Why am I passionate about this?

History always fascinated me and ancient history even more. I have strong feelings about ancient Greece, Egypt, and ancient Rome, but I also find the medieval times really fascinating and always search for books that are set during that period of time. I feel that by reading these kinds of books, I learn a lot. I do my own research and I’m in awe by how these authors have managed to recreate those times. Although I avoid writing historical fiction, I love the genre so much that I consider it to be my favorite even above romance, which I am an expert in.   


I wrote

Unmapped

By Nektaría Markaki,

Book cover of Unmapped

What is my book about?

Lexie loves her lists and lives a well-programmed life. Manu hates anything confining and lives his life carefree. When Lexie…

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 Pillars of the Earth

Nektaría Markaki Why did I love this book?

This book has the most beautiful atmosphere and I couldn’t put it down. Easy to read, but difficult to get over it once you finish it. The era in which the story takes place offers the reader many thrills and the ethical battles of the characters are deep. It’s a must-read. 

By Ken Follett,

Why should I read it?

19 authors picked The Pillars of the Earth as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

#1 New York Times Bestseller

Oprah's Book Club Selection

The "extraordinary . . . monumental masterpiece" (Booklist) that changed the course of Ken Follett's already phenomenal career-and begins where its prequel, The Evening and the Morning, ended.

"Follett risks all and comes out a clear winner," extolled Publishers Weekly on the release of The Pillars of the Earth. A departure for the bestselling thriller writer, the historical epic stunned readers and critics alike with its ambitious scope and gripping humanity. Today, it stands as a testament to Follett's unassailable command of the written word and to his universal appeal.

The…


Book cover of Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae

Nektaría Markaki Why did I love this book?

One of the most beautifully said stories about the battle of Thermopylae between Leonidas and his 300 men army and the Persians, told by Xeones, the sole survivor of the battle. It made me shiver and the descriptions were so vivid that I was sure the author lived during that battle. It was the first book I cried while reading. 

By Steven Pressfield,

Why should I read it?

17 authors picked Gates of Fire as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In the Sunday Times bestseller Gates of Fire, Steven Pressfield tells the breathtaking story of the legendary Spartans: the men and women who helped shaped our history and have themselves become as immortal as their gods.

'Breathtakingly brilliant . . . this is a work of rare genius. Savour it!' DAVID GEMMELL

'A tale worthy of Homer, a timeless epic of man and war, exquisitely researched and boldy written. Pressfield has created a new classic' STEPHEN COONTS

'A really impressive book - imaginatively framed, historically detailed and a really gripping narrative' ***** Reader review

'Beautifully written and a great joy…


Book cover of The Seventh Scroll

Nektaría Markaki Why did I love this book?

This book made me fall in love with ancient Egypt. It might not take place in the past but the findings of the main characters take you straight back in time. The descriptions of the places and the way of living in ancient Egypt-Ethiopia-The blue Nile, easily trigger your imagination and you find yourself creating pictures in your head. Also, the adventure is breathtaking. 

By Wilbur Smith,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Seventh Scroll as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

BOOK 2 IN THE BESTSELLING ANCIENT EGYPTIAN SERIES, BY THE MASTER OF ADVENTURE, WILBUR SMITH

'Best historical novelist' - Stephen King

'A master storyteller' - Sunday Times

'Wilbur Smith is one of those benchmarks against whom others are compared' - The Times

'No one does adventure quite like Smith' - Daily Mirror

AN ANCIENT SCROLL
A 4000 YEAR OLD LEGACY
A BATTLE FOR THE TRUTH

It is 4000 years since the battle for the Egyptian Kingdom, and Duraid and Royan al Simma have just uncovered the tomb of the ancient Egyptian Queen, Lostris, alongside the secret scrolls of the most…


Book cover of A Murder on the Appian Way

Nektaría Markaki Why did I love this book?

If you love ancient Rome and a good murder mystery then this is the book you should read. The author has studied history and is considered an expert on ancient Rome, and judging by how accurate his descriptions are, it must be true. I am in love with this book (and the rest of the Roma Sub Rosa series) because it made me feel like I was walking down the Appian Way myself. Plus the mystery is so well given. A true must if you are in love with ancient Rome. 

By Steven Saylor,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Murder on the Appian Way as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

52 BC, and Rome is in turmoil. Rival gangs prowl the streets as Publius Clodius, a high-born populist politician, and his arch-enemy Titus Milo fight to control the consular elections. But when Clodius is murdered on the famed Appian Way and Milo is accused of the crime, the city explodes with riots and arson.

As accusations and rumours fly, Gordianus is charged by Pompey the Great with discovering what really happened on the Appian Way that dark January night. Was it murder? And if so, should the perpetrator be condemned as a villain - or hailed as the saviour of…


Book cover of The Silver Pigs: A Marcus Didius Falco Mystery

Nektaría Markaki Why did I love this book?

Rome 70 A.D. The author has managed to create a very likable and very unlucky main character that brings a lot of laughter. The descriptions of ancient Rome are amazing, there is adventure and mystery and it is overall one of the books I go back to when I want to have fun and go back in time. An absolute worthy read! 

By Lindsey Davis,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked The Silver Pigs as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Rome. AD 70. Private eye Marcus Didius Falco knows his way round the eternal city. He can handle the muggers, the police and most of the girls. But one fresh 16 year old, Sosia Camillina, finds him a case no Roman should be getting his nose into . . . Sosia's uncle is a Senator with suspicions. Some friends, Romans and countryment are doing a highly profitable, if highly illegal, trade in silver ingots or pigs. For Falco it's the start of a murderous trail that leads far beyond the seven hills. To a godforsaken land called Britain, to Emperor…


Explore my book 😀

Unmapped

By Nektaría Markaki,

Book cover of Unmapped

What is my book about?

Lexie loves her lists and lives a well-programmed life. Manu hates anything confining and lives his life carefree. When Lexie decides to take a chance and change her boring life, Manu joins her on a long trip around Europe. Can two seemingly different people survive their differences? Will Lexie learn how it feels to wander unmapped in life and love, and will Manu learn how to put his chaotic life in order again?

A wandering romance. A life-changing discovery of all the important things in life. Because the most beautiful things in life are discovered by accident!

Book cover of The Pillars of the Earth
Book cover of Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae
Book cover of The Seventh Scroll

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

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

1,405

readers submitted
so far, will you?

You might also like...

Book cover of Deadly Sommer

Nicholas Harvey Author Of Twelve Mile Bank

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

My wife suggested we try scuba diving while on holiday in Grand Cayman. We were already falling in love with the island, and the incredible experience underwater opened a whole new world to us. From that moment on, our yearly travels changed completely. Our destination choices were now based upon diving opportunities. That was twenty years ago. Today, I’m a certified divemaster with dives all over the US (including Hawaii), the Caribbean (including Cuba), Australia, and even Iceland. Throw in my sense of adventure as a former race car driver, motorcycle rider, and outdoor adventurer, and I had plenty of personal experiences to create the AJ Bailey series.

Nicholas' book list on female scuba diving thrillers and mysteries

What is my book about?

Readers who enjoy police procedurals with an offbeat main character and fascinating locations will love this thriller.

One missing girl. Two lives on the line. Four treacherous challenges.

Nora Sommer's first case for the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service is one she'll never forget... if she survives. When the daughter of a wealthy businessman is taken, Nora is first on the scene and unwittingly 'chosen' by the kidnapper.

With the crime live-streamed across the internet, the eyes of the world are upon her as she faces a sequence of difficult challenges with the life of the kidnapped girl hanging on…

By Nicholas Harvey,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Deadly Sommer as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

One missing girl. Two lives on the line. Four treacherous challenges.

Nora Sommer's first case for the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service is one she'll never forget - if she survives.

When the daughter of a wealthy businessman is taken, Nora is first on the scene and unwittingly 'chosen' by the kidnapper. With the crime live-streamed across the internet, the eyes of the world are upon her as she faces a sequence of difficult challenges with the life of the kidnapped girl hanging on Nora's success - or failure.

Deadly Sommer is the thrilling first book in the Nora Sommer…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in private investigators, Ethiopia, and presidential biography?

Ethiopia 47 books