Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and The Bookish. This week’s theme is:
Top Ten Historical Settings I Love
I really love this week’s topic but it really has forced me to think outside the box! I love historical fiction but at the same time I really don’t read enough of it. So this week I have listed my favourite historical settings but I have included both books I have read and books I would love to read.
1. World War II
I love books set around WWII. It really wasn’t all that long ago but it is really difficult to imagine living during those times. I find it a fascinating period to read about though.
2. Arthurian
This one is kind of cheat since it veers into fantasy/mythology but I do love to read books about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
3. Prehistoric
Books set in prehistoric times are some of my favourites to read about. I first read The Clan of the Cave Bear as a pre-teen and I have been hooked on the genre ever since (though the books in that series declined with every forthcoming book unfortunately).
4. Regency Era
Pride and Prejudice is another favourite of mine. I love reading books set around that era where men were dashing (and brooding) and there were beautiful gowns and balls to attend. *sigh*
5. Medieval
I went through a phase where nearly everything I was reading was set in medieval times (thank you Elizabeth Chadwick!) and I would definitely like to get back into reading about that period again.
6. Celtic
I’m Scottish so naturally I love to read books set in Scotland. I adore Juliet Marillier’s books and she has written some amazing stories set in 6th Century Scotland and Ireland too (my family on my gran’s side was originally from Ireland so I have a good bit of both Celtic blood lines running through my veins). I would love to branch out and find other amazing writers who write about this period.
7. Canada
My fascination for historical fiction set in Canada probably stemmed from the fact that my great-grandparents were all set to emigrate to Canada when my great-grandmother died suddenly. My gran and her siblings were taken away from their father and separated for many years.
I suppose I wouldn’t be here if they had emigrated but I always wondered what it would have been like to grow up there. Some of my mum’s siblings did move to Canada and I have visited British Columbia where my uncle lived when I was a teenager so at least I can say I have seen the place my family (almost) lived.
8. Ancient Greece
I haven’t actually read many books about Ancient Greece but I really want to. I was enthralled by tales of Greek Mythology when I was a child so I would really love to read more books about that time period.
9. Ancient Egypt
Just like the Ancient Greeks, I am also really interested in Ancient Egypt. I have always loved to watch movies and documentaries about the Egyptian people. Everything about their culture fascinates me.
10. Victorian Era
I admit, my love of steampunk and gothic novels might be influencing this choice! I love to read about the setting, whether it is an outright faithful historical tale or one with some fantasy elements to make it just that little bit more interesting. I am also partial to the odd gothic romance, what can I say? 😉
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I have never been a huge fan of Arthurian Legend, just because I don’t like the way the stories end for my favorite characters. But there is this old book from the 70s, The King’s Damosel that is really good! It’s actually the story that Quest for Camelot is loosely based off of. You should check it out 🙂
My TTT.
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I definitely will check it out – it sounds interesting. 🙂 I tend to prefer Arthurian tales that veer away from the original story. Too much tragedy for my liking. 😉
Great picks this week! I really want to try The Invisible Library. 🙂
Check out my TTT.
Thanks Lauren! The Invisible Library is definitely on my must-read-soon list. It looks awesome. 🙂
Browsing your list has made me realize one thing: I don’t read enough historical fiction! I love HF but for some reason I haven’t read any in a while. So I guess I’ll go ahead and take some recommendations from this list ^^
I felt exactly the same when I was comprising this list – I didn’t actually realize just how little historical fiction I had read until I tried to think of books for this week’s topic. Hope this list helps you find some good reads. 🙂