The Reading Challenge Group discussion

This thread is to discuss our planned reading and our reads for the first Genre Month - Historical.

Hopefully we'll get a Group Read set up, and I'm sure some of our books will overlap. If you really want to read a book, and other people have shown an interest, don't forget that you can set up a Buddy-Read with others!

I'm going to read Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. Historical isn't usually my thing at all so it will be interesting for me.

I am going to read A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens I don't usually dabble in Historical genres. I have always wanted to read this book though and now I have an excuse to!

Does Little Women count as historical? I am planning on reading that in January and was wondering if I can use that.

Little Women is an awesome read Roseanne! Have fun. :)

Captive queen by Alison weir prob followed by the rest if the series if time.

Heidi wrote: "I am going to read A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens I don't usually dabble in Historical genres. I have always wanted to read this book though and now I have an e..."

That's my favourite book in the world, Heidi! I hope you enjoy it. :)

Roseanne wrote: "Does Little Women count as historical? I am planning on reading that in January and was wondering if I can use that."

It's set during a very historical period of American history, so I'd say it counts.

I'll be reading The Book Thief and The Zookeeper's Wife, at the very least.

yea. thanks Faye. by the way I loved The Book Thief

Hi

I will be reading the Book Thief plus some Alison Weir/Phillipa Gregory if I get a chance. Have quite a few in my TBR pile.

I have The White Queen primed on my Kindle for January.

Me too, Chase!

I am debating which to start first: The Women of the Cousins' War: The Duchess, the Queen, and the King's Mother or The Perfect Prince: The Mystery of Perkin Warbeck and His Quest for the Throne of England

Chase wrote: "I have The White Queen primed on my Kindle for January."

I enjoyed the White Queen. I've read all of Gregory's historical fiction Plantagenet through Elizabeth I. I hope you like it!

I'm planning to read Catch-22, The Egyptian and To Kill a Mockingbird. The latter two have been on my TBR list for ages and it's about time I read them!

My reads for Historical books

I've been meaning to read some Homer for ages... This month might give me an excuse...

I have had The Rose of Sebastopol by Katharine McMahon on my bookshelf for a long time now so this could be a good time to get around to it. I bought it after reading The Alchemist's Daughter which I really enjoyed.

Does The Great Gatsby count?

Sandy wrote: "Since there is no "Biography" challenge, can a biography count as historical? I'd like to read Zelda by Nancy Milford for the January genre challenge."

I'd say yes, a biography can count as historical if it's about a historical figure. :)

Non-fiction is one of the monthly genres, which will include biographies, but non-fiction books can be read for any of the genres if you can make them fit elsewhere.

Gabriela wrote: "Does The Great Gatsby count?"

I'm not sure about that one - they do talk about World War 1, but in the past tense, and there isn't much else about it that's historical.

I'd say they need to be books about either historical events or purely of the 'historical' genre, rather than books set in a previous era with little to do with the history.

Holly wrote: "I'd say they need to be books about either historical events or purely of the 'historical' genre, rather than books set in a previous era with little to do with the history."

I agree. The thing about The Great Gatsby is, it seems historical now but was actually contemporary when it was written.

I'm reading The Book Thief. Guess I should sign up for the Genre Challenge, but can't see how to do it on an iPad.

I think I am going to read the book thief. I wanted to read it. So now is a good time as any. happy Reading!

I think I'm going to try and read Anne of the island by L.M. Montgomery and Mountain Pony by Henry V. Laron. Do both of those books count for historical?

I'm going to start off with Precious Bones by Irina Shapiro and then Little Women, and if I can make it maybe Oliver Twist or Scarlet Letter. I'm on the waiting list at the library for The Book Thief so that's a possibility this month too.

Good luck tara. I read little women and it's a pretty good read.

For the January History challenge I've already read 150 pages of Defiance The Bielski Partisans by Nechama Tec. The only Jewish group to fight back against the Nazis. It was also made into a movie. Also if there is time Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand is at the top of my to read books for this month. Does this fit for the Historic Genre?

@Sandy, Unbroken is excellent, it reads like a fiction book. I have been trying to find other non-fiction books written in this fashion.

I would like to read Mary Coin. Does that count?

I'm currently reading "No Easy Day" about the OBL raid by Seal Team Six. I like that this gives a way to focus your reading. I had given up on the reduce TBR challenge and this year was going to try it a little differently by getting all the oldest TBRs off my shelf (on Bookcrossing). Hopefully I can find a few historicals on the "back pages".

Does the Memoirs of a Geisha novel count?

I'm going to read The Wild Blue by Stephen Ambrose.

Wow, I'm not familiar with most of these books, haha!

I tell you what - as this is a challenge and not a contest, it doesn't really matter if a book fits perfectly into the genre or not, as long as everybody is reading something that they enjoy and/or are learning from. If you use your own judgment and decide that something can be considered historical, then go ahead and include it. It's not really a cut-and-dried genre like some of the others will be, like say non-fiction or Young Adult. We'll let you have significant wiggle room for this one. :)

I'm reading London by Edward Rutherfurd.

I will read River Doubt by Candice Millard.

I'm going to read Jack of Diamonds by Bryce Courtenay.

I think I will read The Book Thief next to count for january

I started with Chanakya's Chant by Ashwin Sanghi

Just realized that the book I recently finished, Hitler's Furies: German Women in the Nazi Killing Fields, would count for this! (I had assumed the genre was historical *fiction* until I read through the thread!)

I just started The Alienist - and am considering it historical as it is set at the turn of the century (late 1890s).

Wendy wrote: "Just realized that the book I recently finished, Hitler's Furies: German Women in the Nazi Killing Fields, would count for this! (I had assumed the genre was historical *fiction* un..."

I would think that historical fiction or nonfiction would work - just my thoughts, but that's how I'm taking this challenge.

Yes, anything historical counts. :)

Just started the captive queen by Alison weir

Really gotten into The White Queen now. I forgot how much I love historical novels!

After finishing it, I'll definitely move on to Catch-22, to give it another attempt.

I've just finished Defiance The Bielske Partisans by Nechama Tec. It is a true story of the largest armed rescue of Jews by Jews during WWII. If you have watched the movie Defiance, then this book will give a more thorough understanding and information on these people who participated with this defiance. Very good and I recommend to all who are interested in WWII history.

I decided to add a second book for my challenge and to be a little more strict about the historical classification for this one so I'm reading Treasure Island. I can't believe I've never read it before! Has anyone read it? If so, did you enjoy it?

I am starting A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, has been on my reading list for ages and finally I am reading it, the Genre challenge was just the gentle push/excuse I needed :)