All Things Spooky and Strange With Book Witch Brittany

Meet your friendly neighborhood book witch! This week, we’re getting to know fantasy lover Brittany, our Up-and-Coming Bookstagrammer.

Phoebe Pineda –
Book Culture Bookish Socials Fantasy Recommendations
A black background with faded white and teal images of witchy things like skulls, potion bottles, moons, and constellations. "Up and coming Bookstagrammer of the Week" is in white text at the top. On the bottom are three images. On the left is a picture of a the book My Best Friend's Exorcism among gray and teal flowers, skulls, butterflies, and a round teal circle that says "Brittany's Library." In the middle is an illustrated icon of a redheaded girl wearing a a witch's hat and a teal witchy dress and holding a book. On the right is a blue-filtered image of a bookshelf featuring the books Autumn of the Grimoire and The Exorcism of Faeries.

It’s spooky season all year round with Brittany, Bookstagram’s @macabre.book.witch! You’ll know you’ve stepped into Brittany’s bookish lair by its distinctive teal hues. Cozy and mystical with just a hint of darkness, it’s the perfect place to stop by for a good fantasy recommendation. If you love books with a touch of magic — or are always down for a good dungeon crawl — read on to meet your new Bookstagram fave.

Graphic illustration of Brittany, a light-skinned woman with mid-length red hair wearing a black witch's hat, cape, and boots with a teal, corseted long-sleeve dress, holding an open book in one hand and a wand in the other, with a black and white dog at her feet. The background behind her is a forest framed in a white circle, overlaid on a black background with constellations, potion beakers, skulls, pentagrams, and candles, all tinted blue.
IMAGE VIA MACABRE.BOOK.WITCH

Brittany (@macabre.book.witch)
Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads

Why did you start your Bookstagram? What do you want your Instagram to bring to the world?

I started my Bookstagram while I was an undergrad because I had gone through a few years of not reading as much as I had when I was younger. I finally came back to books as a place of joy for me, and wanted to both keep myself on track to continue reading, but also support anyone else who might be trying to discover or rediscover a love for reading.

Where are you from?

I’m originally from Colorado, lived in NYC for six years, studied abroad in the UK and Romania, and am currently in Florida!

Fun Fact about you:

I was D&D Club President at my University (300+ members) and ran ten games of Curse of Strahd every week (yes, it was equal to a 40-hour full-time work week of vampire-gothic D&D). And I still managed to get two degrees in four years — no, I don’t know how I did it either.

Favorite Bookstagrammers:

While there are definitely plenty of huge Booksta accounts to look up to, my favorites are my Booksta besties I’ve made along the way and author pages! Shout out to @jaysbookiverse for being a long-time book bestie!

Favorite Books and Authors:

Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima, anything by Kerri Maniscalco, anything by J. L. Vampa, Holly Black, V. E. Schwab, and Leigh Bardugo.

5 Books on your TBR:

All of them? I’m very behind — by probably 20+ years.

What’s a book on your TBR you’ve been putting off reading, and why?

R.A. Salvatore’s Drizzt series. I love D&D and am afraid they won’t be as enjoyable as I hope for them to be. I liked the Dragonlance novels, though!

Aesthetic / Instagram page theme:

Spooky and gothic aesthetic meets cozy and comfortable, a bit witchy, a bit magical, and a bit maximalist. And very teal — it’s my favorite color!

Book flatlay featuring My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix laid out along side flowers, teal butterflies, a teal skull, a teal-tinted crystal, a ghost, a lace doily, and a teal and white circular pin reading "Brittany's Library" featuring a skull and flowers laid atop a stack of books. Except for the book cover and teal accents, the image is black and white.
IMAGE VIA MACABRE.BOOK.WITCH

Favorite indie bookstore:

Since I’m from Colorado, I was born and raised on Tattered Cover, and my time in New York revolved around visits to Books of Wonder and Strand. Any small bookshop in any place I travel to is definitely getting a visit, and I always buy a book.

Author you wish to take a selfie with:

I have been so honored to take photos and chat with many of my favorite authors, but meeting Kerri Maniscalco or Leigh Bardugo would be amazing!

Favorite book cover:

J. L. Vampa’s Autumn of the Grimoire cover is to die for!

A white bookshelf stacked with books, including a physical copy of Autumn of the Grimoire by J.L. Vampa next to a crystal, a tablet displaying J.L. Vampa's The Exorcism of Faeries stacked atop another leather-bound book, and a wooden sign reading "Stack your Bones" with a skeleton wearing a crown. The image is tinted in grayish blue.
IMAGE VIA MACABRE.BOOK.WITCH

What do you like most about Bookstagram?

I love meeting people who love to read as much as I do. What I’ve learned is that while some of Bookstagram is a community about specific books you love, some of the best interactions come from just loving books in general, too.

What’s a memorable or favorite interaction you’ve had with an author or follower?

I met Cinda Williams Chima, my favorite author, at a convention in Denver, and it was absolutely amazing. She sat with me and chatted about writing, signed my books, and it was truly a transcendental experience.

Advice for aspiring Bookstagrammers:

Don’t worry about making it to 100 books a year, or 50, or even 20. If you’ve read a book, posted about it, found community here, and had fun — then you’ve done Bookstagram right.

Thanks to Brittany for speaking with us! Be sure to follow her Instagram @macabre.book.witch for recommendations and reviews, as well as her other socials.

Need more Bookstagrammers to follow? Check out our interview with Bookstr’s very own Solenn.

Find all your Bookstagram faves’ reading recs at our Bookshop.

INTERVIEW VIA BOOKSTR / KRISTI ESKEW
FEATURED IMAGE VIA BOOKSTR / ELISABETH RAUSCH