historical fiction thus far

Ah, Historical Fiction Month continues in full force. While not all technically historical fiction, I am using my librarian-in-training superpowers to make them so. Just to review, so far we’ve got:

The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. A good solid read for anyone who never knew they wanted to know all about Rose, excuse me, Josephine Bonaparte. Sequel awaiting me on my bookshelf.
Hattie Big Sky. Determined orphan heroine. Prejudice. Homesteading. Influenza. Just enough in the way of little surprises to keep you on your toes.
Year of Wonders. Read it. Seriously. It’s catching, kinda like the plague. It will consume you (no boils, though, thank God). Although I had to stretch my suspension of disbelief a bit for the ending, I must say I never saw a particular twist coming.
Accidents of Nature. Set in 1970, so it totally counts as HF. This was somehow not what I expected, and I mean that in a good way. Set in a cripple camp, makes you realize what idiots some of people are. “You’ll never walk alone”? Priceless.
Our Only May Amelia. Oh May Amelia, why did you have to make me cry so? I’m also really intrigued by the ‘voice’ in the book – all told as if casually relating a story rather than formal and all with “quotes.”
The King of Attolia. So not historical fiction…but it feels historical. Loosely modeled on ancient Greece and all that. It was painful to finish it. (Even the second time around.) I feel as though it has been violently wrenched from my side. Speaking of…
The Thirteenth Tale. Apart from the twin fetish, I enjoyed this. Okay, I had a few other quibbles with it, like annoyances with Margaret and the tone and…did the Angelfields have to be quite so insane? But, the twists and turns were fun. I listened to it on my ipod, and at work at that, and there were quite a few moments when I would stop, mouth agape, hoping no one would come across me until the tense moment had resolved itself. Wanna talk spoilers? Shoot me an email. (I know who you are.)