I mentioned that I was in the mood for historical fiction. But just what sort? Maybe something other than a book set in either the Victorian period or during the war years (WWI and II), since I read a lot of those already. Something really absorbing, a lose-yourself in the pages sort of book. Doesn't have to be highbrow but good storytelling is a must. Maybe nothing too chunky. I've come to love using Library Thing, only I wish I had been more specific and generous in my tagging. Often I will go online and try and narrow down my books to a particular subject, and it's amazing what I can come up with in my own little library. So here are a few ideas.
I tend to hang on to most of my books, and you know I am a regular book buyer. Some of them I've had for so long that I almost feel a twinge of pity that they've waited so patiently for so many years casting eager glances at me when I sort through piles looking for something to read. J.D. Landis's Longing comes to mind as an example. This is a fictional account of the tortuous relationship of Robert and Clara Schumann.
For a long time Arthur Japin's In Lucia's Eyes managed to find its way on to any "I'm going to read these books" lists that I'm so fond of making. Unfortunately I've never gotten to it. This is set in the mid-18th century and is about Casanova. Maybe the time has finally come to read it? I wonder where I put it.
Maybe more Horatio Hornblower? I was so enthusiastic about C.S. Forester's books a couple of years ago. I even bought the whole set. Where was I, the second or third book? I think Lieutenant Hornblower was up next. It's a good thing I write down the books I read.
Christie Dickason's The Firemaster's Mistress is a fairly recent purchase. It's set in the 1600s during James I reign. The blurb mentions Shakespeare. I wonder if he makes a peripheral appearance.
Scapegallows by Carol Birch is also a fairly new book. It's even a contemporary Virago Press release. The story is based on a true story and is set in a convict colony in New South Wales in the 1700s. The author is said to be "a born storyteller." That sounds promising.
I started reading Arturo Perez-Reverte's Captain Alatriste novels a while back. I think Purity of Blood is next up. These novels are serious swashbuckling fun, set in 17th-centuy Spain. If you've never read anything by Perez-Reverte I can't recommend him highly enough and I must read more of his novels myself.
The Discovery of Chocolate by James Runcie--doesn't that sound like a seductive title? Yes, the book is about chocolate. The story is told through a series of vignettes spanning centuries about the development and refinement of chocolate. And yes, I think there is a pair of lovers in there as well.
Shall we bring things forward in time a bit? I think these would be considered historical fiction, though I'm not entirely sure when the first one was written. I like Marge Piercy and have always meant to read more of her work. Braided Lives is set in 1950s Detroit and follows two cousins as they grow into women. Eva Rice's The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets is set in 1950s London and is another coming of age tale (it might be interesting to read both and compare the two). I've heard very good things about this one.
All right I'm going to slip one in. I've never read anything by Charlotte Bingham, but I do have a couple of her books. In Distant Fields is set just before and during WWI. A tale of two unlikely women who become friends and must deal with the hardships of war.
Rosetta Barbara Ewing is one of those sweeping historical sagas set during the French Revolution. The story moves from France to North Africa.
James Fleming's The Temple of Optimism is another book that falls into that "I've owned this for a really long time" category. This is set in the 18th century and is a tale of greed and love.
I should have something set at a royal court in my list, so how about Emilie's Voice by Susanne Dunlap. It's set in Paris and Versailles, and Emilie has the voice of an angel. I suspect she will get into all sorts of trouble at the court of Louis XIV.
The good thing is that I have these all somewhere on my shelves. The bad thing is now that I've started contemplating reading one of them, how do I decide which to read?