For Readers: Blog

The rest was history

We love it when patrons ask us for book suggestions! We’ll ask you a few questions to get an idea of your reading taste, and while it helps to share your favorite genres and authors, it can be even more helpful to know what you don't want. Our historical fiction readers have very strong feelings when it comes to one topic: World War II. This list is for those of you who are firmly in the "no" camp, with plenty of atmospheric and richly-detailed historical settings that give a glimpse into other fascinating time periods.

The Lunar Housewife by Caroline Woods is a clever historical thriller about journalistic freedom under the looming threat of the Cold War. Louise is making an impression at her boyfriend’s literary magazine, publishing hit pieces under a male pseudonym while she works on her sci-fi romance novel on the side. When her breakout piece is heavily edited and she hears whispers of the CIA and bugged apartments, she can’t decide if it’s just paranoia, sexism, or something more nefarious at play. Interspersed with chapters from her novel that show her evolving attitudes, this page-turner is inspired by real-life Cold War censorship. [e-book | print]

Kali Fajardo-Anstine’s Woman of Light is a character-driven epic about love, heritage, and survival in the American Southwest. Tea leaf reader Luz is just scraping by in 1930s Denver, and her decision to take a job with an old flame overcomplicates her personal life. When she starts having visions of the Lost Territory, her ancestral homeland, the story radiates out through five generations of her Indigenous and Mexican family. Switching between Luz’s journey and the legacy of her family, this is a lyrical and moving western saga that lends a voice to the original occupants of the land. [e-book | print]

Piper Huguley tells the engaging story of Ann Lowe, the designer of Jackie Kennedy’s wedding dress, in By Her Own Design. No stranger to adversity, Anne isn’t defeated when a burst pipe destroys the most important dress of her career. Going back to her childhood, readers follow the rise of the dedicated designer who eventually took high-society by storm, overcoming the many obstacles and prejudices she faced as a Black woman coming of age in the segregated South and studying design in New York. Ann’s determination to achieve her design dreams makes for a triumphant story about a remarkable woman who has been overlooked by history.  [e-book | print | large type]

Fans of Madeline Miller’s Circe and other feminist retellings of mythology will be enchanted by Vaishnavi Patel’s debut, Kaikeyi. This lush and descriptive historical fantasy reimagines the rise and fall of Kaikeyi, villainess of the Hindu epic the Ramayana, in a tale of royal influence and the power of gods. Fighting to revolutionize the role of women during a time of strict traditional roles, this version of Kaikeyi makes for a complex and captivating character. Imbuing an already impressive source material with additional depth and modern inspiration, Patel has created an unforgettable work for readers of all genres. [e-book | print | audiobook]

For a break from regency settings, A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera is a charming new romance about a feisty businesswoman determined to build her rum empire, even if the cost is a surprise marriage. Leaving Santo Domingo with her precious rum, Luz Alana’s goal at Paris’s 1889 Exposition Universelle is to find European buyers, but the only person willing to take her seriously is an irritating but handsome whisky seller. When a rum-whisky alliance is proposed, Luz Alana finds herself whisked off to Scotland with this irresistible stranger. Fun, steamy, and diverse, this is a promising start to a new series that builds on real historical detail. [e-book | print | audiobook]

The Cherry Robbers by Sarai Walker is a quirky dual-timeline gothic tale about the sole survivor of a cursed family, trying to outrun her fate. Celebrated artist Sylvia Wren is living out her twilight years in modern day New Mexico when a journalist discovers her true identity. In 1950s Connecticut, Iris stands by helplessly as her sisters, heirs to a firearms fortune, are struck by tragedy one-by-one as they prepare to marry and leave the eerie family home. Will Sylvia take control of the narrative and reveal her dark past before the press leaks it? Or is her creepy backstory too unbelievable to share with the world? [e-book | print]

⏤Laura