Try Out This To-Read List for a 2026 Challenge

If you love historical fiction, try this list out for your 2026 to-read challenge:

If you love opera and the canals of Venice, you’ll love ‘Poinsettia Girl’ by Jennifer Wizbowski;

If you love ‘Poinsettia Girl’ you’ll adore more Italian opera history with ‘Viva Violetta & Verdi’ by Howard Jay Smith;

For more inspiring Italian historical fiction, and if you loved ‘Viva Violetta & Verdi’, you’ll want to set your calendar for the release of Mary Thurlow’s art-inspired novel ‘Sandro & Simonetta’ exploring the life of the beautiful model behind Botticelli’s paintings, releasing spring of 2026;

And you love ‘Viva Violetta & Verdi’ then delve into the mysterious world of an orphan girl caught in a Venetian brothel, in ‘The Curse of Maiden Scars’ by Nicolette Croft;

If you love ‘The Curse of Maiden Scars’ indulge in the story of another young girl hiding scars in ‘Tangled in Water’ by Pam Records;

If you love ‘Tangled in Water’ you’ll learn that scars are not always visible in Jane Hunt’s WWII novella ‘The Finding’;

And if you are an avid reader of wartime fiction, don’t miss Ron Ames novel of family survival through war and plague in ‘An Echo of Ashes’;

Or the historical novella of taking a stand against anti-semitism and giving a blow to Nazism in Joseph Kovler’s ‘At the Corner of Hitler and Goering’;

Or perhaps Fred Raymond Goldman’s Holocaust series, ‘The Prodigy of Auschwitz’ and ‘The Virtuoso of America’ where a father’s choice brings great sacrifice;

If you loved ‘Prodigy’ and ‘Virtuoso’, don’t miss the dual timeline novel exploring Jewish identity and the hidden secrets revealed in a family during WWII in ‘Red Anemones’ by Paula Dáil;

If you loved ‘Red Anemones’, don’t miss another heart-tugging story about a mother’s choice and sacrifice for her daughter in ‘Bright One’ by Lisajoy Sachs;

The theme of sacrifice and love resonates through history, resounding in immigration stories such as ‘Who She Left Behind’ by Victoria Atamian Waterman, exposing the harsh realities of the Armenian genocide;

Strong women who left behind families and homes for a better life, don’t miss ‘They Never Looked Back’ by Anne Marie Donaldson;

And if you loved ‘They Never Looked Back’ and desire more Irish American history, fill your cup with the James Patterson-endorsed novel ‘The Many Lives & Loves of Hazel Lavery’ by Lois Cahall about the famous American socialite who influenced Irish history;

If you love ‘Hazel Lavery’ and the world of artists and strong women, then don’t miss the Pulitzer Prize-nominated books by R.W. Meek combining Parisian history and psychology in ‘The Dream Collector: Sabrine & Sigmund Freud’;

Paris is always a good idea for historical fiction, so if you love ‘The Dream Collector: Sabrine & Sigmund Freud’, immerse yourself in book two ‘The Dream Collector: Sabrine & Vincent van Gogh’;

Or continue your love for Paris with Irene Latham’s soon-to-be released historical romance between Vincent van Gogh and Emily Dickenson in ‘Some Starry Night’, coming spring of 2026;

If you love the strong women in ‘Hazel Lavery’ and ‘The Dream Collector’, don’t miss falling into Tudor history with Constance Briones’ first woman poetess in ‘Try Before You Trust’;

Savor the Regency era in English history, a nod to Jane Austen, in Arabella Brown’s lovely novel series ‘The Wastrel’s Daughters’ and ‘A Detestable Name’;

For more English and European royalty, abandon yourself in Luv Lubker’s Victorian novels ‘Under His Spell’, ‘Under a Cloud’, and ‘Under the Sword’;

If you love Luv’s novels, travel back in time for more historical royalty in Malve von Hassell’s ‘The Price of Loyalty: Serving Adela of Blois’;

And Arianwen Nunn’s captivating ‘The Welsh Warrior’s Inheritance’ exploring the most exciting time in Welsh history;

The days of medieval England and Scotland and the legendary kings and queens, the strong women of history, come to life in Catherine Hughes’ novel ‘Therein Lies the Pearl’;

And if more medieval times are right up your alley, and you still want more,’ luxuriate in the history of Hungarian knighthood in ‘Lord of the Eyrie’ and ‘Return to the Eyrie’ by Katerina Dunne;

Or if Spanish history is more to your liking, you’ll want to add Cindy Burkart Maynard’s medieval novel series traveling on the pilgrimage trail of the Camino de Santiago in ‘Finding the Way’ and ‘Esperanza’s Way’;

Want more? Travel through the Crusades in Julian de la Motte’s spectacular novel ‘The Will of God’ from England to Jerusalem;

Or fight Vikings alongside a brave young boy in search of his father in ‘Oscar’s Tale’ by Chris Bishop;

Or brave the seas with a Boston youth captured into Moslem slavery and conversion in ‘An American Slave in Barbary’ by Larry Kelley;

Slavery and injustice is a repeating theme throughout history, and you can learn more about the American struggle and the underground railroad in Mike Weedall’s Southern historical ‘Escape to the Maroons’;

Or perhaps walk the road of Manifest Destiny and uncover the hidden mysteries along the journey in “A Profitable Wife’ by Kat Christensen;

If you loved ‘A Profitable Wife’ and crave more about the wild west, try your hand with a new woman outlaw in town in ‘No Good Deeds’ by E. J. McKenna;

Again, survival resonates in these stories of set in the early 1800s, where immigrants fought to build a new life amidst fire and tragedy, such as in ‘Secrets in the Woods’ by Susan D. Levitte;

If you loved the ones above, but want something even earlier in American history, learn about the days of Alexander Hamilton and George Washington in ‘The World Turn’d Upside Down’ by Seth Irving Handaside;

Or if you prefer the days of Abraham Lincoln, delve into the conspiracy theory of Lincoln’s death in ‘The Absolution of Mars’ by T.F. Troy;

Conspiracies and mystery during the Lincoln presidency abound in David Spitz’s mid-1800s detective novel ‘Lincoln’s Agent: The Hunt for a Killer’ and his upcoming sequel ‘The Return: A Traitor’s Money’;

Continue in time to Bill Hand’s 1940s detective-inspired historical noir in ‘Victory Gardens’, and the iconic historical London-spy novel ‘Adrenalin Rush’ by Henye Meyer;

And if you loved the mystery of ‘Victory Gardens’ and ‘Adrenalin Rush’, give Roberta Tracy’s action-packed murder mystery featuring a Vaudeville-star turned detective in ‘Zig Zag Woman’;

For fans of ‘Water for Elephants’, the American circus life combined with murder and mystery comes alive in J. D. Porter’s upcoming release of ‘The Muleskinner and the King’;

Nineteeth-century American history continues to burst open in Heather Miller’s ‘Yellow Bird’s Song’ and ‘Tho I Be Mute’, poignant reminders of the Native American struggle of displacement and the resiliency of family ties;

Or perhaps young boys coming of age in the mean streets of America? You’ll love delving into the rich history of the boys of the Pennsylvania coal mines in ‘Anything but Schuylkill’ by Michael Dunn;

Or witnessing the rise of a young boy from those cruel alleys and orphan trains to his true path in ‘Hobbadehoy Rising’ by Max Fischer;

From the Big Apple to the Big Easy, absorb the true crime and court history through the eyes of a young Sicilian boy of the Italian lynchings in New Orleans in ‘Cobblestones: a New Orleans Tragedy’ by former Federal prosecutor, S. R. Perricone;

Craving more murder mysteries? Cross the pond back to merry ole’ England, and for a gothic twist, lose yourself in the thrilling stories by Dr. Peter Stephenson & Lady Harriet – ‘The Whispering Dead of Rewley Abbey’ and ‘The Witch of Godstow Abbey’;

Pirates and witches abound in Joseph Kovler’s historical time travel novella ‘Three Mile Harbor’;

And if you love more English history, everyone knows the name of sea captain Lord Admiral Nelson, so learn more of his history and his famous relative in the historical nonfiction book ‘A Most Unsettled Man’ by Lily Style, a descendant of the family;

Or the upcoming coming-of-age novel ‘Sailing Against the Tide’ by Cindy Burkart Maynard, which tells the story of Jeanne Baret, the first woman to circumnavigate the globe;

Continue setting sail into pure English sea-warfare with Bradley John’s thrilling ‘Ships of War’ series featuring ‘Murky Waters’, ‘Shadows of War’ and the upcoming ‘False Colours’;

If you love the style of Aussie-author Bradley John, you’ll love crossing the Australian wilds in Paul Rushworth-Brown’s ‘Outback Odyssey’ and his own upcoming release pirate-styled sea adventure in ‘Dream of Courage’;

Still wanting more? Aussie-based author Erryn Lee takes readers back to the days of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the impact the event has on her protagonist in this stunning dual timeline ‘What Remains’;

Stay within the days of ancient Roman history, combined with a love of horsemanship, with A.M. Swink’s novels ‘Venator’ and ‘Gradarius’;

Or for an even more ancient world delving into Grecian mythology, you’ll love the story of ‘Diomedes in Kyprios’ by Gregory Michael Nixon;

And the compelling novella revealing the truths of an ancient demigod in ‘Conversations with Achilles’ by Bill Hand;

If you love ‘Diomedes in Kyprios’ and want to know more of the ancient world, immerse yourself in the story of a lost ancient world in ‘Ugarit: Tales of a Lost City’ by Janet Tamaren;

Or perhaps short stories are more your forte, so don’t miss the creative stylings of an ancient cosmopolitan city in ‘Life and Death in Ephesus’ by Finlay McQuade;

From Ephesus to China, the unique storytelling voice of Jiu Da brings to life the travails of life within the confines of China and their historical impact in ‘The Winding Dirt Road’;

From the ancient world to a more modern-take on historical fiction, for more Chinese-American diplomacy, don’t miss the unique story of a young girl dealing with her grandmother’s ping pong legacy at the 1970s Olympics in ‘Ping’ by Lisa Lucas & Steve Landsberg;

If coming-of-age stories interest you, and you loved ‘Ping’, then indulge in Joseph Kovler’s novella ‘Hendersonville Olympics’ of a young man dealing with the repercussions of the Vietnam War;

As well as the harrowing experience of two Cuban refugees escaping to New York during the Cuban Missile Crisis in Joseph Kovler’s ‘Dangerous Crossings’;

Or the lovely novel for young adults of a young girl living through the tumultuous times of Civil Rights and the KKK in America in Rebecca Langston-George's novel ‘One Fine Voice’ releasing soon;

Or if learning about history though iconic shows like Antique’s Roadshow excites you, hit the road with Deborah Chase’s dual timeline novel ‘Georgia’s Folly’;

For more alternate and unique historical fiction exploring the history of mankind, the ins-and-outs of business history, and an unusual spin on family trees, you’ll want to add ‘The Acorn Legacy’ by Paul Lima, ‘If It’s the Last Thing I Do’ by award-winner David Fitz-gerald, and ‘The Lost Chapters of Humanity on Earth’ by Anastasia Martin; or try the historical time travel adventure as one man fights many historical wars throughout time as he searches for his lost love in Mark Rupprecht’s novella ‘Fades of War’;

More coming in 2026, so stay tuned!! We are excited for David Jepsen’s novel chipping away into the history of liberal Seattle in post-WWII in his upcoming release ‘Unbelonging: a Novel of Seattle”;

And the upcoming release of Justin Quarles’ alternate historical novel of Gettysburg and the American Civil War in ‘Where the River and Crosses Meet’ coming summer of 2026.

The exciting new series by Luv Lubker featuring the first book ‘The Sea King’s Daughter: Playing with Fire’ coming late spring of 2026;

And Max Fischer’s new novel ‘Behind the Eight Ball’, also releasing in spring of 2026.

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