Rachel's Top 5 Reads

Welcome to the list of my all time favorite books, including both fiction and nonfiction! As I continue my literary exploration into the medieval history genre, I will update my list if I think a book deserves a place among my top five:

1. The Six Wives Of King Henry VIII, Alison Weir

This book has continually come to mind as on of my favorite books I have ever read. Extremely detailed, masterfully written, and engaging throughout the entire 500 pages, Alison Weir cannot be topped as the best Tudor-era author. It barely feels like 500 pages, and is one of the few longer novels I found myself to be consistently engaged with while reading. 

2. The Great Mortality, An Intimate History Of The Black Death, John Kelly

Out of all the books I have read within the medieval history genre, and I would have to list the black plague as my favorite event to read and learn about. The Great Mortality is one of the most detailed and gripping analyses of the medieval plague outbreaks, exploring the pandemic from historical, social and scientific lenses. As a science student, I greatly appreciated the descriptions of the different forms of plague and their human impacts, as well as the tracking of the outbreak throughout the entire European continent. 

3. Life in a Medieval ____ Series, Francis & Joseph Gies

Although this is a series and not a singular novel like the others, each book is on the shorter side and fit nicely together to provide a comprehensive overview of different lifestyles and roles within medieval society. I loved reading these back to back, and they allow me to paint a more vivid picture of medieval life that I wouldn't have had if I missed out on this series. I think this would be a very welcome addition to the beginning of a new medievalists' reading list. 

4. The Death of King Arthur: The Immortal Legend, Sir Thomas Malory and Retelling By Peter Ackroyd

This is my favorite rendition of the epic legend of King Arthur and the story that first introduced me to medieval history. Peter Ackroyd makes this story come to life in a way I never experienced before! The tone of the book is incredibly unique and keeps the reader engaged throughout the entirety of the story. 

5.  The Once and Future Sex: Going Medieval on Women's Roles In Society, Eleanor Janega

This is one of my favorite books I have ever read as a student pursuing social sciences. It has a perfect balance of wit, humor, history, and culture and contains so many interesting facts about medieval gender roles and sexuality. I cannot write enough good reviews for this book. It isn't too long but still contains a good amount of detail and I am not able to express how compelling the narrative is. Even those who are not particularly interested in medieval history would find this book to be engaging as it relates to modern day gender roles and the origins of medieval sexuality. My favorite part of this book and the section which I found the most memorable was the analysis of original sin and women's treatment in medieval society. The intersections between religion, social norms and science are strong when exploring medieval gender and sexuality and this book does a fantastic job at highlighting them. 

All of these books can be found on Amazon in paperback, hard cover, and audiobook forms!