- 23 novels based on real events
- 1- Diary of Anne Frank, Anne Frank
- 2- In cold blood, Truman Capote
- 3- In the time of butterflies, Julia Álvarez
- 4- Horror lives here, Jay Anson
- 5- Diary of a Skin, Antonio Salas
- 6- The Palestinian, Antonio Salas
- 7- Angela's ashes, Frank McCourt
- 8- A burqa for love, Reyes Monforte
- 9- The monster of Florence, Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi
- 10- The wire girls, Jordi Sierra and Fabra
- 11- The hidden time, Joaquín M. Barrero
- 12- Paula, Isabel Allende
- 13- Zodiac, Robert Graysmith
- 14- The girl in the street, Virtu Moron and Kaoutar Haik
- 15- Secret operations of the Second World War, Jesús Hernández
- 16- Towards the Wild, Jon Krakauer
- 17- The Exorcist, William Peter Blatty
- 18- The black cherry trees, Ernestina Sodi Miranda
- 19- I will obey God, Jon Krakuer
- 20- The story of Luz, Fernando Gamboa
- 21- The time of the oaks, Abel Carvajal
- 22- The Executioner's Song, Normal Mailer
- 23- Operation Valkyria, Tobias Kniebe
- 24- Sweet song, Leïla Slimani
- 25- Never Anyone But You, Rupert Thomson
- 26- Girl waits with gun, Amy Stewart
- 27- Red Joan, Jennie Rooney
- 28- Murder On The Orient Express, Agatha Christie
- Themes of interest
I leave you a list of books based on real events that I recommend both for their literary quality and for the uniqueness of the story. Among them you can find Diary of a skin, Paula, Towards wild routes, The exorcist, among others.
The interest in a book based on reality is linked to the curiosity of knowing that what you are reading has really happened, so there are many works that appear every year and that reach the top positions in sales numbers.
If you can think of any that you have been able to read and it is not on the list, let us know in the comments and I will add it to the list without any problem.
23 novels based on real events
1- Diary of Anne Frank, Anne Frank
The Diary of Anne Frank is probably the most famous true story book in all of history.
When you open it, you will see a diary written between June 12, 1942 and August 1, 1944 by the young Anne Frank, a Jewish girl trying to survive the Second World War.
To do this, he hid for two years in a small attic of a warehouse in Amsterdam (Netherlands), recounting the events from the childish and innocent point of view of a little girl.
2- In cold blood, Truman Capote
A true literary work of art. With In Cold Blood, its author, journalist and writer Truman Capote gives rise to a new genre: the non-fiction novel, which combines both investigation and novel facts.
In this way, Capote goes to Kansas to investigate and tell the tragedy of the Clutter family murders, both from the point of view of the family itself and of the pair of criminals who carried out the crime.
Also, if you want more information on the matter, you cannot miss the movie Capote, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman and which earned him the Oscar for best actor in 2005.
3- In the time of butterflies, Julia Álvarez
Julia Álvarez tells the story of three Dominican sisters from the mid-twentieth century oppressed by the dictatorial regime of General Rafael Leónidas Trujillo who try to confront him.
Incredible book that will help you to know a little better the terrible consequences of living in a totalitarian regime.
4- Horror lives here, Jay Anson
Jay Anson's book that attempts to explain the events that occurred in the 1970s in the small New York town of Amityville.
Back in 1974, six out of seven of the members of the DeFeo family were killed in their sleep. Only one was able to survive this atrocity, which goes to the police to try to find out who caused such a multiple crime.
The story did not end there, since the following year, a family would move into the empty house to evict it a month. They claimed to have been victims of various "paranormal phenomena."
5- Diary of a Skin, Antonio Salas
Antonio Salas is a renowned investigative journalist who has entered the heart of the most dangerous groups on the international scene.
On this occasion, his experience within the "skinheads" has served him to write Diario de un Skin, a whole journalistic work turned into a book where he tells the ins and outs of a neo-Nazi organization that arouses fear among society.
6- The Palestinian, Antonio Salas
Along with Diario de un Skin, El Palestino is one of Antonio Salas's best works.
After years of preparation, among which he was studying Arabic, converting to Islam and creating a new identity, the Spanish writer mimicked and became intimate with different terrorists from groups such as Al Qaeda, ETA or the FARC.
The book is essential for anyone who wants to hear real stories, which also provide journalistic value and are totally impressive.
7- Angela's ashes, Frank McCourt
Winner of the Pulitzer and National Book Critic Circle Award, Frank McCourt's work even has his own movie.
Angela's Ashes takes us to Ireland in the mid-20th century, where McCourt tells us a family and autobiographical story. Its 400 pages relate the misfortunes and problems suffered by a young man who seems not to have all the luck she should have in life.
8- A burqa for love, Reyes Monforte
The Spanish María Galera is the protagonist of this novel in which she falls in love with an Afghan in the city of London.
After this event, the couple decided to move to Afghanistan, where Maria converts to Islam and begins to raise her children in the middle of the war.
The story, easy to read and entertaining, will catch you from the first moment. In addition, it even has its own television series.
9- The monster of Florence, Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi
Book published in 2010 that tells the story of the serial killer who scared Florencia for almost twenty years.
The "Florence monster" stabbed couples in isolated areas while engaging in sexual activity. This would go on to be charged with eight double murders.
Likewise, it should be noted that its authors, both Preston and Spezi, decided to create the book due to the passivity and ineffectiveness of government researchers. The shortcomings they revealed in the brief led to Spezi's imprisonment and Preston's expulsion from Italy.
10- The wire girls, Jordi Sierra and Fabra
Would you like to dedicate yourself to the world of fashion? If the answer is yes, The Wire Girls is your book. Everything that fashion shows its face seems idyllic, but what it hides is much more complex.
Jordi Sierra's creation tells the ins and outs of the backstage, the pressure the models are subjected to, the drugs they take, the chronic diseases they suffer, etc. All a revelation of the true reality to which young people who belong to the profession are subjected.
11- The hidden time, Joaquín M. Barrero
Based on a case that occurred years ago in Spain, Hidden Time tells the story of a detective who begins to study the discovery of the remains of two men who had disappeared years before.
12- Paula, Isabel Allende
Paula is a deep and sentimental book. The well-known writer Isabel Allende writes what is a tribute to her daughter. In it, the course of the disease and its subsequent death are told.
The work is an exercise in reflection, where the emotions that Isabel captures will make your hair stand on end.
13- Zodiac, Robert Graysmith
Work centered on a series of crimes that tells the story of a serial killer nicknamed Zodiac, who terrorized California in the late 1960s.
Causing seven deaths, Zodíaco managed to evade the police for years. His ability to leave no trace meant that his identity was never revealed.
Given this, and the possibility of creating a book, Garysmith dedicated 10 years of his life to investigate the terrible events.
14- The girl in the street, Virtu Moron and Kaoutar Haik
Shocking story of Kaoutar Haik, a young woman who at the age of twelve was forced to marry in Morocco (for a ridiculous amount) to a man she had never seen and who was twice her age.
From that moment, his life became in a whole spiral of both psychic and psychological problems.
15- Secret operations of the Second World War, Jesús Hernández
Jesús Hernández tells us over almost 400 pages some of the most interesting and curious stories of the Second World War.
It shows us the facts of some protagonists who have been eliminated from the vast majority of the texts that deal with or have something to do with the subject.
With its reading you will know the deeds of the men who did not appear in the newspapers of the time and who worked in the shadows. Critics have already praised the historical rigor with which the author approaches the events.
16- Towards the Wild, Jon Krakauer
When the lifeless body of the young 24-year-old Chris McCandles appeared in the lands of Alaska, a halo of mysticism arose among the inhabitants of the place. Given this, the writer Jon Krakauer decided to go to the area to investigate and start writing in what would be one of his most successful books.
The reason for these events you will see reflected in the story of a recent graduate who separated from his family to escape and get lost in strange regions.
If you want to know more about this story you can also find a movie released in 2008 and directed by Sean Penn.
17- The Exorcist, William Peter Blatty
Its fatal and dark history has been a milestone in horror stories. The events that are discussed occurred in 1949, the year in which a girl of only twelve years is possessed by the devil. Given this, the family has no choice but to call an exorcist so that she can eliminate the demon within her.
Also, you've probably heard of his movie. Adapted in the 1970s and directed by William Fredkin, it has become a horror movie classic.
18- The black cherry trees, Ernestina Sodi Miranda
Some young Mexican cousins seek to see their dream come true: to become famous models. To achieve this, their trip will take them to Japan.
In the Japanese country, Latina models are highly sought after. The problem comes when they discover that they have been victims of a deception that will lead them to become slaves of the yakuza, one of the most powerful and dangerous mafias in the world.
19- I will obey God, Jon Krakuer
On this occasion, the author immerses himself in information to reveal and provide new information about the murder of a woman and her daughter at the hands of two brothers that shocked the entire United States.
They claimed to do so "by divine command", words that served Krakuer to establish the name of his book.
In I will obey God, it will not only talk about the well-known murder, but also the power that the Church has to influence people and the so-called "prophets" who are preaching controversial sermons.
20- The story of Luz, Fernando Gamboa
Luz is a Colombian girl who tries to find her mother in the middle of the war. The misfortunes take over in her life and she can do nothing but fight and stand up to them to try to get ahead.
The plot, deep and sentimental, hooks from the first moment with characters and stories that will surely make you get excited on more than one occasion.
21- The time of the oaks, Abel Carvajal
Book that presents a very different structure to anything seen before.
Abel Carvajal writes a set of comics based on characters and real events from Venezuela and Colombia in the 20th century.
Being one of the most popular books by this well-known author, his style is agile, quick and easy to read.
22- The Executioner's Song, Normal Mailer
Pulitzer Prize winner summarizing Gary Gilmore's life from his parole at age 35 to his subsequent execution.
His crime was to carry out two murders without any mercy. What was striking, in addition to the deaths, was that it was the first legal execution in the United States since the reintroduction of the death penalty.
23- Operation Valkyria, Tobias Kniebe
This documentary book narrates one of the most controversial episodes of World War II: a plot formed by different Wehrmacht officers who planned to assassinate Adolf Hitler.
Without a doubt, a must for any history lover. Especially for those who seek to learn more about the most decisive facts of the most devastating war that humanity has known.
If you are really interested, you can also watch the eponymous movie starring Tom Cruise.
24- Sweet song, Leïla Slimani
Based on the story of Yoselyn Ortega, a nanny who murdered two children in her care. The novel begins with the discovery of the death of the children by the mother.
Later the story shows the parents distressed by the care of their children. They decide to hire Louise as a babysitter, who appears to be an educated and calm woman. Over time it begins to behave inappropriately, which will generate suspicion.
25- Never Anyone But You, Rupert Thomson
The love between two women will take them down an unimaginable path. Lucie and Suzanne meet and become sisters by chance in the early 20th century.
They fall in love and decide to move together to Paris, where under the pseudonyms Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore they rebuild their lives.
But in a time when anti-Semitism was popular, both women will be a symbol and example of resistance against Nazi Germany. A novel based on real events that were long forgotten.
26- Girl waits with gun, Amy Stewart
Based on the story of America's first female sheriffs. The protagonist Constance Kopp aims to lead a quiet life away from marriage or any other domestic concern.
However, one day she runs into an arrogant and powerful man, who will force her to leave her peace of mind to defend her family at all costs, with the help of the bailiff and her sisters.
27- Red Joan, Jennie Rooney
A novel inspired by Melita Norwood, a British-born spy who leaked relevant information to the Soviets during World War II.
Joan will have a life full of crossroads where she must choose between love, friendship, her career, her country and her principles.
28- Murder On The Orient Express, Agatha Christie
One of Agatha Christie's most famous novels. Detective Hercule Poirot must solve a murder case that occurred on the Orient Express.
Themes of interest
Books of all genres
Short novels
Self-help books
Suspense books
Adventure books
Science fiction books
Mystery books
Detective novels
Psychology books
Horror books