What Historical Novel Do I Read Next?

Here is another spin-off of Gale's popular What Do I Read Next? to help librarians and patrons sort through another genre. The author, an English professor, has chosen a fairly broad definition of historical fiction. In general, most of the plot must take place at least 50 years prior to when the book was written. Books about more recent periods are included if 'actual historical events and personalities' are central to the plot or if the author set out to re-create a bygone era. In addition, each book has to be generally available. Included along with more traditional historical novels by such authors as Bernard Cornwell, Dorothy Dunnett, and Mary Renault are many titles that are generally described first as something else. There are works of fantasy by Piers Anthony, romances by Jude Deveraux, mysteries by Ellis Peters and Elliot Roosevelt. There are titles by Charles Dickens and George Eliot as well as Chinua Achebe and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Chronological coverage ranges from the works of Sir Walter Scott to a number of titles published in 1996. Nearly 7,000 titles by more than 3,000 authors are represented. Like its predecessors, these volumes list books by author and then by title. Each author entry is accompanied by a biographical summary. Brief information is supplied for each title–in this case, date of publication, subjects, fictional characters, historical characters, time period, and locale. There is also a short synopsis of the plot. Unlike other titles in the What Do I Read? series, there is no list of 'other books you might like.' Instead, Burt supplies a sentence or two on each title's historical accuracy. Without the list of read-alikes, the indexing, which has always been a strength of the series, is even more important because it is the only way to link related titles by different authors. There are separate indexes for time period, locale, subject, fictional characters, historical characters, and 'character description' (rebel, recluse), as well as for author and title. In addition, there are some useful lists preceding the main entries, such as most popular historical novels (based on best-seller data from Publishers Weekly); recommended novels, arranged by time period; most popular settings; most popular historical figures. Although they may miss the 'other titles you might like' feature, most librarians will welcome the comprehensiveness of this newest member of the What Do I Read Next? family. An essential purchase for public libraries, both as a collection-development and a readers'-advisory tool. - Mary Ellen Quinn-