I feel like the fall season is the perfect time to curl up with a good historical novel and over the past few
years, I have read a TON of wartime fiction. It's definitely a favorite
genre of mine and I find WWII to be a very compelling time
period. It's been a few years since I've updated my list of favorite WWII historical fiction, so here we go! I have linked the titles to my review when possible. I am sure I am missing some good ones on here, so let me know in the comments below any recommendations you have.
1. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer
2. The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons
3. The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton
4. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
5. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
6. The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
7. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
8. The Kennedy Debutante by Kerri Maher
9. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
10. The Light Over London by Julia Kelly
11. At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen
12. The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff
13. The Paris Apartment by Kelly Bowen
14. Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
15. The Last Night in London by Karen White
16. Radar Girls by Sara Ackerman
17. The Lieutenant's Nurse by Sara Ackerman
18. Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers by Sara Ackerman
19. Red Sky Over Hawaii by Sara Ackerman
20. The Invisible Woman by Erica Robuck
21. The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan
22. The Bookseller's Secret by Michelle Gable
23. The Good Left Undone by Adriana Trigiani
24. Sisters of Night and Fog by Erika Robuck
25. Eternal by Lisa Scottoline
26. Mistress of the Ritz by Melanie Benjamin
On My TBR List:
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Between the Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck
Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave
The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
The Wartime Sisters by Lynda Cohen Loigman
The Room on Rue Aelie by Kristin Harmel
The Codebreaker's Secret by Sara Ackerman
Eyes Turned Skyward by Alena Dillon
Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark T. Sullivan
The Golden Doves by Martha Hall Kelly
Code Name Sapphire by Pam Jenoff
The Lipstick Bureau by Michelle Gable
Have you read any of these books? Which book from my TBR list should I read next? Did I miss any of your favorite novels? Let me know in the comments below.
I've read and enjoyed many of these! I keep trying to get my sister to read The Nightingale!
ReplyDeleteA great list, I’ve read a few. I’d recommend Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhorn
ReplyDeleteI recently enjoyed 'One Night in London' by Lucilla Andrews. Andrews was a WW2 nurse in London before she became a romantic novelist. This novel has a romance in it, but is also an amazing story of what life was like in a hospital during this period, by someone who was actually there. It is not a recent novel, originally published during the 1980s, but is available second hand.
ReplyDeleteAll the Light we Cannot See was one of my favorite reads of all time. I cannot wait until it's a MOVIE! This is definitely the ultimate WWII list and it's strange how many of these I've read, and I didn't even realize that this was a historical fiction era that I'm particularly drawn to but, it seems I am! Another book that should be added to this list is "Daughters of Teutobod" by Kurt Hansen. I love inspirational women's fiction and family sagas always keep me hooked so this was a win-win. The book follows three different women from three different time periods - Gretel, Gudrun, and Samantha. And yes, WWII is one of the focuses! I loved how these women were portrayed because even though they are "strong and inspirational characters" they are realistically shown as being human and making mistakes and adapting/persevering. I really felt the book was a gentle reminder to remember it’s ok to be “not ok” during anything you’re dealing with.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite lines in the book is - "Love wins. Good wins. And it is all due to the strength of those women who came before us."
Hope you will check it out! Here is the author's website with more info if you're interested - http://www.kurthansenauthor.com/