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The Best Historical Fiction Books

While time travel will probably never happen, we’ll always have the next best thing: historical fiction novels. Through the magic of fiction (and authors’ dedication to researching endless incredible details), readers can feel as though they’ve been everywhere and every time, from Ancient Greece to colonial Asia to the American Revolution. If you’re a fiction lover who wants to learn more about the past but isn’t sure about diving into the world of history books, it’s the best of both worlds. 

Another reason to love historical fiction is that it can be crossed with any other genre. From historical mysteries to steamy historical romance to hilarious historical fiction, whatever genre you enjoy can be placed in another period.

Clearly, this is a genre that truly has something for everyone. Whether you prefer novels that bring you to times of war and terror or more whimsical stories set in the past; historical fiction that is surprisingly accurate or tales that take creative license with their settings, you'll find endless books to add to your TBR pile in the lists below.

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After I Do
After I Do
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Passing
Passing
by Nella Larsen
My Year of Rest and Relaxation
My Year of Rest and Relaxation
by Ottessa Moshfegh
The Reader
The Reader
by Bernhard Schlink
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12 Epic World War II Novels
The Nightingale
The Nightingale
by Kristin Hannah
Slaughterhouse Five
Slaughterhouse Five
by Kurt Vonnegut
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What Is New Wave Science Fiction?
Just One Trilogy
Just One Trilogy
by Gayle Forman
The Eye of the World
The Eye of the World
by Robert Jordan
A Game of Hide and Seek
A Game of Hide and Seek
by Elizabeth Taylor
Child of God
Child of God
by Cormac McCarthy
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What Are Gothic Books?
Practical Magic
Practical Magic
by Alice Hoffman
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
by Mark Haddon
The Lathe of Heaven
The Lathe of Heaven
by Ursula K. Le Guin
Wild
Wild
by Cheryl Strayed
More Than This
More Than This
by Patrick Ness
The Silent Wife
The Silent Wife
by A.S.A. Harrison
The Immortal Life of Henriette Lacks
The Immortal Life of Henriette Lacks
by Rebecca Skloot
Reasons to Stay Alive
Reasons to Stay Alive
by Matt Haig
Little House in the Big Woods
Little House in the Big Woods
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
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13 Books for Fans of Little Women
A Big Little Life
A Big Little Life
by Dean Koontz
Naked Lunch
Naked Lunch
by William S. Burroughs
Maurice
Maurice
by E.M. Forster
Swing Time
Swing Time
by Zadie Smith
The Scorpio Races
The Scorpio Races
by Maggie Stiefvater
Life of Pi
Life of Pi
by Yann Martel
Marriage Can Be Murder
Marriage Can Be Murder
by Emma Jameson
Secrets of a River Swimmer
Secrets of a River Swimmer
by S.S. Turner
Summerland
Summerland
by Michael Chabon
Too Dangerous for a Lady
Too Dangerous for a Lady
by Jo Beverley
Crazy Rich Asians
Crazy Rich Asians
by Kevin Kwan
The Marriage Plot
The Marriage Plot
by Jeffrey Eugenides
To Say Nothing of the Dog
To Say Nothing of the Dog
by Connie Willis
The Gathering Storm
The Gathering Storm
by Winston Churchill
10 Blind Dates
10 Blind Dates
by Ashley Elston
The Bromance Book Club
The Bromance Book Club
by Lyssa Kay Adams
Swell: A Sailing Surfer’s Voyage of Awakening
Swell: A Sailing Surfer’s Voyage of Awakening
by Liz Clark
A Long Way Gone
A Long Way Gone
by Ishmael Beah
America Is Not the Heart
America Is Not the Heart
by Elaine Castillo
Year Zero
Year Zero
by Rob Reid
The Wheelman
The Wheelman
by Duane Swierczynski
Absalom, Absalom!
Absalom, Absalom!
by William Faulker
The Last Boy and Girl in the World
The Last Boy and Girl in the World
by Siobhan Vivian
The Chocolate War
The Chocolate War
by Robert Cormier
A Moveable Feast
A Moveable Feast
by Ernest Hemingway
Murder on the Ballarat Train
Murder on the Ballarat Train
by Kerry Greenwood
The Lincoln Lawyer
The Lincoln Lawyer
by Michael Connelly
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
by Jonathan Safran Foer
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Out of Africa
Out of Africa
by Isak Dinesen
Death Prefers Blondes
Death Prefers Blondes
by Caleb Roehrig
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Historical fiction is a genre where a fictional plot is set in a real historical setting or uses real historical characters. While there can be a mix of real and fictional events in the plot, historical fiction focuses on its fictional plot-points. 

The goal of historical fiction is to transport readers to another time. To do that, you’ll need to make the details of your story believable, even though it’s fiction. You want to focus on time period significance, historical accuracy, and detailed descriptions of characters and settings. 

Castle Rackrent by Maria Edgeworth is often considered the first historical fiction novel.