The 10 BEST Historical Fiction Books of 2025 according to The New York Times | Any Shelly Books?

Описание: I mention:
Mike ‪@RiffRaffReads‬

In this video, I take the New York Times historical fiction list and run it through my own reading taste to answer one question: Is this a Shelly Book?

After hearing from a fellow BookTuber that I have very strong opinions about what I like and don’t like, I decided to test that reputation. Instead of reviewing these books like a news reporter, I’m using this list to examine my own taste, instincts, and reading identity.

I talk through whether each of these novels feels like something I’d genuinely love, admire from a distance, or quietly resist, and what that says about historical fiction, literary prestige, and how we choose what to read.

Books discussed in this video:
Fonseca by Jessica Francis Kane
The Antidote by Karen Russell
A Calamity of Noble Houses by Amira Ghenim
Gabriële by Anne Berest and Claire Berest
Isola by Allegra Goodman
The Remembered Soldier by Anjet Daanje
Shadow Ticket by Thomas Pynchon
Sons and Daughters by Chaim Grade
This Here Is Love by Princess Joy L. Perry
The Wayfinder by Adam Johnson

This isn’t about deciding whether these are “good” books. It’s about taste, how it sharpens over time, and how literary lists shape what we think we should read versus what we actually connect with.

If you enjoy BookTube videos about:
historical fiction
literary fiction
New York Times book lists
strong reading opinions
reading taste and identity
thoughtful book commentary
you’ll probably enjoy this discussion.

Let me know in the comments which of these feels like your kind of book.

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Makeup used:
Hannah Louise Poston X Salt New York https://saltnewyork.com/?srsltid=AfmB...

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