Which Historical Books Are Recommended For Beginners?

Pay attention to the ending. A beginner needs a satisfying payoff. There’s nothing worse than spending hours of your life on a book only to be left with a confusing, ambiguous or even bleak ending that was somehow unearned. These types of endings can be powerful for more experienced readers, but may be very frustrating for a beginner. Look for stories where the end ties up the various story lines in a way that is very clear and also very thematically resonant. The end of The Hobbit found Bilbo safely back at home. He had been changed by his experiences but was content. The end of The Martian found Mark Safely back on Earth, triumphantly and humorously. A strong and clear ending is important for new readers because it reinforces the cause-and-effect structure that is at the heart of most stories.

The Gemma Doyle Trilogy by Libba Bray is another amazing YA novel that is good for adults too. It’s a historical fantasy mystery that takes place in 1895 and Gemma Doyle is a rebellious young girl fighting her visions, a mysterious magical order, and the strict rules of her boarding school. There’s a mystery surrounding Gemma’s mother’s death, a mysterious diary, and a hidden magical realm that Gemma must find. Gemma is an intuitive and powerful young girl who must fight against the repressive Victorian society around her, including the mundane and magical restrictions placed upon her. Bray looks at the topic of female desire and the bonds of friendship and the struggle to find power in these novels. I thoroughly enjoyed The Gemma Doyle Trilogy and found the setting of Spence Academy in the late 1800s to be claustrophobic and perfect for a Gothic style of mystery. As a main character, Gemma isn’t always likable, but you can’t help but root for her because she is so passionate and determined. I think what makes Gemma the strongest character in the trilogy is her friendships with her girls and how together they are able to push up against the boundaries set upon them in order to discover themselves and their place in the world.

The setting can be a character too! I loved reading The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali, a heartbreakingly beautiful love story set in 1950s Tehran. The story is surrounded by a beautifully described shop, the city and food, and even if there are some cultural references that a reader is not familiar with, they are all explained throughout the story. What I found beautiful was the universal love story of a connection that is lost and found after decades. For a beginner in reading English, such rich sensory description of a story makes the language come alive in a new way. You are not just reading words on pages, you are smelling the saffron and feeling the heat. It transports you to another world.

I think a really good book for someone to start to learn more about science through fiction is “The Rosie Project” by Graeme Simsion. As a genetics professor, Don Tillman is a very logical person. He tries to develop a system to find the love of his life, but everything doesn’t go as planned. The book is very fun and heartwarming. It’s not really a chemistry book, but it does show the kind of way that scientists look at the world, and how they try to solve problems. This book is very good for someone who is starting to look into the world of science, because it shows a very logical person trying to solve problems in his everyday life in a very scientific way. ‘The Disappearing Spoon’ is another fabulous book that weaves great stories about the elements and their scientists with the hard facts. My belief is that beginners will find this an exciting and less frightening introduction to the ‘hard’ science of chemistry. Sam Kean’s clever weaving of historical events, the odd personal tales and his in-depth descriptions of the various elements mean that a great big story is constructed from seemingly dry facts. As Don Tillman recognises in ‘The Rosie Project’, scientists are just as fascinating as any fictional characters and Sam Kean has an array of characters to pull from the long list of the scientists of the elements. A Science Fiction book that centres around someone involved in Forensic Science has to be considered for this list and in this case, the main protagonist David Hunter is a forensic anthropologist which makes ‘The Chemistry of Death’ by Simon Beckett an ideal science fiction book. Although it is more centered towards the aspects of a Forensic Scientist, the detail that goes into the chemical processes of decay, could be of great interest to someone starting out in chemistry. It’s a great ‘story’ book, with plenty of suspense that keeps you gripped to the book, whilst always coming back to Chemistry within the story. This historical fiction novel is set in the 18th century. A young woman, Emilie, was brought up by her alchemist father in isolation. Her father taught her the alchemist’s craft, and after his death, she is left alone with many questions. She sets out to discover the truth about her father’s life and his work. Her journey becomes one of discovery and of the roots of chemistry. The author provides a great insight into historical science and the novels follows the main character on her journey of discovery and growth. A most enjoyable and thought provoking non-fiction book relating chemistry to real crimes is ‘Elements of Murder’ by John Emsley. This book tells the dark history of poisonous elements used throughout time for crime and assists the reader to understand the aspect of chemistry that can be important in Forensic Science and Environmental issues. This book is written in an entertaining manner making an enjoyable and enjoyable read providing a real insight into real life crime.

As I said earlier, online retailers like Etsy also offer very affordable books, including some interesting self-published history books and even historical zines. It’s great to support independent authors and even learn something new from their works, and often for a low price too. If you have a large bookstore like a Barnes & Noble near you, also check their discount sections both online and in-store. I was surprised to find some very affordable books in their online sale section, and it makes for a fun little scavenger hunt to find the perfect book for you!

One of the most satisfying historical romances to read is one that defies most expectations of the genre. Courtney Milan’s The Duke Who Didn’t is a Regency romance about a Chinese-British duke who falls for a woman from a Hakka village in rural England. The woman makes sauce for a living. The book is joyful and funny and treats with depth the realities of being a person of color in 19th century England without letting that become too depressing for the romance at hand. The historical research about Hakka communities in England is great and very fresh. The novel follows the long-held crush of a man on a woman. He secretly identifies with her, and they share a common cultural heritage. It is a very warm, clever, and deeply romantic novel, which explores in a thoughtful manner the history of a people of color in a bygone era. In short, a perfect escape read that is also very perceptive.

Drinking sips of coffee while reading through the thread. You guys have given me so many more books to add to my TBR. My wallet is hurting right now. I think I'll just start with the one that has the prettiest cover for now. Judge me.

This is not Baby’s First Math Book. The writing is casual and will be easily understood by intermediate level learners. Early chapters will cover examples such as calculating a tip at a restaurant or comparing rates on loans. By chapter 50, you will be introduced to topics such as probability trees and even Monte Carlo simulations. Beginners may want to start with Math for Grown-Ups and then come back to this to get the unique perspective on how math is used in wealth creation. The tips for using Excel are worth the cost of the PDF alone. However, the book could benefit from some warning as to when the material will be switching to more complex concepts.

when it comes to the 'Bhagavad Gita', I always recommend the translation by Eknath Easwaran. His version is incredibly accessible, blending clarity with deep respect for the original Sanskrit. The commentary is thoughtful without being overwhelming, making it perfect for beginners and seasoned readers alike. I love how he captures the essence of Krishna's teachings without losing the poetic flow. The paperback edition is also sturdy and easy to carry, which is great for daily reading. If you're looking for a version that feels both modern and timeless, this is the one. For those interested, Easwaran's introduction to the Gita's context is brief but insightful, and the glossary at the back helps with Sanskrit terms. It’s the edition I gift most often.

I’m kinda guessing but this would be kinda like trying to track down a streamer’s music playlist that they play in the background for months at a time. Unlike music in videos though, books are all verbal. Maybe somehow making a clip compilation YouTube video (‘Atrioc’s Best Advice’ or ‘Atrioc’s Business Tips’ for example) and then citing the books in the video as the sources for the advice given in the video could work. Sometimes those kind of motivational/edit style videos will have text overlays with references to books etc. That would be worth a search if a simple search for ‘book list by [name]’ fails.