Carol

Top Ten Tuesday: 10+ Highly Rated and Favorite WW1 and WW11 Reads

June 23, 2020

Top Ten Tuesday: 10+ Highly Rated and Favorite WW1 and WW11 Reads

10+ Favorite WW1 and WW11 Reads (Image: a tall stack of books on a painted wooden blue table)

Top Ten Tuesday celebrating 10 years (image: a birthday cake with 10 candles)

*I’m linking up today with That Artsy Reader Girl for Top Ten Tuesday’s 10th Anniversary Celebration: Update an Old Post. Today I’m updating a post that was originally published in April of 2018.

If you’ve clicked over from That Artsy Reader Girl, Welcome! Please look around and enjoy your stay.

I read a lot of histfic and one of my favorite sub-genres is WW1 and WW11 histfic. Listed below are 10 of my highest-rated and favorite histfic reads that have also received high star ratings on Goodreads. In addition, I included some honorable mention because there are more than 10 reads that are memorable to me for various reasons. Not all titles are reviewed because I read them before publishing this blog (in which case I’ve provided the Amazon link). *This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Listed in order of their Goodreads star rating (6/22/20).

The Nightingale

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

WW11

 Amazon Information Here

My Rating: 4 Stars

Goodreads Rating: 4.58 Stars

The Medallion by Cathy Gohlke (cover)

The Medallion by Cathy Gohlke

WW11

Full Review Here

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Goodreads Rating: 4.54 Stars

The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer (cover)

The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer

WW11

Full Review Here

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Goodreads Rating: 4.51 Stars

From Sand and Ash

From Sand and Ash by Amy Harmon

WW11

Full Review Here

My Rating: 5 Stars

Goodreads Rating: 4.38 Stars

we were the lucky ones

We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter

WW11

 Full Review Here

My Rating: 5 Stars

Goodreads Rating: 4.40 Stars

Book Thief

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

 WW11 (YA)

 Amazon Information Here

My Rating: 5 Stars

Goodreads Rating: 4.37 Stars

Salt to the Sea

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

WW11 (YA)

 Brief Review Here (scroll down the page)

My Rating: 5 Stars

Goodreads Rating: 4.36 Stars

Paper Hearts by Meg Wiviott (cover)

Paper Hearts by Meg Wiviott

WW11 (YA)

Full Review Here

My Rating: 5 Stars

Goodreads Rating: 4.26 Stars

last christmas in paris

Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor

WW1

Full Review Here

My Rating: 5 Stars

Goodreads Rating: 4.16 Stars

The Last Train to London by Meg Waite CLayton (cover)

The Last Train to London by Meg Waite Clayton

WW11

Full Review Here

My Rating: 5 Stars

Goodreads Rating: 4.13 Stars

Runners Up


(other favorites that might have been in my top 10 on a different day…in no particular order)

 

As Bright as Heaven by Susan Meissner (WW1 time period)

All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

The Huntress and The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer (post WW11 with flashbacks/memories of war)

The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir by Jennifer Ryan

Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave

The Soldier’s Wife by Margaret Leroy

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford (WW11 time period)

The Baker’s Secret by Stephen P Kiernan

The Lovely War by (WW1)

Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon

Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris

Beantown Girls by Jane Healey

The Lieutenant’s Nurse by Sarah Ackerman

The War That Saved My Life and The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (MG)

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

The Orphan’s Tale by Pam Jenoff

 Let’s Discuss!

What are your favorite WW1 or WW11 hisfic reads?

Have you read any of these titles? Which are your favorites?

Happy Reading Bookworms!

“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke

“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes

“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

“I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection!
Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text

A Link I Love:

10 Ways To Woo a Reluctant Reader

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Happy Reading Bookworms!

“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke

“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes

“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

“I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection!
Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text

***Blogs posts may contain affiliate links. This means that at no extra cost to you, I can earn a small percentage of your purchase price. This money will be used to offset the costs of running a blog and to sponsor giveaways, etc.

Unless explicitly stated that they are free, all books that I review have been purchased by me or borrowed from the library.

The book covers and author photos are credited to Amazon or an author’s website.

© ReadingLadies.com

39 comments

  2. Wait… you haven’t read The Huntress by Kate Quinn? I don’t see it here. If so, you really should – it is better than her Alice Network, in my opinion.

    Reply

    • Yes I have read it and enjoyed it. I’m not sure why I neglected to put it on….maybe because I think of it more as a thriller? Thanks for the reminder…I’ll hop on today and edit!

      Reply

    • It’s on my lifetime favs list! The movie was well done too! I’m hopping over now to take a look at your TTT….

      Reply

    • Thanks for commenting! The Book Thief is on my lifetime favs list. The movie was good too! I’m hopping over to your TTT now….

      Reply

  8. I actually do not like reading books set during war time, something about them that just screams sadness and tons of tragic stories that makes people cry but I do come across one or two sometimes. I love ‘The book thief’ which is really the only war book that I read that I like and that I remember is set during a war.

    Have a lovely day.

    Reply

    • I understand. Some of them are especially difficult reads….but some are lighter and inspirational too! I’m happy to hear we both loved Book Thief! 🙌

      Reply

  11. I love this topic since I’m drawn to historical fiction, especially the WWII period, as well. I”ve read a lot of the books you mentioned, with my favorites being THE NIGHTINGALE, THE BOOK THIEF, and SALT TO THE SEA. Most of the others are on my TBR list somewhere! There’s just something so fascinating about these time periods, isn’t there?

    Happy TTT!

    Susan
    http://www.blogginboutbooks.com

    Reply

    • Every time I think I’m done with the genre another great one is published. An amazing number of perspectives and angles! I’m glad to know we both love histfic! I’m hopping over to your link now….

      Reply

  12. Wow this is such a great list. I now have a few more to add to my wishlist and tbr! I’m a sucker for World War I and II historical fiction! Fabulous blog post Carol!

    Reply

  14. I still need to read The Nightingale! And I’ve read so many of these, as well. The Soldier’s Wife is one I loved that deserves more attention. <3 Great topic!

    Reply

  18. I absolutely love this list. There are only a few that I have not read, but I will definitely be adding them to my TBR on your recommendation.

    Reply

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