Why am I passionate about this?

I am all the characters in this and every book I have written. I grew up in Rome, teach Roman art and architectural history, and am a practicing architect. My books are suffused with the things I love, from culture to cuisine, pace of life, love of consort, affection for children and animals, to the adventures I have been so fortunate to enjoy through my fifties. Reading has been a big part of my education. I have many interests and loves to share. These five book recommendations are but the tip of the iceberg. I became an author so I could write what remains unwritten and read the stories I wish to tell.


I wrote

The Summer of '71: A Romance of Youth in Timeless Rome

By Rebecca Branch,

Book cover of The Summer of '71: A Romance of Youth in Timeless Rome

What is my book about?

Fragile and alone in the city of Rome, it’s midnight, and you’re wearing a skin-tight, strapless, silver dress. You’ve lost…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Valley of Horses

Rebecca Branch Why did I love this book?

I love the main character, the strongest woman in literature, who, in late Paleolithic times, literally invents the modern world. She is strong but thinks herself weak. She is beautiful but thinks herself ugly. She circumvents and overcomes every instance of adversity thrown her way. I want to be her, and the book permits me to wear her shoes.

I have been highly influenced by Jean Auel’s storytelling, especially the graphic scenes of Ayla’s loss of innocence, growth into sexuality, and descriptions of lust, love, and completion.

This book is not erotica, yet the love scenes are the best I’ve ever read and are a roadmap to create tension and heat in my writing. With her influence, my audience laughs, cries, and cheers their way through my books.

By Jean M. Auel,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Valley of Horses as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This unforgettable odyssey into the distant past carries us back to the awesome mysteries of the exotic, primeval world of The Clan of the Cave Bear, and to Ayla, now grown into a beautiful and courageous young woman.

Cruelly cast out by the new leader of the ancient Clan that adopted her as a child, Ayla leaves those she loves behind and travels alone through a stark, open land filled with dangerous animals but few people, searching for the Others, tall and fair like herself. The short summer gives her little time to look, and when she finds a sheltered…


Book cover of The First Man in Rome

Rebecca Branch Why did I love this book?

I am fascinated by the city of Rome, its history, republic, empire, and fall. I have been an amateur archaeologist, an assistant to the curator of the Metropolitan Museum, and a lecturer in the city of Rome.

This book, author, and series is the best recreation of classical times, historical figures, and visualization of history I’ve ever read. The detail is authentic and scholarly, and even obscure ancillary characters come to life.

Highly influential in historical fiction, McCullough transcends the fictional category in resurrecting characters long dead and places now in ruins. Although separated by two thousand years, those who populate these books feel utterly contemporary and understandable to twenty-first-century readers.

By Colleen McCullough,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked The First Man in Rome as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

With extraordinary narrative power, New York Times bestselling author Colleen McCullough sweeps the reader into a whirlpool of pageantry and passion, bringing to vivid life the most glorious epoch in human history.

When the world cowered before the legions of Rome, two extraordinary men dreamed of personal glory: the military genius and wealthy rural "upstart" Marius, and Sulla, penniless and debauched but of aristocratic birth. Men of exceptional vision, courage, cunning, and ruthless ambition, separately they faced the insurmountable opposition of powerful, vindictive foes. Yet allied they could answer the treachery of rivals, lovers, enemy generals, and senatorial vipers with…


Book cover of The Killer Angels

Rebecca Branch Why did I love this book?

I have never been brought so close to a battle and a battlefield experience as when reading this book.

The horror, tension, excitement, valor, and regret of warfare are clearly depicted. The motivations for fighting for a terrible cause are examined. The determination to see things through to the bitter end is in evidence. It is a blueprint for writing warfare and helps the reader understand the excitement and tension in leading troops to the fear and futility of being on the line.

Best of all, Shaara has been able to bring life to Lee, who so often is referred to as a marble man. Here, he’s been humanized, and this alone makes our reading of history so much more personal and relevant.

By Michael Shaara,

Why should I read it?

16 authors picked The Killer Angels as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“My favorite historical novel . . . a superb re-creation of the Battle of Gettysburg, but its real importance is its insight into what the war was about, and what it meant.”—James M. McPherson
 
In the four most bloody and courageous days of our nation’s history, two armies fought for two conflicting dreams. One dreamed of freedom, the other of a way of life. Far more than rifles and bullets were carried into battle. There were memories. There were promises. There was love. And far more than men fell on those Pennsylvania fields. Bright futures, untested innocence, and pristine beauty…


Book cover of The Guns of the South

Rebecca Branch Why did I love this book?

This author is the master of alternative history. I love where he takes me. I enjoy his humanization of characters often seen as wooden or stone.

He examines the “what-ifs?” of the historical record. I find the twists and turns remarkable. Small events could so easily have altered major social, political, and cultural evolutions. Imagine a South victorious in our civil war. Imagine if there were no Lincoln assassination. Imagine Robert E. Lee as the newly elected President of the Confederacy with a platform of ending slavery.

As a historian, I am well aware that the smallest alterations in the fabric of time can have huge consequences. I love how Turtledove presents these possibilities to me.

By Harry Turtledove,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Guns of the South as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"It is absolutely unique--without question the most fascinating Civil War novel I have ever read."
Professor James M. McPherson
Pultizer Prize-winning BATTLE CRY OF FREEDOM
January 1864--General Robert E. Lee faces defeat. The Army of Northern Virginia is ragged and ill-equpped. Gettysburg has broken the back of the Confederacy and decimated its manpower.
Then, Andries Rhoodie, a strange man with an unplaceable accent, approaches Lee with an extraordinary offer. Rhoodie demonstrates an amazing rifle: Its rate of fire is incredible, its lethal efficiency breathtaking--and Rhoodie guarantees unlimited quantitites to the Confederates.
The name of the weapon is the AK-47....
Selected…


Book cover of Pride and Prejudice

Rebecca Branch Why did I love this book?

This classic has been my guide to Victorian gentility, language, thought, and conversation.

Austen is a master of coming to terms with ill-gotten beliefs, false impressions, bad behavior, developing understanding, reversal of fortune, the plight of nineteenth-century women, and burgeoning affection. Austen writes of coming of age, loss of innocence, personal growth, burgeoning sexuality, and battling to be heard in a sea of voices.

Her characters are primarily strong modern women thrust into a world of the past where the patriarchy would slam them down. Elizabeth Bennet will not suffer the fools of her age without close examination, a rebellious counterpoint, and a confident challenge to the norms of her society.

By Jane Austen,

Why should I read it?

39 authors picked Pride and Prejudice as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

One of BBC's 100 Novels That Shaped Our World.

Jane Austen's best-loved novel is an unforgettable story about the inaccuracy of first impressions, the power of reason, and above all the strange dynamics of human relationships and emotions.

Part of the Macmillan Collector's Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition is illustrated by Hugh Thomson and features an afterword by author and critic, Henry Hitchings.

A tour de force of wit and sparkling dialogue, Pride and…


Explore my book 😀

The Summer of '71: A Romance of Youth in Timeless Rome

By Rebecca Branch,

Book cover of The Summer of '71: A Romance of Youth in Timeless Rome

What is my book about?

Fragile and alone in the city of Rome, it’s midnight, and you’re wearing a skin-tight, strapless, silver dress. You’ve lost your luggage and money. You do not speak Italian, and the wolves begin to circle, eyes filled with lust.

Then he stands to protect you. Younger, tall, handsome, American, playing his guitar on the steps of the church. He lives in the rich villa of his mother, the absent Contessa. Placing yourself in his hands, you will never be the same…and neither will he.

Book cover of The Valley of Horses
Book cover of The First Man in Rome
Book cover of The Killer Angels

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,487

readers submitted
so far, will you?

You might also like...

The Flight to Brassbright

By Lori Alden Holuta,

Book cover of The Flight to Brassbright

Ad
Lori Alden Holuta Author Of The Flight to Brassbright

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

When I was nine years old, my first poem was ‘published’ in my elementary school’s annual creative writing booklet. It was such a thrill to see my poem in print and to know lots of people would be reading it. I was hooked on writing, but it would be many, many years before I was published again. While I know it’s never too late to publish a book, I regret how long I waited. Young writers, don’t be afraid to go for it and don’t ever feel you’re not old enough for your words to matter. Readers need your unique, fresh vision.

Lori's book list on teenage authors

What is my book about?

Constance is a wild, stubborn young girl growing up poor in a small industrial town in the late 1800's. Beneath her thread-worn exterior beats the heart of a dreamer and a wordsmith. But at age twelve, she’s orphaned. Running away to join the circus—like kids do in adventure books—seems like such a brilliant idea…or is it?

"Flight to Brassbright appeals to my inner child's desire for adventure and independence as well as my (mostly) grown-up desire for really well-written stories that capture my imagination and hold my attention."​​​​​​​ - Tricia, Amazon Reviewer

"...well plotted with a likable protagonist...upbeat with…

The Flight to Brassbright

By Lori Alden Holuta,

What is this book about?

Constance is a wild, stubborn young girl growing up poor in a small industrial town in the late 1800's. Beneath her thread-worn exterior beats the heart of a dreamer and a wordsmith. But at age twelve, she’s orphaned. Running away to join the circus—like kids do in adventure books—seems like such a brilliant idea… or is it?


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in prehistory, ancient Rome, and social class?

Prehistory 47 books
Ancient Rome 304 books
Social Class 99 books