“It took
me fifteen years to discover I had no talent for writing,
but I couldn’t give it up because by that time I
was too famous.”
– Robert Benchley
– Robert Benchley
Most Popular Historical Fiction of 2018
Welcome
to my blog everyone! Let’s jump right into this month’s subject: Most “Popular” Historical Fiction of 2018.
NOTE: This is the buying publics’ opinion, not book critics’ opinion.
BARNES
& NOBLE – Top 5 Selling Historical Fiction of 2018:
#1 Where
the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
– Murder Mystery set in 1969 North Carolina.
#2 The
Only Woman In the Room by Marie Benedict – Drama based on true life story
of actress, Hedy Lamarr set in WWII Germany and Hollywood.
#3
The
Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris Harper (Debut Author) -- WWII
love story based on a true story set in Auschwitz-Birkenau.
#4 East of
Eden by John Steinbeck – Brutal family drama set in 1950s California.
#5 Perfect
in My Sight by Tanya Anne Crosby – Romance Novel set in 1900
GOODREADS
- Winner of Goodreads’ Choice Awards - Favorite/Best Historical Fiction of
2018:
#1 The
Great Alone, by Kristin Hannah – Family drama set in 1974 Alaska. This also
was on the NY Times Best Seller list Feb 25 – Mar 24 of 2018.
#2 The
Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris – Love story set in WWII and based
on true life story.
#3 The
Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin -
Fantasy set in 1969 NYC
#4 The
Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton – Murder Mystery set in 1862 and 2012
London
#5 Where
the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
– Murder Mystery set in 1969 North Carolina.
BOOKBUB
(focuses on ebooks) - A listing of the Best Historical Fiction of 2018 (22
books listed in no particular order)
/ I am only going to list the top
12 here. If you would like to see the full list, this is the link: https://www.bookbub.com/blog/2018/12/10/best-historical-fiction-books-novels-2018
-
The Great Alone, by Kristin Hannah – Family drama set in
1974 Alaska.
-
Where the Crawdads Sing
by Delia Owens – Murder Mystery, 1969 North Carolina.
- The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris – Love story set in
WWII
- Next Year In Havana by Chanel Cleeton – Family secrets set in 1958
Havana.
- Bury What We Cannot Take by Kirstin Chen – Family drama China mid
1900s
- I Was Anastasia by Ariel
Lawhon – Based on true story, 1920 London
-
White Chrysanthemum by Mary Lynn
Bracht – Family Saga of two sisters who lived very different lives, WWII and
today’s Korea
-
Sold On a Monday by Kristina McMorris
–Family Saga in Depression Era America
-
My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray
and Laura Kamoie – 1700s US Revolutionary War told from the view point of Eliza
Hamilton based on actual letters and documents regarding Eliza.
-
Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver –
Family saga – turn of last century & today in New Jersey.
-
The Home for Unwanted Girls by Joanna
Goodman – Adoption drama – 1850s Quebec.
* * *
I ran up an Excel sheet using
Bookbub’s list of 22 novels to see what it had to say about authors, genre, protagonists,
era and location. Once again, what
struck me is the large number of mid-century time periods and female authors. The
majority of the books are about family dramas and only a few murder mysteries. Protagonists
are mostly women and/or children. Locations are generally set in US, England and Asia.
It seems I am bucking the trend. The
historical novel I am currently writing is a murder mystery with a male
protagonist. It is set in 1915 San Diego, California during the Panama-California
Exposition. Only 20,000 words in. I might give some thought to changing the
protagonist to one my female characters. Or maybe I won’t. Something to think
about.
Do the lists of most popular books of
2018 cause you to reflex on your own writing? Does it come down to writing to
sell or writing to tell a story that must be told?
See you next month where we'll talk
about how to make your characters and locations come alive.
Other places to
find me:
