Historical Fictionistas discussion

Hey!
I'm Stef and I've been on goodreads since 2013 but have only become active this year. I love medieval book settings as well as anything else that is well-written.
If I'm not reading I'm trying to get some words of my own down as I am Kind of working on a novel. Also I'm in med School. Hope this Group will offer interesting discussions.

Great group to be in. Welcome

Welcome Stef. Glad you joined to have some leisure reading time here.

Thank you both! :)

I have no idea where to put this in the group threads, but I wanted to sing the praises of a novel I just read (for the suspicious, I have never met the author, I bought the book, I am not a plant, I participate in this group regularly).

It’s a historical murder mystery set in Regency England, the fourth in a series: On a Desert Shore by S. K. Rizzolo. Mainstream publisher, little-known author. But I was really impressed! A serious work of fiction, touching on themes of slavery, the vulnerability of women, the need for and hazards of seeking acceptance in society. If this interests you, take the time to seek it out. My review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Welcome, Booklovers

Hello! I am a new author, whose interest in historical fiction and history in general was sparked by comments made by my son and his friends years ago regarding the ability to present old themes in new ways. My first book is a murder mystery set in early Renaissance central Germany and involves the development of fairy tales. I am amazed at the complexity of life and politics even in the 15th century!
I am currently reading Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett - life is an adventure!

Hi!
I am new on goodreads and in this group. Hope to get some ideas on what to read next.
I just finished reading a historical fiction about Gold Rush in Colorado The Lucky Hat Mine and wrote the first review in my life, hope you will find it helpful.

Welcome, Anna!

Welcome, Ann. Looking forward to seeing you here.

Hi - I'm Pat (long nickname) and have been reading forever and reviewing only the last year or so. I'm enjoying reading other people's reviews and sharing opinions about books and authors.

I am particularly fond of historical fiction. A recent favourite is People of the Book by Aussie author Geraldine Brooks (who lives in the US).

My review is here, if anyone is interested. Some of my reviews are long and include a bunch of quotes but no spoilers (I hope).
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Elliot wrote: "Hello! I am a new author, whose interest in historical fiction and history in general was sparked by comments made by my son and his friends years ago regarding the ability to present old themes in..."

Hi Elliot,
we are a German couple who write historical novels. We think your book sounds interesting. It lets us think of the Brothers Grimm.
Best regards
Horst and Julia Drosten

Hello; I've been a member of Goodreads since April last year and have posted quite a number of reviews. (I particularly love fiction set in the ancient world - it doesn't have to be BC but by and large, the earlier the better!) However, I've never been a member of a group before. I can't really figure out how it works, how to join in a discussion etc.. Any tips on how to get involved?

Welcome to your first group, Jill! This is a good, active group.

My understanding of the process is that when you join a group, you will automatically be sent any new post from any thread in the group—once. If you don’t click on the link the in e-mail message you receive, then you won’t receive another message from that thread until you choose to visit it again. That way, you can select which threads interest you and which ones don’t.

Alternatively, you can visit the homepage for the group by going to the Community tab at the top of a Goodreads page and selecting Groups, then selecting this group. All of the current threads within the group will be visible there, and you can just click on whatever intrigues you. I know there was a thread about BC books that was active within the past few weeks, for example.

Finally, if you go to your own page on Goodreads and check your Settings, you can choose how often e-mail messages are sent to you—whether you want a message sent to you as soon as something has posted, or want a daily blast of e-mails, or whatever.

Good luck figuring it all out!

Hello new members! A warm welcome to all who joined recently! Nice to meet you. This is a great group where you could discover gems of historical fiction set in all places and eras :)

Dear all, how lovely it is to be here, and also to have the forum to introduce myself. My name is David Dunham, I'm an author, and I live in New Zealand , though from time to time I can be found daydreaming about Worcestershire, England where I was raised. My interest in historical fiction is mainly in early 20th Century Britain, a period in which I set my debut novel, The Silent Land. I would love to hear from people who share an interest in Edwardian society and the First World War. Best wishes to you all, David.

Abigail wrote: "Welcome to your first group, Jill! This is a good, active group.

My understanding of the process is that when you join a group, you will automatically be sent any new post from any thread in the g..."

Hi
Thank you for the advice - it is very much appreciated. Best wishes, David.

Alice wrote: "Hello new members! A warm welcome to all who joined recently! Nice to meet you. This is a great group where you could discover gems of historical fiction set in all places and eras :)"
Hi Alice!

Welcome, Jill and David and anyone else I may have missed. This is a great group. I have gotten interesting ideas of what to read here.

Abigail wrote: "Welcome to your first group, Jill! This is a good, active group.

My understanding of the process is that when you join a group, you will automatically be sent any new post from any thread in the g..."

Thank you Abigail! I'll try to get my head round it all...

Brina wrote: "Welcome, Jill and David and anyone else I may have missed. This is a great group. I have gotten interesting ideas of what to read here."
Hi! Thank you for the welcome - lovely to be here

Welcome and I hope you get as much value from this group as I do.

Margaret wrote: "Welcome and I hope you get as much value from this group as I do."

Hi Margaret
Thank you!! It is lovely to be here. Best wishes, David.

Margaret wrote: "Welcome and I hope you get as much value from this group as I do."

Thank you Margaret! Still not sure I understand how it all works but hopefully it will become clear in time!

Hi, my name is Betsy and I've been on GoodReads for a good few years now but this is my first group. My historical reading tastes are all over the map and the timeline. My favorite times to read about are either the ancient world or medieval Europe, but the only time period I tend to avoid is late 19th/early 20th century America (although sometimes a book set then will grab my attention anyway).

Looking forward to getting some great recommendations :)

Betsy wrote: "Hi, my name is Betsy and I've been on GoodReads for a good few years now but this is my first group. My historical reading tastes are all over the map and the timeline. My favorite times to read ab..."
Hi Betsy!
Welcome! All the best in your search.

Welcome, Betsy. I also enjoy reading about the late 19th and early 20th century. Glad you joined and looking forward to seeing you in the group.

Thanks David and Brina! Glad to be here!

Hi Betsy!

Hi everyone, I'm Rachel. I've been on Goodreads for a few years but haven't joined a group until recently. Historical fiction is my favorite genre to read as I love being transported to different times and places, so like others I am hoping to get more recommendations and opinions. My favorite types of historical fiction tend to be Tudor-era England, 18th century, and WWII. I recently finished reading "The Traitor's Wife" and loved it--that being said, if anyone knows of any good books that are similar please let me know!

Rachel0925 wrote: "Hi everyone, I'm Rachel. I've been on Goodreads for a few years but haven't joined a group until recently. Historical fiction is my favorite genre to read as I love being transported to different t..."
Hi Rachel, welcome to the group!

Wishing you all the very best in your reading.

David

Welcome Rachael. Hope you enjoy this group.

Welcome, Betsy, Jill and Rachel! Hope you'll enjoy it here :)

Speaking of World War II, Rachel, have you read All the Light We Cannot See yet? It’s a real jewel—worth all its years on the best-seller list!

Hello, Fictionistas! My name is Kimberly Jo Smith and I am an author of historical fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. I also enjoy music composition and performance. I have been on GR for years but did not know about the groups until a friend told me...serves me right for not being more thorough when I signed up! So glad to be in the mix and I am looking forward to mingling with everyone. I love to read and write any time period up until the mid-twentieth century, though my favorite time period is Middle Ages to Victorian. I am a Tennessee mountain gal with all of the southern fanfare that applies, LOL! I have two cats who try to be my writing companions but fail miserably :) and I work in the Special Education system at our high school. I love meeting new people from different places! Great to be here, have a great day!

Abigail wrote: "Happy new year to all! I am a fan of historical fiction and struggling to write my first HF novel, set in southern England in the year 1800. That era interests me the most, but I enjoy books about ..."

How are you coming on your novel?

Kimberly wrote: "Hello, Fictionistas! My name is Kimberly Jo Smith and I am an author of historical fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. I also enjoy music composition and performance. I have been on GR for years but d..."
Hi Kimberly, welcome to the group!!
Best wishes from here in New Zealand
David

Hi, Kimberly, and welcome! Thanks for asking about my novel. Have to admit that I am struggling—more because of life issues than because of the book. I’m on page 185, which I would consider about halfway.

For you I should be writing the book I laid down in order to work on the current one! It was set in Gatlinburg, and was a modern-day thriller with paranormal elements. I stopped working on it because all my humor came out sounding like Jane Austen, which didn’t match the setting. That’s why I retreated to the turn of the nineteenth century—so that I didn’t have to change my writing style!

Lol...you never know, humor in the setting could work. Anythings possible in Tennessee! My fifth great grandmother was the first settler in Gatlinburg.

That’s interesting! I must have seen her grave, then. When I visited to get the local flavor, I noted down a lot of names on the older gravestones to use (in jumbled versions) as character names. She must be rolling in her grave to see what Gatlinburg has become.

Her name was Martha Huskey Ogle, her log cabin is standing at the end of the Gatlinburg strip just before you go into the mountains

Welcome Kimberley. I have been to Gatlinberg on a vacation before and love the Smokeys. Happy to have you here and looking forward to seeing you in the group.

I remember the cabin and the name Ogle! Small world.

Kimberley, were any of your relatives from Cade's Cove? Such a beautiful setting!

Has anyone any advice on how to ask someone in the group to be a 'friend'? I read a comment on here just now from someone new called Betsy who likes ancient-world fiction as I do but I can't figure out how to send her a friend request! Now I can't even find the comment any more! Also anyone else who particularly likes this type of fiction, please do get in touch as well.

Click on Betsy's name from one of her posts. That should bring up her profile. At the top left, there is a button entitled "friend". Click it, and you have made a friend request. It is "pending" until Betsy approves or disapproves it. I just sent you a friend request. I like historical fiction including ancient history.

Abigail wrote: "Speaking of World War II, Rachel, have you read All the Light We Cannot See yet? It’s a real jewel—worth all its years on the best-seller list!"

Yes, I read that earlier this year; loved it!

Rachel0925 wrote: "Hi everyone, I'm Rachel. I've been on Goodreads for a few years but haven't joined a group until recently. Historical fiction is my favorite genre to read as I love being transported to different t..."

Hi, Rachel and welcome. I have found many good books here. Since you are interested in WW11 I hope you don't mind if I suggest that you check out my novel It is getting good reviews. Enjoy the group.

Hello from London, where I work as a tour guide and history hides around every corner. Have read a fair bit of historical fiction.

Hello. I'm a tour guide in London, and as such, historical British fiction or fiction set in London certainly appeals ... although not adverse to it being set elsewhere obviously.