I’m generally an escapist reader; I tend not to read to learn. Historical fiction is a good compromise: good stories to satisfy that side of me, while I feel like I’ve “learned” something in the end.

The Great Turkey Walk and Oh, Those Harper Girls!, Kathleen Karr
Fun little books, set in Texas. I liked Turkey Walk better.

The Examination, Malcom Bosse
Perhaps it’s my interest (however vague) in China, but I really liked this book. The plot is essentially two brothers traveling to the state-run examinations. It doesn’t sound very exciting, but I enjoyed it thoroughly. It’s well-written, the history is interesting (if one was ever vaguely interested in Confucian or Taoist thought, this is a good book), and the ending is just perfect (which says a lot).

Mary, Bloody Mary, Carolyn Meyer
A good bit of historical fiction. Interesting characters, interesting plot, well told.

The King’s Fifth, Scott O’Dell
A fascinating story about Spanish explorers in America and their obsession with finding gold. Really interesting and really well-told.

When My Name was Keoko, Linda Sue Park
About Korea during World War II, while it was occupied by Japan. Not a whole lot of story, but I was fascinated by the details of life in Korea during the occupation. (Russell didn’t find it interesting at all, though.)

An Acquaintance with Darkness, Ann Rinaldi
Good historical mystery, set right after the Civil War. Deals with “body snatching” by the physicians at the time and their desire to know the anatomy of the body.

The Coffin Quilt, Ann Rinaldi
Set in the hills of West Virginia and Kentucky and looks at the Hatfield-McCoy feud in the 1880s. I didn’t know anything about this feud (though Russell had heard of it), but the book was a fascinating look on grudges, revenge and hatred and what it can do to a family.

The Outlandish Knight, Richard Adams
Interesting, though I got lost with all the detailed English History.

Alias Grace, Margaret Atwood
Fascinating story about a convicted murderer and the “reason” why she killed. Based on a real case in the 1800s.