Friday, September 12, 2025

Best of 2025 So Far: Historical Fiction

 
Readworthy by BookBub
This Month's Best New Historical Fiction
 
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Book cover for The Book of Lost Hours by Hayley Gelfuso
All the Light We Cannot See meets The Midnight Library
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • September's Good Morning America Book Club pick is a sweeping novel set in the US following World War II and during the Cold War
  • Two women across decades race to protect the mysterious time space — a library of books containing the memories of those who bore witness to history…
  • "A magnificent and complex feat of imagination… A testament to the power of memory, the fragility of truth, and the enduring strength of the human heart" (Patti Callahan Henry)
Learn more...
Media mentions for The Book of Lost Hours by Hayley GelfusoMEDIA MENTIONS:Good Morning America Book Club, Book of the Month, People, Indie Next List, Library Reads, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist
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AmazonOther formats and retailers
Book cover for Buckeye by Patrick Ryan
Two Midwestern families find their lives upended by a shattering secret
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • September's Read with Jenna pick "deftly blends in surprising twists and insight" (Booklist starred review)
  • "Buckeye is a reminder of the deep pleasure of following a cast of characters over their entire lives, through births, deaths, marriages, tragedies and, in this case, hard-won reconciliations" (The New York Times Book Review)
  • Rave reviews from Ann Patchett, Chris Whitaker, and Ann Napolitano, who says "I love this book with my entire heart"
Learn more...
Media mentions for Buckeye by Patrick RyanMEDIA MENTIONS:TODAY Book Club/Read with Jenna, The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, People, The Washington Post, Financial Times, The Guardian, Indie Next List, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, BookPage, Literary Hub
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AmazonOther formats and retailers
Book cover for The Lost Baker of Vienna by Sharon Kurtzman
Pam Jenoff loves this 'moving and unforgettable' dual-timeline tale
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • In 1946 Vienna, baker Chana, her mother, and her younger brother have survived the horrors of World War II. Decades later, Zoe sets out to uncover what really happened to her family during the war…
  • "Sharon Kurtzman takes her own family history and spins it into something truly special" (Kate Quinn)
  • "At certain points, your heart will feel wrung out, but Kurtzman makes it all worthwhile and brings the story together in a most marvelous way" (Booklist)
Learn more...
Media mentions for The Lost Baker of Vienna by Sharon KurtzmanMEDIA MENTIONS:Book of the Month, Library Journal, Booklist
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AmazonOther formats and retailers
Book cover for At Last by Marisa Silver
This family saga delivers 'masterful portraits of women's lives, only half lived' (Kirkus Reviews)
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • In midcentury America, Helene and Evelyn are two fierce matriarchs whose lives are transformed when their children marry — and they're forced to confront their vastly different belief systems
  • From the New York Times bestselling author of Mary Coin
  • Ann Napolitano raves, "There's great pleasure in following the breadth of these women's lives… Marisa Silver has built a fictional world I was happy to live inside"
Learn more...
Media mentions for At Last by Marisa SilverMEDIA MENTIONS:Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, Electric Literature
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AmazonOther formats and retailers
Book cover for Amity by Nathan Harris
In 1866, a formerly enslaved man sets out on a desperate quest to find his sister
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • The New York Times bestselling author of The Sweetness of Water delivers a sweeping historical epic
  • "To call [this] a standout novel doesn't do it enough justice. The writing is flawless, the characters unforgettable" (National Book Award–winning author Jason Mott)
  • Named one of The Washington Post's six noteworthy books for September
Learn more...
Media mentions for Amity by Nathan HarrisMEDIA MENTIONS:NPR, Oprah Daily, People, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, Literary Hub
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AmazonOther formats and retailers
Book cover for The Harvey Girls by Juliette Fay
Fiona Davis and Christina Baker Kline love this heartfelt tale of friendship
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • In 1926, wealthy Charlotte is on the run from her cruel husband. When she takes a job as a waitress along the Santa Fe railroad, she meets Billie, the oldest of nine siblings who's desperate to keep her family afloat
  • "Full of unforgettable women, juicy conflict, and fascinating facts about an underexplored chapter in the history of the American West" (Greer Macallister, author of The Arctic Fury)
  • Will transport you to the picturesque area surrounding the Grand Canyon
Learn more...
Media mentions for The Harvey Girls by Juliette FayMEDIA MENTIONS:The Boston Globe, Library Journal
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AmazonOther formats and retailers
Book cover for The Belles by Lacey N. Dunham
In the 1950s, a Southern all-girls school is hiding sinister secrets
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • "Anyone who loved the cliquish, killer cast of characters in Donna Tartt's The Secret History will be enthralled with Dunham's exemplary debut" (Library Journal)
  • Deena is doing her best to fit in at secluded Bellerton College. She bonds with a group of freshmen called "The Belles" — but as the young women push the bounds of campus rules, Deena unravels dark truths
  • This riveting gothic novel will keep you turning pages well into the night
Learn more...
Media mentions for The Belles by Lacey N. DunhamMEDIA MENTIONS:Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, Literary Hub
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AmazonOther formats and retailers
Book cover for The Last Assignment by Erika Robuck
Uncover the inspiring true story of a courageous 20th-century photojournalist
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • With her career flailing and her marriage falling apart, combat correspondent Georgette "Dickey" Chapelle risks it all to document the price of war
  • "Brilliantly researched and written with incredible skill and heart" (Madeline Martin)
  • A must-read for fans of Marie Benedict
Learn more...
Media mentions for The Last Assignment by Erika RobuckMEDIA MENTION:Library Journal
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AmazonOther formats and retailers
Book cover for All Things Under the Moon by Ann Y. K. Choi
Fans of Pachinko should pick up this evocative coming-of-age story
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • In 1920s Korea, Kim Na-Young lives a quiet life in her rural village. But in the wake of tragedy, she and her best friend flee to avoid an arranged marriage — a decision that puts them on a collision course with Japanese occupying forces
  • Reimagines the life of the author's own great-grandmother
  • "Choi is a storyteller through and through. This is, indeed, a satisfying novel" (Frances Itani, author of The Company We Keep)
Learn more...
GET EBOOK ON:
AmazonOther formats and retailers
Book cover for The First Witch of Boston by Andrea Catalano
Who was the first woman to be found guilty of witchcraft in 17th-century Massachusetts?
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • Kate Quinn is gushing about this gripping historical novel inspired by true events
  • In 1646, Thomas and Margaret Jones arrive in colonial New England — where Margaret's fiery personality soon draws the suspicion of the Puritan community
  • Perfect for fans of Chris Bohjalian's Hour of the Witch
Learn more...
GET EBOOK ON:
AmazonOther formats and retailers
 
  

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