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Thursday, September 22, 2011

HT Recommends: HF suggestions


Reader Michelle Marin made the following request:

Hello!!  I just found your site today while trying to find new authors to read.  I love HF, BUT I do not like the ones with all that sex stuff or slang language.  My favorite all time author is Jean Plaidy and I have read all her books as Phillipa Carr and Victoria Holt also.  So I am hoping to find authors in this similar style.

Jean Plaidy is also a favourite of ours, in fact we had a whole season devoted to her a couple of years ago. Other authors that we also love and that we feel have a similar style are Elizabeth Chadwick, Sharon Kay Penman and Anya Seton. Here are some suggestions:

Anya Seton - Katherine
Anya Seton - The Winthrop Woman 
Anya Seton - My Theodosia
Elizabeth Chadwick - The Greatest Knight
Eizabeth Chadwick - For The King's Favor
Elizabeth Chadwick - To Defy A King
Sharon Kay Penman - The Sunne In Splendour

Feel free to browse our blog for other books by these authors. Anyone else has favourite books to suggest?

9 comments:

  1. Cynthia Harrod Eagles - covers a couple of centuries, eras and generations!

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  2. Helen Hollick is fantastic, I've read every one of her books, with the exception of her pirate series (just not into stories about pirates). Her Arthur trilogy is gritty and gripping, and Harold the King and the Forever Queen (I've actually read this one a ew times!) are well worth reading too.

    Valerie Anand is another author worth reading too.

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  3. I am about to embark on my first Penman book, and have to say that I am excited because I have heard that she is one of the premiere authors of this genre. I have also heard magnificent praise for The Sunne in Splendour. I am also anxious to try Hollick and I own her latest trilogy. Lots of good recommendations over here today. And the list grows exponentially again!

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  4. I have read everything from Jennifer S. Devore's "Savannah of Willimsburg". She does a very good job of weaving the fictional with actual historic events.

    The first book seems to have been written for a younger reader, but the second and third are compelling novels. The second is "The Trials of Blackbeard and His Pirates" which is set in 1718 Williamsburg. The third is "Ben Franklin, Freedom and Freedom of the Press" set in 1736 Williamsburg. The Ben Franklin title revolves around a landmark freedom of the press case.

    My two cents... : )

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  5. I like Margaret Frazer's books, especially the series featuring Dame Frevisse, a 15th century English nun. They are well researched and well written. THE SQUIRE'S TALE was a hit with my mystery book club. THE NOVICE'S TALE is the first in the series.

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  6. I love Sharon Kay Penman's Welsh trilogy, starting with Here Be Dragons. Also, the Brother Cadfael series by Ellis Peters is a wonderful mystery series where the detective is a Benedictine monk.

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  7. I was going to recommend Helen Hollick as well, but I see someone has already beat me to it.

    Also I now some Anya Seton books were recommended, but I would recommend ALL of her novels. Each one is fantastic in its own original way.

    I also love Georgette Heyer. Her historical romances (especially regency) are spot on the detail and have great comic humor. I also like that they are a "clean" read.

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  8. Good news! I posted here before about Jennifer Devore's writing. I just found one of her titles on Amazon.com free for the Kindle. Don't know how long it will be there - but it is there now for free.

    http://www.amazon.com/Savannah-Williamsburg-Blackbeard-Virginia-ebook/dp/B005CWFNGW/ref=ntt_at_ep_edition_2_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

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  9. Thank you for the tip. I'm adding it to the TBR pile!

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