The Tea Rose. So good!!!!

Anonymous wrote:Wow, lots of good suggestions. Thanks all.

Well, thank you OP. I'm going to try some of these recommendations-- including Sharon Kay Penman.

This is exactly the genre I've been reading, so I can give you a long list. Here is an abbreviated version:

Conn Iggulden: War of the Roses: Stormbird (he also has a great series on Mongolia if that would interest you).

Anything by Nigel Tranter.

Elizabeth Chadwick has a ton of great books that are very similar in style to Sharon Kay Penman. I especially like the William Marshal Series which started with "The Greatest Knight".

Penman also has two books about Richard the Lionhearted which I enjoyed.

In a somewhat different vein is Bernard Cornwell. I've read almost all of is stuff, but I especially liked "Agincourt".

Anonymous wrote:They are long, but I also loved Rutherfurd's Paris and Sarum.

Good rec. Along these lines: James A. Michener's Alaska, Hawaii, Caribbean, Poland ... etc. He wrote a lot of these

John Jakes is like macaroni and cheese, or banana split sundaes, or chocolate cake: terrible for you but compelling all the same. (If you don't like those foods, insert your favorite bad-for-you treat!) I'd do the North and South trilogy over the Kent Family saga. Too many books in the latter.

I like Lisa See, too.

A medieval- and Renaissance-era-focused author whom I really like, and who doesn't seem to get tons of play, is Susan Higginbotham.

DH told me to recommend the Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson, too.

Philippa Gregory is entertaining, but I agree about the "not a good historian." It's like watching The Tudors.

Michelle Moran, if you're willing to branch out to ancient Egypt or the French Revolution.

You might like Anne Easter Smith if you liked The Sunne in Splendor -- she's got three(?) York-centered books. My favorite take on Richard III is the one in Higginbotham's book about Katherine Woodville and Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham.

Wow, lots of good suggestions. Thanks all.

They are long, but I also loved Rutherfurd's Paris and Sarum.

You might try Geraldine Brooks-- she wrote

Year of Wonders
Caleb's Crossing
March

I've enjoyed some of Edward Rutherford's books.