# Kristin Hannah's 5-star reads worth your time > The bestselling author shares her favorite historical fiction picks on Goodreads. - Title: Kristin Hannah's 5-star reads worth your time · Woman's World - Summary: The bestselling author shares her favorite historical fiction picks on Goodreads. Kristin Hannah recommends five highly-rated historical fiction novels that… - Keywords: kristin hannah, goodreads, historical fiction, book recommendations, bonnie garmus, maggie shipstead, stephen king, amor towles, delia owens, five-star reads, Kristin, Hannah's - Source: Woman's World — https://womansworld.com/entertainment/books/kristin-hannah-recommends-5-historical-fiction-books-on-goodreads - Author: Carissa Mosness - Published: 2026-09-16T23:30:47+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: kristin hannah, goodreads, historical fiction, book recommendations, bonnie garmus, maggie shipstead, stephen king, amor towles, delia owens, five-star reads ## Hannah's favorite reads revealed Kristin Hannah, bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Four Winds, has given five historical fiction books five-star ratings on Goodreads. Her picks span different eras and storytelling styles. ## Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus Set in the early 1960s, this bestseller follows Elizabeth Zott, the only female scientist at a research institute. After tragedy strikes, she reinvents herself as the host of a cooking show and becomes a feminist icon. > Lessons in Chemistry is not simply a book; it's a celebration of women's empowerment, the pursuit of dreams and the courage to redefine societal norms. ## Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead A dual-timeline novel about Marian Graves, who survives a 1914 shipwreck and becomes obsessed with flying around the globe. A century later, an actress researches Marian's mysterious final flight. > Marian is an exquisitely drawn character and her story is fascinating. The plot, the descriptions, the forward momentum of the story sucked me in and held me fast. ## 11/23/63 by Stephen King This nearly 900-page epic sends a Maine teacher through a portal to 1958 with a mission to prevent JFK's assassination. He falls in love and grapples with whether changing history is worth the cost. > 11/22/63 is one of my favorite books. This book took me back to that time in history. I felt like I was a time traveler just like the main character. ## A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles Count Alexander Rostov is sentenced to house arrest in a Moscow hotel in 1922. Using wit and observation, he navigates life under the new Russian regime while confined to the Metropol. > This book was the first of his that I read and I was blown away by the voice, the story, the setting. ## Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owels A number one New York Times bestseller about Kya, abandoned in North Carolina wetlands as a child. When a young man dies, she becomes the prime suspect and must face a world that has always rejected her. > This astonishing debut is a beautiful and haunting novel that packs a powerful punch. It's the first novel in a long time that made me cry. ## Female empowerment through science Lessons in Chemistry celebrates women breaking barriers in male-dominated fields. Elizabeth Zott's journey from researcher to cooking show host shows how women can redefine success on their own terms. ## Adventure across time and space Great Circle and 11/23/63 both explore what drives people to pursue impossible dreams. Whether flying around the world or changing history, these characters risk everything for their missions. ## Survival and resilience themes A Gentleman in Moscow and Where the Crawdads Sing both feature protagonists isolated from society. They must use intelligence and inner strength to survive in worlds that have rejected them. ## Why Hannah loves these books Hannah praises the immersive worlds, complex characters, and emotional depth in these novels. Each book offers readers a chance to escape into different eras and experience transformative stories. ## Key takeaway Kristin Hannah recommends five highly-rated historical fiction novels that span different eras and themes, from female empowerment to time travel.