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Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Marg's Best Books of 2012

It's always interesting to get to the end of a year and think back over what you have read. The excellent books, the really good books are the ones we hope for lots of, and not so many of the not so good reads.

Each year here at Historical Tapestry we each take a turn to tell you our favourite reads of the year and I am kicking things off today!

I have been even more stingy with my 5/5 marks this year than usual, with only one historical fiction novel earning that honour. There were quite a few books I marked as 4.5/5 - really very good reads. We will start with my 5/5 book first though....


I have long heard how fabulous this book was, and finally this year I got to read it. To be honest, I wasn't expecting to love it anywhere near as much as I did because I am a bit Tudored out and it is a huge book but once I started it I was surprised at how fresh it felt to be reading it even though I know Queen Elizabeth I's story pretty well.

Other notable historical fiction books I read this year (rated 4.5/5) include:

Olivia and Jai by Rebecca Ryman
The Black Pearl by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
Shalimar by Rebecca Ryman
The Island by Victoria Hislop
The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani
Lords of the White Castle by Elizabeth Chadwick
A Stranger in My Street by Deborah Burrows
The Baker's Daughter by Sarah McCoy
The Winter Mantle by Elizabeth Chadwick
The Gilded Lily by Deborah Swift
The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes
Overseas by Beatriz Williams
Omamori by Richard McGill
Voice of the Falconer by David Blixt

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10 comments:

  1. MysticaDecember 27, 2012 at 8:02 AM

    Thanks for the update on the books! I am noting all of them. I've read just three of them and all the rest are going on to my pile of TBR

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  2. Melissa @ Confessions of an Avid ReaderDecember 27, 2012 at 5:48 PM

    I wasn't a fan of Legacy, although I seem to be the exception rather than the rule when it comes to that book, but a couple of the other books and/or authors on your list will make an appearance on my soon to be posted Best of 2012 list, too.

    Great list!

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    Replies
    1. MargDecember 28, 2012 at 12:41 AM

      I will be interested to see what else makes your list!

      Delete
  3. ShelleyDecember 27, 2012 at 7:13 PM

    Just curious about whether your Les Miserables readers were delighted, offended, or bored by the current movie (which I haven't seen yet).

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    Replies
    1. MargDecember 28, 2012 at 12:42 AM

      I am going to see the movie on Sunday so can't say yet!

      Delete
  4. HelenDecember 27, 2012 at 8:01 PM

    I haven't read Legacy or even heard much about it, but I'm impressed that it got 5/5 from you and I'll be adding it to my TBR for 2013! I recently enjoyed The Master of Verona by David Blixt, so I want to read Voice of the Falconer soon too.

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    Replies
    1. MargDecember 28, 2012 at 12:42 AM

      I don't think you will be disappointed by Voice of the Falconer.

      Delete
  5. AnonymousJanuary 3, 2013 at 8:09 PM

    neat! you will find my list in this post:
    http://wordsandpeace.com/2013/01/03/year-of-reading-2012/

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ryan WilliamFebruary 1, 2013 at 6:55 AM

    I am flattered to be on your wonderful, eclectic list. Have added several to my read list….!!!! Thank you so much. Now again I will prefer the online book store for renting these books from Amazon and Valorebooks. I am using these sites from a long time and they haven’t disappointed me in any way. :))

    ReplyDelete