Open Books Challenge 2025: A Book Set in the Victorian Era (1837-1901)

Updated December 31, 2024
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More than a best friend : a novel
Alban, Emma R.
Paper Book
The swoon-worthy queer friends-to-lovers regency romance, the perfect sapphic love story for fans of Bridgerton's Francesca and Michaela! 'Top tier wit, spice, and swoons!' Evie Dunmore, bestselling author of Bringing Down the Duke 'A sapphic romance set...
The orchids of Ashthorne Hall
Anderson, Rebecca
Paper Book
A ghostly estate. A handsome caretaker hiding a secret. And the intrepid Hyacinth Bell, who is set on solving the mystery of both. 1887, the Cornwall coast For years, rumors have flown that a ghost haunts Ashthorne Hall, but...
Victoria the queen : an intimate biography of the woman who ruled an empire
Baird, Julia
Paper Book
The true story for fans of the PBS Masterpiece series Victoria, this page-turning biography reveals the real woman behind the myth: a bold, glamorous, unbreakable queen--a Victoria for our times. Drawing on previously unpublished papers, this stunning portrait is a story of love and...
The Wildes : a novel in five acts
Bayard, Louis
Paper Book
From the bestselling author of The Pale Blue Eye, Louis Bayard, comes Atonement meets The Paris Wife, a brilliantly original, profoundly empathetic story about Oscar Wilde's wife Constance and their two sons in the aftermath of the famous playwright's imprisonment for...
My dear Henry : a Jekyll & Hyde remix
Bayron, Kalynn
Paper Book
A young man searches for the reason behind his best friend's disappearance and the arrival of a magnetic stranger in this haunting retelling of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, perfect for fans of Tiffany D. Jackson and Mexican Gothic. "Addressing invisibility, power, and...
A lady's guide to marvels and misadventure
Bell, Angela
Paper Book
Named a Booklist Top 10 Romance Debut Miss Clara Marie Stanton's family may be eccentric, but they certainly aren't insane. London, England, 1860When Clara's ex-fiancé begins to spread rumors that her family suffers from hereditary insanity,...
The haunting of Hecate Cavendish
Brackston, Paula
Paper Book
The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish is book one in New York Times bestselling author Paula Brackston's new, magic-infused series about Hecate Cavendish, an eccentric and feisty young woman who can see ghosts. England, 1881. Hereford cathedral stands sentinel over the...
Premeditated Myrtle
Bunce, Elizabeth C.
Paper Book
A 2021 Edgar® Award Winner, Best Juvenile A BookPage Best Book of 2020: Middle Grade A Mighty Girl's 2020 Books of the Year Introducing Myrtle Hardcastle, your favorite new amateur detective: a wickedly smart...
The stolen book of Evelyn Aubrey
Burdick, Serena
Paper Book
" What if you could write a new ending for yourself? England, 1898. When Evelyn first married the famous novelist William Aubrey, she was dazzled by his brilliance. But their newlywed bliss is brief when William is gripped by writer's block, and he becomes...
The little match girl strikes back
Carroll, Emma
Paper Book
It only takes one strike: A powerful feminist reworking of the Hans Christian Andersen classic, from bestselling and award-winning creators Emma Carroll and Lauren Child. 'Superb.  About community and voices and standing up for yourself' Phil Earle, British Book...
The silence factory
Collins, Bridget
Paper Book
*PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY OF BRIDGET COLLINS' STUNNING NEW NOVEL, THE NAKED LIGHT* The Sunday Times bestseller, from the author of The Binding 'Utterly original... ensnared me from the very first page' EMILIA HART 'Storytelling at its most immersive' ERIN KELLY The whole...
Dinosaurs at the dinner party : how an eccentric group of Victorians discovered prehistoric creatures and accidentally upended the world
Dolnick, Edward
Paper Book
From the bestselling author of The Clockwork Universe and The Writing of the Gods, an "utterly delightful...hugely entertaining" (Air Mail) book about the eccentric Victorians who discovered dinosaur bones, leading to a whole new understanding of human history.
The love remedy
Everett, Elizabeth
Paper Book
"Beautiful and important."--New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn When a Victorian apothecary hires a stoic private investigator to protect her business, they learn there's only one way to treat true love--with a happily ever after. When Lucinda...
The clockwork crow
Fisher, Catherine
Paper Book
When Seren Rhys is given a newspaper parcel by a stranger late at night in an empty train station, she has no idea what trouble it contains. Armed with a talking bird who might not be telling the truth, a magical snow globe and her own indomitable courage, Seren sets off on a journey into a...
Bookshop cinderella
Guhrke, Laura Lee
Paper Book
Fans of Lisa Kleypas and Julia Quinn will adore this opposites-attract romance featuring a dashing duke, a shy bookshop owner, and a wager that will change their lives forever. Evie Harlow runs a quaint little bookshop in London, which is the biggest adventure an...
Of manners and murder
Hastings, Anastasia
Paper Book
Of Manners and Murder is the first in the delightful new Dear Miss Hermione mystery series from Anastasia Hastings. "Evokes the shocking revelations of Wilkie Collins, the social acuity of Jane Austen and the comic melodrama of Oscar Wilde."--Wall Street...
Bitten by witch fever : wallpaper & arsenic in the Victorian home
Hawksley, Lucinda
Paper Book
In Germany, in 1814, Wilhelm Sattler created an extremely toxic arsenic and verdigris compound pigment, Schweinfurt green-known also as Paris, Vienna, or emerald green-which became an instant favorite amongst designers and manufacturers the world over, thanks to its versatility in creating...
The ornithologist's field guide to love
Holton, India
Paper Book
INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER! "So riotously clever it almost defies description...an alchemy of romantic elements held in perfect harmony."--NPR Rival ornithologists hunt through England for a rare magical bird in this historical-fantasy rom-com reminiscent of...
The case of the murderous Dr. Cream : the hunt for a Victorian era serial killer
Jobb, Dean
Paper Book
A true crime page-turner about a Victorian doctor, a serial killer ahead of his time, using poison for an international murder spree that kept ahead of the burgeoning field of forensics. "A tour de force of storytelling." --Louise Penny, #1 New York Times bestselling author...
The dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins : an illuminating history of Mr. Waterhouse Hawkins, artist and lecturer
Kerley, Barbara.
Paper Book
This extraordinary true story introduces readers to the unforgettable Waterhouse Hawkins: Victorian artist and visionary who built the world's first life-size models of dinosaurs!Can you fathom a time when almost no one in the world knew what a dinosaur looked like? That was true in the mid...
Not a gentleman's work : the untold story of a gruesome murder at sea and the long road to truth
Koeppel, Gerard T.
Paper Book
The Herbert Fuller, a three-masted sailing ship loaded with New England lumber, left Boston bound for Buenos Aires on July 8, 1896 with twelve people on board: captain-owner Charles Nash, his wife and Maine childhood-sweetheart Laura, two mates, the 'mulatto' steward, six crewmen, and one passenger....
Ana Mari?a and the fox
De la Rosa, Liana
Paper Book
"Pleasingly subversive."--New York Times Book Review "A perfect mix of slow-burn romance, geopolitical maneuvering and sisterly antics."--The Washington Post One of Library Journal's Best Romances of 2023! A BookList Editor's Pick of 2023!
Fearless world traveler : adventures of Marianne North, botanical artist
Lawlor, Laurie
Paper Book
Scientist. Artist. Rule-breaker. The vibrant and daring life of Marianne North by the award-winning author of Super Women and Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World. In 1882, Marianne North showed the gray city of London paintings of jaw-dropping greenery...
A spy in the house
Lee, Y. S.
Paper Book
Steeped in Victorian atmosphere and intrigue, this diverting mystery trails a feisty heroine as she takes on a precarious secret assignment. Rescued from the gallows in 1850s London, orphan (and thief) Mary Quinn found herself at Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls, the cover for...
Never blow a kiss
Lovise, Lindsay
Paper Book
In this delightfully witty Victorian romance, a governess spy running away from her past falls for an ex-soldier turned railroad magnate--perfect for fans of Manda Collins and Bridgerton! The utterly charming Emily Leverton has a dark past and is determined to leave...
A shore thing
Lowell, Joanna
Paper Book
"Glorious.... Every scene in this book is a treasure."--The New York Times "A Victorian queer love story that will have you giggling and blushing... This book is full of charm and low-stakes adventure, just the warm and soft romance many of us are looking for."--NPR...
Stalking Jack the Ripper
Maniscalco, Kerri
Paper Book
This deliciously haunting #1 New York Times bestseller and deliciously creepy horror novel has a storyline inspired by the Ripper murders and an unexpected, blood-chilling conclusion. Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's...
The nightingale affair : a novel
Mason, Timothy
Paper Book
Who is stalking Florence Nightingale and her nurses? Is it the legendary Beast of the Crimean, or someone closer to home? In 1855, Britain and France are fighting to keep the Russians from snatching the Crimean Peninsula from the Ottoman Empire, and Nightingale, a wealthy young society woman, has...
The siren of Sussex
Matthews, Mimi
Paper Book
A PopSugar, Oprah Daily, and BookBub Most Anticipated Romance of 2022! Victorian high society's most daring equestrienne finds love and an unexpected ally in her fight for independence in the strong arms of London's most sought after and devastatingly handsome half-Indian tailor....
Our hideous progeny
McGill, C. E.
Paper Book
'Compelling and utterly absorbing... an artfully crafted debut' SUSAN STOKES-CHAPMAN, author of PANDORA 'A gripping Gothic tale of grief and ambition, passion and intrigue' JESS KIDD, author of THE NIGHT SHIP 'A wonderful book; dark, passionate, multi-layered' JOANNE...
The London Séance Society
Penner, Sarah
Paper Book
Maude Horton's glorious revenge
Pook, Lizzie
Paper Book
" A young woman searches for the truth about her sister, who boarded a ship headed to the frozen Arctic and never returned. Twenty-year-old Constance Horton has run away from her life in Victorian London, disguising herself as a boy to board the...
The bones of ruin
Raughley, Sarah
Paper Book
An African tightrope walker who can't die gets embroiled in a secret society's deadly gladiatorial tournament in this "bloodily spectacular" (Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights) historical fantasy set in an alternate 1880s London, perfect for...
The lady of rapture
Raughley, Sarah
Paper Book
Penny Dreadful meets The Gilded Wolves in this breathtaking finale to the young adult historical fantasy Bones of Ruin trilogy! For years, the elite secret society called the Enlightenment Committee has waited for the apocalyptic force known as Hiva to destroy the...
The midnight hour
Read, Benjamin
Paper Book
  The first spellbinding adventure in Benjamin Read and Laura Trinder's magical Midnight Hourseries! 'A fantastic magical adventure featuring a cast of Ghibli-esque characters, a feisty heroine and a hedgehog. I loved it.'M.G. LEONARD, author of BEETLE BOY 'Fans...
The five : the untold lives of the women killed by Jack the Ripper
Rubenhold, Hallie
Paper Book
Winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction Five devastating human stories and a dark and moving portrait of Victorian London--the untold lives of the women killed by Jack the Ripper. Polly, Annie, Elizabeth, Catherine...
The library thief
Shenjé, Kuchenga
Paper Book
An extraordinary historical debut for any reader who loves gothic mysteries like Rebecca and Fingersmith, and fiction which shines a light on untold stories.The library is under lock and key. But its secrets can't be contained.After he brought her home from Jamaica...
The fraud
Smith, Zadie
Paper Book
The New York Times bestseller * One of the New York Times 10 Best Books of the Year * One of NPR's Best Books of the Year * Named a Best Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly and BookPage * One of Oprah Daily's Best Novels of 2023 "[A] brilliant...
The case of the missing marquess : an Enola Holmes mystery
Springer, Nancy.
Paper Book
When Enola Holmes, the much younger sister of detective Sherlock Holmes, discovers her mother has disappeared--on her 14th birthday nonetheless--she knows she alone can find her. Disguising herself as a grieving widow, Enola sets out to the heart of London to uncover her mother's...
The stranger I wed
St. George, Harper
Paper Book
New to wealth and to London high society, American heiress Cora Dove discovers that with the right man, marriage might not be such an inconvenience after all. . . . Cora Dove and her sisters' questionable legitimacy has been the lifelong subject of New York's gossipmongers and a...
The dress diary : secrets from a Victorian woman's wardrobe
Strasdin, Kate
Paper Book
In 1838, a young woman was given a diary on her wedding day. Collecting snippets of fabric from a range of garments -- some her own, others donated by family and friends -- she carefully annotated each one, creating a unique record of their lives. Her name was Mrs. Anne Sykes.
The tumbling girl
Walsh, Bridget
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE HWA DEBUT CROWN AWARD SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA JOHN CREASEY DAGGER AWARD 'Splendid' Wall Street Journal 'A wry, warm and proper rib-tickling slice of dirty Victorian gothic'...
Queen Victoria's bathing machine
Whelan, Gloria
Paper Book
Prince Albert comes up with a royally creative solution to Queen Victoria's modesty concerns in this true story that reveals an overlooked splash of history. Poor Queen Victoria! She loves to swim, but can't quite figure out how to get to the water without her devoted subjects...
The spirit bares its teeth
White, Andrew Joseph
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! A Stonewall Honor Book in Young Adult Literature! A blood-soaked and nauseating triumph that cuts like a scalpel and reads like your darkest nightmare. New York Times bestselling author Andrew Joseph White...
Where the dead wait
Wilkes, Ally
Paper Book
"Haunting...Ominous." --The New York Times Book Review A "wonderfully chilling" (Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author) polar gothic about a Victorian explorer in search of his lost shipmate-and redemption-from the Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of...
Murder in postscript
Winters, Mary
Paper Book
When one of her readers asks for advice following a suspected murder, Victorian countess Amelia Amesbury, who secretly pens the popular Lady Agony column, has no choice but to investigate in this first book in a charming new historical mystery series. Amelia Amesbury--widow,...

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