Guilty Pleasures: Historical Fiction and Travel Writing

[Not Afraid]

Every once in a while, I get into the mood to read Historical Fiction. It has to be well-written and have enoough historical facts to be plausable, but I like an entertaining read as well.

I've read all of Sharon Kay Penman's Welsh series in the past and I'm halfway through her latest book, Time and Chance. I don't know why it seems like such a guilty pleasure for me, but it is - and it's one I love.

The unfortunante by-product of these reads is that it excites the travel bug that lives within me. I have found myself scouring Welsh and English travel sites for key historical sites to visit. Ultimatly, this will lead to reading more travel writing - my other guilty pleasure.

I both love and hate this cycle. I get behind on reading the contemporary fiction I love so much and I find myself day dreaming about travels to far off lands. I don't get much practical work done in the meantime.

A few of my favorite writers for historical fiction are: Sharon Kay Penman and Margaret George. Travel writer favs are Bill Bryson and Paul Theroux. I've read much more travel writing than historical fiction, but that is because I never know how to weed out the schlocky stuff with the historical fiction - and it seems there is a LOT of it.

If anyone wants to make a recommendation or share your own guilty pleasure, please do so! (i'm going to hear about ham, spincters and porn now, aren't I?) ;)

[Alex]

I can't really say I have any guilty pleasures if simply because I don't possess enough of a sense of shame to feel guilt over any of them.

Travel writing is a mood that strikes me every once in a while but I must admit I prefer the earnest over the ironic, which unfortunately seems to be the dominant style these days. While I loved Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything, I haven't much cared for his actual travel writing.

Three books that I did enjoy were Canyon Solitute: A Woman's Solo River Journey Through the Grand Canyon (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product//1580050077) by Patricia C. McCairen and Femme D'Adventure: Travel Tales from Inner Montana and Outer Mongolia (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product//1878067982) by Jessica Maxwell. The obvious common theme in the titles is mostly coincidental.

In the more ironic format I did enjoy The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific (http://www.amazon.com/Sex-Lives-Cannibals-Equatorial-Pacific/dp/0767915305) by J. Maarten Troost.

[JWBear]

Welsh? Wales? Tell me more about these books....

[Alex]

Oh, I can't believe I almost forgot An African in Greenland (http://www.amazon.com/African-Greenland-Review-Books-Classics/dp/0940322889) by Tete-Michel Kpomassie. A young black villager in sub-Saharan Africa reads about Greenland in a book at his local missionary and runs away from his village determined to visit that place.

Eventually he makes it and provides an interesting glimpse into life both in 1950s sub-Saharan Africa as well as the very odd culture of the people of Greenland.

[katiesue]

I love Sharon Kay Penman and Margaret George (although I never could get through her Cleopatra). The Sunne in Splendor is my favorite of Penman's. I think I have all of hers, even her historical mystery series.

I have some other Welch Historical fiction I found at Costco once but I can't remember the writer, I'll have to look for them when I get home tonight. They sort of filled in around Penman's Welch timeframe.

When are we all going to England to poke around the moors for historical sites?

[Stan4dSteph]

Mine would be mystery novels, I suppose. Not always highly regarded, but I love them, especially those by Elizabeth George and Val MacDermid.

[katiesue]

Elizabeth George is another favorite of mine.

[Not Afraid]

Welsh? Wales? Tell me more about these books....


Sharon Kay Penman (http://www.amazon.com/s/002-5522360-9628006?ie=UTF8&index=books&rank=-relevance%2C%2Bavailability%2C-daterank&field-author-exact=Penman%2C%20Sharon%20Kay) has a series of three 13the Century Welsh historical novels that are very good. The titles are HERE BE DRAGON, FALLS THE SHADOW and THE RECKONING. Her other novels focus on Richard II (The Sunne in Splendour), the conflict between Maude and Stephen (When Christ and His Saints Slept), Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine (Time and Chance). The last two are books one and 2 of a trilogy that isn't complete. Great reading!

[JWBear]

Sharon Kay Penman (http://www.amazon.com/s/002-5522360-9628006?ie=UTF8&index=books&rank=-relevance%2C%2Bavailability%2C-daterank&field-author-exact=Penman%2C%20Sharon%20Kay) has a series of three 13the Century Welsh historical novels that are very good. The titles are HERE BE DRAGON, FALLS THE SHADOW and THE RECKONING. Her other novels focus on Richard II (The Sunne in Splendour), the conflict between Maude and Stephen (When Christ and His Saints Slept), Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine (Time and Chance). The last two are books one and 2 of a trilogy that isn't complete. Great reading!
Sounds right up my alley. I'll have to look for them. Thanks!

[Not Afraid]

I've got them all if you want to borrow them.

[katiesue]

Alison Weir is the other author I was thinking of. She writes along the lines of Penman's books.

[Not Afraid]

Alison Weir is the other author I was thinking of. She writes along the lines of Penman's books.


I've noticed her books. I was interested in the Eleanor book at one point, but never picked it up. Lots of great subjects for the Anglophile! (http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/alisonweir/home.htm)

[lindyhop]

Mine would be mystery novels, I suppose. Not always highly regarded, but I love them, especially those by Elizabeth George and Val MacDermid.
My guilty pleasure, too. I used to devour them like potato chips (bet you can't read just one) but I've definitely slowed down. Now I concentrate on my favorites like Elizabeth George, Martha Grimes, Sue Grafton, etc.

Another author I always read is Sheri S. Tepper. I discovered her writing mysteries under another name. She writes amazingly creative fantasy.

But I almost forgot my most recent obsession: Terry Pratchett's Discworld series including a few books for young readers that are wonderful.

[Not Afraid]

I finished the Margaret George "Helen of Troy" (http://www.amazon.com/Helen-Troy-Margaret-George/dp/0670037788/sr=8-1/qid=1169344380/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-5522360-9628006?ie=UTF8&s=books)novel a week or so ago. While it was an enjoyable read, it didn't match her Henry VIII "Autobiography" in brilliance, characterization or entertainment. I really know very little about ancient Greek and Mycenean cultures - other than a VERY basic knowledge of arcitecture/sculpture/mythology, so it was interesting to be able to fill in a few gaps. however, the problem is that, so little is actually known about the "real" life of these peoples and even if a real Helen of Troy & Sparta really existed. With so much assumption being made to tell this story, I think it made the "historical" part of this "historical fiction" a little more fictioney. In other words, I think the book would've been more successful if it was complete fiction based on what little is known rather than trying to make something that is mythological into a reality. But, such is the fine line an author walks when writing this type of novel.