier and Clay, The History of Love, The Reader, Lovers at the Chameleon Club, NIght, The Zoo keeper, The Seventh Well, Helene Behr's Journal and Etty Hillesum's journal and letters "An Interrupted Life". I still have to read "All the Light We Cannot See". I watched the movies made of Sarah's Key and The Book Thief. (and a LOT of other movies too)

[@bookishfairygodmother]

My mom was just telling me about The History of Love! I will have to pick it up!

[@benjaminashank]

You should totally read this one!!! My Father's Keeper Novel by Kip Vander Hyde

[@yourpuppeteer9734]

I recommend the Once series by Morris Gleitzman because it’s about a polish boy who is too naïve and optimistic to see reality as it is in WW II

[@alldbooks9165]

Would love to see your TBR WW2 as well. My favorite eras are The Great Depression, WW2, and the Civil Rights Movement.

[@bookishfairygodmother]

Will do! I don't think I've read many books set during the Great Depression now that I think about it...

[@sydhouston7784]

Sarah’s key was an amazing book. I highly recommend it!!!

[@bookishfairygodmother]

I liked that one!

[@jackiesliterarycorner]

Kate Morton is one of my favorite authors of historical fiction, and my favorite is The Forgotten Garden.

[@bookishfairygodmother]

I haven't read that one from her yet!!

[@jackiesliterarycorner]

You got to read it. Which of her's have you read?

[@jackiesliterarycorner]

I enjoy reading about WWII fiction, but my favorite eras to read about are the 1920s, 1700s, turn of the century, and 1800s.

[@miacsernus8946]

Highly recommend Michael morpugos listen the moon. Made me laugh and cry!

[@nancydigirolamo481]

You MUST read Life After Life by Kate Atkinson.

[@shelbellernbsn5078]

That was an amazing book! I’m definately going to re-read that book this winter...what a GREAT concept and Atkinson writing is captivating.🥀🥀🥀

[@filmsbynix]

Isn't W pronounced as V in German? You're saying Werners name wrong x

[@bookishfairygodmother]

Oops!

[@jackiesliterarycorner]

Loved Sarah's Key I agree with you that modern storyline isn't as good as Sarah's story.

[@LifeBetweenWords1]

You know I love historical fiction, too! And even though I do wish that authors would branch out from WWII, I still enjoy a good WWII tale. :)

[@ryleeking3475]

The flight girls is a amazing heartbreaking book

[@nyamochriek3047]

Sarah’s key is literally the saddest movie I have ever watched. I’m ready to read the book now

[@BooksAndJams]

I thought the writing of All the Light was beautifully written but I didn’t love this book. I found it a bit anti-climatic and drawn out. Not my fave WWII book. I did love the rest of these. The Nightingale and Between Shades of Gray are two more that I just love.

[@bookishfairygodmother]

It was definitely a long book but it hooked me! I felt so so about The Nightingale, but I really want to read Between Shades of Gray!

[@AmyPool]

The first three books you mentioned I have on my self...unread. I need to get to them, especially now!!!!!

[@bookishfairygodmother]

Yay!!

[@fawzigramajo]

I’m gonna read all the light we cannot see

[@bookishfairygodmother]

I really loved it!

[@fawzigramajo]

Getting Hygge I want to write a fiction book on World War II about Mexican soldier experiencing war. What books do you suggest would help me in writing this story and also learning the history of it?

[@bookishfairygodmother]

Oh I wish I knew! I have never read from a Mexican perspective in fiction! That’s great for you because there’s a real niche there!!!!

[@fawzigramajo]

Getting Hygge With It thanks, 😅😅 I’m an author and since I love WWII , instead of doing the whole American soldier cliche I want my character to be Mexican 😅

[@fawzigramajo]

Getting Hygge With It also what does niche mean? 😅😅