Best historical fiction novels set in the United States from pre-colonial times to recent times.
1

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4.26 avg rating — 6,988,344 ratings
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4.47 avg rating — 3,052,855 ratings
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4.31 avg rating — 1,263,437 ratings
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4.03 avg rating — 1,007,947 ratings
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5

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4.33 avg rating — 92,866 ratings
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6

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4.59 avg rating — 257,689 ratings
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7

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3.89 avg rating — 251,133 ratings
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8

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3.44 avg rating — 929,875 ratings
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9

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3.83 avg rating — 1,345,730 ratings
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10

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3.70 avg rating — 51,833 ratings
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11

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4.24 avg rating — 306,541 ratings
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12

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4.23 avg rating — 23,653 ratings
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13

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4.06 avg rating — 182,649 ratings
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14

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3.86 avg rating — 72,719 ratings
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15

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3.93 avg rating — 134,589 ratings
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16

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4.31 avg rating — 282,065 ratings
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17

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4.09 avg rating — 10,773 ratings
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17

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4.11 avg rating — 1,713,020 ratings
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19

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4.03 avg rating — 161,291 ratings
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20

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3.90 avg rating — 47,190 ratings
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21

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3.30 avg rating — 110,933 ratings
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22

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4.28 avg rating — 761,832 ratings
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23

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4.58 avg rating — 69 ratings
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24

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4.35 avg rating — 678,405 ratings
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25

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4.15 avg rating — 13,215 ratings
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25

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3.91 avg rating — 137,574 ratings
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27

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3.98 avg rating — 500,480 ratings
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28

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3.86 avg rating — 195,643 ratings
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29

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4.09 avg rating — 37,785 ratings
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30

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4.25 avg rating — 18,431 ratings
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31

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3.90 avg rating — 130,924 ratings
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32

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4.21 avg rating — 288,214 ratings
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33

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4.20 avg rating — 467,649 ratings
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34

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4.24 avg rating — 62,561 ratings
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35

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4.10 avg rating — 1,362,101 ratings
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36

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3.90 avg rating — 945 ratings
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37

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3.89 avg rating — 40,332 ratings
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38

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4.01 avg rating — 21,609 ratings
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39

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4.18 avg rating — 93,695 ratings
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40

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4.23 avg rating — 10,562 ratings
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41

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4.41 avg rating — 1,350 ratings
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42

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3.76 avg rating — 8,913 ratings
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43

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3.35 avg rating — 93 ratings
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43

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3.46 avg rating — 343 ratings
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45

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4.17 avg rating — 54 ratings
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46

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4.26 avg rating — 45,281 ratings
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47

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3.85 avg rating — 2,489 ratings
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48

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3.93 avg rating — 94,414 ratings
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49

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4.17 avg rating — 75,782 ratings
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49

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3.78 avg rating — 156,134 ratings
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51

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4.26 avg rating — 1,688 ratings
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52

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4.01 avg rating — 5,857 ratings
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53

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4.40 avg rating — 470,495 ratings
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54

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3.96 avg rating — 15,310 ratings
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55

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4.32 avg rating — 31 ratings
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56

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3.97 avg rating — 6,505 ratings
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57

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4.39 avg rating — 716 ratings
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58

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3.70 avg rating — 103,288 ratings
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58

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4.02 avg rating — 179,571 ratings
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60

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3.85 avg rating — 149,501 ratings
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61

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4.40 avg rating — 1,004 ratings
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61

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3.79 avg rating — 37,706 ratings
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63

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3.83 avg rating — 37,372 ratings
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63

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4.10 avg rating — 75,864 ratings
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65

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3.95 avg rating — 26,642 ratings
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66

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4.13 avg rating — 310,257 ratings
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66

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4.33 avg rating — 7,905 ratings
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68

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3.81 avg rating — 7,438 ratings
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69

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4.21 avg rating — 62,695 ratings
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70

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4.04 avg rating — 30,787 ratings
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71

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4.25 avg rating — 9,911 ratings
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72

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3.86 avg rating — 7 ratings
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72

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4.54 avg rating — 153 ratings
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72

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4.21 avg rating — 52,882 ratings
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72

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4.01 avg rating — 13,482 ratings
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72

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4.50 avg rating — 12 ratings
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72

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4.32 avg rating — 75 ratings
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78

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3.89 avg rating — 587 ratings
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78

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4.17 avg rating — 133 ratings
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80

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3.69 avg rating — 1,944 ratings
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81

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4.17 avg rating — 12 ratings
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82

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4.07 avg rating — 1,448 ratings
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82

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3.86 avg rating — 569 ratings
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84

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3.79 avg rating — 1,893 ratings
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85

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3.75 avg rating — 893 ratings
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86

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3.81 avg rating — 4,656 ratings
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87

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3.73 avg rating — 16,538 ratings
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88

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4.13 avg rating — 132,335 ratings
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89

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3.89 avg rating — 2,007 ratings
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90

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3.90 avg rating — 2,884,813 ratings
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91

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4.19 avg rating — 3,230 ratings
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92

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3.81 avg rating — 2,271 ratings
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93

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4.19 avg rating — 1,897,268 ratings
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94

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3.68 avg rating — 23,640 ratings
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95

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3.74 avg rating — 144,427 ratings
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96

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3.83 avg rating — 75,389 ratings
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97

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4.14 avg rating — 25,967 ratings
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98

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3.90 avg rating — 2,856 ratings
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99

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3.83 avg rating — 89,575 ratings
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100

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3.88 avg rating — 64,400 ratings
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455 books · 347 voters · list created October 28th, 2010 by deleted user.
71 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


fran 2181 books
45 friends
Susanna - Censored by GoodReads 3388 books
851 friends
Sara 610 books
84 friends
Nicolle 1066 books
425 friends
Bebe 225 books
0 friends
Bianca 3 books
18 friends
Jude 10285 books
113 friends
Renee 523 books
113 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-13 of 13 (13 new)

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Susanna - Censored by GoodReads Don't believe The Grapes of Wrath is historical fiction.


message 2: by Melodie (new)

Melodie Ramone I just wanted to make a quick note to say that the book I wrote, After Forever Ends, isn't American Historical Fiction, as it takes place in Wales. I absolutely appreciate all the votes and I love everybody who thought highly enough of AFE to vote for it, but I don't want anybody to be misled who hasn't read it. And that being said...happy reading! Xx


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads Y'all want me to remove that one?


message 4: by Melodie (last edited Jun 22, 2013 11:35AM) (new)

Melodie Ramone Sure, if you are able. Like I said, I appreciate it being voted for, but it doesn't belong here. I' don't want anybody to pick up the book and be disappointed. And it's really not fair to the authors in the genre :)


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads No problem. It should be gone now.


message 6: by Melodie (new)

Melodie Ramone Thank you!


message 7: by Mary (new)

Mary I am officially shunning American Girl because the company funds abortion!


message 8: by J. (new)

J. Trott A lot of these books are older books that were written as basically contemporary such as "The Grapes of Wrath" and "The Bluest Eye". Even though they are good I can't vote for them. I found this list looking for historical fiction.


BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) J. wrote: "A lot of these books are older books that were written as basically contemporary such as "The Grapes of Wrath" and "The Bluest Eye". ..."

I'd been wondering about those two myself as well.


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads I wouldn't call them historical fiction, either. (They were contemporary with when they were written.)

Should I remove them?


message 11: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Aug 17, 2018 07:50AM) (new)

BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) Booklovinglady wrote: "J. wrote: "A lot of these books are older books that were written as basically contemporary such as "The Grapes of Wrath" and "The Bluest Eye". ..."

I'd been wondering about those two myself as well."


Seems more and more titles are creeping in that personally I do not consider historical fiction, as they were written during the time their story is set in (or shortly afterwards)...


message 12: by Dara S. (new)

Dara S. I would not call Where the Crawdads Sing historical fiction. It is a wonderful book and takes place in the past, but not historical fiction.


message 13: by Shannon (new)

Shannon Susanna - Censored by GoodReads wrote: "I wouldn't call them historical fiction, either. (They were contemporary with when they were written.)

Should I remove them?"


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads wrote: "I wouldn't call them historical fiction, either. (They were contemporary with when they were written.)

Should I remove them?"

Any book that takes place before you were born, and also teaches a person anything that happened in the past should be on the list. I did not live thru the great depression, so Grapes of Wrath takes me to that historical time.


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