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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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Attack of the Black Rectangles
Attack of the Black Rectangles
by Amy Serig King
Turning Pages: The Adventures and Misadventures of a Publisher
Turning Pages: The Adventures and Misadventures of a Publisher
by John Sargent
Frankenstein and Other Stories: The Collected Works of Mary Shelley
Frankenstein and Other Stories: The Collected Works of Mary Shelley
by Mary Shelley
The Life of Voltaire
The Life of Voltaire
by Evelyn Beatrice Hall
Juniper's Christmas
Juniper's Christmas
by Eoin Colfer
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Chicken of the Sea
Chicken of the Sea
by Viet Thanh Nguyen
The Committed
The Committed
by Viet Thanh Nguyen
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Dear Rebel
Dear Rebel
by Rebel Girls
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Missy's Twitch
Missy's Twitch
by Jon Pepper
The Korean K-Drama Cookbook: Make the Dishes Seen in Your Favorite TV Shows!
The Korean K-Drama Cookbook: Make the Dishes Seen in Your Favorite TV Shows!
by Choi Heejae
101 Thai Dishes You Need to Cook Before You Die
101 Thai Dishes You Need to Cook Before You Die
by Jet Tila and Tad Weyland Fukomoto
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10 Tantalizing Thai Cookbooks
The Storytime Craft Book
The Storytime Craft Book
by Kathy Ross
The Watsons
The Watsons
by Jane Austen
School Shootings
School Shootings
by Joseph A. Lieberman
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The Five-Star Weekend
The Five-Star Weekend
by Elin Hilderbrand
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All the Best Audiobooks in 2023
Push
Push
by Sapphire
The Best Man
The Best Man
by Kristan Higgins
The Best Summer of Our Lives
The Best Summer of Our Lives
by Rachel Hauck
D.H. Lawrence: An Unprofessional Study
D.H. Lawrence: An Unprofessional Study
by Anais Nin
Shakespeare's Secret
Shakespeare's Secret
by Elise Broach
PI-YAHHHHH!! The Cajun Ninja’s Cookbook
PI-YAHHHHH!! The Cajun Ninja’s Cookbook
by Jason Derouen | The Cajun Ninja
Wherever You Go, There You Are
Wherever You Go, There You Are
by Jon Kabat-Zinn
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love
by Raymond Carver
She Came to Stay
She Came to Stay
by Simone de Beauvoir
Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen
Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen
by Liliuokalani
A Concise History of Japan
A Concise History of Japan
by Brett L. Walker
Alien
Alien
by Alan Dean Foster
A Fine Romance
A Fine Romance
by Candice Bergen
The Girls
The Girls
by Emma Cline
Paris
Paris
by Edward Rutherford
Oxygen
Oxygen
by Carol Cassella
Can't Even
Can't Even
by Anne Helen Peterson
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: The Poetry of Mister Rogers
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: The Poetry of Mister Rogers
by Fred Rogers
A History of the Island
A History of the Island
by Eugene Vodolazkin
Pirates
Pirates
by Peter Lehr
How to Keep Your Cool: An Ancient Guide to Anger Management
How to Keep Your Cool: An Ancient Guide to Anger Management
by Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Johanna Porter Is Not Sorry
Johanna Porter Is Not Sorry
by Sara Read
The Adventurous Boy's Handbook
The Adventurous Boy's Handbook
by Stephen Brennan, Finn Brennan
Women in Sports: Megan Rapinoe
Women in Sports: Megan Rapinoe
by Mary Hertz Scarbrough
James Herriot's Favorite Dog Stories
James Herriot's Favorite Dog Stories
by James Herriot
Bless Me Ultima
Bless Me Ultima
by Rudolfo Anaya
On a Grey Thread
On a Grey Thread
by Elsa Gidlow
Stories From Grandpa: A Fill-In Journal and Family Keepsake
Stories From Grandpa: A Fill-In Journal and Family Keepsake
by Katie Sweeney
The Teacher
The Teacher
by Freida McFadden
1985
1985
by Anthony Burgess
The 5-Minute Gratitude Journal
The 5-Minute Gratitude Journal
by Sophia Godkin
Mom's Coloring Book For Stress Relief
Mom's Coloring Book For Stress Relief
by Rockridge Press
Shakespeare, the King's Playwright: Theater in the Stuart Court, 1603-1613
Shakespeare, the King's Playwright: Theater in the Stuart Court, 1603-1613
by Alvin Kernan
Cruelty
Cruelty
by Roald Dahl
Habitats: A Journey In Nature
Habitats: A Journey In Nature
by Hannah Pang
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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.