Like many of you dear readers, I am a compulsive reader. Waiting in line at a store? The Kobo app on my phone is the answer! Saturday afternoon? A library book (or three). And my favourite site? NetGalley (and a world of advanced copies). I love sharing my book recommendations with you on the blog. I am not ashamed to admit that when a reader tells me that they are reading a book I’ve recommended, it makes my week. So, these are my top 5 book posts of 2019 and some of my favourite books!
I read across many genres. As the title of my blog implies, I obviously read a lot of history books. But I also read fiction, chick lit, biographies and memoirs, historical fiction, mysteries, and more! I’m also one of those people who reads multiple books at once- I typically have an ebook, a physical book, and an audiobook on the go. With my top 5 book posts of 2019, you will have many options to pick from!
5. Exhibition Books: Should you buy them?
I will admit, I’m currently working on (not) buying exhibition books. This was an interesting post to write, given how many exhibitions I saw this year. It can be a fantastic souvenir but it can also be quite an expensive souvenir. I chat about some things to consider when you are buying exhibition books, and how to decide! Out of curiosity, do you buy exhibition books from exhibitions that you missed? Let me know in the comments below!
4.The 6 Wives of Henry VIII: What Books to Read
This post was several years in the making- with my love of Six the Musical, royal history, and reading compulsion, it needed to happen. Although it is still a slight work in progress with two queens remaining(I’m currently reading Catherine of Aragon biographies, and then it will be Jane Seymour), it is a helpful guide. The 6 queens are understandably popular figures with historians, and it can be difficult to decide which biography to read. I recommend the best collective biography, as well as individual- not all are equal! If you are curious about any of the queens, you need to read this post.
3. The Best Historical Fiction Books to Get Lost In
I fall in and out of love with historical fiction. I don’t think it is so much the genre itself is well and poorly written books. In any case, when I find a good piece of historical fiction, I can’t put it down. You will notice that I tend to gravitate towards books that are anchored to a real person or event. These happen to have streaks of royal history and fashion history running through them, as you would expect from me. If you are looking to meet your Goodreads goal by the end of the year, or just got lost in some great fiction, these are your best books!
I did chat about a new trend in book marketing, related to historical fiction- royal-ish fiction. In the last year, several books have come out, purporting to be about various historic royals. However, the royal(s) in question is usually a very minor character. I personally think it is quite a dirty marketing tactic. I’ve picked up that book because I want to read about Princess Margaret or whomever you have blatantly stated in your tag lines. It isn’t to say that I wouldn’t have read it otherwise, but publishers are purposefully misleading readers on this…
2. Top 10 Style History Books, Part II
As you might expect, a large part of my fashion history education has been reading. I’m lucky in that I work at a university and have access to countless academic books for free. (I’ve also noticed that they are becoming slightly more affordable as they grow in popularity.) I have shared my top 10 style history books with you, splitting them between pop/general fashion history and academic history. Surprisingly to me, the academic books were much more popular with you. These 5 books are incredible well written, and are still easy to understand. As the field grows, there are more and more topics to read up on- Marie Antoinette, the history behind the dress, and global fashion retail history all feature!
1. Dr. Kate Strasdin’s Inside the Royal Wardrobe: A Dress History of Queen Alexandra
I could not be happier that this is my number one book post of 2019, by far. I was able to buy this book at the Fashion Museum in Bath, and it is one of my favourite souvenirs. Inside the Royal Wardrobe is an in-depth look at Queen Alexandra’s wardrobe, which can tell us a lot about her as a person and as a queen. Dr. Strasdin worked with the Fashion Museum on the Royal Women exhibition, and her expertise showed. Royal wardrobes much earlier than the current Queen’s generation can be difficult to study. Royals were just like the rest of us, and recycled and re-used garments multiple times, making it harder to study pieces. We also don’t have the same photographic record that we can go back to like we do now. Dr. Strasdin has used countless primary sources- Alexandra’s surviving garments, wardrobe inventories, purchase receipts, photographs, letters, diaries, the list goes on. It is one of my favourite books of all time!
Do you have any favourite books from my top 5 favourite book posts of 2019?
Cheers,
The Historian
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