October is really the beginning of Fall, the beginning of cozy nights by the fire, crisp mornings, and walking through piles of fallen leaves. It’s also time for amazing new historical fiction! Here are my picks for the best ones this month,

BEST COVER

On a Sundown Sea by Jill G. Hall (San Diego, early 20th century, October 14))

“Madame Tingley is a role model for female leadership in a time when women weren’t expected to lead. On a Sundown Sea is accurate enough to be a biography and compelling enough to satisfy every historical fiction reader.” ~from my Goodreads review of the book

I included The Bog Queen and If You Leave because the covers were different enough to grab my attention. The colors in the other covers are what drew me to them. My favorite, though, is On a Sundown Sea. The sky is gorgeous, and the buildings so very unique. It matches this story of a unique woman!

The Bog Queen by Anna North (England, Iron Age/modern, October 14)

A Secret in Tuscany by Alan Hlad (Italy, 1943, October 28)

The Silver Hills Boarding House by Linda Lael Miller (American West, October 7)

I Am Cleopatra by Natasha Solomon (Egypt, October 21)

 If You Leave by Margaret Hutton (Washington D.C., World War II, October 21)

BEST TITLE

The Porcelain Menagerie by Jillian Forsberg (Dresden, 18th century, October 21)

“Jillian Forsberg’s The Porcelain Menagerie is a dazzling tale of art, power, and survival set in the glittering yet cutthroat world of 18th-century Dresden. Young sculptor Johann Kändler dreams of creating beauty, but when he’s thrust into the secretive world of porcelain-making, he learns that perfection isn’t just expected-it’s demanded. Behind the grand facades of Albrechtsburg, danger simmers: spies lurk, rivalries turn deadly, and the King’s obsession with porcelain could cost Johann far more than his freedom. Forsberg paints history with a vivid hand, crafting a world where every chisel mark could change a life. The Porcelain Menagerie is historical fiction at its most evocative.” -Nancy Bilyeau, author of The Blue

I love the alliteration of Venetian Vespers and Echoes of a Silent Song. The others have notions or words I find curious—burning a butterfly? Psychopomp? What is a bolden cylinder? The Porcelain Menagerie, though, makes me curious about the fate of a collection of porcelain animals.

The Bolden Cylinder by Norman Woolworth (New Orleans, 1931, October 21)

Venetian Vespers by John Banville (Venice, 1899, October 7)

When They Burned the Butterfly by Wen-Yi Lee (Singapore, 1972, October 21)

Psychopomp & Circumstance by Eden Royce (Reconstruction Charleston, October 21)

Echoes of a Silent Song by Amanda Wen (Christian, 1980s, October 21)

MOST INTRIGUING

The Missing Pages by Alyson Richman (1912, Titanic, October 14)

“Richman skillfully weaves together history and fiction as she revisits the sinking of the Titanic, relates the history of the Widener Library, and fictionalizes real-life figure Harry Widener” ―Library Journal, STARRED Review

I’m looking forward to new releases from favorite authors Smith and Gregory. The others intrigue me for their title, location, or subject. My pick for this category, however, is The Missing Pages. It contains a valuable book, a library, and the Titanic. How could it miss?

The House of Two Pharaohs by Wilbur Smith (October 7)

Mirage City by Lev AC Rosen (Los Angeles, October 7)

The Last Spirits of Manhattan by John A. McDermott (New York, 1956, October 14)

Sonora by Jenni L. Walsh (American Depression, October 28)

Boleyn Traitor by Philippa Gregory (Tudor England, October 14)

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Need more historical fiction on your TBR? See Paper Lantern Writers’ weekly round up in the Facebook group Paper Lantern Readers. See even more new release titles at Historical Novel Society.

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