When Are You Reading? – Page 2 – What Cathy Read Next…

When Are You Reading Challenge 2025 Banner

The When Are You Reading? Challenge is back for 2025, hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It involves reading a book set in each of twelve time periods. Determining what year a book belongs in is the decision of the participant. On the whole, the rule is to choose a year where the largest part of the action occurs or the most important event.

I’ve managed to complete the challenge for the past two years which, given the amount of historical fiction I read, is to be expected. Not that it’s always easy to match all the various time periods!

Links from the title will take you to my review.

Pre-1200: Agricola: Warrior by Simon Turney

1200-1499: Sister Rosa’s Rebellion by Carolyn Hughes

1500-1699: Traitor’s Legacy by S. J. Parris

1700-1799: Viper in the Nest by Georgina Clarke

1800-1899: My Name is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende

1900-1919: Small Acts of Resistance by Anita Frank

1920-1939: The Endeavour of Elsie Mackay by Flora Johnston

1940-1959: The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn

1960-1979: The Cafe With No Name by Robert Seethaler

1980-1999: Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (review coming soon)

2000-Present: That Which May Destroy You by Abda Khan

The Future: The Coming Fire by Greg Mosse

The When Are You Reading? Challenge is hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It involves reading a book set in each of twelve time periods. Although determining what period a book belongs in is the decision of the participant, generally the rule is to choose the years where the largest part of the action occurs or the most important events.

I’ve completed the challenge for the past two years and I’ve managed to do it again this year. It probably helps that historical fiction is my favourite genre. Links from each title will take you to my review.

Pre-1200: Sword of the War God by Tim Hodkinson – Europe in 436AD

1200-1499: A Tapestry of Treason by Anne O’Brien – England in 1399

1500-1699: The Book of Secrets by Anna Mazzola – Rome in 1659

1700-1799: The Instrumentalist by Harriet Constable – Venice in 1704

1800-1899: The Household by Stacey Halls – London in 1847

1900-1919: The Paris Peacemakers by Flora Johnston – Paris in 1919

1920-1939: A Madras Miasma by Brian Stoddart – Madras in the 1920s

1940-1959: The Comfort of Ghosts by Jacqueline Winspear – London in 1945

1960-1979: Shy Creatures by Clare Chambers – Croydon, near London in 1964

1980-1999: Possible Happiness by David Ebenbach – USA in the late 1980s

2000-Present: A Place Without Pain by Simon Bourke – Dublin, Ireland from the 2000’s onwards

The Future: The Coming Storm by Greg Mosse – a chaotic world in 2037