Best historical fiction novels set in the United States from pre-colonial times to recent times.
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4.26 avg rating — 6,990,992 ratings
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4.47 avg rating — 3,053,677 ratings
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4.31 avg rating — 1,263,614 ratings
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4.03 avg rating — 1,008,348 ratings
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4.33 avg rating — 92,892 ratings
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4.59 avg rating — 258,240 ratings
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3.89 avg rating — 251,162 ratings
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8

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3.44 avg rating — 930,126 ratings
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3.83 avg rating — 1,345,945 ratings
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10

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3.70 avg rating — 51,840 ratings
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11

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4.24 avg rating — 306,653 ratings
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12

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4.23 avg rating — 23,662 ratings
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13

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4.06 avg rating — 182,689 ratings
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14

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3.86 avg rating — 72,741 ratings
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15

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3.93 avg rating — 134,615 ratings
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16

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4.31 avg rating — 282,313 ratings
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17

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4.09 avg rating — 10,776 ratings
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17

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4.11 avg rating — 1,713,333 ratings
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19

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4.03 avg rating — 161,308 ratings
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20

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3.90 avg rating — 47,202 ratings
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21

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3.30 avg rating — 110,952 ratings
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22

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4.28 avg rating — 762,067 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 — 679,077 ratings
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25

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4.15 avg rating — 13,217 ratings
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25

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3.91 avg rating — 137,614 ratings
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27

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3.98 avg rating — 500,753 ratings
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28

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3.86 avg rating — 195,675 ratings
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29

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4.09 avg rating — 37,795 ratings
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30

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4.25 avg rating — 18,437 ratings
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31

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3.90 avg rating — 130,945 ratings
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32

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4.21 avg rating — 288,277 ratings
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33

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4.20 avg rating — 467,754 ratings
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34

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4.24 avg rating — 62,566 ratings
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35

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4.10 avg rating — 1,362,357 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 — 40,342 ratings
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38

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4.01 avg rating — 21,615 ratings
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39

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4.18 avg rating — 93,711 ratings
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40

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4.23 avg rating — 10,565 ratings
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41

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4.41 avg rating — 1,353 ratings
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42

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3.76 avg rating — 8,916 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 — 45,287 ratings
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47

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3.85 avg rating — 2,490 ratings
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48

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3.94 avg rating — 94,448 ratings
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49

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4.17 avg rating — 75,897 ratings
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49

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3.78 avg rating — 156,164 ratings
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51

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4.26 avg rating — 1,689 ratings
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52

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4.01 avg rating — 5,861 ratings
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53

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4.40 avg rating — 470,655 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 — 6,506 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 — 103,301 ratings
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58

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4.02 avg rating — 179,640 ratings
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60

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3.85 avg rating — 149,551 ratings
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61

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4.40 avg rating — 1,005 ratings
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61

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3.79 avg rating — 37,710 ratings
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63

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3.83 avg rating — 37,382 ratings
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63

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4.10 avg rating — 75,896 ratings
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65

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3.95 avg rating — 26,646 ratings
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66

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4.13 avg rating — 310,483 ratings
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66

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4.33 avg rating — 7,908 ratings
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68

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3.81 avg rating — 7,439 ratings
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69

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4.21 avg rating — 62,698 ratings
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70

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4.04 avg rating — 30,800 ratings
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71

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4.25 avg rating — 9,912 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 — 52,932 ratings
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72

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4.01 avg rating — 13,501 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 — 1,945 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 — 16,542 ratings
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88

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4.13 avg rating — 132,364 ratings
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89

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3.89 avg rating — 2,009 ratings
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90

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3.90 avg rating — 2,886,107 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 — 1,898,338 ratings
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94

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3.68 avg rating — 23,648 ratings
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95

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3.74 avg rating — 144,462 ratings
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96

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3.83 avg rating — 75,414 ratings
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97

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4.14 avg rating — 25,971 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 — 89,590 ratings
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100

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3.88 avg rating — 64,407 ratings
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456 books · 348 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 524 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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