Welcome to Litsy!

#LMPBC Round 14 - #GroupA
@Jerdencon @smalldogs_bigbooks2419

@suvata has mailed a book to @IndoorDame

Thanks, y‘all. It was a fun round.

• Read in June 2022 for Litsy Markup Postal Book Club #LMPBC Round 14 - Group A

Interesting historical book about New York City society in the early 1900s and of the lifetime fear of a woman “passing” in a world made up of rich white men. Belle was a remarkable person.

Great book to wrap up #LMPBC Round 14

@suvata I just brought the book to the Post Office. Estimated delivery date 6/22. Tracking number 9549 0101 4222 2165 0116 34
@Jerdencon @IndoorDame I can‘t believe we‘re almost done with this swap! It‘s been so fun and I‘m really looking forward to getting our own books back and reading each other‘s comments. 🥰

What a fascinating story! Learning the intimate details of how JP Morgan‘s personal librarian carved a role for a successful women in the world of art & wealth was really interesting. It to learn that age did it while passing as white and all the struggles that come with that really made it intriguing. Very well written & enjoyable.

Finally got some shelving for our library we were renovating! I‘m so in love!! How do you guys organize your books?

I went with genre. But if I had multiple shelves of the same genre I grouped them as TBR or Read 😂

I‘m so far behind on writing reviews, it‘s ridiculous—but I was reminded of this one when I finished reading Passing today. Similar themes, but a very different book. I was fascinated to learn more about Belle da Costa Greene, personal librarian to J.P. Morgan, but I was disappointed in the book overall. The writing felt too bland & the characterization too gossipy/sensational. That said, I was impressed that Marie Benedict sought out ⤵️

3.5⭐️ I read it for a number of reasons, namely because I had heard about the subject of the novel on one of my numerous book podcasts. I thought the book was ok, despite the subject matter. #2022 #bookreview #bookstagram #historicalfiction #fiction #ebook #overbookedclub

The gist of this book is that JP Morgan‘s librarian was both super successful and passing as white. Here‘s her photo. Honestly, she is obvs not white to me. I think she passed despite her appearance because people couldn‘t believe that a black woman could be so capable and not only out negotiate men but understand and cherish the whitest of things: 12th-17th c European art. Full review https://www.facebook.com/1082882538/posts/10224799137740767/

@Jerdencon @suvata @IndoorDame Look what was waiting for me when I got home from work!! This is the one I‘ve really been looking forward to. I can‘t wait to get started! 🤗 #LMPBS #groupA #round14

Time for #OverBookedClub discussion. Check my page for the other posts with questions marked with spoilers. Questions from readinggroupguides.com

As a bibliophile and lover of libraries, I wanted to love this book about J.P. Morgan‘s librarian. Belle de Costa Greene was a remarkable woman who absolutely deserves to be a more well known figure in our history. Her intelligence, wit, style, and tenacity are evident and the novel is well-researched. However, I found the book to be a dull and inadequate vehicle to bring this extraordinary example of Black excellence into the spotlight. 2⭐️

I struggled with the circumstances of Bella‘s family passing for white for the first third of the novel. There was something about it that made me so uncomfortable for them. But I enjoyed her life story more and more as I went on. Very interesting piece of history. #OverBookedClub

🌟
I'm sad to say that the #OverbookedClub pick was a major disappointment this time. This was like reading Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous and all their indiscretions.
Small Great Things was much more interesting if you want to read about race relations. @megnews
#ThingsInCommon @Clwojick
The Story Collector & The Personal Librarian: Library
The Personal Librarian & Small Great Things: main characters are African American/Black/POC

This is an interesting novel about Belle de Costa Greene, J.P. Morgan‘s personal librarian. Belle becomes very influential in the art and book world all while hiding a huge secret - she is a Black woman “passing” as white (not a spoiler; info given in the book description).

Here‘s a cute picture of our pup, Gus, to make this review less of a bummer. As a librarian and decent human, I wanted to love this book so much. The story of Belle should be shouted from the rooftops, but her real story, not this dry and gossip-tinted one. I stopped halfway out of sheer boredom and complete disinterest in the romance that was brewing. No story arc in sight. Sigh. Sorry #overbookedclub, I hope I‘m the outlier here!
#dogsoflitsy

Friends, I‘m a little over 100 pages in and… I am so bored 🥱. I want to love this book, but instead I‘m contemplating bailing. Does anything actually happen or is it just a bunch of stilted writing and name dropping? #overbookedclub

Happy Monday, littens! I have a super exciting bookish thing to share! 💕📚💕 My library is hosting a bestselling author this fall; to do an interview, sign books, and talk to the community. Historical fiction author Marie Benedict is who was chosen! AND I WAS CHOSEN TO BE THE MODERATOR/INTERVIEWER FOR THIS EVENT! 😲 Can you believe it?! I sure can't! Out of everyone that works at both branches THEY CHOSE ME! 🎉 I am so grateful AND SO EXCITED!

All are welcome to join #OverBookedClub in reading The Personal Librarian in April. Discussion at the end of the month. I‘ve tagged those who expressed interest. If you‘d like to be tagged, please let me know.

Repost for @megnews

All are welcome to join #OverBookedClub in reading The Personal Librarian in April. Discussion at the end of the month. I‘ve tagged those who expressed interest. If you‘d like to be tagged, please let me know.

The book arrived @IndoorDame
#lmpbc #groupa @suvata @smalldogs_bigbooks2419

#AestheticallyMatched @Clwojick

#LMPBC #Round14 Update

I finished this month‘s books & definitely enjoyed both! I‘ll be sending The Personal Librarian to @Jerdencon & Snapdragon to @LibrarianRyan tomorrow

I got The Secret Wife in the mail today. Thanks @suvata Looking forward to reading that one!

I don‘t think I have The Perfume Thief back from #Round13 yet. @phantomx Do you have that one? If so, can you let me know when you send it out so I know when to be on the lookout?

#OverBookedClub picks for April to June! Looking forward to reading and discussing with you. All welcome!

Visit @megnews for more information

A fascinating fictionalised look at a tough, smart, and persevering woman of colour whom I am sad to say I had never heard of before reading this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#OverBookedClub picks for April to June! Looking forward to reading and discussing with you. All welcome!

I started my book for #LMPBC #Round14 #GroupA yesterday. I‘m loving this one so far! It‘s definitely thought provoking, and I‘m finding myself writing more notes that I often do, even in postal markup books. So far it‘s easy reading even though it‘s not really easy subject matter, so we‘ll see how far I get this weekend. @suvata @Jerdencon @smalldogs_bigbooks2419

I really enjoyed this book and the history of the personal librarian to JP morgan. She had to hide her true identity as an African American woman in order to rise to such a successful and influential position. 5/5

#LMPBC Round 14 - #GroupA
@Jerdencon @smalldogs_bigbooks2419 @suvata @IndoorDame

Updated Group A List

I'm not that big of a fan of Benedict. Not knocking her, just not my cup of tea. I don't know if it's the subject matter, the fact that this has a co-author, but I enjoyed this. Rather than exploring an alternate history, this is storacle fiction follows a true woman whose father was the first African American to graduate from Harvard, but she passed her adulthood as white, I'm broke gender barriers to become J.P. Morgan's personal librarian.

Historical fiction; this is the fascinating story of Belle da Costa Greene. Her notoriety as a career woman during the Gilded Age, personal librarian to JP Morgan, and partner in creating the Peirpont Morgan Library is an astonishing story, a nod to feminine strength & poise. Belle spent her entire life "passing" as white, hiding in plain sight & setting the art world on fire with her keen mind and sharp wits. This is moving story--one of a kind.

4 ⭐️ This 📖 is an acct of Belle da Costa Greene, a WOC who passed as white &, thus, was able to serve as J.P. Morgan‘s curator. The 📖 discusses the sacrifices, suffering, & courage it requires to hide the authentic self all bc of racism. This 📖 is a great tool for sparking discussion; also compelling is that the authors are from disparate racial backgrounds. In the 📖 notes & interviews, they share what it was like to work together.

This is a wonderful book! It‘s the second I‘ve read of Ms Benedict‘s and the first I‘ve read of Ms Murray‘s. And it will not be my last for either author, I‘m sure. Of course, it‘s a fictionalization of Belle da Costa Greene‘s life, but the authors take care to call out where artistic license was taken in the historical notes at the end of the book. If you like thought-provoking historical fiction, I absolutely recommend this.

19.The purpose of Power by Garza
20. The Deepest South of all.

Proud I read 6 books in January. If you count audio books, I'm on track to hit yearly goal. Here is my #Bookspin list. @TheAromaofBooks

I'm getting soooooo much accomplished at work today... if you count listening to an audiobook and #knitting an accomplishment 🤣
I'm almost 100 pages into this book and it really isn't doing much for me. I'm giving it another 50 to grab me or I'm gonna bail...
#audioknitting

Highly recommend this historical fiction telling the important story of one of the US‘s most notable librarians, Belle da Costa Greene, who had to hide her racial identity during the early 1900s in order to work in an esteemed position. Her skills and knowledge resulted to a curated collection of amazing rare books + manuscripts. This his fic is a co-written project that tells her story. Excellent writing and genuinely interesting/educational! 💜

Historical fiction novel about Belle Decosta Green, the African-American (who was passing for white) librarian to JP Morgan. Very engaging novel! I usually don‘t like historical fiction but I liked this one. Made me interested in reading her biography.

The weekend forecast looks like a strong chance of books and more books.

I‘m really enjoying reading about Belle Marion Greener / Belle da Costa Greene. Such an amazing woman who helped build JP Morgan‘s library, all while passing. There is great collaboration between the authors. Glad my IRL book club picked this book to read!

#FriendsWithBooks

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First five star read of 2022.

Belle is passing as a white woman in the early 1900‘s when she lands the job as head librarian of J.P. Morgan‘s personal library. Her constant fear that discovery of her deception would erase all her achievements was frustrating to read. Not because it was harped on, but because it was true. Belle built a library full of wonder despite the odds being doubly against her as ⬇️

The story of Belle De Costa Green is fascinating. This fictionalized account of her life explores her complicated relationship with JP Morgan, her challenges as she became a powerful women in a time when women had very little position or power, and her inner turmoil that came with passing as a white woman. It's an interesting introduction to the life of anamazing woman. This was my January #Bookspin. @TheAromaofBooks

#September #12BooksOf2021

This was a fascinating historical fiction look at the personal librarian of American financier JP Morgan. And, the fact that she had secrets of her own…amazing! I loved learning Belle‘s story and would really love to learn more!

Ready to start 2022 off strong with my January #bookspin list!

Thank you for hosting another year @thearomaofbooks!

Set in mid 1900‘s East Coast USA, this story is told from first person of an extraordinary woman of her time who becomes famous for her intellect, wit, scarves, and grace to navigate high society. All the while she is hiding her true racial identity while she carefully crafts a place for herself in the all white blue blood world of JP Morgan.

Starting this one today! Thank you Penny and Alexandria! ❤️ I didn‘t realize it was based on a true story. I found this interesting article also!! And this bag!! A Christmas gift from William! I can put EVERYTHING in here!

https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2021/08/31/1031802246/the-story-of-j-p-m...

#LitsyLove

Such a beautiful, thoughtful, lovely package from two ladies very special to me! My favorite chapstick, butterflies 🦋 which I love, the most thoughtful necklace 🦋 (made me tear up) and this book sounds amazing!! My heart is so full! Thank you Penny and Alexandria from the bottom of my heart ❤️ I love y‘all 🤗

#LitsyLove

I have seen mixed reviews on this one but I really enjoyed learning about Belle da Costa Greene. Even though it was historical fiction there was a lot of factual elements in the storyline and the authors tried to honor her by including as much of her real history as possible. There were some slow parts but the audiobook moved along pretty good. She was definitely a standout among women of her time!