2025 To-Read List
my history plans for the new year
I really don’t read enough. I love history. I love reading and researching. There’s no excuse for how little I read in 2024! This year, I plan on reading one book a month. One thing that will help is being a part of
’s Patreon because there is a history book club. Every other month we meet on Zoom to talk about a particular book. I was part of this club the second half of 2024, and it was really great!For each book below, I provided a link to Blackwell’s if y’all are interested in purchasing any of them. Even though I live in the US, I still use Blackwell’s! Shipping is free, and many times they are cheaper than Barnes and Noble or Amazon. I don’t buy my history books from anywhere else!
JANUARY: After Elizabeth: How James King of Scots Won the Crown of England in 1603
I’ve got to get a move-on with this one. It is the first book we are reading for book club, so I have a bit over two weeks to read it. I’m looking forward to it! I don’t know much about Elizabeth’s reign as a whole, but I think I’ll find the transition from Tudor to Stuart fascinating.
FEBRUARY: The House of Beaufort: The Bastard Line That Captured the Crown
This is the March pick for book club. I am really looking forward to it, because I know next to nothing about any of these women! It came highly recommended online.
APRIL: The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses and the Rise of the Tudors
In the US, this one was published as The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors. I’ve owned it for years, and I have no idea why I haven’t read it yet!
has always been one of my favorite historians, so this one is bound to be fantastic!MAY: Son of Prophecy: The Rise of Henry Tudor
This is another book club pick. I am so looking forward to reading this one. I’ve heard so much about it, and
in general has always been highly acclaimed.JUNE: The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV
I have read a bit in the past about both of these kings. I have also read another of Helen Castor’s books in the past, and she is an excellent writer and researcher! I have seen people talking up this book for months online, and I am really looking forward to reading it!
JULY: Henry V: The Astonishing Triumph of England’s Greatest Warrior King
I know little about Henry V other than Agincourt and as Henry VI’s father. I am looking forward to learning as much as I can about him, and to reading
’ latest! This is the July pick for book club.AUGUST: Lancaster and York: The Wars of the Roses
In the US, this book was published as The Wars of the Roses. I have never read a non-fiction book of Alison Weir’s, but she is supposed to be fantastic. I think this will be a great book to have in my arsenal about the Wars of the Roses!
SEPTEMBER: Thorns, Lust, and Glory: The Betrayal of Anne Boleyn
After reading Hunting the Falcon: Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, and the Marriage That Shook Europe last year (and it was AMAZING), I’ve been looking forward to reading more about Anne Boleyn in her younger days, before she returned to England. Estelle Paranque promises that and more in this book! I’m so excited that the book club will be reading this one.
OCTOBER: The Woodvilles: The Wars of the Roses and England’s Most Infamous Family
I picked this one for October because, honestly, I have only read much about the Woodvilles in a fiction context. I know they were extremely important in the later portion of the Wars and the Roses, so it seemed like a good fit for my research!
NOVEMBER: Queen James: The Life and Loves of Britain’s First King
This is the last pick for Philippa Brewell’s book club for 2025, and it’s the only one I’m not really sure about. I’m assuming its going to focus on the possible homosexuality of James I. We will see about how this one goes!
DECEMBER: Red Roses: Blanche of Gaunt to Margaret Beaufort
This one will be my one re-read of the year. It was one of the first history books on England that I ever read, and I feel like it could use a re-visit. I have used it more than once as a reference for my “On this day” articles, so I am looking forward to reading it in full again!
What are y’all’s plans for reading for this year? Do you have it planned out like me, or do you prefer to pick as you go? Let me know in the comments!
What an excellent list! I read Thorns, Lust, and Glory, and sadly it wasn't for me. I hope you enjoy it though!