The Best Historical Fiction Books Every Reader Should Read

The historical fiction genre is filled with timeless classics and newer novels that are absolutely worth reading. The hard part, though, is figuring out which ones to pick up next. That’s why we’re sharing the best historical fiction books every reader should read. Keep reading to see which titles made our list.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve found myself reading more and more historical fiction. Some of the best novels I’ve ever read fall into this genre, which pushed me to explore it even further. I wanted to see how newer releases stacked up against the classics—and I’m glad I did, because it led me to some incredible books.

I made it a point to mix things up by reading both well-known classics and modern historical fiction. No matter which one I picked, I always felt like I was in for a great reading experience. If anything, it just made me wish I had started reading more historical fiction sooner.

I’ve also been making an effort to read more award-winning novels, and that’s been especially rewarding. These books are held to a higher standard, and as you read them, you can understand exactly why they earned the recognition they did.

You can find the full list of must-read historical fiction books below—and hopefully discover a few new favorites along the way.

The Best Historical Fiction Books Every Reader Should Read

• One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
• The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
• The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
• Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange 

One Hundred Years of Solitude

There are some books you read that you don’t know you needed in your life until you read them. For me, one of those books was One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez. It is a beautifully written novel and it will put you under a spell. I couldn’t put the novel down even if I tried.

José Arcadio Buendía ends up killing Prudencio Aguilar because of an argument. That forces him and his wife Úrsula Iguarán leave town to search for another place to live. They are accompanied by friends as they walk for weeks. Eventually, they settle near a riverbank and call their new home Macondo.

What follows is the story of seven generations of the Buendía family and the rise and fall of Macondo. The stories of the family go from happy to sad and happy again as the town they live in goes through changes, sweeping the family along as a result.

Every single page of this novel is perfect and I am glad that I did read this. It is easily one of the best books I read in 2025 and one I will revisit next year. in 1982, Gabriel García Márquez won the Nobel Prize for Literature because of this novel. It is considered one of the most important works of literature and that is reason enough to read it.

The Nickel Boys

We have all come across an author that we fall in love with and suddenly find ourselves binge reading all their books. After reading The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead, I knew I was going to read anything he releases going forward and I am glad I did.

The Nickel Boys is about Elwood Curtis, a young black boy who is wrongly sentenced to Nickel Academy, a juvenile reform school that is supposed to turn them straight.

But the school takes advantage of the boys and is filled with racism and abuse. Elwood and every black boy have to fight and survive to see the next day because is not guaranteed in this reform school.

This novel is based on actual events and if it wasn’t for this novel, few people would know about this horrible event. Like many tragedies, it was buried and forgotten but people like Whitehead know how powerful a story can be. 

You will be angry and shocked and throughout it all, you will appreciate what Whitehead was able to accomplish with this novel. It is no wonder that Whitehead won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for this novel.

The Count of Monte Cristo

When I think about the best classic historical fiction books to read, I always think of The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. This adventure novel was written in the mid 1800s and has aged like fine wine since it was first written by the French author.

The novel tells the story of Edmond Dantès who has just been named the captain of the ship Pharaon. He plans to propose to his girlfriend but never happens as Edmond is accused of treason and locked up in an island fortress.

After years of imprisonment, Edmond escapes the prison and searches for the hidden treasure that his cellmate hid before getting arrested. Now, with newfound wealth and fame, Dantès seeks to get revenge on the people who falsely accused him and ruined his life.

What I love about this novel is that it reads like a soap opera. The drama and plot twists as well as the long plans for revenge would make a few good seasons for any TV show. maybe that is why it is still popular to this day. Who doesn’t love a good revenge story?

Demon Copperhead

One of the first historical fiction books I ended up reading in 2025 was Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. It was also the recipient of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize along with Trust by Hernan Diaz and won the Women’s Prize for Fiction. With these two prestigious accolades, I knew I had to read it eventually and I am glad that I did.

The story follows Damon Fields, better known as Demon, and his single mother. They live in a trailer home in Lee, County, located in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia. Demon’s life is difficult takes a turn for the worse when his mom starts dating a guy who abuses Demon. 

Things go from bad to worse and Demon tries to make the best of his situation as he tries to survive and overcome his situation. The novel is a retelling of David Copperfield by Charles Dickens in the 21^st century and is a must read for anyone that enjoyed the classic novel.

Wandering Stars

There are some books that I gravitate towards because of a beautiful book cover. And I am glad that I did because I wouldn’t otherwise have ended up reading Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange. This is one of my favorite book covers that I have came across and the book is somehow even better.

Orange tells a harrowing tale of racism and trauma that haunts a family for generations. The book tells the story of Native Americans suffering for over a century and the importance of identity and home.

The plight of Native Americans is forgotten or neglected in this country. Their identity is constantly under attack and their history has been buried deep. But Tommy Orange’s novel brings it back into the spotlight and tells their story while also writing one of the best novels of 2024.

Conclusion

I had made it a goal of mine to read more historical fiction books last year. That had led to me discovering some amazing novels as a result. Which is why I will be continuing this trend and adding to this list of the best historical fiction books every reader should read.

There are so many amazing historical fiction books out there waiting to be read. We chose five that we loved and can’t stop talking about. This list includes classics as well as newer novels. And we hope that we keep coming across even more amazing historical fiction books to share with you.

How many of these books have you read or plan to read? What other historical fiction books would you recommend to your fellow readers? Let us know in the comments below. Until next time, happy reading!

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