Recs if you like The Frozen River...

| 2026 | verity: october 2 sense & sensibility: october 16 sunrise on the reaping: november 20 dune messiah: december 18

| 2027 | children of blood & bone: january 15 the nightingale: february 12 beach read: may 7

| 2028 | cinder: november 3

depending on where you live it’s either winter or summer and the weather outside is probably weather, so here is a list of books with weather related titles

taking suggestions!!

Fiction (and some non-fiction) across genres featuring plagues, poisons, palace physicians, healers, and pre-antibiotic chaos. If it involves herbs, plagues, questionable remedies, court intrigue, or a morally complex healer experimenting in the corner, I want it.

Historical fiction with powerful women demanding change.

Open for suggestions!

Goodreads 80 of the Past Decade’s Very Popular Fiction from 2016 - 2025

2025 Broken Country - Isola 2024 The Women - Real Americans 2023 Tom Lake - Weyward 2022 Demon Copperhead - Diamond Eye 2021 Reading List - Cloud Cuckoo Land 2020 My Dark Vanessa - Vanishing Half 2019 Giver of Stars - Girl, Woman, Other 2018 Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell - Where the Crawdads Sing 2017 Stay with Me - 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo 2016 Lilac Girls - Behold the Dreamers

These books are historical fiction from different area and time periods. I did not add WW2 books as they are already highly popular and I wanted to focus on lesser known time periods or countries in the genre. Please suggest similar books.

Books where MMC are good guys, show emotions, etc. Golden Retriever vibes. Suggestions welcome.

Historical mystery fiction including author Harini Nagerdra’s top six favorites. Each mystery is unique in its attempt at capturing historical accuracy in its setting’s place and time.

Believe it or not, authors do write about time periods that aren't World War II

Just getting back into reading and feeling a bit overwhelmed at all the options? These were my go to recommendations for people while I was a longtime bookseller! I've tried to touch on most genres in this master list so you have a good selection, but I definitely could have missed a few since there are so many.

Complex, juicy stories that carry you along.

Goodreads Published List of Consistently > 4 ⭐️(by year published)

2000: Plain Truth - House of Leaves ‘01: Other Boleyn Girl - Secret Life of Bees ‘02: Fingersmith - Lamb ‘03: Shutter Island - Time Traveler’s Wife ‘04: Shadow of the Wind - Cloud Atlas ‘05: No Country for Old Men - Book Thief ‘06: Sharp Objects - Road ‘07: Terror - Thousand Splendid Suns ‘08: City of Thieves - Hunger Games ‘09: Maze Runner - Cutting for Stone

Ran out of room.. See Comments for full list!

Gothic vibes, vampires, witchcraft, murder, and ghost stories abound! I think these all have a similar vibe or tone, and they are just PERFECT for fall reading.

I love a good historical fiction novel, and sometimes the ones based on a real event, person, or disaster really bring out those human emotions we deserve to simmer in for a bit. From heartache and heroism to life and loss, these novels take the reader on a journey and lead them through all sorts of emotions along the way. More novels will be added to this list as I read them, and I am always on the look out for more historical fiction recommendations.

Historical Fiction that wreaks of a good time

Snowfall and Other Chilling Delights

August 2026 Reader’s choice of the best 100 thrillers All I gotta say is the definitely didn’t ask me. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Inspired by The Artful Dodger

Books with "River" in the title

Books that were easily more than 5 stars