HOL

One of the most striking things about a Christmas Carol, to modern readers at least, is the Victorian setting. For me, it’s always made it that much more atmospheric. I also have a massive soft spot for another Victorian-set classic, Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle”, where Sherlock Holmes roams the dark London streets, trying to solve a mystery involving a goose, a hat and a beautiful gem.

But enough about me!

Discussion question:

Is there a particular time period that you like to read about? Maybe you love a specific point in history, like the reign of the Tudors. Maybe you like books set in the present, where you can see our own world through someone else’s eyes. Or maybe you like looking into the future…

Whatever it is, we’d love to hear about it and why it you particularly enjoy it. And if you don’t have a firm favourite, feel free to tell us about a book (or several) you read recently and whether you enjoyed the time period it was set in or not.

Please post your answers below in at least 100 words for 10 beans. If you answer someone else, you may earn 5 beans for each reply. Deadline is January 10, 2026 at 23:59 HOL-Time.

My reading tastes are rather eclectic, so I'm all over the place when it comes to favorite timelines. At any given time, it could be medieval, 1940s, present day, or the distant future. I guess being an Aquarian, I like variety

That being said, I recently read The Taster by V.S. Alexander. Set in 1943, it tells the story of Magda Ritter, a young woman chosen to be the taster for none other than Adolf Hitler. The job is a risky one, and one she is rather loath to take, but she really has no choice in the matter, so off she goes. It is as harrowing as one could only imagine, made even more difficult by her conflicted feelings about Hitler himself. As she grows more aware of the atrocities being committed in his name, and her romantic feelings for a young SS officer-turned-spy, she finds it increasingly difficult to trade her life for Hitler's. Perfectly understandable if you ask me!

As mentioned above, this is one of my favorite periods to read about. My grandmother, who lived with us for 5 years, was a young girl during WWII, and she had many stories to tell, as one might imagine. Through her, the period actually came alive for me, and sometimes it felt as if I were there right along with her. It almost didn't feel like history, but a much-loved old friend, which I suppose all good stories do.

I typically enjoy books set in the future, since I find it interesting how different people view what could be possible in the future timeline and how that connects to the plot. However, I also enjoy works from the past that feature a futuristic plot that would technically be taking place in the present or past, and seeing how people imagined the present day could be, even in their fictional glory, filled with all the possibilities they could imagine. Books set in the present would be following on my tier list, and the past is usually the last kind of book I enjoy, since I struggle to connect to them.