Saturday, August 2, 2025

Historical Novels, Fantasy, Mystery

Historical Fiction 

Not yet published

A Beast Slinks Towards Beijing by Alice Evelyn Yang, Jan. 27, 2026; William Morrow, NetGalley
Genre: literary, fantasy, historical fiction

A dark, magical realist debut family saga that moves through the Japanese occupation of Manchuria, the Cultural Revolution, and the present day to explore the effects of intergenerational trauma, the legacy of colonialism, and the inescapability of fate.
 I am interested in the history of China from the 1930s and onward.



Not yet published 

Eureka by Victoria Chang, publication Jan. 27, 2026; Macmillan Children's Publishing; NetGalley

Genre: children's historical fiction

Description: Eureka is a gorgeous and emotionally resonant novel-in-verse by multiple-award-winning poet Victoria Chang that sensitively and lyrically renders the tragic events surrounding the 1885 expulsion of Chinese Americans from Eureka, California.

I wanted to know more about this event in 1885 California.



Soft Burial by Fang Fang, March 18, 2025; Columbia University Press, NetGalley
Genre: historical fiction, mystery, amnesia

Soft Burial begins with a mysterious, nameless protagonist. Decades earlier she was pulled out of a river in a state of near-death; upon regaining consciousness, she discovered that her entire memory had been erased. The narrative follows her journey through recovery. Intergenerational trauma from the Land Reform Campaign in China, late 40s to early 50s.  

Amnesia cases, fictional or real, have been fascinating for me.



State of Emergency by Jeremy Tiang, published June 3, 2025; World Editions, NetGalley
Genre; literary, historical fiction

Jeremy Tiang's debut novel dives into the tumultuous days of leftist movements and political detentions in Singapore and Malaysia. It follows an extended family from the 1940s to the present day. 
The history of the Chinese in Southeast Asia is  equally intriguing. 



A Telegram from Le Touquet by John Bude, May 20, 2025; Poisoned Pen Press, NetGalley 
Genre: historical mystery, first published in 1956

Nigel Derry finds himself on a vacation cut short by murder as a cold shadow of suspicion eclipses the sunny beauty of the Côte d'AzurEnter Inspector Blampignon of the Sûreté Nationale, the formidable French detective who embarks on a thrilling race to discover the truth. 

My dream vacation spot is the Cote d'Azur.


I enjoy historical fiction and also love a good mystery. 

What are you reading, watching, or listening to this week? 

Memes:  The Sunday PostIt's Monday: What Are You Reading, Sunday Salon, and Stacking the ShelvesMailbox MondayBook Blogger Hop



16 comments:

  1. These look interesting. I hope you enjoy them all!

    https://stuckinbooks.com/2025/08/02/stacking-the-shelves-8-2-25/

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  2. I am having a hard time getting into a book after reading so many great books in July. My first read for this month was okay, and now the second book I have started isn't gripping me yet. My audiobook is good though.

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  3. After recently finishing a History of Palestine, I thought I deserved something fun & fluffy so I'm reading 'That's All Folks! - The Art of Warner Bros Animation' by Steve Schneider. Then back to the hard stuff with 'Prisoners of Geography - Ten Maps That Tell You Everything You Need To Know About Global Politics' by Tim Marshall.

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  4. Novels-in-verse are something I almost always find to be beautifully written. I'm very curious about Eureka. So many times we have gone wrong in America. Ugh.

    And it's fun for me to read books set in places I love. I hope you enjoy A Telegram from Le Touquet.

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  5. These look interesting. I hope you enjoy your books.

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  6. John Bude book looks good, reminds me of a cover for the British Mystery series.

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  7. I have marked several of your books to ask our librarian to order them, the varied themes intrigue me, such as Eureka and Soft Burial. Thank you for such a great post!

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  8. Nice spotlight on diverse books! I'm intrigued by State of Emergency. I'd love to learn more about Singapore and Malaysia's history.

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  9. These all look interesting Harvee! I am especially interesting in State of Emergency

    Have a great week!

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  10. These do sound good! I'm particularly intrigued by State of Emergency and Soft Burial.

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  11. Great list, Harvee. A Beast Slinks Toward Bejing and Soft Burial sound wonderful. Hope you enjoy your week.

    https://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/2025/08/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-and.html

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  12. All these books are new to me.

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  13. I have added Soft Burial to my TBR list

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  14. I find Amnesia cases fascinating too! Sounds like an interesting, but sad kind of read.

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Would love to have your comments!

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