Book suggestions for historical fiction, women's biographies and westerns

[Freshton]

Please could I have some new book suggestions? I asked a couple of years ago and got some great ones

I love historical fiction and non fiction including biographies, particularly about women. I never seem to gel with the most popular authors in that genre. have tried a few Phillipa Gregory books over the years but not really enjoyed them. Also tried Alison Weir but not a fan. They are well researched but there's something about the writing style, I wish I could better articulate why I don't like certain books!

Last book I read was House at Rivington by Kate Morton which was alright but based on the reviews I expected to like it more.

I'm now reading the Handmaid's Tale and I really love it. Also read Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix and enjoyed that so maybe I need to switch to contemporary US fiction? I love Westerns too

I came here to say I keep hearing about Lonesome Dove recently. I haven't read it. I wonder why it is in the zeitgeist suddenly (it's from 1985).

Lonesome Dove is rather a slow moving miniseries, good acting and realistic but slow. IMHO of course.

I don’t read much historical fiction, but enjoyed Cecily by Annie Garthwaite

I really enjoyed Good Wives by Margaret Forster. It's non-fiction and explores the lives of three women - Mary Moffat who went to Africa in the 1800s with her husband David Livingstone, Fanny Stevenson who was married to the writer Robert Louis Stevenson, and Baroness Jennie Lee, the influential MP of the early 20th century.

If you would like to try different historical fiction from different cultures, try:

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (Lisa See)
Pachinko (Min Jin Lee)
Palace of Illusions (Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni)
The Glass Palace (Amitav Ghosh)
Lion Women of Tehran (Marjam Kamali)

Another vote for Sharon Kay Penman- I love all her books.

And Pillars of the Earth is a such a fun read.

Lonesome Dove is a brilliant book.

The quality of the TV adaptation is neither here nor there, as the OP wasn’t asking for TV recommendations.

Westerns used to be one of my favourites. Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey is one of the few westerns classed as a novel and of literary worth. I head it on Radio 4 a Sunday Serial. (~20 years ago).
@Freshton Have you read any William Macleod Raines? He lived in Western States for much of his life.

Not sure if any of these 'westerns' have been mentioned but I've enjoyed them:

The Virginian - Owen Wister - is excellent but not in the style of a 'traditional' western.
Appaloosa by Robert B Parker is stunning. Sparse, gritty, violent.
The Heavenly Table by Donald Ray Pollock is also worth reading.

Second, third and fourth this!

I couldn't put it down. I've now given it to three people-four if I count my husband who read my copy-and they all really enjoyed it.

What a book!

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt is a good Western.

I wanted to say thanks for recommending this, @LilyCanna. I’ve just finished it & enjoyed it so much that I’m about to start on the sequel, The King’s Mother.

After that I want to read the story from Margaret of Anjou’s side!

This was excellent.

Ooh this is good to know, I have the book but haven't read it yet. Will get on it.

My offering is The Personal Librarian - based on a true story about Belle Da Costa Greene who was the personal librarian of JP Morgan in New York. Fascinating story of Belle, a formidable character who hid her identity as a person of colour whilst working for JP Morgan, highly recommend.

Sonia Purnell's biography of Clementine Churchill was brilliant - not sure why I picked it up as no fan of her husband but it was a very good read.

Hilary Mantel. The Cromwell books, but also A Place of Greater Safety.

I also second Robert Harris, especially the Ciceeo trilogy, as another poster has suggested above. Brilliant and gripping.

I loved Rachel Holmes' biography of Sylvia Pankhurst. She also did a great on of Eleanor Marx.

Hillary Mantel for historical fiction every time.

A mixture of books-

Lady in Waiting - Anne Glenconner - biography written by Lady Glenconner about her life, friendship with the royals, scandals etc - fascinating book

Woman in the photograph - Stephanie Butland - fictional story loosely based around key moments in modern feminism, such as Greenham common

The Giver of Stars - JoJo Moyes - story about women who distribute library books in Kentucky

Wild Swans - about three generations of women growing up in China

Another vote for Robert Harris - superb historical books.