The BEST HISTORICAL FICTION OF ALL TIME (according to YOU)

[@CRohrscheib]

Fantastic video. I don't know a single person who hasn't loved Pillars of the Earth and most historical fiction readers rate it in their favorites.

[@alicecoffey1823]

It's excellent, un-put-downable!

[@Shellyish]

Thank you for the recommendation!

[@kfp10596]

I would recommend Kristin Hannah. She has numerous historical fiction books. Her latest is The Women about nurses in the Vietnam. I gave it 5 ⭐️! But my absolute favorite of hers is The Nightingale. It is a story of 2 sisters during WWII.

[@Shellyish]

Thanks for the recommendation!

[@robin-tainebrownell1491]

Wow! What an epic list. My nominee was mentioned Yay! Many books and authors I'm familiar with, but so many more I'm not. I will be saving this video to come back to when i need a little inspiration for my next historical read.

[@Shellyish]

How exciting!

[@MsJaytee1975]

I’ve slowly been reading King Hereafter it’s an absolutely massive book. The audiobook is over 40 hours, but it’s right up my street. I love medieval Scottish history.

[@donnatalley144]

I am so happy A Gentleman In Moscow made your list as it is one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read!!!!

[@Shellyish]

I want to read it now!!

[@AlmasBookJourney]

Love the list!! I'm going to copy and keep in my purse whenever I go book shopping or library!!

[@Shellyish]

Love that!

[@debbiemurphy4971]

Great video, Shelly! Historical fiction is my absolute favorite genre and there’s some wonderful books listed here (including my nominee, Act of Oblivion 🎉). Adding to my TBR for sure!

[@Shellyish]

Thank you for adding to the list.

[@DebMcDonald]

I nominated For All Thy Little Pain… and wanted to add that the two women in the book were real and they both wrote books of their own. Julian of Norwich and Margery Kempe.

[@Shellyish]

Thank you!

[@monicamoskovics8686]

So many great recommendations! Thank you! I added SO many to my GoodReads.

[@Shellyish]

I'm so glad!

[@sherrystacks4815]

Hi I also live in South Carolina and I have just discovered you. Please read Invention of Wings. Love love love this book especially based in South Carolina story based on Grimke sister we all need to learn more about

[@Shellyish]

I'm added Invention of Wings to my list! :)

[@garykeane6461]

The list is a little 21st Century-heavy. Looking a little further, you could certainly recognize A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens, Rabble in Arms, Arundel and Northwest Passage ( for which Kenneth Robert's was awarded a special Pulitzer prize) and Les Miserables. However, even a list heavy with 21st Century works would have to include Wolfe Hall and Bringing up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel

[@tarquinmidwinter2056]

Nice video, and such a refreshing change from all the culture wars/political stuff that KZbin usually throws my way. Agree with you about all of the books you mentioned that I have read, and grateful for the suggestions of books new to me. Also nice that you mentioned my recommendation (Kristin Lavransdatter). Hope you get to read and enjoy it one of these days.

[@Shellyish]

I really do hope to get my hands on a copy of Kristin Lavransdatter when I see it out in the wild. :) Thank you for submitting it.

[@melanie62954]

@@Shellyish Kristin Lavransdatter is one of the top 20 best novels I've read--that that includes, Dosteovsky, Tolstoy, Toni Morrison, what have you. I highly recommend the Tina Nunnally translation!

[@TeeKing]

Delighted to see two by Steinbeck, including East of Eden, my favourite book. Adding so many of these to my TBR. Thanks for compiling this list.

[@Shellyish]

My pleasure!

[@debbierussell2830]

What a great video! Thanks so much for putting this together!

[@Shellyish]

My pleasure!!!

[@lisashirtz7224]

Sending you love. I do not know if you have been to Michigan. I live way up north and the closest city near me is Green Bay, Wisconsin, which has a large regional population.

[@laredo2393]

All the light we cannot see - must read!!!

[@kevinrussell-jp6om]

My son gave me this book a few years ago. He read reviews, and you are correct, many people strongly recommend it. I lasted about 20 minutes with it. There is NO accounting for taste. My response no doubt says much more about what kind of person I am than any accurate or fair review. I did not see Whatever Light There Was.

[@kashlaw01]

My favorite book of all time! 👍🏻

[@sc8717]

This is so amazing Shelly! I'm going to be using this as a resource for a long time to come. There are so many books on this list that I now want to read- a lot of which I've never heard of before!

[@Shellyish]

Wonderful!

[@bobkeane7966]

I would add Sarum I read it maybe 35 years ago follows a prehistoric family through to more modern times in England.

[@Wiredbishop]

Love the vlog esque style of video for a list this big

[@Shellyish]

Yay! Thank you!

[@dqan7372]

Edgar Lawrence Doctorow. (Had to look up the name myself.) Enjoying the list!

[@Shellyish]

Thank you!

[@alicecoffey1823]

Thank you for this video! I love reading and since not many of my friends have that hobby I turn to youtube to fill the desire I have for literary discussion. But it seems that everybody talks about the same popular "it" books all the time, which I'm not really interested in especially because I buy most of my books from thrift stores. I used to only read the classics but have recently gotten turned on to historical fiction (by way of Bernard Cornwall and Ken Follet). And so I really appreciate a long list of people's highly recommended. I'm keeping this video for further reference. Great stuff!

[@Shellyish]

Thank you, Alice!

[@MsPixieD]

Girl, that jungle print! What's on there, jaguars? 🐆 💚 Also loved the house tour, and so cute you were "hiding out" from your kids in that room with the pretty flowered wallpaper. Pillars of Earth -- I read that trilogy, but now it's "three sequels and a prequel," so two more have been published since I read the first three. Whew, so many books, so little time! Yikes, I now have such a backlist of historical fiction that every month is probably going to include some going forward. As for "June on the range," I got to zero westerns, although I'm taking your Lonesome Dove recommendation under advisement for my tbr. (I really wanted to listen to the audiobook of Lucky Red for a western + pride month combo, but ended up listening to All You Need Is Love, interviews about the Beatles that couldn't even make it to the bingo card because although it was historical, it wasn't fiction!) ... The Marriage Portrait, already on my tbr because I thought Hamlet was excellent. Had to google the Browning poem you mentioned immediately. Omg, so chilling!! ... Whew, finally at the end, was that in alphabetical order? I noticed the last 2 authors started with Z! Gone With the Wind didn't make the list, no worries, it is still great historical fiction, great characters.

[@Shellyish]

Yes, Jaguars! :) Pillars of the Earth is definitely on my mind to read soon!

[@Shellyish]

I'm not sure if anyone submitted GWTW. I would've added it if I saw it. Some people also had multiple books in which I often just took the first and second submission, but no more (just for brevities sake!). :)

[@phague85]

Thank you for putting this list together. I added many to my TBR.

[@Shellyish]

You're so welcome!

[@eusaypdx]

I love reliable wife!! ❤ glad someone recommended it. So underrated. Thank you for this video❤

[@Shellyish]

You're so welcome!

[@dpotman]

Great book recommendations. I personally love Kenneth Follet books "The evening and the morning", and " The Pillars of the Earth" It's a four book series that it's worth reading them!

[@StephanieJCohen]

Great list. I have read some but several more sound really interesting! I think you will really enjoy All the Light We Cannot See.

[@Shellyish]

I'll check it out! I've been thinking about Doerr's book more since Alice really loved it.

[@HenrieAsconir]

Hi! I already read a lot of books, and in my opinion my written novel is considered the no.1 for me or it is alongside the Iliad and Odyssey by Homer, the best ever. It took me almost 5 years to finish it. Perhaps the flow or execution are not in the best form but the story or the novel itself, I made it wonderful, it came from my dreams and thoughts. The story is about WW2, the greatest conflict of human history that claimed 60-70 Million lives, the US population at that time was 132 M and the Archangel by which the God almighty has been with him since the beginning, where he also knows the past and the future. So he has prepared for what will happen by sending the two archangels in the presence of human flesh. This novel is my gift to humankind, for the preservation of everlasting peace.

[@melanielerner4633]

Love the list and the pajama top. Please tell me how to find it!

[@Shellyish]

My husband purchased it for me at World Market.

[@bjminton2698]

Wow! What a long list! Thank you for all the work involved in compiling it!! Oh no! Hamnet - on my TBR thanks to Alice... now I'm crying again 😢.

[@Shellyish]

So many books and moments reminding me of Alice. You are not alone.

[@BaileeWalsh]

I'll have to go look at the comments on the original video. I'm so surprised to not see Kate Morton here! She's one of my favorite authors. The Forgotten Garden and The House at Riverton are my top 2 of her work, though I still have a couple more to read!

[@Shellyish]

Thanks for the recommendation!

[@marciajohansson769]

Just happened upon your channel today. My favorite historical novel is The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish. And... I loved Geraldine Brooks book Horse. I can't wait to read more. It was quite the undertaking to put together this list! Many I have not heard about. I do enjoy a good historical fiction book. Loved The Book Thief. One of my all time favorites.

[@Shellyish]

Welcome! I nearly bought The Weight of Ink on my last book buying trip. I think it’ll be in my library soon rather than later.

[@areadersalmanacwithceleste1366]

Shelly, I’ll bet you are an amazing teacher, based on your labor of love in assembling the many recommendations for this video! And I’m beyond grateful that you’re sharing The Book of Negroes. Your child, by the way, is incredibly adorable wanting to share a book, hee hee! 😊 I feel like I need to present more historical fiction on my channel. Thanks for so many brilliant recommendations!

[@Shellyish]

Awe, thank you! I really want to read The Book of Negroes! :)

[@joceanna3461]

Just bought the Iron King books 1-3 because of you lol. Also my fav is The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah. I also loved Pillars of the Earth.

[@Shellyish]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@debbier7376]

Great list! But I would certainly add Mary Renault's books set in Ancient Greece.

[@Shellyish]

THANK YOU!

[@DebMcDonald]

Thank you so much for compiling this list. It must have been a labour of love. I’ll definitely be keeping it for reference. I do have a Women’s Prize winner to add. Property by Valerie Martin.

[@debbiemurphy4971]

Oops! P.S. Also, Any of Margaret George’s novels are wonderful. She’s written about Elizabeth I, Henry VIII, Mary, Queen of Scot’s, Cleopatra, Mary Magdalen, Helen of Troy, and Nero. Excellent historical fiction author!

[@Shellyish]

Thank you!

[@MsReadsAlot]

The WWII aspect of life after life was a surprise. I want to read March. Horse was phenomenal. The name of the rose was a decent read. I feel like pillars of the earth would be a Shelly read. Massive list! Very cool that you had so many recs! ☺️

[@Shellyish]

Wonderful! Thank you for letting me know about Horse! :)

[@darcyashley3889]

Enjoying historical fiction giving voice to women who have been overlooked in history- Any book by Stephanie Dray- especially her recent release "Becoming Madame Secretary" or "Women of the Chateau Lafayette. Any book by Allison Pataki- especially her recent release "Finding Margaret Fuller". Both are phenomenal writers. Also "The Personal Librarian" by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray.

[@Alina-dg3od]

Love the list! I am excited to read as many books as possible from it. And I am also currently reading Kristin Lavransdatter which is amazing!

[@Shellyish]

Wonderful!!

[@dianalund587]

I'm a little late to the party, but my I love The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani. I first read it years ago, but often find myself going back and thinking about that story and the characters. The book is set in seventeenth century Persia. Also have to mention Loving Frank by Nancy Horan.

[@coffemuse]

This is an epic video! I you do a part 2, please add North Woods by Daniel Mason, my best book of this year! Also The Hollow Hills by Mary Stewart and the whole trilogy it's part of. It's a King Arthur retelling but a really effortless depiction of Dark Age Britain that feels so real you just slip into it. Oooh and the Doomsday Book by Connie Willis! It's such an incredible book! Am I allowed to make all these recommendations?

[@Shellyish]

Yes! Of course! And thank you so much!!

[@Shellyish]

I added the books to my TBR.

[@carolinesmercantile4290]

Three HF books that I have read three times! Pillars of the Earth, Jane Eyre, and Gone with the Wind. I also really enjoyed "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck, written in 1931.

[@texasmom8827]

Great point on Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. After George R. Martin (Game of Thrones) and Patrick Rothfuss (King K*ller Chronicles), I no longer read books for a series that has not been completed. Maybe it's the fantasy writers, but I will no longer trust them to finish what they started,.

[@juliarouse3183]

How did Outlander not make the cut???

[@Shellyish]

No one submitted it.

[@reneel.4983]

Thank you for this video. I would add "The All-Girl Filling Station Last Reunion" by Fannie Flagg.

[@GloriaSutherland-nk3ug]

Thank you! So many good recommendations! I must mention Ayn Rand and any of her books

[@Shellyish]

You're so welcome!

[@sassycatz4470]

I'm sorry I missed your original video asking for recommendations. I second your mention of Selinko's Desiree, Seton's Katherine, Cleeton's Next Year in Havana, McMurtry's Lonesome Dove, and Towles' A Gentleman in Moscow. By the way, in the last book, the main character ends up under house arrest at the Metropole Hotel in Moscow after the Russian Revolution. As for books not mentioned, I would suggest: Winston Graham's Poldark book series (which was also produced twice as a TV miniseries). It's set in Cornwall, England after the American Revolution, following a former officer in the British Army. Amy Harmon's What the Wind Knows. This is a bit of fantasy and fact. The main character goes back in time to Ireland of the early 20th Century as it was trying to gain independence from English rule. Also, of course, Alcott's Little Women and Gaskell's North and South. Finally, Susanna Kearsley's books play with time and feature subplots in past settings.

[@Shellyish]

I've been wanting to read Polark for SO LONG! It's hard to stumble upon the first book! Thanks for the recommendations!

[@TerryJ950]

A Gentleman in Moscow is that good, one of my favorite books of all time. I’m doing a reread of East of Eden right now. Great video!

[@Shellyish]

Thank you so much!

[@LizzieJaneBennet]

Maurice Druon's "The Accursed Kings", the french book series that inspired George R. R. Martin's "A Song Of Ice And Fire" (1996-2011), was written between 1955 and 1977. It is very good.👍

[@Shellyish]

Oh! Perfect! Thank you!

[@Read2live]

All Quiet on the Western Front is amazing! Very beautiful writing and poignant. It had broken my heart when I had read it and I'd love to read it again. East of Eden is also amazing! The Invention of the Wings is very good! Some voices stronger than others, which usually happens when there are multiple perspectives. My Name is Red, I liked it overall, but some parts got a little too bizarre for me. I did love the mystery of the crime and I really loved the history of the miniature artists that I didn't know before this book. I plan to read more by Orhan Pamuk. The Book Thief... So good! I cried! War and Peace is staring at me from my shelves asking me when I'm going to finally pick it... As always, you have a great list! Many books from your list, I want to read them.

[@Shellyish]

Wonderful! Thank you for sharing!!!

[@Abuamina001]

I can recommend the books "Hadji Murat" by Leo Tolstoy, "Death and the Dervish" by Mese Selimovic, and “My Name is Red” by Orhan Pamuk.

[@onourpath]

I've read a lot of these -- and yes, they are fab -- but I didn't see my favorite one. The Dress Lodger by Sheri Holman is amazing, and features characters and complications that don't usually appear in novels.

[@Shellyish]

Thanks for the recommendation!

[@cherylwood8706]

Fall of Marigolds, Surviving Savannah, The Secret Book of Flora Lea

[@kwiyopta2024]

Have you read any book from the Philippines? I understand that you're a big historical fiction reader so I highly recommend the 2 books written by Philippine national hero Jose Rizal which are Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. The Philippines was colonized by Spain for over 300 years and the story revolves around that.

[@kimswhims8435]

That is one cute kid! Great list, thanks Shelly

[@kimswhims8435]

Oh there's two! Both cute kids 😄

[@Shellyish]

Oh thank you!

[@andeeheartsbooks7447]

Wowza! I have added so many books to my libby, goodreads, etc. Outright ordered A Reliable Wife..Pango has it cheap! The boys ;) ❤

[@Shellyish]

Thank you!!!!

[@stephenn3727]

Thank you Shelley!

[@Shellyish]

Thank you!!

[@linaadams138]

Thank you so much for this. I added some to my list. "My Name is Resolute," is the best book i have ever read. I hated "Gentleman in Moscow." I couldn't finish it. I just wanted him to shut up.

[@LizzieJaneBennet]

Sadly the best historical novels I loved are in french. But you Can find in english : The Three Musqueteers and The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)⚔️ The Pardaillan - series (Michael Zévaco)⚔️ Imperial Woman (Pearl Buck)🏯

[@Thecatladybooknook_PennyD]

Hahaha that opening😅😅

[@Shellyish]

My boys are so silly sometimes.

[@zachreads]

I read a lot of Historical fiction (9 so far this month) I'm currently reading The Familiars by Stacy Halls it takes place in 1612 during the witch trials, slow but good so far (and how do you not read a book where the fmc is named Fleetwood Shuttleworth) This month I read The Raven and The Banshee by Carolyn Elizabeth only 3.25☆ but it is about a woman who hunts Pirates in the 16th century and she is from South Carolina but it almost entirely takes place in the Caribbean. All Quiet otWF is a full 5☆ but I don't count it as HF bc it was written like 14 years after when it's set. The same goes for John Steinbeck. My two fav WWII ones are Daughters of the Night Sky in Amje K Runyan Night of the Fox by Jack Higgins I'll be reading Atonement for Emily Fox's book club in October.

[@Shellyish]

Adding Daughter's of the Night Sky and Night of the Fox to my TBR! Thank you!

[@isaacdiahamadi4611]

We Can also named Omniscient Reader

[@Shellyish]

Thanks.

[@MyMessyBookshelf]

So many great books! I loved the Red Tent!

[@Shellyish]

Me too!!

[@ES_LA969]

If you love lists, the Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction released their 2024 short list yesterday.

[@Shellyish]

Thank you so much!

[@ajh3301]

Just found this channel! Here’s a recommendation….. Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate. This book is based on one of America’s most notorious real-life scandals-in which children are taken from their parents through kidnapping or subterfuge and then placed for adoption. This story seamlessly alternates between 1939 and the present telling a tale of hope, survival and sibling love. A New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly Bestseller.

[@lindafletcher1628]

Dorothy Dunnetts the Checkmate series is a delight. Some get put off by the sprinkling of Gaelic, French etc in the first novel but just ignore and read on. The main character Francis Crawford is I think the best anti hero ever written, The cast of characters is wonderful. Of the series of 6 books I found the second a bit of a letdown cause the first was so good I suppose but the rest of the series is great. Ive read it a few times. My daughter when she was 16yo read the series and loved it.

[@Shellyish]

I started the first book and absolutely loved the opening pages. I can tell Dunnett is an amazing writer.

[@ajh3301]

I second the Kristin Hannah recommendation.

[@Shellyish]

Thank you!

[@MineShackle]

Have you read Of Human Bondage?

[@Shellyish]

I have not.

[@jacqulynhenry8071]

The way you said "......tickles my fancy.....," felt like a slur. 28:46

[@Shellyish]

Hm. You're probably right.

[@alessandravisca2709]

The Pillars of the earth

[@HenrieAsconir]

Hi! Good day! I wrote a novel, titled: Archangel world at war. I watched your informative videos and it's my pleasure that someday you will consider to review my book on one of your vlogs. It was not edited yet, nevertheless I published it to major EReading apps like Amazon and Kobo. Thank you in advance. Hopefully I can send you a physical copy in the final format of my book in the future. God bless.

[@rustychapman7913]

Oblivion is about post English Civil War (17th century), not post WW2.

[@Shellyish]

Oops! Thanks for the correction!

[@brensgems7539]

Ragtime Edgar Laurence Doctorow. Male author from New York

[@Shellyish]

Thank you!!!

[@LizzieJaneBennet]

Very useful video.👍 It's such a pitty how ignorant the young generations and most americans are, even the ones who read !🥺 I don't want to be rude, I'm just sad. My own daughter knows nothing about History and litterature.😢

[@Shellyish]

Oh goodness! I hope you aren't talking about me! ;)

[@wandefter]

be like the fox is not fiction, it's a historical biography. Instead of that, I would recommend Machiavelli: His Life and Times by Alexander Lee. Much better.

[@Shellyish]

Thank you!!

[@michaelmasiello6752]

Such a great list-you gave me a ton of things I also want to read, and I will be returning to this list many times. I want to mention that the Mackenzie book’s Julian is the great Julian of Norwich, whose mystical work, the Shewings, is one of the masterpieces of medieval spirituality in English-totally worth reading for its own sake. As is The Book of Margery Kempe, written by the other woman you mention. We can read their works even now, and they are remarkable. Also, Blood Meridian is an extraordinary book. It is so, so bruising, but it is a towering, titanic, and polarizing work of art. I think I want to read everything on this list I haven’t already read (and that’s a lot of stuff I haven’t read!). Last, I wanted to add two more: anything by Antonio Lobo Antunes, the great Portuguese writer. He’s a medical doctor and spent time in Angola under Portuguese colonial rule. He bears witness to the horrors of this period across his whole career. But he is also one of the greatest stylists on earth, even in translation. Hard to pick one place to start. Three suggestions: The Land at the End of the World; Return of the Caravels; The Inquisitor’s Manual. Or Commission of Tears. God, he’s a master. The other is William T. Vollmann. He has a series called Seven Dreams. They can be read in any order. I recommend Fathers and Crows, about French Jesuits coming into contact with Native Americans (with unfortunate results) or The Dying Grass, a wild and heartbreaking doorstopper about the Nez Perce War. He is a genius!! Great video! P.S. other Viking masterpieces: Bengtsson’s The Long Ships, and Jane Smiley’s The Greenlanders. The former is thrilling, the latter a slow burn that will just break your heart (written like an Icelandic saga).

[@Shellyish]

Thank you so much!! I added ALL your recommendations to my TBR!

[@kevinrussell-jp6om]

E.L.=A member of the XY club, identified as Edgar Lawrence (possibly referred to as Ed or Eddie, or perhaps Larry). Don't believe he (I am assuming the pronoun) ever identified as female (died almost 10 years ago), but we should not assume. SAW the movie version of "Ragtime" but have never read anything by "Ed". Has nothing to do with the Red Tent but does reference a species of music composition. This IS a legitimate example of historical fiction.

[@Shellyish]

Oh, thank you!

[@kevinrussell-jp6om]

@@Shellyish I'm a westerner who lived in Lancaster SC for two years a decade ago. Nice to again hear that South Carolina way of talking. My paternal grandpa was born in Charleston. You're blessed with those two boys of yours. Thanks for the book posts. Cold Mountain is a GREAT book.

[@seregaivanov7340]

you almost lost your head. and you keep talking about books😂

[@Shellyish]

Ha!

[@michelleh7133]

I've been trying and trying to get through this video. I hate the makeup thing. Not sure what you are doing here, but I don't care to watch you be distracted with your makeup while you try to talk books. JMO.

[@Shellyish]

There is a complete list in the description box. Also, haven’t you mentioned this before on my channel?

[@michelleh7133]

@@Shellyish I have not mentioned this before. Have you done other makeup videos? I did enjoy the shenanigans of the boys, as my 3 very blond boys are now adults.

[@Shellyish]

@@michelleh7133 I’ve done the makeup style of bookish video on and off on my channel for years. Did your boys retain their bright blond hair as adults? I’m sure it shined when they were kiddos.

[@michelleh7133]

@Shellyish alas, no. None have the "white blond" of childhood. All are still handsome though. 😉

[@Shellyish]

@@michelleh7133 I’m sure. ☺️