Historical Fictionistas discussion

For 2019, we're going to try a game of Monopoly. The emphasis is on sub-genres of historical fiction. All of the sub-genre categories come from Historical Novel Society. I would highly encourage bookmarking this site if you are able as it will potentially help with any questions or finding books to fit task requirements. The goal is to get us to all branch out and try some sub-genres, we may not try on our own. The object of the game is to land on all the spaces, not necessarily accomplish all the tasks. If you want to challenge yourself to complete all of the tasks, go for it! This is the game play board we have created for this challenge:
img src=" "

Each participant is responsible for tracking their own board. If you are participating, you will need to create your own thread to track your play. Questions about rules and game play can be asked in this thread. A separate thread for questions about task books will be started. An additional thread for Chance and Community Chest spaces will also be started.

To move around the board, you can either use a physical dice or a virtual one. A virtual dice can be found at Random.org. For the purpose of this game, we are just going with one, six-sided die. If using Random.org, you can select the dice roller feature and set your die up accordingly. You can also just enter 1-6 in the randomizer at the top of the page and get a number spit out for you.

Move around the board as you would any typical board game. When you land on a space, you can select any of the tasks available for that space. Once you have selected your book, create your play post ( example shown below). Unless noted, books read for tasks must be from the sub genre the playing space is grouped under. Example, all tasks in Adventure Avenue require an historical fiction novel that is sub-classed as Adventure. Re-reads are not permitted unless a task specifies. The point is to discover new books/authors.

Spaces and Tasks

Adventure Alley (Purples)
Marco Polo Parkway
-Read an adventure novel where the main character goes on a long journey over land
-Read an adventure novel that takes place outside of Europe
-Read a book with a purple cover (does not have to be an adventure genre)
Aloha Wanderwell Way
-Read an adventure novel where the main character takes a journey by air or sea
-Read an adventure novel featuring a female protagonist
-Read a book with an airplane or a ship on the cover

Biography Boulevard (Light Blue)
Royalty Road
-Read a biographical fiction novel about a member of a royal family
-Read a biographical fiction novel about a royal told from a perspective other than the royal’s
-Read a novel with a crown or castle on the cover
Start Up Street
-Read a biographical fiction novel featuring a rags-to-riches character
-Read a biographical fiction novel about someone who is part of a resistance (slavery in the United States, Jewish resistance in WWII, Spanish Inquisition, etc.)
-Read a book with a light blue cover
Reputation Run
-Read a biographical fiction about a historical figure with a bad reputation (ie Catherine d’Medici, any Borgia family members, Mary I, Richard III)
-Read a biographical fiction about someone who has a job with a bad reputation (think bankers, prostitutes, royal officials (think Thomas Cromwell, Rasputin)
-Read a biographical fiction about someone who changes sides

Mystery Midway (Pink)
Amateur Avenue
-Read a historical mystery featuring an amateur detective/sleuth
-Read the first novel in a historical mystery series
-Read a historical fiction mystery novel with a body on the cover
Deduction Drive
-Read a book featured on The Idiot's Guide to Reading - Historical Sleuths List
The Cater Street Hangman - Anne Perry
The Crocodile on the Sandbank - Elizabeth Peters
The Beekeeper’s Apprentice - Laurie King
A Conspiracy of Paper - David Liss
Cut to the Quick - Kate Ross
Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor - Stephanie Brown
The Last Kashmin Rose - Barbara Cleverly
Maisie Dobbs - Jacqueline Winspear
The Novice’s Tale- Margaret Frazer
The Queen’s Man - Sharon Kay Penman
Roman Blood - Steven Saylor
Shinju - Laura Joh Rowland
Silver Pigs - Lindsey Davis
To Shield the Queen - Fiona Buckley
- Read a historical fiction mystery novel where the protagonist’s profession is policeman/detective
- Read a book with pink on the cover
Dark Alley
- Read a historical fiction mystery where the mystery is something other than a murder
- Read a historical fiction mystery where the protagonist does not have a “sidekick” or partner
-Read a book featuring a dark road or alley on the cover

Alternate Fiction Highway (Orange)
As Things We Know It Ave
- Read a historical fiction novel where the outcome of a battle is different from what we know (Napoleon wins at Waterloo, Duke William doesn’t win, etc.
-Read a historical fiction novel where either WWI or WWII happens differently than what we know
- Read an historical fiction with a battle/war scene on the cover
Ancient Ways Circle
- Read an alternate historical fiction novel featuring an ancient empire (Romans, Greeks, Incas, etc.)
- Read an alternate historical fiction that takes place outside of Europe
- Read a book with orange on the cover
Never Happened Road
- Read an alternate historical fiction where a well-known ruler, military official, or other leader, never gets a chance to lead
- Read an alternate historical fiction where someone lives instead of dies or dies instead of lives
- Read a historical fiction novel where one of the title words starts with “A” (a, an, and do not count)

Fantasy Freeway (Red)
Arthur Alley
- Read any novel about King Arthur
- Read a fantasy historical fiction featuring a witch/wizard who is not Merlin
- Read a historical fiction novel with something “glowing” on the cover
Magic Street
- Read a historical fiction fantasy that is a retelling of a myth or fairy tale
- Read a historical fiction fantasy novel where the protagonist does not have magical powers
- Read a historical fiction fantasy novel featuring “mythical” beasts
Power Pathway
- Read a historical fiction fantasy where the protagonist is a god/higher being
-Read a historical fiction fantasy featuring a battle
-Read a historical fiction novel with red on the cover

Time to Change to Classic Circle(Yellow)
Slip Street
- Read a historical fiction time-slip novel featuring a mystery
- Read a historical fiction time-slip novel where the protagonist goes back to the Dark Ages
- Read a historical fiction time-slip novel where the protagonist goes back to a war
Back to Youth
-Read a young adult historical fiction novel that takes place during a time when your parents or grandparents were teenagers
- Read a young adult historical fiction novel that was made into a movie/television show
- Read any young adult historical fiction novel that is part of a series
Timeless Trail
- Read any historical fiction novel that you think should be considered a classic (re-reads are allowed)
-Read any historical fiction novel by one of the following authors (re-reads are allowed but new authors/books are encouraged):
James Clavell
Dorothy Dunnett
Howard Fast
George MacDonald Fraser
Robert Graves
Georgette Heyer
Louis L’Amour
Norman Mailer
James Michener
Patrick O’Brian
Jean Plaidy
Mary Renault
Sir Walter Scott
Anya Seton
Irving Stone
Sigrid Undset
Leon Uris
Gore Vidal
Umberto Eco
Edward Rutherfurd
Elizabeth Chadwick
-Read any historical fiction novel with yellow on the cover

Literary Lane (Green)
Traveler’s Way
-Read a historical fiction literary novel about an immigrant
-Read a historical fiction literary novel that takes place more than 500 miles away from your current location
- Read a historical fiction literary novel by an author who lives in a different country than you
Lover’s Row
- Read a historical fiction literary novel featuring a pair of “star crossed” lovers
- Read a historical fiction literary novel that features male and female point of views
-Read a historical fiction novel by an author you love (re-reads will be allowed)
All Over Avenue
- Read a historical fiction literary novel that takes place in South/Central America
-Read a historical fiction literary novel that takes place in Asia
- Read a historical fiction literary novel that takes place in Europe before WWII

Saga Street(Dark Blue)
Family Matters Row
- Read any historical fiction saga that features an American family
- Read any historical fiction saga that features a family that relocates
On and On Alley
-Read any historical fiction saga that is part of a series with three or more books
-Read any historical fiction saga with 500+ pages

Other Spaces
Community Chest
-Have a group member pick a historical fiction novel for you based on your TBR
-Have a moderator pick a historical fiction novel for you based on your TBR
-Have a group member pick the historical subject or person - you pick the book

Chance
-Randomize your TBR. Read the book that appears in the top spot - does not have to be historical fiction
-Randomize your TBR - Read the first historical fiction book on the list

Water Works
-Read a historical fiction novel that takes place on a boat
-Read a historical fiction novel that takes place in a country that borders a major body of water
-Read a book that shows a body of water (ocean, lake, river, etc.) on the cover

Electric Company
-Read any historical fiction novel that deals with an important discovery/invention
-Read any historical fiction novel that takes place before the invention of the light bulb (1879)
-Read any historical fiction novel with the word “light” in the title

Reading Railroad
-Read a book that takes place after the printing press was invented (after 1450)
-Read a book that takes place before the the printing press was invented (before 1440)
-Read a historical fiction novel with a book on the cover

Pennsylvania Railroad
-Read a historical fiction novel featuring a non-royal leader (president, prime-minister, dictator, etc.)
-Read a historical fiction novel about the American Revolution
-Read a book with a white building on the cover

B.&O. Railroad
-Read a historical fiction novel written by an author who only uses initials as their “first” name
-Read a historical fiction novel by an author whose name starts with a “B” or an “O” (first or last name)
-Read a historical fiction novel with a black cover

Shortline Railroad
-Read a “short” historical fiction novel- less than 250 pages
-Read a historical fiction novel with lines on the cover
-Read a historical fiction novel that is part of a “short” series - duology or trilogy

Go to Jail
- Read a book of your choosing with 400+ pages. For every 800 pages read, you earn a get out of jail free card. Mods will help track cards earned.

Luxury Tax
- Read any historical fiction novel that takes place in England during the reign of George III
-Read any historical fiction novel with money or jewels on the cover
-Take the number of pages read in your last book and add 15%. Read a historical fiction novel with 15% more pages

To randomize your TBR-
1.) Go into "My Books" and select "To Read" shelf
2.) Scroll to the bottom of your shelf. In the drop down menu, select a specific number of books to be displayed (I would recommend 10). In the drop down menu directly below it, scroll until you see random. Click to select.
3.) A new list of books should appear.
If you are unable to make this feature work, randomly select a book to read for the required task or ask a moderator to help you (this may require making your profile public or adding friends)

Game play posts should look like this:

Number Rolled: 3
Space Landed On: Aloha Wanderwell
Task to Complete: Read an adventure novel where the main character takes a journey by air or sea
Book to be Read:
Date Finished: 1/10/18

All game play should be tracked in one thread. You can create a new post in that thread for every roll, or your thread can just be one long post. Personally, I find it a little easier to make a new post for each roll.

I missed this earlier. Could I join now?
Thanks.

This is problematic with the phone app. I’ve given my computer away and only use my phone. 😞 I have a regular monopoly board and a dice.

Could Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart be used for the task:
Reputation Run :
Read a biographical fiction about a historical figure with a bad reputation (ie Catherine d’Medici, any Borgia family members, Mary I, Richard III)

Thanks.

If you land on the free space, what is the task?
Can I choose any task?

June wrote: "If you land on the free space, what is the task?
Can I choose any task?"

You can read any book of your choosing. It doesn't have to be historical fiction.

Viji wrote: "Could Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart be used for the task:
Reputation Run :
Read a biographical ficti..."

A book about Mary, Queen of Scots would work but this particular book is non-fiction so it wouldn't work.

Margaret wrote: "This is problematic with the phone app. I’ve given my computer away and only use my phone. 😞 I have a regular monopoly board and a dice."

You could use whatever kind of dice, real or virtual, to create your rolls if you want. I guess I haven't tried to look at the board I created through the app yet. I've only looked at it using my computer.

Gretchen wrote: "Viji wrote: "Could Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart be used for the task:
Reputation Run :
Read a biogr..."

Thanks, Gretchen.

Task:
Reputation Run
-Read a biographical fiction about a historical figure with a bad reputation (ie Catherine d’Medici, any Borgia family members, Mary I, Richard III)

Would any novel on Anne Boleyn work for this task? Thanks.

Yes.

Question - How strict is the page count for the Shortline Railroad "short HF" task. I am trying to read only from books I already own, and the closest HF book I can find is 258 pages (arguably short for HF, lol). Could I use this?

If not, I can do one of the other options, but I really hope I can use this one.

Becky wrote: "Question - How strict is the page count for the Shortline Railroad "short HF" task. I am trying to read only from books I already own, and the closest HF book I can find is 258 pages (arguably shor..."

That works. If it becomes too difficult to find books with 250 or less, the task might have to be amended to 250-275 pages.

Awesome, thanks! :)

Not sure I understand the go to jail space!! Do I move to the jail space and stay until I have read 800+ pages then carry on??

Cindy wrote: "Not sure I understand the go to jail space!! Do I move to the jail space and stay until I have read 800+ pages then carry on??"

You read a 400 + pages book. For every 800 pages you read, you get a "get out of jail free" card.

Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "Cindy wrote: "Not sure I understand the go to jail space!! Do I move to the jail space and stay until I have read 800+ pages then carry on??"

You read a 400 + pages book. For every 800 pages you r..."

Thanks and I do move to the jail space and start from there again!! Correct??

Yes

Sorry Cindy but I didn't have reliable internet for most of the weekend.

Jayme is correct. You need to read a 400+ page book. Any book. It does not have to be historical fiction. Once you read 800 or more pages while "in jail", you earn a get out of jail free card. So ideally, you should get a get out of jail free card every other time you land in jail.

You move to the jail space and once you have gotten out of jail, you would continue game play from the jail space.

OK wait, sorry, I have more questions because I'm pedantic like that. :)

Go to Jail
- Read a book of your choosing with 400+ pages. For every 800 pages read, you earn a get out of jail free card. Mods will help track cards earned.

Is this TWO things?
1) If I get sent to jail, I have to read a 400+ page book to get out;
AND
2) For every 800 pages read while in jail we earn a get out of jail free card?

Becky wrote: "OK wait, sorry, I have more questions because I'm pedantic like that. :)

Go to Jail
- Read a book of your choosing with 400+ pages. For every 800 pages read, you earn a get out of jail free card..."

Yes. Honestly, I'm not anticipating a ton of "Go to Jail" lands. If this would change, I will probably adjust the rule.

So if you were to land in jail four times, you should have earned two "get out of jail free" cards.

Got it. Makes sense. I just wanted to make sure that I understood the "read a 400 page book" part meant that I would get out after that was complete, and I didn't have to earn the card (take two turns/ read two 400 page books) to get out.

Becky wrote: "Got it. Makes sense. I just wanted to make sure that I understood the "read a 400 page book" part meant that I would get out after that was complete, and I didn't have to earn the card (take two tu..."

Got it. I can see where my wording might not be clear as glass. More clear as mud.

LOL No worries, it's hard to think of everything that might come up. :)

Gretchen wrote: "Sorry Cindy but I didn't have reliable internet for most of the weekend.

Jayme is correct. You need to read a 400+ page book. Any book. It does not have to be historical fiction. Once you read 80..."

thanks !!

Hi My first roll landed on "Free Space" I can't find any instructions for what to do here. Help please ;)

Jemima wrote: "Hi My first roll landed on "Free Space" I can't find any instructions for what to do here. Help please ;)"

You get to read anything you want and count it for the task. :)

Wait a sec, Jemima. I think you're going the wrong way in the board. You should be going counter-clockwise, as the normal rules for Monopoly. So if you rolled a 4, you'd land on Chance.

Becky wrote: "Wait a sec, Jemima. I think you're going the wrong way in the board. You should be going counter-clockwise, as the normal rules for Monopoly. So if you rolled a 4, you'd land on Chance."

I think you go clockwise in the regular game!! I'm going that way and looks like most people are!!

Oh.. wow... LOL you are totally right. I'M the one going backwards.



Oh well... This is my life now. O_o

Course now I wonder if I've been playing Monopoly wrong my whole life!

I texted my mom, and she has assured me that at one point in my life I DID know the correct way to play this game. So... temporary insanity, I guess? LOL

Thanks for your help with answering my question Becky. Lol about finding yourself backwards 🤭😆

Becky wrote: "Wait a sec, Jemima. I think you're going the wrong way in the board. You should be going counter-clockwise, as the normal rules for Monopoly. So if you rolled a 4, you'd land on Chance."

Dude, you have to go through the slums before you get to the rich neighborhoods. You gotta work your way up.

P.S. It's possible that I laughed harder at this than was necessary.

Fair! I laughed quite heartily at myself too, especially because I realized that it wasn't just a "early morning brain" situation, but I'd played multiple moves without realizing. SIGH.

So, I'm just gonna go with it now... I'm just playing to try to work in HF books throughout the year.

I'm a rebel!

Hi Mods could you help me out? I have landed myself in Literary Lane...Green 1: Traveller's way. How do you define a
Historical Fiction Literary novel? Most historical Literature I can think of is not defined as Historical Fiction, but as Historical Classic or Historical Literature.....Could you help me out with the definition and maybe steer me to an appropriate list if it is something a little different from either of the above categories? Thanks!

I won’t be able to link on my phone but if you go to the Historical Novel Society’s website, they have a search feature that allows you to search by sub-genre. I hope that helps a little. If I get to computer, I will try to link.

Not a Mod, but weighing in...

My immediate thoughts were things along the line of A Tale of Two Cities, The Shadow of the Wind, The Invisible Bridge, All the Light We Cannot See.

Also, this list https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

Jemima, I'm not running this challenge, so the final call would be Gretchen's, but I would say that any book that doesn't fall into a specific subgenre would qualify.

So, it's not historical romance (which I personally define as romance first, but in a historical or period setting), or historical medical/forensics, or historical fantasy, or historical detective/police procedural, etc.

I think that the books that Cheryl linked are good examples.

Becky wrote: "Jemima, I'm not running this challenge, so the final call would be Gretchen's, but I would say that any book that doesn't fall into a specific subgenre would qualify.

So, it's not historical roma..."

Cheryl A wrote: "Not a Mod, but weighing in...

My immediate thoughts were things along the line of A Tale of Two Cities, The Shadow of the Wind, The Invisible Bridge, A..."</i>

Thanks for your help. 'Literature' as a category can mean so many things to so many people. Having read many of the ones above, I started last night on [book:The Aviator's Wife Melanie Benjamin. Would that be suitable do you think. It is a beautifully written book and is definitely not a romance, fantasy, crime or detective genre, I would class it as modern literature...the style of the writing reminds me of many of the classic literature books listed above. Im also readingFirst Family: Abigail and John Adams Joseph J. Ellis, but that is definitely historical non fiction, not historical fiction. Thanks for the list Cheryl I'll look at that now. Much appreciated.

I think most of Melanie Benjamin’s books would be literary fiction. I haven’t read that one. What came to my mind was A Gentleman in Moscow. Atonement and Life After Life are also both good examples.

Jasmine wrote: "I think most of Melanie Benjamin’s books would be literary fiction. I haven’t read that one. What came to my mind was A Gentleman in Moscow. Atonement and Life Aft..."</i>
[book:A Gentleman in Moscow I loved that so much! Thanks, I'll go ahead with the Melanie Benjamin then and I'll know what to do if I land on green again!

Jemima wrote: "Hi Mods could you help me out? I have landed myself in Literary Lane...Green 1: Traveller's way. How do you define a
Historical Fiction Literary novel? Most historical Literature I can think of is..."

Sorry it took me longer than I thought to get back to a computer. Here's a link to HNS' literary fiction reviews:
https://historicalnovelsociety.org/ge...

To navigate between genres -
Click on book reviews
Click on browse by genre
A new page will open with a drop down menu
Select the genre desired

I have found that it take a little big longer for the page to load once you have selected the genre you are looking for. A list always generates in the end but sometimes you have to be patient.

Thanks for that Gretchen. I chose to go ahead with my choice, but that list will be really useful in future. According to Goodreads it is classed as literature by a reasonable number of persons who have reviewed it so I'll go ahead for now,

Can book be classified as young adult as long as the other criteria are met?

Yes.

Would you call The Huntress a mystery where something is trying to be solved other than murder since they are basically trying to figure out where she went/who she is? I'm on the Dark Alley space.

Jasmine wrote: "Would you call The Huntress a mystery where something is trying to be solved other than murder since they are basically trying to figure out where she went/who she is? I'm on the Dark Alley space."

Umm......I guess that would work. I haven't had a chance to read the book yet.