Welcome to Litsy!

I am obsessed with learning about Biltmore House and George Vanderbilt‘s family. This book provides an extremely detailed and thorough history of both. The family suffered so much tragedy while making it a priority to help others less fortunate. Biltmore is such an amazing place to me and I‘m awestruck every time I visit. The author also writes about Asheville, NC, famous visitors, and well known businesses. #MountTBR

This is the #library in the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C. My dream job is to be a living history reenactor here in this room, but in my imagination I‘d just dress up and read on one of the couches. #LitsySpringBreak

A bit ho- hum about the history of the building of the Biltmore in Asheville by the grandson of the original robber baron. Won‘t recommend this book but it has set me off on a search for why the Vanderbilts lost all their money. I suspect it has something to do with house envy: 10 mansions on 5th ave, the Breakers and this - sheesh!

Today is one of my favorite days of the year. Jolabokaflod!

We have been celebrating this for 20 years now. Today is all about relaxing, snack food with plenty of chocolate and books!!

And I get to wear my @outofprint shirt! After dinner, we get ready for Midnight Mass which will be virtual this year.

I love that John bought me #cozymysteries plus a book about the Biltmore.

Putting this one down at 157 pages. It's dry. It's boring. It's a list of facts and the facts aren't all that interesting. Unfortunately.

One of the most famous places in the North Carolina mountains is the Biltmore Estate. It‘s now a tourist attraction but was once the largest private home in the US. Biltmore was built by George Vanderbilt. The Last Castle explores its history. #mountains #LetsTravelJuly

This was okay. It was a very surface covering of the VanDerBilts and the rich and famous people of the day. There were a lot of interesting tidbits but overall I found myself asking who cares. Not because the topic wasn‘t interesting but because it often read almost like lists of famous people, things done to the house, instead of a story. #readwomen #readingwomenchallenge - Appalachia

It was a fantastic weekend around Asheville, even though Saturday was a rainy day! I managed to show restraint in Malaprop's and this is what I left with. I'm already planning to check out a couple used bookstores some folks recommended in the area on my next visit!

We're on a spur of the moment weekend trip to Asheville and I finally visited Malaprop's! I bought the tagged book but somehow resisted these amazing coffee cups!

Breakfast and then the Biltmore~

Reading The Last Castle while chilling at the historic Grove Park Inn~

We'll be visiting the Biltmore tomorrow!

Wow! What an interesting story and a delightful read! Kiernan, by way of her beautiful writing, in-depth research and excellent perspective made what could have been a dry, boring story extremely captivating. It‘s especially awesome that I recently visited Biltmore House. I highly recommend both the book and a tour. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“...the china boasted a gold and burgundy border, and when the flames emanating from one of the hall‘s three fireplaces were just right, the Baccarat crystal would catch their reflection.”-

Kiernan‘s writing is poetic. So delightful...

To the right of the main hall was the Palm Court...The sunken space offered endless light and sky through its wood and glass dome and promised a sunny respite from winter‘s chill.

“The season‘s star was the banquet hall...with three fireplaces at the one end and an organ gallery at the other”
(So fun reading this book after a visit to Biltmore.)

It‘s such a delight reading this book after my visit to Biltmore Estate a few days ago.

I was mostly interested in the historical aspects of the Biltmore -- and Kiernan did a nice job with those elements. The society elements were there too -- how the families were related, who knew who, the parties, etc -- but that wasn't particularly interesting to me.

Finishing this book tonight before tomorrow nights book club meetup. Magical! I want to spend #ChristmasatBiltmore one year.
#bookandwinepairing 📚🍷 Biltmore Estates Christmas at Biltmore Red Blend

Nice finish to a good day

Time to start the #december #bookclubbook
Someday, I will spend Christmas at Biltmore

Excited about this one! 🤗

I‘m way early for a job interview, so I‘m killing some time with my book club book... that needs to be finished by tomorrow.

I feel ya George. That‘s where I‘m at with the new house. It‘s got me bummed. 😞

I learned so much about this family and their philanthropy.

I always seem to enjoy these kinds of books so I don't think I can be objective about it. I CAN say that I really want to go to explore Asheville and visit the Biltmore Estate! Has anyone been?

#NoFilter needed for this summer day. Simply gorgeous outside 💛

All I want to do is read my book, it‘s in my purse, in my drawer. BUT, I‘m at work and that‘s typically frowned upon in most offices lol ughhhhhhhh

The hubs thinks I‘m crazy for always toting my book around. Case in point; this is why I always tote my book around 😂🤓

The hubs is working today, so that means my morning consists of bed, coffee, book 🛏☕️📚

#bookmail 💕💖💕💖💕

Got this text message alerting me my #bookmail for the tagged book is in my mailbox at home. Only problem is now my day at work is drrrrrrraaaaaaaggggggiiiiinnnngggggg 😞🤣 Maybe next time I‘ll have them ship to my work address 🤔

Having visited the Biltmore several years ago on a family vacation, I really enjoyed this look behind the scenes of the creation of this grand estate and into the lives of the Vanderbilt family. Spanning the decades beginning in the 1880s to the present day, the tales from the Gilded Age were the most interesting to me.

I don't know why it is that when I go to an airport and ALREADY have a book (and usually a backup) I have to talk myself out of buying one because all of a sudden it looks better than what I have! The Last Castle was practically winking st me to take it home!

Trying to get out of this wicked deep reading rut....

A few #castle titles that I've read. The Last Castle is a history of Biltmore estate in Asheville, NC; A Charmed Life is a memoir about growing up in MacBeth's Cawdor Castle; Lady Almina and the real Downton Abbey is about Highclere Castle, where the show was filmed; and The Glass Castle is of course not about a real castle at all. Jeanette Walls' memoir was a summer reading selection at the college where I work. #readingresolutions

My current library book.

#castle #readingresolutions
@Jess7

Reading about Biltmore Estate using the stand I got for Christmas. Not quite as glamorous as Vanderbilt‘s library but I like it. #24in48

Saturday morning reading companion #catsoflitsy

This felt very much like an outsider-looking-in kind of narrative. Kiernan obviously did a lot of research, but I never felt like I knew any of the Vanderbilts or Biltmore.
#LMPBC This is on its way to @suvata
#catsoflitsy

Finally! After my third try, I finally kept this book long enough to finish it. We live about an hour from Biltmore, and have visited many times, so I found the additional information about the management of the estate and the family fascinating.

Skimmed some of tbe details, but I still found this to be a fascinating look at the Vanderbilts and their lasting impact. While wealth disparity is disturbing, much is to be admired about George's, and especially Edith's, commitment to their community. We owe them for the Pisgah National Forest, protecting art treasures, establishing education programs, garden knowledge, & more. #flowers #NewYearReads @bookloo @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

And a final catch-up post. Starting The Last Castle for #lmpbc and seriously tempted to start The Secret History, which @Natasha.C.Barnes so sweetly sent to me 😘, but don‘t want to miss #LetsGetGraphicweeklongmarathon so I‘ll be choosing from this stack for the week.
#shorterhashtagsrock

Just 1 more 2017 book for me to review after this! I read The Last Castle for #LMPBC, which is why it is one of my only nonfictions of the year. While history isn't really my thing (and NF-wise I'm used to reading articles or chapters in books as opposed to a whole book), it is clear that this one was well written. I certainly came away with a much different idea of this family & estate than I had at the outset (which was based on almost no info).

Hey #LMPBC group A! Yesterday The Last Castle arrived from @TheBookHippie ...and my package of White is for Witching for @LauraJ was returned to me!!!!!!! I'm SO SORRY, Laura, I was in such a rush to get it out before the party that I made a mistake with the address! I feel terrible. I put it in a priority envelope and sent it off again so that fingers crossed it arrives before the weekend is out. I promise this won't happen again. 😖

One heading out ...one came in #LMPBC GROUP A...mine is headed out to @Natasha.C.Barnes . 📖📖📖💕

I‘m so excited !!!! #LMPBC

#LMPBC my pick!!! @suvata @Natasha.C.Barnes @LauraJ

#LMPBC Group A

Just couldn‘t get into this one.

Read and then go to see it. I've read and going to see it in the spring when the azaleas are in bloom. I learned so much from this book about the Vanderbilt family and so many more people and forestry and the list goes on and on

So good