The Painted Girls Blog Tour: Top 5 Historical Fiction Picks

So as my part of my involvement in The Painted Girls Blog Tour, I was asked to come up with a list of my top 5 historical fiction novels. To be honest this was kind of a difficult one for me, I really enjoy historical fiction but I don't get the chance to read a lot (the ones that I like are the giant books that take some time to finish). But after quite some time I was able to come up with a list, here it is.


1. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

This book is quite a hefty one (coming in at almost 1500 pages), but the story is absolutely beautiful. I actually had a hard time finding this one in stores, but when I did I read it immediately, devouring every page of Scarlett and Rhett. I hope to go back and read this story again in the near future.



2. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

This series is another one that each book weighs in at a good amount of pages, but the story is so enthralling I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed this one the most of his books (but am reading his new series as well right now). I really enjoy how Follett is able to write about so many characters and still tie them all together in this one story. This story was one of my favourites because I loved how it revolved around the building of a cathedral and that is what brought many of the characters together.


3. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

It was this book that actually got me interested in historical fiction in the first place. I loved how Gregory was going into a time of history that everyone knew about but focusing on the parts that didn't have a story. This book interested me because it is about the Boleyn sister that didn't get the throne (and I will say I hated the movie because it still focused more on Anne, which is not the story at all!)


4. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

I read this book back in high school, and have always loved it. This book really brings out the emotional impact of such actions and I will always go back to reading it. This was one of my favourite school reads that I ever read. This is one I highly recommend reading!

5. Memoirs of A Geisha by Arthur Golden

This book took me some time to get to. I had seen the movie and I really wanted to see what the book was like (I will admit I thought it was based off a real person when I first heard about it). I love Golden's descriptions throughout, and I really love that this is a coming of age novel and we follow Sayuri through tough hurdles over many years, and how through everything she gets stronger.




What are some of your top historical novels? Any recommendations you have for me based on what I have read? Let me know!