Hi friends! It's been a while since I've updated this blog space, and that's mostly because I've been doing some writing beyond my usual fiction, poetry, and "for fun" posts. As of May 2021, I was accepted at Athabasca University in the Masters of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies program. This very long title basically means that I'll be combining my love of literature and education into one program, and hopefully doing research that pertains to both focuses for a thesis. It's all very exciting, but I've been doing a lot more academic writing recently! In my program, we are expected to create an ePortfolio with our projects, essays, and other assignments; since I already had this wonderful space, I've housed it under the "Graduate Work" tab.
So, with that out of the way, I figured it was about time for a fun little list. I've been reading a lot more dense novels recently, but whenever I find a moment I love to go back to something fluffy and fun. With that in mind, I've designed my favourite "top seven" historical romance books (seven, because I actually rarely read historical romance books). This is by no means a comprehensive list, and as always I welcome suggestions and recommendations -- these are just my current go-to's that I love to read and re-read.
I've split this list into three separate sections because although they're all historical romance, they're also incredibly different.
1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - This is my all-time favourite book ever, as well as my favourite movie. I'd be hard-pressed to say anything bad about it. If you haven't read it, I encourage you to do so! BUT, it is dense simply because of the language used.
If you don't love reading 19th Century fiction, the BBC movie series is true to novel but a movie. The more "Hollywood" movie with Keira Knightly is also a treasure (that soundtrack? stunning!)
I'm also a big fan of "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" by Seth Grahame-Smith (and the movie)! Surprisingly good!
2. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte - I recently fell in love with this book all over again. It's the most visceral and compelling romance -- in fact, it's a unique romance in that the main characters are so distinctly unlikeable! By all accounts, Bronte never envisioned her novel as a conventional romance; she had written Heathcliff as a villain and a bully, and the novel was intended as a cautionary morality tale about the dangers of loving beyond reason. Yet, over a hundred years ago the famous line: "He’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same" was written, and it's still popular today.
3. The Untamed One by Ronda Thompson - Here's where we take a turn from 1800s romance to contemporary romance, complete with rakes, witches, and a supernatural edge. Thompson's trilogy "The Wild Wulfs of London" actually begins with The Dark One novel, which is also excellent. I just have a weakness for a rake, and the main character Jackson is surely one of those.
4. The Seduction by Nicole Jordan - Nicole Jordan is a staple of historical romance books, and this one is by far my favourite of hers. I read it when I was much too young, and yet I come back to it over and over again, and I still blush every time. The best part of this story is that it's the first of an entire series, and as you read on you get to complete stories of characters you've met along the way. Nothing pleases me more than a complex world of characters who intertwine!
5. The Thornbirds by Colleen McCullough - Here we take another turn into a little more plot-heavy historical novels. This book has been a staple since 1977 and for good reason. It's beautiful and begins in the Australian outback. As you might imagine, it was a popular one in my household ;)
6. Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel - Okay, I lured you in here with promises of rakes and duchesses, but technically this series is about as historical as one can get. I don't have enough space on a page to rave about this entire series; suffice to say that the characters are compelling, the plot and ideas are masterful, and I promise you, you will learn more just reading these novels than years of schooling would teach you. Jean M. Auel did her research, and is well respected by anthropologists worldwide; she also received a few honourary degrees for her work! My only complaint is I probably didn't need to read 24 pages of flint knapping; but then again, I keep going back for more. (As a side note... it DOES have romance... you must be patient!)
7. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon - I'd be remiss not mentioning this one, especially since it breaks a major rule I have, which I'm embarrassed to share. There is nothing, nothing, I hate more than reading a Scottish brogue. Don't get time wrong, I love a Scottish accent in real life, but something about reading it... it kills me. The moment I pick up a book and see it, I have to put it down! Yet... Outlander is stunning. The entire series is beautiful, and it's definitely got more plot than a few other books on this post.
*I have yet to read the Bridgerton series, but I did watch it, and I have no doubt I'm going to love it. So... there's also that! Let me know your favourites or recommendations, and I'll add them to my never-ending to-read list :)
Shay