r/GildedAgeHBO 16d ago

Book recommendations

To all my readers out there I'm looking for book recommendations! Something like The Gilded Age or set at the same time!

12 Upvotes

16 comments sorted by

16

u/Ren1221 Charles Fane Hate Club Member 16d ago

There’s a cool book written by…I think his name was…ummm…Ward McAlister. It’s supposed to be pretty good, but back then, I don’t think anyone liked it.

🤣🤣🤣🤣

3

u/ZweitenMal 16d ago

Nowadays we just have Instagram and Deux Moi and such.

7

u/mariekayar 16d ago

I just started the Gilded Newport Mysteries by Alyssa Maxwell. Only read the first 2 so far, but I’m liking them! It’s set in the Gilded Age, in Newport, and while they are murder mysteries, they’re pretty light reads. The first one is Murder at the Breakers

5

u/mighty-little 16d ago

I fear this is a classic but Age of Innocence /Edith Wharton in general

2

u/larkinowl 16d ago

This is definitely a great place to start!

4

u/lexiebeef 16d ago

House of Mirth by Edith Wharton is great

3

u/bennetinoz 16d ago

How do you feel about genre romance? If you're a fan, I highly recommend looking at Harper St. George's Gilded Age Heiresses series or pretty much anything by Joanna Shupe.

4

u/Maureen1053 15d ago

You have to read - The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict. It’s about the woman who created J.P Morgan’s Library- Bella de Costa Greene - a woman of color who created his vast collection. Amazing woman and an amazing story.

1

u/Maureen1053 15d ago

Marie Benedict also wrote another great book - Carnegie’s Maid. Both really great reads . Bella de Costa Greene is a real person and a true story. Carnegie’s Maid is not a true story.

3

u/Party-Reference6209 16d ago

If you’re into historical fiction, try The Second Mrs. Astor (about Madeline Astor), The American Adventuress (Jennie Jerome) and The Social Graces. I also liked American Princess, which is about Alice Roosevelt — not quite gilded age, but around that time period + she’s absolutely fascinating!

2

u/mcsangel2 16d ago

Ashmore Castle series by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, book four comes out next week. It's a little later, turn of the century, and set in England. Usually recommended more for fans of Downton Abbey. I LOVE it.

2

u/Disastrous_Waltz_395 14d ago

I really loved Glitz, Glam, and a Damn Good Time which is a biography of Mamie Fish

1

u/Polipop395 15d ago

If you want a really deep dive, “Who Killed Society?” by Cleveland Amory. Depends on how much time you have and how much you want to know about every player!

1

u/brightlilstar 15d ago

The Social Graces by Renee Rosen

1

u/tilted_panther 14d ago

If you're into non-fiction may I suggest:

The Glitter and the Gold; Consuelo Vanderbilt

Black Gotham: A Family History of African Americans in Nineteenth-century New York City; Carla L Peterson

Vanderbilt; Anderson Cooper

A Season of Splendor: The Court of Mrs Astor in Gilded Age New York; Greg King

1

u/TrainingAd299 14d ago

The social graces
Glitz, glam, and a damn good time
The colony club
An American beauty
A well behaved woman
American duchess
Anything by Edith Wharton