15 FAVORITE HISTORICAL FICTION OF 2020
2020 was a good year for me when it comes to reading. I read so many books and had a great time finding new historical books that were amazing and captivating. I want to share them with you guys. Some of these got into my top 5 and some of these are older releases and others are new books released in 2020. This is going to be a long post and I want you guys to be prepared for it. Get ready to dive into it. Let's get into the list of my favorite historical fiction I read this year, shall we?
THE BLIND LIGHT BY STUART EVERS | BOOK REVIEW
The Blind Light by Stuart Evers is a historical/literary fiction that tells us the story of Drum, Gwen, and their family. We go from 50s to the present following our characters through life-changing events that shape their lives. The story revolves mainly around Drum and Gwen and their kids Nathan and Anneka. Their story is intertwined with Carter, Drum's friend from the service. The book is about their lives, how global events, atomic attacks, family, and relationships bring people together and how they break them apart. Carter and Drum meet during his time at the National Service as they prepare for the aftermath of the Atomic Strike. The two become…
MY TOP 5 BOOKS OF 2020
Here are my top 5 books from the year 2020. I am so happy to share them with you. Each of these holds a special place in my heart and have gotten promoted to my all time favorites as well. I found myself struggling to choose one book, and so I decided to pick 5 that will be forever etched in my heart and mind. Addie and Shams has left a big hole in my heart and I don't know if anything can fill it... ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
MRS SEATH MISSES DEATH BY SALENA GODDEN | BOOK REVIEW
Mrs. Death Misses Death by Salena Godden is prose and poetry mixed with narration style writing, and is more of a literary style of fiction than a straight-up fantasy, in my opinion. I requested this book after reading the fascinating synopsis. The story is about Death, and how tired Death is of taking people's lives, and the insight we get into the psyche of Death itself. The book features death as a black woman who goes after people's lives when it is their time to die. After living the life and doing her job endlessly, she is tired and wishes to unburden her thoughts to a young, troubled writer Wolf.…
- ADULT, ARCS, BOOK REVIEWS, CULTURAL, FICTION, HISTORICAL FICTION, LITERARY FICTION, NETGALLEY, Scotland
SHUGGIE BAIN BY DOUGLAS STUART | BOOK REVIEW
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stewart is the winner of the 2020 Booker Prize. To know that this book was rejected 32 times before it got published is baffling to me. Reading that was such a shock and the irony of it is just great. The book is a winner for the Booker Prize, and it's almost like the universe telling the publishers where to take their rejections. I haven't read the other books on the list, and I do have to say after reading this book, I am not surprised that this book got the recognition it did. Every time I see a book that is a popular book, on…
BOOK REVIEW : HOW BEAUTIFUL WE WERE BY IMBOLO MBUE
How Beautiful We Were is a literary fiction/cultural fiction written by Imbolo Mbue. The story is set in the fictional African village of Kosawa. It tells the heartwrenching tale of the suffering and turmoil caused by the greed of western oil companies. The story is an unforgettable one written with brutal honesty and captures the readers from the get-go. It is told from multiple perspectives helping us put together the puzzle that will leave us with the whole picture. All characters provide us with insight into the situation and help us learn the life before and after the companies started to drill for oil. It is a powerful story that…
BOOK REVIEW : THE COMPANY DAUGHTERS BY SAMANTHA RAJARAM
The Company Daughters is a sweeping tale of what it means to be a woman in a world where the odds are always stacked against them. Samantha Rajaram is, without a doubt, talented in spinning stories by drawing inspiration from real-life events. The accounts were, in my opinion, well-researched to provide an authentic portrayal of the conditions of a colonized nation. It also depicts the circumstances of the women who were taken from their home countries to serve the settler men. I have been reading so many character-driven historical fiction stories based on true-events talking about the effects of colonization on communities and the women as well. This novel had…
- ADULT, ARCS, BOOK REVIEWS, CULTURAL, FICTION, HISTORICAL FICTION, LITERARY FICTION, NETGALLEY, WOMEN'S FICTION
BOOK REVIEW : THE EXILES BY CHRISTINA BAKER KLINE
The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline is a well-researched historical fiction set in 19th century Australia. The book tells us the story of three women, Evangeline, Hazel, and Mathinna. Evangeline and Hazel are the two English convicts who get sentenced to Van Diemen’s Land. The Prisoners from Newgate Prison got often transported to the Island, where they had to complete the rest of their sentences. Mathinna is the Aboriginal orphan who gets uprooted from her life to live with the governor and his wife. The book is vividly descriptive and meticulously researched, giving the readers a distinct impression of the hardships and oppression faced each of these women during their…
- ADULT, ARCS, BOOK REVIEWS, FICTION, HISTORICAL FICTION, LITERARY FICTION, NETGALLEY, WOMEN'S FICTION
BOOK REVIEW : THE PARIS LIBRARY BY JANET SKESLIEN CHARLES
Paris Library is a historical fiction based on the true story of brave librarians during WW2. The book follows two main POVs, one of Odile, who used to be a librarian at the American Library in Paris, and Lily, who is a teenager in Froid, Montana. Odile was happy getting her dream job and spending her time in the library helping people with book recommendations. Her life was almost perfect with a handsome police officer beau, a best friend who shared her love for reading. Then war comes calling, and everything perfect falls into despair. Her stable life gets swiped from under her leaving her disconcerted. With Jews getting discriminated…
BOOK REVIEW : A SINGLE SWALLOW BY LING ZHANG, TRANSLATED BY SHELLY BRYANT
A Single Swallow is the story of a young woman Ah Yan. Ah Yan's life story, her journey from a naive young girl to a courageous young woman, is told from the perspectives of the three men in her life. After Japan's surrender, bringing an end to World War 2. The three men, after a day of joyous celebrations, take a vow to meet every year at the village. It was where they have lived, fought a war, and survived challenging times. Now seventy years later, they get to fulfill their promise. The American missionary Pastor Billy, the gunner’s mate Ian Ferguson, and a local soldier Liu Zhaohu come together…
