UPDATE: NOV 2024: I have decided to make a hub for all of my “Books If You Love” posts to make it easier for you to find! My various book/show posts are some of the most popular on my blog and seem to make the rounds pretty quickly. It is understandable, you love a show and you want to stick with that feeling. I’ve got several more of these posts scheduled out over the next year, for both period dramas and musicals, and I will add them here as they go live! And if you have any friends that you think would be interested, please share this with them.
Books If You Love Period Dramas
There is nothing like a good period drama to keep you coming back to your television (or computer). While historians will continue to argue endlessly about accuracy, most of the world is watching for entertainment, and that is okay! I want to read two kinds of books after seeing a period drama. Firstly: I want history books that explore the world and people being represented. Secondly: I want books that capture the feeling of the show. I’ve got both for you!
Books If You Love… The Gilded Age
The Gilded Age is one of the biggest television hits of 2022. HBO’s big budget answer to Downton Abbey– complete with Julian Fellowes at the helm- has gorgeous costumes, incredible sets, and enough drama to keep you mulling for days. (Not to mention a spectacular cast that includes some of Broadway’s biggest names!) Unfortunately, the first season was cut short at 9 episodes due to Covid, but as of mid-2022, the second season is already filming.
Bridgerton’s first season took the world by storm after premiering on Christmas Day in 2020. The series follows the Bridgerton siblings from Julia Quinn’s romance books, with eldest daughter Daphne featuring in the first season. Admittedly, the second season of the show (following Anthony) has been divisive with fans, but these books perfectly capture the feeling of Bridgerton that we have all fallen in love with!
The Great is one of my favourite television shows, period. It is entirely upfront with being “an occasionally true story”, and plays fast and loose with Russian history. More often than not, period dramas focus on the difficult and dark, and while The Great does both, it takes a humorous approach to a bloody period. And Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult are HILARIOUS. There are just enough hints of the history behind this story to draw you into Catherine the Great’s life…
Books If You Love… The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel has easily become one of Prime’s darlings. Amy Sherman Palladino is a well-known name on television, with Gilmore Girls and Bunheads under her belt. Maisel features the same quick banter and strong women that we have come to expect from ASP, but moves us to the Upper West Side in the 1950s. It is a glamorous world that is quickly changing, and I think will be featuring in more stories to come…
Sanditon, the second season that almost wasn’t. ITV had decided not to renew Sanditon for an additional season before it ever had the chance to air in North America, and fans around the globe rallied on social media. The second season aired back in the spring of 2022, and the third and final season will be airing in 2023! And while we wait for the third season, these books will let you escape to your own seaside town for an adventure or two.
Books If You Love… Downton Abbey
What would a “Books If You Love” list be without a Downton Abbey list? While the franchise has largely ended with the second film (but maybe a third is on the way?), it continues to be a fan favourite around the world. If you want more of this stratified world full of larger-than-life characters, these books will keep you reading! (And while you are at it, maybe give The Gilded Age a try for more Fellowes.)
Books If You Love… Versailles
Versailles is one of my favourite period dramas from the last decade, for a few reasons. Firstly, I think that Louis XIV is incredibly fascinating, not least of all because of his love of ballet. Secondly, much of the show was actual filmed at Versailles, and I am here for it. (I understand why filming locations get subbed, but it is a treat to see the real palace.) And thirdly, I think that the writers, producers, actors, and team created a sumptuous and entertaining show that is addictive, engaging, and heartbreaking all at the same time. These are some of my favourite books about and set in the world of Versailles!
The Best Books If You Love Reign
I know that Reign is an exceptionally controversial period drama but it remains one of my favourites. A CW teen drama set around Mary, Queen of Scots at the French court? Say no more. (No one did drama like the CW…) If the inaccuracies bother you, the majority of this list is non-fiction that covers the history of Mary’s life and reign. Her life was dramatic enough that non-fiction often reads like fiction!
The Best Books If You Love The Artful Dodger
The Artful Dodger was my favourite period drama of 2023. I think it shows that you can creatively expand on an existing story without retreading, and to do it with a lot of fun. Dickens-related period dramas tend to be quite dark and dreary, and Dodger takes us in a whole other direction. It left me wanting much more of this world, so I’ve gathered some of my favourite books that give the same vibes.
The Best Books If You Love Belgravia
Belgravia is one of those period dramas that flies under the radar, even though it is from Julian Fellowes. (In fairness, most shows cannot compete with Downton Abbey, and it is pretty remarkable that The Gilded Age is also massive.) This is set in the second half of the nineteenth century, a less-popular time for a period drama. Still, it is an interesting period and there are a lot of books that allow you to immerse yourself!
The Best History Books If You Love Bridgerton
You will note that this is the second Bridgerton post on this list! These books are specifically non-fiction books about the period and what the people in the world of Bridgerton would have really experienced. (They range in topic, length, and tone- there should be something for everyone!)
The Best Books If You Love The Empress
The second season of The Empress is airing in mid-November 2024 on Netflix, so I suspect that there is going to be more interest in Elisabeth and the show once again! I should have one, maybe two books to add to this list in 2025 but if you love Sisi and want more, these books are for you..
The Best Books If You Love The Serpent Queen
Catherine de Medici is another historical figure whose life was so dramatic, much of it seems fictional. And of course, when it gets the STARZ treatment, it is even more dramatic. For this show, I’ve mostly focused on non-fiction books but I have also included some historical fiction, as well.
What period dramas would you like to see me cover on “Books If You Love”?
Cheers,
The Historian
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