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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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My Dark Vanessa
My Dark Vanessa
by Kate Elizabeth Russell
The Bone People
The Bone People
by Keri Hulme
High Rising
High Rising
by Angela Thirkell
Mastering the Art of French Cooking
Mastering the Art of French Cooking
by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, Simone Beck
Dead in Long Beach, California
Dead in Long Beach, California
by Venita Blackburn
Peony in Love
Peony in Love
by Lisa See
The Story of Sojourner Truth
The Story of Sojourner Truth
by Anita Crawford Clark
If I Die in a Combat Zone: Box Me Up and Ship Me Home
If I Die in a Combat Zone: Box Me Up and Ship Me Home
by Tim O'Brien
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
by Harriet Jacobs
Pageboy
Pageboy
by Elliot Page
Breakfast at Tiffanys and Other Voices, Other Rooms
Breakfast at Tiffanys and Other Voices, Other Rooms
by Truman Capote
The Collected Regrets of Clover
The Collected Regrets of Clover
by Mikki Brammer
The End of Drum-Time
The End of Drum-Time
by Hanna Pylväinen
100 Whimsical Appliqué Designs
100 Whimsical Appliqué Designs
by Becky Goldsmith & Linda Jenkins
The Latecomer
The Latecomer
by Jean Hanff Korelitz
Forbidden Notebook
Forbidden Notebook
by Alba de Céspedes
Fashionopolis
Fashionopolis
by Dana Thomas
Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and Her Daughter Mary Shelley
Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and Her Daughter Mary Shelley
by Charlotte Gordon
The Vegetable
The Vegetable
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Chinatown
Chinatown
by Robert Towne
When We Flew Away
When We Flew Away
by Alice Hoffman
Reflections in a Golden Eye
Reflections in a Golden Eye
by Carson McCullers
Before the Coffee Gets Cold
Before the Coffee Gets Cold
by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (translated by Geoffrey Trousselot)
Awesome Science Experiments for Kids
Awesome Science Experiments for Kids
by Crystal Chatterton
Inside Picture Books
Inside Picture Books
by Ellen Handler Spitz
Black Artists Rock!
Black Artists Rock!
by Cara Reese
The Wedding Dress Quilt
The Wedding Dress Quilt
by Jeffree Wyn Itrich
El Festival de las Calaveras/The Festival of Bones
El Festival de las Calaveras/The Festival of Bones
by Luis San Vincente
A Walk in the Woods
A Walk in the Woods
by Bill Bryson
An Orchestra of Minorities
An Orchestra of Minorities
by Chigozie Obioma
Silencing the Past
Silencing the Past
by Michel-Rolph Trouillot
The Cider House Rules
The Cider House Rules
by John Irving
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8 Books Like The Prince of Tides
The Lost Girls of Willowbrook
The Lost Girls of Willowbrook
by Ellen Marie Wiseman
The Wild Life
The Wild Life
by David Gordon
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8 New York City Mystery Books
A Cottage Full of Secrets
A Cottage Full of Secrets
by Jane Lovering
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8 Cozy Cottagecore Books
Holes
Holes
by Louis Sachar
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8 Books Like The Outsiders
The Hangman
The Hangman
by Louise Penny
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7 Hi Lo Books for Adults
Honey and the Hired Hand
Honey and the Hired Hand
by Joan Johnston
Last Train to Memphis and Careless Love
Last Train to Memphis and Careless Love
by Peter Guralnick
Thin Air
Thin Air
by Lisa Gray
The Unbound Prometheus
The Unbound Prometheus
by David S. Landes
Nine Perfect Strangers
Nine Perfect Strangers
by Liane Moriarty
The Lady in the Silver Cloud
The Lady in the Silver Cloud
by David Handler
Autobiography of a Yogi
Autobiography of a Yogi
by Paramahansa Yogananda
Celtic Moon Signs
Celtic Moon Signs
by Helena Paterson
Romance Is My Day Job
Romance Is My Day Job
by Patience Bloom
Vermilion
Vermilion
by Molly Tanzer
The True Believer
The True Believer
by Eric Hoffer
The Patricide of George Benjamin Hill
The Patricide of George Benjamin Hill
by James Charlesworth
Showing 801-850 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.