Now Read This! February 2021: Historical Fiction Recommendations

Our Now Read This! newsletters offer suggestions for your next favorite read, from hidden gems to the latest hot pick. Available in six genres, these newsletters include:

  • a featured book of the month
  • a special event worth checking out
  • a curated selection of newly acquired and upcoming titles
  • booklists for further reading

Whether you prefer reading about World War II or the Crusades, your friendly BPL Reader Services Librarians have recommendations for every reader.

Answer the questions and follow the arrows in the flowchart below to get a reading recommendation from this month's Historical Fiction newsletter. Sign up for our newsletters here.

Q1: Set In the United States or Abroad? United States → Q2: Historical Thriller or Feminist 60s Tale? Historical Thriller: The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis | Fun Feminist 60s Tale: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus | Abroad → Q3: Love Story or World War II Mystery? Love Story: Violeta by Isabel Allende | World War II Mystery: A Sunlit Weapon by Jacqueline Winspear.

The Magnolia Palace

An intriguing historical thriller set in a famous New York City landmark, the Frick mansion, involving two women living fifty years apart.

Lessons in Chemistry

This humorous debut novel, set in 1960s California, features a scientist whose career takes a detour when she becomes the star of a popular TV cooking show.

Violeta

Living out her days in a remote part of her South American homeland, Violeta finds her life shaped by some of the most important events of history as she tells her story in the form of a letter to someone she loves above all others.

A Sunlit Weapon

In wartime Britain, Maisie Dobbs investigates a series of attacks on British pilots that may be connected to an upcoming visit by Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. The latest entry in a bestselling series.