How well do you know your History?
Welcome, welcome, welcome!
Recently, a lot of my posts have been book tags or book lists.. I’ve been having a bit of trouble getting into the writing and out of my own head so my reviews are getting a tad behind. I apologize for this and have every intention of getting those straightened out soon.
Thank you so much for your patience!
Today we have a pretty interesting tag. It focuses on Ancient History (which isn’t my strong point).. I always manage find the ones you have to dig for to be a curious challenge. I do know now that I desperately need to catch up on my historical fiction..
Good luck to you and Happy reading!
This tag was the created @ Books Michelle but I happened across it on Sahi @ My World of Books blog. A big thank you to both of these wonderful ladies for sharing this!
(Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Any purchases made through my links may earn me a small commission at no additional cost to you.)
The Stone Age
One of the first books you remember reading:
The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack
I still have a pretty battered physical copy of this book and, considering how much of a handful I was growing up, I’m honestly surprised it’s survived so long.
Since 1933, The Story About Ping has captivated generations of readers, but never before has it been available in a mass-market paperback format. No one can deny the appeal of the book’s hero, Ping, the spirited little duck who lives on a boat on the Yangtze River. Ping’s misadventures one night while exploring the world around his home form the basis of this timeless classic, which is brought to life by Kurt Wiese‘s warm and poignant illustrations.
Ancient Greece
Your favourite myth-inspired book (doesn’t have to be Greek mythology), or retelling:
Cassandra Palmer Series by Karen Chance
Walker Papers Series by C. E. Murphy
October Daye Series by Seanan McGuire
These three series (yep, all of them, the entire series) are brilliant. They’re some of my all time favorite books and they’re positively loaded with mythology and lore. If you haven’t already.. I definitely recommend giving them a go!
For fans of Fantasy, Urban fantasy, Action, Adventure, the Supernatural, Magic, Myths, and plenty more!
The Roman Empire
A book featuring an impressive empire or kingdom:
The Ascension Series by S. M. Reine
S. M. Reine is a genius when it comes to creating these highly realized, very distinct, and absolutely unforgettable worlds (and characters.) This first book, ‘Sacrificed in Shadow,’ is not the beginning of the main character’s story, but the second series that follows our protagonist through so much incredibly well written chaos that it beggars belief.. but it sure is one heck of a ride!
(Be warned! S.M. Reine’s series ‘The Descent’ happens in the timeline before these books and is, what I would say, necessary for the full reading experience!)
SOMETIMES, YOU NEED A DEMON TO FIGHT DEMONS.
Lincoln Marshall is a small-town deputy with a very big problem. Six members of his church have been found dead, killed by a rogue werewolf. He’ll have to make a deal with the Devil to save victims that have gone missing — maybe literally.
Elise Kavanagh, preternatural investigator and exorcist, is the expert when it comes to violent deaths at the jaws of evil. She’s also the demon known as the Godslayer. Elise jumps at Lincoln’s case, and it’s not just because of his down-home charm. Someone’s laid a trap for her in Northgate, and she wants to find out who.
She’ll have to team up with Rylie Gresham, Alpha of the last surviving werewolf pack, to figure out who’s trying to blame the murders on werewolves. Only together can they stop the killings — and uncover the secrets buried in Northgate.
The Middle Ages, (or the Dark Ages)
A book that is an absolute bummer:
The Project by Courtney Summers
I wanted to like this one so badly. Sisters separated? A possible cult? Mystery and intrigue? I was in. It was going to be great.
Until it wasn’t and I ended up DNF’ing the freaking thing at around 30% in. Why? Get this.. I couldn’t stand the main character. That’s it. She rubbed me so wrong I was considering a restraining order.
Lo Denham is used to being on her own. After her parents died in a tragic car accident, her sister Bea joined the elusive community called The Unity Project, leaving Lo to fend for herself. Desperate not to lose the only family she has left, Lo has spent the last six years trying to reconnect with Bea, only to be met with radio silence.
When Lo’s given the perfect opportunity to gain access to Bea’s reclusive life, she thinks they’re finally going to be reunited. But it’s difficult to find someone who doesn’t want to be found, and as Lo delves deeper into The Project and its charismatic leader, she begins to realize that there’s more at risk than just her relationship with Bea: her very life might be in danger.
As she uncovers more questions than answers at each turn, everything Lo thought she knew about herself, her sister, and the world is upended. One thing doesn’t change, though, and that’s what keeps her going: Bea needs her, and Lo will do anything to save her.
The Renaissance
A book that you’ve learned a lot from, or that made you think:
Forewarning: This was a difficult book to get through.. spiritually, emotionally, and mentally.
With more than six million copies sold, this historical novel is the story of the man who gambled for Christ’s robe and won. The book explores the aftermath of the crucifixion of Jesus through the experiences of the Roman tribune Marcellus Gallio and his Greek slave Demetrius. Here is a timeless story of adventure, faith, and romance, a tale of spiritual longing and ultimate redemption.
The Industrial Revolution
A book featuring an invention or concept that you would love to have in your own life:
Echo North by Joanna Ruth Meyer:
The mirror in the wolf’s library.
The mirror is connected to an elaborate library of mirrors, capable of sending you into the lives and adventures of the most enchanting characters, allowing you to become a real part of these incredible stories.
Echo Alkaev’s safe and carefully structured world falls apart when her father leaves for the city and mysteriously disappears. Believing he is lost forever, Echo is shocked to find him half-frozen in the winter forest six months later, guarded by a strange talking wolf—the same creature who attacked her as a child. The wolf presents Echo with an ultimatum: if she lives with him for one year, he will ensure her father makes it home safely. But there is more to the wolf than Echo realizes.
In his enchanted house beneath a mountain, each room must be sewn together to keep the home from unraveling, and something new and dark and strange lies behind every door. When centuries-old secrets unfold, Echo discovers a magical library full of books- turned-mirrors, and a young man named Hal who is trapped inside of them. As the year ticks by, the rooms begin to disappear and Echo must solve the mystery of the wolf’s enchantment before her time is up otherwise Echo, the wolf, and Hal will be lost forever.
World War I & II
Your favourite historical fiction book about the World Wars (or if you don’t have one, your favourite historical fiction book in general):
I don’t read a lot of historical fiction.. and I don’t want to just put Les Miserables (which was rather heavy.. and depressing) or The Scarlet Letter (which, come to think of it, was also pretty depressing) so I’ll just go with..
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
Sixteen-year-old Kit Tyler is marked by suspicion and disapproval from the moment she arrives on the unfamiliar shores of colonial Connecticut in 1687. Alone and desperate, she has been forced to leave her beloved home on the island of Barbados and join a family she has never met. Torn between her quest for belonging and her desire to be true to herself, Kit struggles to survive in a hostile place. Just when it seems she must give up, she finds a kindred spirit. But Kit’s friendship with Hannah Tupper, believed by the colonists to be a witch, proves more taboo than she could have imagined and ultimately forces Kit to choose between her heart and her duty.
Present Day
A book everybody should read in present day according to you:
The Bible?
Stress Management for Dummies?
I don’t really think there is any one book that I would recommend for everyone to read. We’re all so different that each person’s perspective makes every experience unique to us specifically.
My only hope is that you do read.. That the pleasure of reading brings you comfort and some measure of peace in these troubled times.
What ever genre, preference, or interests you may have..
Read what makes you happy.
Read what you love.
And that’s that for my take on the ‘Ancient History’ tag, as always, I hope you enjoyed yourself!
Stay safe and Be well, everyone!
Do you like reading books set in or about the past/history?
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Bookmarking this one so I remember to do it myself!
Yay! Thank you for reading and commenting, Jodie, I hope you have as much fun doing it as I did!