3 Historical Fiction Books I Loved This Year (You Need to Read These)

We’re back with part three of the best historical fiction books I’ve read this year, and I plan to keep this series going for as long as I can. If you’re looking for great novels to add to your reading list, you’re in the right place. Keep reading to find out which three historical fiction books I loved and highly recommend!

So far in 2025, I’ve read 82 books, and I don’t plan on slowing down anytime soon. One genre that I’ve found myself reading a lot more of this year is historical fiction. It’s a genre that blends storytelling with real history, and when it’s done well, it can make the past feel incredibly alive.

One of my goals this year has been to read more broadly across different genres, and historical fiction has definitely benefited from that. Of course, it also helps that my to-read list is ridiculously long. Even after finishing dozens of books this year, I still feel like I haven’t made much of a dent in it.

Part of the problem is that I keep adding new books every week. Between recommendations, bookstore visits, and seeing what other readers are talking about online, my reading list seems to grow faster than I can finish books.

Recently, I read three historical fiction novels that I absolutely loved and knew I had to share. One of them is a classic novel that many readers are already familiar with, while the other two are modern historical fiction books that you’ve probably seen featured in bookstores or displayed at your local library.

If you’re looking for your next great historical fiction read, check out the three books that made this list below!

The Best Historical Fiction Books I Read This Year Part Three

• The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
• Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange 
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 

The Nickel Boys

We all have had that moment where we discover a new author and have to binge read 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 a novel 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.

Wandering Stars

Everyone says don’t judge a book by its cover but that might not be true for Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange. This is one of my favorite book covers and the book is even better somehow.

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.

Pride and Prejudice

Lastly, I finally got around and read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I enjoyed the novel a lot more than I thought I would and can see why Austen is as popular as she is today. 

Elizabeth Bennett is one of five daughters and the novel follows her and Mr. Darcy, who moves near the Bennetts. Elizabeth’s older sister Jane falls in love with Bingley who is a close friends with Mr. Darcy.

Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth interact at a party and while Mr. Darcy falls for Elizabeth, she insults him after he is rude to her. Jane and Bingley seem like they are made for each other but suddenly, things go awry. Elizabeth guesses that somebody doesn’t want them to get married.

A turn of events scares the Bennett family and Elizabeth turns to Mr. Darcy to help. Will Jane and Bingley get married? And how does Elizabeth feel about Mr. Darcy? Jane Austen spins a tale like no other that has remained relevant centuries later and is considered one of the best historical fiction books ever written.

Conclusion

Many of my favorite novels are historical fiction novels and that isn’t a coincidence. The genre has so much to offer. Whether you read classics or modern novels, this genre has it all. There are thousands of novels that take place in every time period that you will love.

No matter which books you end up choosing from this list, there are no wrong choices. All of the books from this list and the past lists are amazing reads. You will be busy reading them for quite a while.

These are the best historical fiction books I read that you need to read as soon as possible. You most likely have heard of these novels but hopefully this article will make you read them too. Until next time, happy reading!

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