Historical Fiction bestsellers

James

A Novel

By: Percival Everett
Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman
Length: 7 hours 48 minutes

“Lovely with gentle humor, at least that's the way I see it. Read more

The Frozen River: A GMA Book Club Pick

A Novel

By: Ariel Lawhon
Narrated by: Jane Oppenheimer & Ariel Lawhon
Length: 15 hours 5 minutes

“This book not only describes the struggles of a colonial midwife, it also reveals the court system of early American New England. The author weaves in excerpts of Martha’s diary entries that tell the story of this admired woman. As a History lover, I couldn’t put this book down. Read more

Babel

Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of The Oxford Translators' Revolution

By: R. F. Kuang
Narrated by: Chris Lew Kum Hoi & Billie Fulford-Brown
Length: 21 hours 45 minutes

“Finishing a book like this is equal parts pleasure and pain: pleasure in that reading something as striking and beautiful as this is everything a reader hopes to feel in a book juxtaposed by the pain of something beautiful ending and leaving these characters behind in the pages. There are few books that have brought tears to my eyes (I can still... Read more

Good Dirt

A Novel

By: Charmaine Wilkerson
Narrated by: January LaVoy
Length: 11 hours 26 minutes

“Thank you to Libro.fm and Penguin Random House Audiobooks for the ALC. Another great read by Charmaine Wilkerson! I became a fan of her debut, Black Cake, and just like that book, this one was also amazing. A tragedy reshapes the Freeman family's history, influencing their journey through perception, trauma, resentment, and redemption,... Read more

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store

A Novel

By: James McBride
Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman
Length: 12 hours 21 minutes

“Depression-era Pottsdown, PA. Immigrant Jews and Blacks who moved from the South cope with discrimination from the White Christian community. Moshe runs an integrated musical theater, assisted by Nate, while his wife Chona runs the local grocery store, assisted by Nate's wife Addie, catering to the black community, in the 'Chicken Hill'... Read more

North Woods

A Novel

By: Daniel Mason
Narrated by: Mark Bramhall, Michael Crouch, Jason Culp, Mark Deakins, Jayne Entwistle, Billie Fulford-Brown, Arthur Morey, George Newbern, Kirsten Potter & Simon Vance
Length: 11 hours 5 minutes

“Such an excellent storyteller voice. I loved the continuous thread woven through each chapter to connect each person and experience to the previous cabin owners and cabin itself. The poetry intermissions were on point and added to the sense of “place” in this well written, creative novel, and to its unexpected turns. Read more

Isola: Reese's Book Club

A Novel

By: Allegra Goodman
Narrated by: Fiona Hardingham & Allegra Goodman
Length: 12 hours 53 minutes

“Isola, based on the true story of Marguerite de la Rocque de Roberval, is above all a story of one strong woman’s survival. Marguerite, orphaned in 1515, survives a childhood dependent on the whims of her adult cousin and guardian. She survives a treacherous journey across the Atlantic to New France, and she survives being cast from the ship... Read more

Circe

By: Madeline Miller
Narrated by: Perdita Weeks
Length: 12 hours 8 minutes

“Unlike most of my peers, I did not learn about mythology in school. Circe intimidated me for far too long before I finally took the plunge to read it. How glad I am that I faced my fear! Even to my untrained mind, the chronicles of Circe were easy to follow, and with Perdita Weeks’ sublime narration, soon I was engrossed. Ostracized and outcast,... Read more

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

By: V. E. Schwab
Narrated by: Julia Whelan
Length: 17 hours 9 minutes

“When I first read the desription of this book, I got chills! If there was one book that I could read for the 1st time again, it would be this one! Read more

The Song of Achilles

A Novel

By: Madeline Miller
Narrated by: Frazer Douglas
Length: 11 hours 14 minutes

“This is one of the best books I've ever read. Do your heart a favor and read this beautiful, tender, heartbreaking book. Read more

The Poppy War

A Novel

The Poppy War

By: R. F. Kuang
Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
Length: 19 hours 27 minutes

“The first in a brilliant trilogy, The Poppy War is easily one of the best books I have ever read. Kuang illuminates the brutal realities of war via a fantasy world which resembles China during the twentieth century. Her characters are morally gray with a host of complex motivations and world views -- and that makes them all the more compelling.... Read more

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi

A Novel

By: Shannon Chakraborty
Narrated by: Lameece Issaq & Amin El Gamal
Length: 16 hours 59 minutes

“Women have to do everything around here, don't they? But that's alright because in this case everything is to go on a pirate adventure with a rag tag crew that's basically a found family of quirky outcasts, all the while narrated with some pretty snarky commentary. Man, this is SUCH A FUN BOOK. There's a little bit of everything, it's pretty... Read more

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde

By: Tia Williams
Narrated by: Mela Lee & Preston Butler
Length: 11 hours 42 minutes

“I loved the gorgeous writing with many a lush garden scene and floral puns galore interwoven with blasts to 1920s Harlem. A great read for fans of historical fiction, fated mates, found family, dual POVs and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. FUNNY. MAGICAL. ROMANTIC! Read more

The Bright Sword

A Novel of King Arthur

By: Lev Grossman
Narrated by: Nicholas Guy Smith & Lev Grossman
Length: 23 hours 9 minutes

“An expansive and epic adventure following the lesser-known knights of King Arthur’s Round Table. Buckle up, you’re in for some fun! Read more

A Fate Inked in Blood

Book One of the Saga of the Unfated

Saga of the Unfated: Book #1

By: Danielle L. Jensen
Narrated by: Nina Yndis
Length: 15 hours 15 minutes

“An amazing audiobook with an excellent narrator. Danielle L. Jensen has a talent of creating tension between the FMC and her love interest like a pro, keeping me at the edge of my seat and desperate for them to just kiss already. Romance isn't the core of the story though, there's an intriguing plot and twists and turns that will keep you... Read more

Mexican Gothic

By: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Narrated by: Frankie Corzo
Length: 10 hours 39 minutes

“Mexican Gothic is a fairytale turned nightmare, perhaps with a nod to Jordan Peele’s Get Out. In 1950’s Mexico, glamorous debutante Noemí receives a mysterious letter from her newlywed cousin Catalina. In frantic prose, she pleads for Noemí to visit her at High Place, the family residence of her husband, an English expat whom she has grown to... Read more

The Nightingale

A Novel

By: Kristin Hannah
Narrated by: Polly Stone
Length: 17 hours 37 minutes

A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK

A #1 New York Times bestseller, Wall Street Journal Best Book of the Year, and soon to be a major motion picture, this unforgettable novel of love and strength in the face of war has enthralled a generation.

With courage, grace, and powerful insight, bestselling author Kristin Hannah captures the epic panorama of World War... Read more

The Stolen Queen

A Novel

By: Fiona Davis
Narrated by: Linda Jones
Length: 10 hours 17 minutes

“I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this mystical mystery! The story felt both fresh and familiar, and, despite some of the predictable clichés, I found the ending delightful and moving. The main characters are well-balanced, their growth meaningful and their flaws relatable; I adored them by the end. Overall, what a beautiful and dazzling mix... Read more

West with Giraffes

A Novel

By: Lynda Rutledge
Narrated by: Danny Campbell
Length: 10 hours 28 minutes

“The time period is 1938 and travel looks different than it does today. Two giraffes have miraculously survived a hurricane and must be transported to a zoo for care. The decision is made to travel cross country by truck to the San Diego Zoo. This epic road trip is adventurous, daring, time sensitive, and charming. Inspired by true events! This... Read more

Weyward

A Novel

By: Emilia Hart
Narrated by: Aysha Kala, Helen Keeley & Nell Barlow
Length: 10 hours 51 minutes

“Three timelines of strong and powerful women converge at the end of the book with a melding of female resilience and the transformative power of the natural world. Lush descriptions. A favorite of mine. Read more

The Rose Code

A Novel

By: Kate Quinn
Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
Length: 16 hours 1 minute

“While many WWII stories have been told in triplicate, Kate Quinn presents a new angle on the Bletchley Park/code breaker part of the war. She gives us three magnificent main characters who must navigate the turbulent waters not only of the war, but of a new puzzle to solve shortly before the royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth (Queen Elizabeth... Read more

By Any Other Name

A Novel

By: Jodi Picoult
Narrated by: Billie Fulford-Brown, Laura Benanti, Jodi Picoult, Jayne Entwistle, Andrew Fallaize, Joe Jameson, John Lee, Nicholas Guy Smith, Simon Vance & Steve West
Length: 18 hours 25 minutes

“I devoured this audiobook in just a few days, starting my morning with a listen and ending each evening by setting a sleep timer. The themes of feminism, love, and tragedy are intricately woven throughout the narrative. I now have a fresh perspective on Shakespeare’s works and am thrilled to have discovered Emilia Bassano, a remarkable woman... Read more

The Nickel Boys (Winner 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction)

A Novel

By: Colson Whitehead
Narrated by: JD Jackson & Colson Whitehead
Length: 6 hours 45 minutes

“With every book, Colson Whitehead proves his ever-growing genius. He’s a master of the written word and truly one of the greatest living American novelists of our time. I didn’t think it was possible for him to write something better than Underground Railroad, but he most certainly has — The NickelBoys grabbed me at page one. It’s a mystery and... Read more

A Gentleman in Moscow

A Novel

By: Amor Towles
Narrated by: Nicholas Guy Smith
Length: 17 hours 51 minutes

“This book was so wonderful, I cried when I finished it! The plot is simple, yet it is a story rich with intricate details. I was so sad when it ended and I continue to think about how great it made me feel. Read more

There Are Rivers in the Sky

A novel

By: Elif Shafak
Narrated by: Olivia Vinall & Elif Shafak
Length: 16 hours 48 minutes

“My favorite book of 2024! A beautiful book connecting the Euphrates and Tigris rivers and the River Thames. These stories take place in the late 1800s and in 2016 are connected by these rivers and the lives that surround them. Elif Shafak writes with such prose and wonder. Read more

Horse

A Novel

By: Geraldine Brooks
Narrated by: James Fouhey, Lisa Flanagan, Graham Halstead, Katherine Littrell & Michael Obiora
Length: 14 hours 5 minutes

“Another well researched historical fiction by Brooks. This time she writes about race and horse racing, transporting the reader to the Antebellum South. The book is written from the point of view of several people in the life of the famous race horse and sire named Lexington. We follow his life primarily through the eyes of his enslaved groom... Read more

A Master of Djinn

Dead Djinn Universe: Book #1

By: P. Djèlí Clark
Narrated by: Suehyla El-Attar
Length: 15 hours 37 minutes

“'This is not your grandfather's Cairo.' That's for sure! Clark brings us to his alternate history Cairo where the year is 1912 and djinn roam the earth. When magic is used in a mass murder, Agent Fatma el-Sha’arawi of the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities steps in to investigate. So much fun! I've already given this as... Read more

The Starless Sea

A Novel

By: Erin Morgenstern
Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman & Various
Length: 18 hours 36 minutes

“Love, ghosts, libraries, presents, pasts, finding and losing, seeking and discovering, all intertwined in a puzzle-ring through which narrative lines twine and weave, until the reader's delight at knowing the characters and seeing the world bursts with glorious epiphany. Not since "Little, Big" have I read a book that so caught my fancy, nor... Read more

The Reformatory

A Novel

By: Tananarive Due
Narrated by: Joniece Abbott-Pratt
Length: 20 hours 51 minutes

“This was hands down my favorite book of the year! Tananarive Due has written a powerful southern horror novel set in Florida during the Jim Crow era. Twelve year old Robbie Stephens is sent to the segregated Gracetown School for Boys for protecting his sister against the advances of the white son of the most powerful man in town. Not only does... Read more

Heartless Hunter

The Crimson Moth: Book #1

By: Kristen Ciccarelli
Narrated by: Grace Gray
Length: 12 hours 8 minutes

"A steamy game of cat and mouse between witch and witch-hunter, played out against a backdrop of opulence, secrets, and bloody history. I couldn't look away." - Kendare Blake, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Champion of Fate

Enemies-to-lovers doesn't get more high stakes than a witch and a witch hunter falling in love in bestselling... Read more

Black Sun

Between Earth and Sky: Book #1

By: Rebecca Roanhorse
Narrated by: Cara Gee, Nicole Lewis, Kaipo Schwab & Shaun Taylor-Corbett
Length: 12 hours 46 minutes

“Rebecca Roanhorse brings us into a fantasy world of magic and warring clans and an over-reaching spiritual elite who think they control the others. Told through multiple voices, I sped through this story, with excitement and betrayal and passion and magic at each turn of the chapter. This is part one of an adventure I cannot wait to pick back... Read more

Homegoing

A novel

By: Yaa Gyasi
Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman
Length: 13 hours 10 minutes

“AN EXCELLENT LISTEN. Read more

Lady Tan's Circle of Women

By: Lisa See
Narrated by: Jennifer Lim & Justin Chien
Length: 13 hours 15 minutes

“Women are truly amazing creatures, especially when the connections are life long. Read more

Ne'er Duke Well

By: Alexandra Vasti
Narrated by: Mhairi Morrison
Length: 12 hours 3 minutes

“For fans of Sarah Maclean and Eve Dunmore, this fresh new and funny voice in historical romance will have you laughing and swooning the whole way through. Read more

The Lincoln Highway

A Read with Jenna Pick (A Novel)

By: Amor Towles
Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini, Marin Ireland & Dion Graham
Length: 16 hours 38 minutes

“THIS BOOK EXCEEDED ALL EXPECTATIONS! As a huge fan of A Gentleman in Moscow and Rules of Civility, The Lincoln Highway had a lot of pressure and holy cow did it surpass anything I could have hoped for. From the first page, I was immediately drawn into Towles' magical writing and superb characters. This felt like a modern classic, the new and... Read more

The Briar Club

A Novel

By: Kate Quinn
Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
Length: 15 hours 3 minutes

The New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye and The Rose Code returns with a haunting and powerful story of female friendships and secrets in a Washington, DC, boardinghouse during the McCarthy era.Washington, DC, 1950. Everyone keeps to themselves at Briarwood House, a down-at-the-heels all-female boardinghouse in the heart of the... Read more

Cloud Cuckoo Land

A Novel

By: Anthony Doerr
Narrated by: Marin Ireland & Simon Jones
Length: 14 hours 51 minutes

“This book is the best thing I’ve read - and the most complex and sophisticated - since Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders. Three story lines tied together by the mythical quest of a man named Aethon: 1400’s Constantinople, present day Idaho, and a futuristic voyage of a ship called The Argos! Suspense and adventure! With all the beautiful... Read more

The Four Winds

A Novel

By: Kristin Hannah
Narrated by: Julia Whelan
Length: 15 hours 20 minutes

“A brilliantly woven narrative set during the Dust Bowl years on the High Plains of Texas, The Four Winds is a story of survival that inspires us to persist. Hannah extensively researched the devastation of this climatic and agricultural phenomenon and its toll on communities, which seamlessly informs the deftly woven narrative of the life of... Read more

The Marriage Portrait: Reese's Book Club

A novel

By: Maggie O'Farrell
Narrated by: Genevieve Gaunt & Maggie O'Farrell
Length: 13 hours 21 minutes

“A captivating story about a young bride, just out of childhood, entering into a marriage with an unfamiliar court, culture, and an unpredictable husband who is basically a stranger to her. The world building in the book is unmatched. The author sets an immersive scene that you can touch, feel, smell, and see. We follow the main character from... Read more

The Pillars of the Earth

Kingsbridge: Book #1

By: Ken Follett
Narrated by: John Lee
Length: 40 hours 56 minutes

“A book unlike any other and the definition of epic- Long, winding, powerful and worth every minute. Read more

The Fraud

A Novel

By: Zadie Smith
Narrated by: Zadie Smith
Length: 12 hours 24 minutes

“Hearing Zadie Smith narrate The Fraud only enhances the experience of this already great novel. The characters are unique and easily distinguishable, and her considerable skill with accents is astounding. A thoroughly unique and enjoyable experience, just like everything Smith writes. Listen, and let her words transport you. You won't regret it. Read more

The Once and Future Witches

By: Alix E. Harrow
Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
Length: 16 hours 3 minutes

“Alix Harrow’s The Ten Thousand Doors of January was my favorite book last year, so I had incredibly high expectations when I picked up The Once and Future Witches. This book is very different, but I adore it just as much! Set in the late 1800s in a world with a slightly alternate history from ours, women are fighting for the vote and losing.... Read more

The Safekeep

By: Yael van der Wouden
Narrated by: Stina Nielsen & Saskia Maarleveld
Length: 9 hours 29 minutes

“I loved The Safekeep by Yael Van Der Wouden. It is 1961 in a quiet backwater village in the Netherlands. If you observed the quiet and orderly life of Isabel as she lives out her days polishing her dead mother's silver in the family home in Overijssel, you might never know of the suffering and destruction of the war that ended only 16 years... Read more

Jade City

The Green Bone Saga: Book #1

By: Fonda Lee
Narrated by: Andrew Kishino
Length: 19 hours 6 minutes

“A slow burn with frequent bursts of action. For fans of mafia dramas and martial arts action. The Green Bone culture & mythology are unique & captivating. This book and its characters got better and better as the story progressed. Lee writes like a watchmaker, and this book ticks away like a finely-tuned machine. Read more

The Warm Hands of Ghosts

A Novel

By: Katherine Arden
Narrated by: Michael Crouch, January LaVoy & Katherine Arden
Length: 11 hours 37 minutes

“A Canadian Combat nurse returns to the trenches of World War I to find her brother Freddie. Her parents died in the Halifax explosion. Is Freddie dead too? His effects were returned but why were there two dog tags? Is he still alive?  And who is the mysterious German Hans Winter?  What is happening at Farland's hotel?  This is a historical novel... Read more

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen

The Doomsday Books: Book #1

By: KJ Charles
Narrated by: Martyn Swain
Length: 11 hours 16 minutes

Abandoned by his father, Gareth Inglis grew up lonely, prickly, and used to disappointment. Still, he longs for a connection. When he meets a charming stranger, he falls head over heels?until everything goes wrong and he's left alone again. Then Gareth's father dies, turning the shabby London clerk into Sir Gareth, with a grand house on the... Read more

Wolf Hall

A Novel

Wolf Hall Trilogy: Book #1

By: Hilary Mantel
Narrated by: Simon Slater
Length: 22 hours 58 minutes

WINNER OF THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE
WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD FOR FICTION

In inimitable style, Hilary Mantel's New York Times bestselling Wolf Hall is "a darkly brilliant reimagining of life under Henry VIII. . . . Magnificent." (The Boston Globe).

The basis for the TV series on BBC and PBS Masterpiece starring Mark Rylance as... Read more

Harlem Rhapsody

By: Victoria Christopher Murray
Narrated by: Robin Miles
Length: 15 hours 5 minutes

“A gripping narrative, don't miss this historical fiction about the woman who kicked off the Harlem Renaissance.”—People Magazine

“A page turner and history lesson at once, Harlem Rhapsody reminds us that our stories are our generational wealth.”—Tayari Jones, New York Times bestselling author of An American Marriage (Oprah’s Book Club Pick)

She... Read more

Hamnet

By: Maggie O'Farrell
Narrated by: Ell Potter
Length: 12 hours 42 minutes

“We all know about Shakespeare's work but how much do we know about his life? I, for one, knew very little which is the best way to go into this book. I found it fascinating and so beautifully written, sad but utterly captivating. This is a real gem! Read more

The Familiar

A Novel

By: Leigh Bardugo
Narrated by: Lauren Fortgang
Length: 12 hours 57 minutes

“The Familiar is so special! I read it in one day. It is a historical fantasy set in Spain during the Spanish Inquisition. This book is filled with the most interesting characters that I enjoyed seeing develop throughout the story. The main character, Luzia, is a witty, strong willed and determined servant with magical abilities. The family she... Read more