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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.

Historical Fiction on Sale Now!

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The Second Life of Mirielle West
The Second Life of Mirielle West
by Amanda Skenandore
The Illicit Happiness of Other People
The Illicit Happiness of Other People
by Manu Joseph
Final Draft
Final Draft
by Riley Redgate
The Orphan Collector
The Orphan Collector
by Ellen Marie Wiseman
Your Corner Dark
Your Corner Dark
by Desmond Hall
Atonement (2001)
Atonement (2001)
by Ian McEwan
Old Tippecanoe: William Henry Harrison and His Time
Old Tippecanoe: William Henry Harrison and His Time
by Freeman Cleaves
The New York Times Monday Crossword Puzzle Omnibus
The New York Times Monday Crossword Puzzle Omnibus
by The New York Times
The House in the Pines
The House in the Pines
by Ana Reyes
The Violet Hour
The Violet Hour
by Katie Roiphe
Melissa
Melissa
by Alex Gino
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The 9 Best LGBTQ Books for Kids
Outer Dark
Outer Dark
by Cormac McCarthy
The Last True Poets of the Sea
The Last True Poets of the Sea
by Julia Drake
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The Best YA Book Club Books
Adventures in Old New York
Adventures in Old New York
by Greg Young and Tom Meyers, aka The Bowery Boys
White Rabbit
White Rabbit
by Caleb Roehrig
The Dark Dark
The Dark Dark
by Samantha Hunt
Are You There, God? It's Me Margaret
Are You There, God? It's Me Margaret
by Judy Blume
The Long Winter
The Long Winter
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Weight of the Stars
The Weight of the Stars
by K. Ancrum
J.D. Salinger: A Life
J.D. Salinger: A Life
by Kenneth Slawenski
Today Tonight Tomorrow
Today Tonight Tomorrow
by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Mimi Lee Gets a Clue
Mimi Lee Gets a Clue
by Jennifer J. Chow
On Chesil Beach
On Chesil Beach
by Ian McEwan
The Hidden Staircase
The Hidden Staircase
by Carolyn Keene
Die A Little
Die A Little
by Megan Abbott
Lifeboat No. 8
Lifeboat No. 8
by Elizabeth Kaye
Women and Nature: The Roaring Inside Her
Women and Nature: The Roaring Inside Her
by Susan Griffin
Management Mess to Leadership Success
Management Mess to Leadership Success
by Scott Jeffrey Miller
Rock Bottom at the Renaissance: An Emo Kid's Journey Through Falling In and Out of Love In and With New York City
Rock Bottom at the Renaissance: An Emo Kid's Journey Through Falling In and Out of Love In and With New York City
by Mike Henneberger
Corduroy
Corduroy
by Don Freeman
A Portrait of a Marriage
A Portrait of a Marriage
by Nigel Nicolson
In Patagonia
In Patagonia
by Bruce Chatwin
Red Sparrow
Red Sparrow
by Jason Matthews
The Man With the Golden Arm
The Man With the Golden Arm
by Nelson Algren
Our Sacred Honor
Our Sacred Honor
by Jack Mars
Take Control of Your Cancer Risk
Take Control of Your Cancer Risk
by John Whyte, MD, MPH
Orientalism
Orientalism
by Edward Said
The Franchise Affair
The Franchise Affair
by Josephine Tey
Amari and the Night Brothers
Amari and the Night Brothers
by B.B. Alston
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15 Diverse Middle Grade Books
Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland
Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland
by Gerald Clarke
Chokehold
Chokehold
by Paul Butler
This Is Where It Ends
This Is Where It Ends
by Marieke Nijkamp
To Love and Be Wise
To Love and Be Wise
by Josephine Tey
On Such a Full Sea
On Such a Full Sea
by Chang-Rae Lee
How to Be a Stoic
How to Be a Stoic
by Massimo Pigliucci
Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor
Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor
by Donald J. Robertson
Beachcombers
Beachcombers
by Nancy Thayer
The Korean Vegan Cookbook: Reflections and Recipes from Omma's Kitchen
The Korean Vegan Cookbook: Reflections and Recipes from Omma's Kitchen
by Joanne Lee Molinaro
Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded
Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded
by Samuel Richardson
Ellen Ochoa
Ellen Ochoa
by Annie Buckley
Showing 701-750 of 1059 results

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.