Thursday, August 13, 2026

This month’s best new historical fiction

 
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This Month’s Best New Historical Fiction
 
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Book cover for The Story Keeper by Kelly Rimmer
While restoring her crumbling ancestral mansion, Fiona unearths decades-old secrets
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • When Fiona finds a mysterious book in her late uncle’s library, the story bears a striking resemblance to her own…
  • Kate Morton fans will love this dual-timeline novel teeming with gothic atmosphere
  • The author of The Things We Cannot Say is “at her most skillful” in this “emotional, haunting tale” (Julia Kelly, author of The Dressmakers of London)
Learn more...
Media mentions for The Story Keeper by Kelly Rimmer MEDIA MENTIONS: People, Parade, Indie Next List, Library Reads, Booklist
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Book cover for The Half Life by Rachel Beanland
On a remote Italian island, a navy officer’s wife faces a life-altering choice
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • Clare Leslie Hall, author of Broken Country, says she “utterly adored” this “captivating, whip-smart novel”
  • Amid clashes between the US forces and the locals on sun-drenched La Maddalena, Eileen finds her loyalties put to the test
  • “Destined to resonate with a legion of readers… especially for fans of Kristin Hannah’s The Women” (BookPage)
Learn more...
Media mentions for The Half Life by Rachel Beanland MEDIA MENTIONS: People, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, BookPage
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Book cover for Daughters of Naples by Diana Giovinazzo
During World War II, three sisters in Naples must fight for survival
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • Fans of Elena Ferrante will enjoy following the three Cozzolino sisters — Leta, Marcella, and Bianca — as they decide where their loyalties lie amid the war effort
  • Praise from Kristin Harmel and Madeline Martin, who says, “Giovinazzo brings Italy to life in this beautiful story of sisterhood, reminding us that love offers hope, even in the darkest of times”
  • “Richly detailed and full of danger and suspense” (Library Journal)
Learn more...
Media mentions for Daughters of Naples by Diana Giovinazzo MEDIA MENTION: Library Journal
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Book cover for The Ladies Hall by Vanessa Miller
Fans of Hidden Figures: Here’s your next must-read
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • In the face of prejudice, ambitious college students Mary, Anna, and Ida seek to make lasting change
  • Inspired by the lives of some of the first Black women to graduate with bachelor’s degrees from Oberlin College
  • The Ladies Hall is ripe for discussion, especially by book groups that focus on forgotten women of history” (Booklist)
Learn more...
Media mentions for The Ladies Hall by Vanessa Miller MEDIA MENTIONS: People, Booklist, Literary Hub
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Book cover for Where the Sky Begins by Mary Wine and Cindy Dees
In 1929, 20 fearless women pilots take to the skies for the race of a lifetime
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • Navigating nearly 3,000 miles of treacherous terrain is dangerous enough, but when the competition begins, the aviators realize someone is sabotaging them…
  • “Fraught and exciting… Dees and Wine [give] readers a good taste of the adversity and adventure of the time” (Booklist)
  • Perfect for anyone who loves to read novels starring brave women from history!
Learn more...
Media mentions for Where the Sky Begins by Mary Wine and Cindy Dees MEDIA MENTIONS: People, Booklist
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Book cover for The House of Boleyn by Tracy Borman
See why Alison Weir calls this ‘historical fiction at its absolute best’
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • From rivalries to romance, follow the Boleyn family’s dramatic rise and fall in King Henry VIII’s deadly court across three decades
  • A highly respected Tudor historian conjures “a fresh and intriguing take on Boleyn’s story” (The Times)
  • “Meticulous historical detail and imaginative flair… give the novel a sense of depth and gritty reality” (Library Journal starred review)
Learn more...
Media mentions for The House of Boleyn by Tracy Borman MEDIA MENTIONS: The Times, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, Booklist, Literary Hub
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Book cover for Song for Another Home by Bora Lee Reed
Pachinko fans will be moved by this story of a family’s separation and resilience
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • As war breaks out in Korea, Oksoon and her family must make choices that send ripple effects throughout the generations
  • Take it from Laurie Frankel: “Song for Another Home is timely, wide-ranging, immersive historical fiction and a magnificent debut”
  • “Beautifully written and shimmering with love, sacrifice, and betrayal, this is a novel that will echo with readers for a long time” (New York Times bestselling author Yangsze Choo)
Learn more...
Media mentions for Song for Another Home by Bora Lee Reed MEDIA MENTIONS: People, Good Housekeeping
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Book cover for Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead
The latest ‘masterpiece’ (BookPage) from the author of The Underground Railroad
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • In 20th-century New York City, furniture dealer Ray Carney is living a double life — and must risk his family’s safety to rescue one of their own
  • Two-time Pulitzer Prize–winning author Colson Whitehead is “at his best” (Oprah Daily) in this instant New York Times bestseller
  • One of Barack Obama’s 2026 summer reading recommendations!
Learn more...
Media mentions for Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead MEDIA MENTIONS: The New Yorker, Time Magazine, TODAY Show, The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, Recommended by Barack Obama, Oprah Daily, The Atlantic, The Economist, Harper's Bazaar, Esquire, Vulture, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Times, The Boston Globe, Indie Next List, Library Reads, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, BookPage, Literary Hub
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Book cover for Meet Me in the Garden by Nina LaCour
‘A masterpiece… An immersive, heartfelt triumph’ (Booklist starred review)
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • In 1940s New Orleans, Odette’s sisters long for marriage and motherhood — while she and her beloved cousin, Delphine, each grapple with their own secret desires
  • This sweeping family saga comes highly anticipated by Harper’s Bazaar and People
  • “The characters are pitch-perfect” (Publishers Weekly) in this “sensitive examination of one woman’s hard-fought journey to self-acceptance” (Kirkus Reviews)
Learn more...
Media mentions for Meet Me in the Garden by Nina LaCour MEDIA MENTIONS: Book of the Month, People, Harper's Bazaar, Indie Next List, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist
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Your ebook bargains for Thursday

 
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Your Ebook Deals
 
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Dolores Claiborne
Dolores Claiborne
By Stephen King
This classic #1 New York Times bestseller with over 58,000 five-star Goodreads ratings is “among King’s best… Unforgettable” (San Francisco Chronicle). When a wealthy, cantankerous older woman dies on a close-knit Maine island, suspicion falls on her housekeeper, Dolores Claiborne — who’s harboring a dark secret… “Startlingly good” (Time).
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$2.99  $11.99
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The Waters
The Waters
By Bonnie Jo Campbell
“If you loved Where the Crawdads Sing, you’re going to love” (Jenna Bush Hager) this “story to savor, line by line, and return to, year after year” (Oprah Daily). On a lush island amid wild wetlands, the lives of an eccentric herbalist who’s healed generations of women, her free-spirited granddaughter, and their neighbors unfold.
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$2.99  $9.99
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The Princess Spy
The Princess Spy
By Larry Loftis
A New York Times bestseller “as exciting as any spy novel” (New York Daily News): During World War II, fashion model Aline Griffith became one of the Allies’ most valuable spies — and later married into European nobility. This “lively history of a spirited woman” is “filled with glamour, glitz, and mysterious characters” (Kirkus Reviews).
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$2.99  $14.99
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Northanger Abbey
Northanger Abbey
By Jane Austen
From one of the most beloved authors of all time, hailed as “the Rosetta stone of literature” (Anna Quindlen): While visiting friends in Bath, bookish Catherine Morland is swept up in an eventful social season. “Northanger Abbey is hugely underrated” (Martin Amis).
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$1.99  $6.99
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The Girls
The Girls
By Emma Cline
A “spellbinding” publishing sensation (The New York Times Book Review) with over 39,000 five-star ratings on Goodreads! In 1960s California, teenage Evie becomes obsessed with an older girl who draws her into the dangerous orbit of a cult leader. “Superbly written, with flashingly brilliant sentences” (The New Yorker).
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$1.99  $14.99
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The Midnight Taxi
The Midnight Taxi
By Yosha Gunasekera
“Engaging, authentic, and eye-opening” (Hank Phillippi Ryan): When New York City cab driver Siriwathi Perera finds a body in her back seat, she becomes the prime suspect. With the help of public defender Amaya Fernando, Siri races to catch the real killer. “Marvelous… Readers will be rapt” (Publishers Weekly).
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$1.99  $12.99
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The Sweet Blue Distance
The Sweet Blue Distance
By Sara Donati
“A stunning tour de force” (Booklist): After a perilous journey from New York to the sweeping landscapes of the New Mexico Territory in 1857, midwife Carrie is charged with a young girl she’ll do anything to protect… From a USA Today bestselling author known for “exemplary historical fiction” (Kirkus Reviews).
Because you're interested in Historical Fiction  (Edit)
$1.99  $4.99
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Ghosts
Ghosts
By Dolly Alderton
With over 40,900 five-star Goodreads ratings, this “wickedly funny” novel “feels like your very favorite friend” (Taylor Jenkins Reid). Writer Nina leads a carefree life in London — but a dating app is about to turn her world upside down… “A stunning achievement” (Stanley Tucci) from the author of Good Material!
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$1.99  $9.99
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Smokescreen
Smokescreen
By Dick Francis
When movie star Edward Lincoln travels to South Africa to investigate who’s behind his friend’s mysteriously ailing racehorses, he stumbles into a conspiracy more deadly than those in his films. “Few things are more convincing than Dick Francis at a full gallop” (Chicago Tribune).
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$1.99  $15.19
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Out of the Woods
Out of the Woods
By Hannah Bonam-Young
This 2025 release and USA Today bestseller is “absolute, utter perfection” (Chloe Liese)! Sarah and Caleb attend a weeklong wilderness adventure in hopes of discovering their love for each other all over again… “Hannah Bonam-Young writes love stories that stay with you” (Elena Armas).
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The Bestseller
The Bestseller
By Jenny Knightsby
When therapist Helena drunkenly shares a client’s harrowing story with her best friend, struggling novelist Tala turns it into a bestselling thriller. Now, Helena must face the fallout of betraying her client’s trust — while facing the potential danger Tala’s betrayal has caused… “I tore through the pages” (Sarah Easter Collins).
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$0.99  $3.99
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See all 18 deals
 
   
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