How did you discover the last HF book you read?

[MLE]

How did you discover the last HF book you read? (not counting re-reads)

Go vote in the poll! you can vote for more than one option, if several apply.

[Margaret]

I'm going with the book I'm currently reading, a YA by Philip Pullman that I'm enjoying, The Ruby in the Smoke.

I liked other books by this author.


To be strict about this, though, I would do the last historical novel I read, which was an ARC: Mary of Carisbrooke by Margaret Campbell Barnes. But I didn't find it particularly interesting. Some readers might like it, but it was too tepid for my taste.

received as a gift (includes ARCs and other giveaways)

[MLE]

Wow, you're fast, Margaret! I was still figuring out how to set up a poll. I didn't put in a closing date because I would like to see how this develops over time. I only wish I could set it up so that people could vote multiple times, for every time they pick up a new book. It would be interesting to see the trends.

[annis]

A few of my most recent reads - (btw- no picked up at the library option!)

Kathleen Herbert, Moon in Leo

Through mention on Reading the Past blog, ordered because I enjoyed earlier novels written by this author.

Frank Schatzing, Death and the Devil
and
(NF) Alistair Urquhart The Forgotten Highlander
and
(YF) John Stephens Emerald Atlas (fantasy)

Picked up at the library (i get to see the new books coming through)

Karen Maitland Gallows Curse
and
Robert Low The Lion Wakes

Pre-ordered because I enjoy books by these authors and look out for forthcoming titles.

[MLE]

*strikes forehead with palm* How could I forget the library?
I suppose because it started with a talk about book sales, and that drove 'library' clean out of the skull.

[Misfit]

Great idea for a poll. BTW, even though I get my books from the library, they're always from one of the options above. I never browse, I just place holds online and pickup. If there was a dedicated HF shelf I might go and browse on occasion.

For me Goodreads is the main drive in my reading picks for the older stuff. I love the feeds you get from your friends seeing what they are buying, planing to read, etc.

[Carla]

Moon in Leo by Kathleen Herbert - previously liked books by this author, heard about it via the Reading the Past blog
The Whale Road by Robert Low - recommended by a friend
The Lantern Bearers by Rosemary Sutcliff - recommended here

[Ariadne]

My current read, Georgia Lowe's The Bonus, was a review copy sent to me.

The one I just finished, Oliver Poetzsch's The Hangman's Daughter, I first read about in Booklist and knew I'd have to get. (Historical mystery set in 17th-c Bavaria.)

[annis]

I should add that I owe a lot of my reads to the HNS Forthcoming Historical Novels (http://www.historicalnovelsociety.org/forthcoming.htm) lists (thanks, Sarah!) and random searches through online auction websites- I've picked up some terrific unknown older HF that way.

[Ash]

My current read, Sailing to Sarantium, was recommended here as well as on Book Balloon.

[Vanessa]

My last HF novel was The Lady's Slipper by Deborah Swift, which I loved. I noticed it on the 'Forthcoming Books' thread and then I looked at it on Amazon, so I think I'll have to tick the 'recommended on here' and 'browsing on Amazon' options as they seem to be the nearest.

[Mythica]

I remember seeing it reviewed on some blogs when it first came out late last year and then recently it was voted for a Goodreads group read so I joined it.

[ejays17]

My last historical was "A Blot on the Scutcheon" which i found as a free book at Project Gutenberg, so that comes under "browsing" but not at a physical bookstore.
And the one before that was "The Black Moth" by Georgette Heyer (also from PG) whihc comes under "liked other works by the author"

But mostly the new-to-me authors / books I find from here in the Upcoming Books threads :D

[CindyInOz]

I'm currently reading Michelle Moran's Madame Tussaud, which I originally heard about on this forum (thoroughly enjoying it!)

[JRTomlin]

I just finished the last of Robert Low's Oathsworn series which are some of the best historical novels I've read in a very long time. They were highly recommended to me by a friend who is a librarian in Scotland. Unfortunately, Low is not nearly as widely known or read in the US as I think he should be.

It's a four novel series about the Vikings that is absolutely meticulously researched and a wonderful change from the novels of manners/romances you see so much in historical novels now.

[Ash]

Ok, that sounds like just the thing for my DH. Is that series available here or do I need Book Depository?

[MLE]

Well, this has been illuminating. I don't know if our members are typical, but if they are, buying advertising space to promote a novel is a complete waste of money.

It might have worked before the internet, but it doesn't now. Just think, as little as six years ago most of the media we use daily didn't even exist. I can't think when the last time was that I looked at a physical newspaper.

So if puffery and promotion no longer works, then writers had better turn out sterling quality on the first novel. After that, apparently the faithful will keep testing.

Maybe I should do a poll on how many bad books an author can get away with before the fans stop buying.

Except I'm still working on the first, so I'm not interested in that info yet.:D

[Misfit]

Maybe I should do a poll on how many bad books an author can get away with before the fans stop buying.

:D

Interestingly, I have popped in to look at sales totals on books during recent heavy blog promotions. Never could find a spike in sales that one might have expected.

[Ash]

If its a new author with a bad book, I'd have to be getting really good vibes from fellow readers before I go to another. If its a favorite author, I can accept a bad book. But a few more than that, I give up (Anne Tyler and Amy Tan are two examples of ones I don't read anymore)

[Michy]

Maybe I should do a poll on how many bad books an author can get away with before the fans stop buying.

Except I'm still working on the first, so I'm not interested in that info yet.:D I was going to wait and give my feedback on this when you put up your next poll, but since others have already responded, I decided to jump in as well. :)

I suspect I am a bit more unforgiving than most. That is, the most bad books I will allow an author is two. Sometimes only one, if the first book is just really bad and/or I was unable to finish it. If I read a book that's moderately bad, then I will sometimes give the author another chance. But two strikes and they're out with me.

I have become very wary of buying books by new-to-me authors; I have been burnt several times. So now, if an author is new to me I try them via book swap or the library.

[rockygirl]

I'm going with the book I'm currently reading, a YA by Philip Pullman that I'm enjoying, [I]The Ruby in the Smoke.[I]

I liked this book, but I didn't care for the sequels.