Died and went to heaven today
DivineDiana And where is heaven, pray tell? 🙂 2y
PathfinderNicole Is this in Columbus? 2y
Dcueto How rude of me!!! this is Chamblin bookmine in Jacksonville, FL 2y
61 likes3 comments
A Well-Behaved Woman: A Novel of the Vanderbilts | 
Died and went to heaven today
so-soWriting style was patchy with weird 4th wall breaks and sentences starting with 'too' (meaning 'also') which I found jarring. Subject matter could've been more interesting had writer focused on Alva's philanthropic endeavours/work for women's rights rather than the mundane marrying well & climbing society - book ends when it get to that part of her life! Think I'd have preferred a straight biography - the events here are pretty boring.
Great. Trying to read & A dot Ham pops up and now the whole musical is playing in my head 🙄
Opened my #jolabokaflodswap to find not one but two of one of my favorite types of chocolate along with a historical novel that I have been wanting to read. Thank you again @WriterAtHeart And thank you @MaleficentBookDragon for organizing the swap
pickA pleasant-enough historical fiction read about Alva Smith Vanderbilt Belmont(tagged book). Its real value, however, was that it piqued my interest and prompted me to pick up a nonfiction account of the Vanderbilts so I can get the real story.
“What‘s that you‘re reading? ‘A Well-Behaved ... Woman‘? Not ‘Cat‘? Whew. Okay. Carry on, then.”
A slow start for me grew into a fascinating #histfic honoring Alva Smith Vanderbilt Belmont, who claimed her #SenseofDuty to fight for the rights of ALL women to vote. Audio version pictured with my new T-shirt.
#SeptemberSenses @Eggs
pickThis book definitely had a big plot twist that I didn‘t expect! The fact that William was involved with another lady was no surprise but the fact that it was Consuelo! I really admired the message that the book gives that women should be confident, that they should cut the cord for toxic relationships and also fight for equality.
pickAlva, a strong willed and clever woman in the 19th century, who came out from the ashes like a Phoenix as her family lost their titles and she had very little opportunity to marry a good candidate that would rescue her from her very poor family situation. She was able to accomplish this and get married to a W.K. Vanderbilt and made the best out of this situation, growing into a very admired woman in the 1800's U.S' society.
Almost forgot I had this library book and thought I'd better get back to it while I can.
"It‘s a kind of magic, being able to read, don‘t you think so?"
I love this idea! This is my #weeklyforecast (with room for add-ins!). I am reading A Well-Behaved Woman, next up is Time After Time, and I‘d also like to finish Breaking the Ocean as my first Non-fiction November book.
@Cinfhen
I am on a panel with Therese Anne Fowler in two weeks in Winston-Salem so I‘m catching up on her work. (Anyone in the area should come. It‘s Bookmarks‘ book club event and you can get tickets through them.)
pickI love a good fictionalized story of a real person - and this one was great! I just wish it had spent a little more time on her suffragette time.
pickI fell in love with this book and Alva Vanderbilt. 💛 I had no idea she was so instrumental in the women‘s suffrage movement. Her life is an incredible story and I am grateful for her efforts. I can‘t imagine living in that time period. The style and language of the story was very eloquent and era appropriate. 5🌟
pick“She had more wit and intelligence and capability than almost any man she‘d ever met, and while she could not say that every woman she‘d known would do a better job running things than the men who adjudicated their lives, they certainly wouldn‘t do worse.”
I‘m glad the author chose to focus on Alva, who married into the Vanderbilts. Her husband seems uninteresting and selfish. I would like to read more about George (owner of Biltmore). ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Talking politics with ___ was terribly romantic; what could be more endearing and stimulating than to have her intelligence and viewpoints taken seriously by an attractive, interesting man?”
I realized today that 4 recent books I‘ve read have been set in the Victorian era (& I have 3 more). One started at civil war but others are in 1870‘s-1890‘s in either America or England. All the women characters want to be recognized for their intelligence.
Had this book on hold for about a month. I‘ve been to the Biltmore estate a couple of times, so I wanted to learn more about the Vanderbilts. This is about the brother and sister-in-law (William and Alva) of George (who built the Biltmore).
Started this on my walk this morning. #litsywalkers #bfc #4miles #audiobook
pickThis is a photo of Alva Vanderbilt. After her mother died,Alva was desperate to find a husband whose fortune would support her, and her sisters and father. She was educated and socially connected, but impoverished. Marriage to William Vanderbilt was not about love, but survival. Fascinating history of a bygone era. Alva went on to design homes that would change New York, and become active in the Suffragette movement.
In reviewing my reads of 2019, these are my #top6reads so far. It was interesting to see that I had rated many 4 star novels, but only 2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Also, that most of my 5 star ratings were for books of poetry! And I can thank @monalyisha for that trend! Thank you for the tag @readordierachel
Not sure who has been tagged, so please show me your choices!
My first challenge! I‘m excited! My six weeks goals as follows:
Books: 4
Fitness: CrossFit 4X/wk and lunchtime mini-wods 2X/wk
Team names...hmmm...no clue. Are we all newbies? @crazyspine @wanderinglynn @WriterAtHeart @laurar311 @BookBridget @jmtrivera @Honeybeegirl @BookishBelle
Picture: My Luna girl 😍
After a fun, non-stop weekend last week, I‘m going to sit & enjoy this relaxed one 👍🏻
Does this get better? I‘m about a quarter of the way in and it‘s a snooze! Not at all what i had hoped once i read her bio (online).
Regrettably, I haven‘t kept up with my #bfc posts. This was is today‘s #audiowalk. #bookfitnesschallenge
I didn‘t know Fowler had a new one coming out. The publicist was delighted by my squeal of joy.
#bookexpo19 #bookexpo #BEA
This #audiobook on #Overdrive is a glimpse into the lives of the super rich about 100 years ago.
so-soThis book was interesting and well written but it seemed to drag for me. It had parts that were very interesting and fast paced and then it would go through periods of slowness and not a lot of variety.
An interesting read to learn more about the early feminism movement in New York and a look inside the Vanderbilt name as well. It‘s a good book, just slow at times!
so-soThis is the April selection for my book club... and though I voted for this one, I ended up not really enjoying this #Audiobook as much as I had hoped! It‘s well-researched and certainly detailed but I never felt the characters really come to life or feel genuinely connected to them. Alva led a fascinating life, but I wish the focus here had been less on romance and high society... #AudioColoring
pickThe Marble House and Belcourt mansions were always my favorite mansions in Newport. I was amazed to learn that Alva Vanderbilt Belmont lived in both mansions when I first toured them. This is the fictionalized story of Alva and her determination for a good life for herself and her family. There was a bit of a lull in the middle of the book, but I really enjoyed when the construction of Marble House began. #netgalley #arc
pick4 ⭐ this was a really good story, about the life of Alva Vanderbilt, wife of WK Vanderbilt. How she used her connection to the elite class to marry in to the Vanderbilt family, though her family was impoverished from the civil war. She evolved into a force for womens rights at the turn of the 20th century. Well worth reading
pick3.5 ⭐️. I always enjoy reading books that center around the Vanderbilt Family and the era during which they lived. This book did well the the historical perspective of Alva Smith Vanderbilt Belmont. This a portrait of a strong woman. #libbyapp
I should be studying for midterms. However, I feel like reading my library books I checked out. 🤷🏻♀️😅
New York's Gilded Age.....what a fascinating world....
pickAnother wonderful novel by Fowler of a progressive woman who is too often portrayed as one-dimensional because she stepped outside of her expected place.
See also — Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald.
I visit the Biltmore every spring with my bestie so I have been looking forward to this read! It did not disappoint! I truly enjoyed the story in itself and I always enjoy a novel based on an amazing woman for her time. Also, Fowler accomplished another novel that captured the spirit and determination of a public figure that tends to be sensationalized.
Interesting #epigraph #GeorgeEliot
pickHad the pleasure of attending a reading by Ms. Fowler recently, and followed that with the pleasure of reading this engaging historical fiction / hypothetical biography. And heard back promptly from the author when I wrote to point out two small inconsistencies.
It‘s 1am...just one more chapter. ❤️📚❤️
Mommy? Will you read me a bedtime story? Puurease?
#catsoflitsy
Enjoying this book very much so far, but really feel for Alva and where society‘s norms and gender roles have let her down. Looking forward to the rest.
Finally I get to read something because I choose to, rather than “required reading”.
I‘ve been looking forward to Therese Anne Fowler‘s new book for ages. I loved Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald. (But then, considering my cat‘s name, I may have been prejudiced in its favour.)
My baby was kind enough to pose with my new hardcover of Z that a friend found for me at Goodwill. #catsoflitsy #favouriteauthor
