My Top Historical Fiction Titles of 2019 and my Favorite of the Year

This was quite a year for historical fiction reading! Almost any of the books listed here could have been my favorite of the year. There are the mega-hits like Where the Crawdads Sing, a few of my “must-read” authors such as Meg Waite Clayton, Adriana Trigiani, Tracy Chevalier, and writing duo Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb, too. Most of all there were such compelling stories! A wonderful love story set in another time and place, a tale of women during a revolution written by a group of women, and a back story piece on the wedding of one of the world’s most admired women! Wow! How do  I pick a “favorite” out of this bunch!!! Can’t I offer a 12-way tie?

Click on the linked titles below to go to my reviews.

1. Tony’s Wife
2. Meet me in Monaco
3. The Stationery Shop
4. The Last Train To London
5. Where the Crawdads Sing
6. When We Left Cuba
7. The Gown
8. A Single Thread
9. The Editor
10. Quintland Sisters
11. Ribbons of Scarlet

RUNNERS UP

There were so many GREAT historical fiction books this year. Wow. Here are the runners up.

 

Jennifer Robson and the writing duo Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb have crafted marvelous tales surround two royal weddings. Marjan Kamali has outdone even her excellent Together Tea, which I have been recommending almost from the day it came out. And Meg Waite Clayton has more than “done it again,” giving us characters to break our hearts in the sweetest way. It was so hard to choose just one book, but I knew I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t pick the one I picked. I hope all of these will stand the test of time, to be read after I’m long dead, but the one I was sure of is my favorite.

 

My Favorite Historical Fiction Book of 2019

 

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. What an amazing story! So magnificently told. This is truly one for the ages. I loved, loved, loved it. 4.0 is a HUGE score for me. This one got 4.75. I could have recorded half the prose as quotes in my Commonplace Book–the prose is that beautiful. I loved every single word. This book surpassed it’s hype. Just read it.

 

Note:

This book, and another of my favorites, were both featured in Reece Witherspoon’s Book Club. I check out all kinds of book club lists when I need suggestions of what to read. I track them, as well, keeping list of what I’ve read from major clubs on Goodreads.com

#bestbooksof2019