degas

This type novel gets me in the mood for trips to Europe and also helps me develop travel themes. Thought we could share ideas on possible new books to read.

I like fast paced stories that teach interesting facts about places and customs and have a good mix of action, conflict, romance, and mystery.

Love authors who develop characters, have lively dialogue, and describe places in some detail without running on forever. Having a little sex to advance the plot is often nice, but not a prerequisite.

Drawn to novels set in England, France or Italy (particularly London, Paris and Rome). Usually go the Napoleonic Era or French Revolution, the Victorian Era and WWl & ll, but am receptive to exploring other time periods and countries.

Want to start on some mystery and crime books. Thought maybe something set in London. Anne Perry?

Some authors I have liked:

George MacDonald Fraser, The Flashman Series

C. S. Forester, Hornblower Series

Ken Follett, The Man from St. Petersburg, The Key to Rebecca, Pillars of the Earth

John Jakes, James Clavell, Jeffery Archer, Alexander Dumas, Victor Hugo

Bernard Cornwell - Richard Sharpe Series Patrick O'Brian - Aubery-Maturin Series

Cobos

This is not an exact match by any stretch of the imagination, but you might find the 1632 series by Eric Flint of interest. It is a time travel history set in Germany in 1632. That book has also created several anthologies, if nothing else reading the back of the book might help you decide ?

Cobos

degas

Cobos, thanks for the input. I'll give it a look.

AnselmAdorne

degas, I think you've started another great thread. Here are a couple more suggestions for interesting historical fiction:

- Dorothy Dunnett wrote two magnificent series, the first a group of six books concerning Francis Lymond, a complex and outrageous Scot living in the 16th century. The second series of eight books centre on Niccolo, an intense and enigmatic character whom we first meet as a dyer's apprentice in 15th century Bruges. Dame Dunnett's books blend fictional characters with those who were actually recorded in history. (My screen name--Anslem Adorne--was taken from one of the characters in her books. Adorne was a merchant-trader of Bruges. You can see his family home in Bruges and still visit the Jerusalemkirk, the family church.) Dame Dunnett's writing is rich and the plots are subtle and complex.

I share your enjoyment of Patrick O'Brian, Bernard Cornwell (the recent series on the 100 Years War is quite good), and Forester.

Anselm

Judyrem

Diane Gabaldon's Time travel series Dragonfly in Amber and the sequels are wonderful. They are oneof the reasons I went to Scotland.

Judyrem

A big plus Degas is they have some (not a lot)of nice racy love scenes;-).

hansikday

degas, here are a couple more you might like:

Michel Faber - The Crimson Petal and the White. Victorian Era London.

Michael Walsh - As Time Goes By. The continuation of the Casablanca story.

FlyFish

Edward Rutherfurd: London, Sarum, Russka, and others.

Dr_DoGood

I would heartily recommend "Lempriere's Dictionary" by Lawrence Norfolk - an extraordinary and exhausting novel with limtless horizons.

Young John Lempriere watches as his father is attacked and killed by a pack of dogs. Lempriere is in love with the dog owner's daughter. He's also tied to an extraordinary conspirancy that involves hidden cabals, immortals and angels with its genesis in the sacking and slaughter at La Rochelle in France and taking in ghost ships in the Mediterranean (a scam involving East India traders)and ritualistic murders. How he muddles through all this angst and still manages to write a famous precursor to 'Bullfinch's Mythology' comprises the scope of the novel.

READ THIS NOVEL!!!!!

Dr D.

Dr_DoGood

Oh, and don't forget Daphne du Maurier's "Jamaica Inn", "My Cousin Rachel", "Frenchman's Creek" nor, of course, the great "Rebecca"
Dr D.

Judyrem

Meant to say Outlander, it was the first one. Another of book by Diane, was "Lord John Grey, and the Private Matter"...with a very authentic 18C London.

BTilke

My husband and I both big fans of historical fiction writer, Philippa Gregory. We started with Earthly Joys and Virgin Earth, her novels about the famous 17th century gardeners, John Tradescant and his son (also John Tradescant) and the political events of their times (the Tulip bubble, civil war and the Restoration, etc.) and then found The Other Bolyn Girl (about Mary Bolyn), the Queen's Fool (about Bloody Mary and Elisabeth I) and will be picking up her latest, The Virgin's Lover, tomorrow.
We also liked Bernard Cornwell's Grail Series (Archer's Tale, Vagabond and Heretic).
I read the first of the Outlander series and didn't care for it at all (thought it should have been called the Outlandish series), but the novels are very popular.

Underhill

If you can find them, Sergeanne Golon's "Angelique" series is great reading. They're set primarily in France.

emtravel

I am reading now "Enchantment" by Orson Scott Card . It is about travel between old Rus (Russia) and America and also travel in time. Very entertaining. Also, some wizardly is thrown in.

degas

Thanks for all the great inputs.

Here's one I forgot:

The Good Soldier Svejk - Jaroslav Hasek

Kristinelaine

Just want to put another plug in for the Outlander. Just finished reading it and I could scarcely put it down. I am actually not a big fan of the "fantasy" aspect, but if you can just take that, the rest is very interesting.

artlover

I've been reading a time-travel book called THE INSCRIPTION by Pam Binder and am really enjoying it. It's set in Scotland in 1566 and has incredible detail and is very fast-paced.

woodstockguy

This is a wonderful posting with fantastic ideas. I'm surprised I have heard of so few of these suggestions and plan to print this posting so I can read these books in the near future.

I have read Rutherford's London and Sarum (while in England) and both were fabulous. His style reminded me of James Michener; however, his only novel that I recall taking place in Europe was Poland, a fairly decent novel.

llamalady

......another big recommendation for
the Dorothy Dunnett series - be
warned - very addictive!

Danna

Sharon Penman's books are a fun read. Here be Dragons is about King John in 13th Century England and Llewelyn the Great of Wales. She has many more. I've enjoyed all those I have read.