Having trouble finding an interesting one for a book report, I was wondering if you guys could help me. The most interesting time period is the atomic age for me.
Apologizing in advance if this is the wrong subreddit, I've just lurked here for a while and thought it would be a good place to ask.
Unfortunately for you, my favorites are (1) series (2) from much earlier than the atom bomb.
The Brother Cadfael mysteries by Ellis Peters. Brother Cadfael is an herbalist monk living in western England in the mid-1100s, the Unlaw (a period of anarchy). He solves an improbable number of mysterious murders. (Sure there were plenty of murders in that time, it's just that few of them should have been the least bit mysterious.) The attitudes feel a bit modern to me -- not the setting, but the opinions of the protagonists.
Margaret Frazer, the Sister Frevisse mysteries. Nun, 1400s, near the end of the Hundred Year's War, mysterious murders. This has a much more medieval feel. Also, some famous characters get a look in (the Tudor brothers, the duke of Suffolk, Good Duke Humphrey).
Patrick O'Brian. 1800 to 1815. Aubrey is a captain in the Royal Navy; Maturin is a surgeon and [spoiler]; together, they fight Napoleon! Many attitudes feel of the period. There are some amazingly funny bits -- "Jack, you have debauched my sloth." is justly famous. A lot of action too, mostly naval, and psycho-drama (though I am getting thoroughly tired of Maturin's introspection). Many incidents were taken from actual history or from logs with the serial numbers filed off. The only drawback I've heard of: I'm told that O'Brian got many of the fiddly naval sailing motions wrong (right words, wrong use). But I don't know whether that's true or not.
The Name of the Rose. It's not a book, it's an experience. While there may be many errors in the book (not that I actually bothered to go and check because I didn't want to spoil my joyful reading), the reading absolutely transports you to the Middle Ages.