Fiction Historical Fiction Fantasy - A taste of favorites

Explore a captivating list of fantasy and historical fiction favorites—dive into magical worlds and epic adventures with these must-read books. Discover your next favorite tale!

Faded Coat of Blue Cover
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Faded Coat of Blue

 

No summary available.
Lonesome Dove Cover
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Lonesome Dove

by Larry McMurtry

Tells of a cattle drive from Texas to Montana and shows how one man's dream to create an empire affects others.
The Prince of Tides Cover
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The Prince of Tides

by Pat Conroy

“A big, sprawling saga of a novel” (San Francisco Chronicle), this epic family drama is a masterwork by the revered author of The Great Santini. Pat Conroy’s classic novel stings with honesty and resounds with drama. Spanning forty years, it’s the story of turbulent Tom Wingo, his gifted and troubled twin sister, Savannah, and their struggle to triumph over the dark and tragic legacy of the extraordinary family into which they were born. Filled with the vanishing beauty of the South Carolina Low Country as well as the dusty glitter of New York City, The Prince of Tides showcases an American original at his very best. Praise for The Prince of Tides “This is a powerful book. . . . [Pat] Conroy is a master of language.”—The Atlanta Journal “A big, sprawling saga of a novel . . . the kind you can hole up with and spend some days with and put down feeling that you’ve emerged from a terrible, wonderful spell.”—San Francisco Chronicle “A literary gem . . . The Prince of Tides is in the best tradition of novel writing. It is an engrossing story of unforgettable characters.”—The Pittsburgh Press “A masterpiece.”—Detroit Free Press “Brilliant.”—Chicago Tribune
The Cider House Rules Cover
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The Cider House Rules

by John Irving

“The Cider House Rules is filled with people to love and to feel for. . . . The characters in John Irving’s novel break all the rules, and yet they remain noble and free-spirited.”—The Houston Post First published in 1985, The Cider House Rules is set in rural Maine in the first half of the twentieth century. The novel tells the story of Dr. Wilbur Larch—saint and obstetrician, founder and director of the orphanage in the town of St. Cloud’s, ether addict and abortionist. This is also the story of Dr. Larch’s favorite orphan, Homer Wells, who is never adopted. Praise for The Cider House Rules “ [Irving] is among the very best storytellers at work today. At the base of Irving’s own moral concerns is a rare and lasting regard for human kindness.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer “ Superb in scope and originality, a novel as good as one could hope to find from any author, anywhere, anytime. Engrossing, moving, thoroughly satisfying.”—Joseph Heller “ An old-fashioned, big-hearted novel . . . with its epic yearning caught in the nineteenth century, somewhere between Trollope and Twain.”—Boston Sunday Globe
The Pillars of the Earth Cover
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The Pillars of the Earth

by Ken Follett

Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read #1 New York Times Bestseller Oprah's Book Club Selection The “monumental masterpiece” (Booklist) that changed the course of Ken Follett’s already phenomenal career. Look out for the prequel, The Evening and the Morning, coming from Viking in September 2020. “Follett is a master,” extolled the Washington Post on the release of The Pillars of the Earth. A departure for the bestselling thriller writer, the historical epic stunned readers and critics alike with its ambitious scope and gripping humanity. Today, it stands as a testament to Follett’s unassailable command of the written word and to his universal appeal. The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known . . . of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect—a man divided in his soul . . . of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame . . . and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state and brother against brother. A spellbinding epic tale of ambition, anarchy, and absolute power set against the sprawling medieval canvas of twelfth-century England, this is Ken Follett’s historical masterpiece.
The Stand Cover
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The Stand

by Stephen King

Horrific disaster as a plague virus sweeps the U.S., leaving only a handful of survivors.
The Dragonbone Chair (Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn) Cover
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The Dragonbone Chair (Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn)

 

No summary available.
Mansfield Park Cover
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Mansfield Park

by Jane Austen

'"Me!" cried Fanny..."Indeed you must excuse me. I could not act any thing if you were to give me the world. No, indeed, I cannot act."' At the age of ten, Fanny Price leaves the poverty of her Portsmouth home to be brought up among the family of her wealthy uncle, Sir Thomas Bertram, in the chilly grandeur of Mansfield Park. There she accepts her lowly status, and gradually falls in love with her cousin Edmund. When the dazzling and sophisticated Henry and Mary Crawford arrive, Fanny watches as her cousins become embroiled in rivalry and sexual jealousy. As the company starts to rehearse a play by way of entertainment, Fanny struggles to retain her independence in the face of the Crawfords' dangerous attractions; and when Henry turns his attentions to her, the drama really begins... This new edition does full justice to Austen's complex and subtle story, placing it in its Regency context and elucidating the theatrical background that pervades the novel.
The Grapes of Wrath Cover
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The Grapes of Wrath

by John Steinbeck

Set against he background of Dust Bowl Oklahoma and Californian migrant life, it tells of the Joad family, who are forced to travel west insearch of work - First published in 1939.