Do you love coffee, books and the dark academia aesthetic? Well, you’re in luck this week with our Bookstagrammer of the Week, Jane of @coffeeyre! Now perhaps you’ve stumbled across this article out of pure coincidence and have no idea what I’m talking about! Never fear! Here at Bookstr, we choose one Bookstagrammer–who we think you guys would adore–and give them center stage on our platform! Today take a journey to Guadalajara with us to talk with our Bookstagrammer of the Week, Jane of @coffeeyre, about anything and everything books and Bookstagram!
Jane
Bookstagram | Pinterest
It’s plain to see that Jane adores reading. I don’t think I’ve seen the same book in her hand once in her whole feed. And maybe you get this question a lot, but we’re dying to know.
When did you first get into reading?
I started reading basically from the time I learned to read in kindergarten. I loved the stories of the Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault, but the book that completely captivated me in the world of reading and left a mark on me was The Diary of Anne Frank. My mother had given me a children’s edition, and from then on, I began to read more and more. I didn’t read as much as I used to, until a year and a half ago, when I discovered the aesthetic of Dark Academia and that encouraged me to start reading again.
Wow! You kicked off reading with some hard hitters. Apparently, this love of hard hitters–what I personally call classic literature–never wavered. Your feed is filled with gorgeous images that feature some great classics!
What’s your favorite classic read and why?
Definitely Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. I read it for the first time a year ago and fell completely in love. It is one of my great inspirations both for creating content and even in the way I am. I love it because of the message the book leaves, that there will always be difficulties in life, and we will have to make sacrifices that will cost us too much but always have their reward. And above all, always have self-respect before everything else.
On one of your end of the year posts for 2022, you posted that you read over fifty books last year. Now this doesn’t necessarily pertain to that, but at least one of the books you’ve read must’ve had a lasting impact!
What book would you say impacted you the most?
The book that has had the biggest impact to me so far is The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton. It impressed me how superficial and cruel society could be at that time and what women had to live with every day, being almost slaves to the gender roles that society imposed.
Both your Bookstagram and your Pinterest are so atmospheric! It’s got us wondering a few things. Obviously, you’re a member of the dark academia subculture–which yields some incredible photos, by the way!
What is it about the dark academia that appeals to you?
There are so many things that attract me to the Dark Academia aesthetic that I don´t know which ones to choose. Some of them are the atmosphere of tranquility that you feel when you look at pictures in that style, because when I take my pictures, I really feel so calm that I think: “oh my God, I have to capture this moment.” Another thing I love about this aesthetic is the motivation to read and want to learn more and more, to cultivate yourself intellectually.
If you’ve taken the time to browse through Jane’s Bookstagram, you’re sure to see some fantastic architecture that just screams dark academia!
Where are you from? Do you have a favorite bookstore close to home?
I’m from Guadalajara, Mexico (justly named World Book Capital by UNESCO this year) and yes, I have a bookstore nearby, actually there are so many so it’s not difficult for me to get books. Above all, there are many used bookstores, and believe me, there are literary gems at prices you would never imagine.
Now that the new year has started, we’ve all got one of those nagging lists of resolutions that we’re attempting to stick to throughout the year.
Do you have any bookish resolutions for 2023?
Of course, one of them is to read a bit more Hispanic literature, since being Latin American and a student of Hispanic literature, I think I should know a bit more about my language and the works of my people. Another purpose is to stop procrastinating so much when I read. I think we have all experienced that when we read, even the slightest noise distracts us and we forget that we were reading. I hope that will help me to read more books this year.
You’re a proud member of the Bookstagram community since 2021. Over your time of being a Bookstagrammer, we’re sure you picked up a few tips and tricks that aspiring Bookstagrammers would benefit from.
What are some of your favorite aspects of having a Bookstagram account?
My favorite thing about being in this amazing community is being able to interact with wonderful people that I can completely relate to, talented and very nice people. I’ve made some great friends with whom I have a great relationship. Another favorite aspect is being able to help people get interested in reading, no matter what book it is. I love being able to show other people how wonderful it is to discover other worlds, other times and other people through books.
Do you have any advice for aspiring Bookstagrammers?
My advice to people who aspire to be Bookstagrammers is: do it, without a moment’s hesitation, it will make you see reading even more beautiful than it is, you will see beyond your tastes because making content will open the doors to new experiences, new tastes, new people and other things. As Oscar Wile said in The Picture of Dorian Gray: “To define is to limit.” Your limits are always beyond your mind.
Unfortunately, our time with Jane is coming to a close. However, we can’t end the interview without asking if you have anything you’d like to share with us at Bookstr.
Well, as a bonus fact of mine, my favorite authors are The Brontë Sisters, and as you know, they were from Yorkshire, and one of my passions is English literature, so one of my long-term goals is to move to Yorkshire! I plan to dedicate myself entirely to literature, so the English moors, and the whole Yorkshire atmosphere seems to me one of the most perfect places to be inspired to write. I long to fulfill this dream one day and to be able to dedicate my life to what I love most. Literature.
Be sure to check out Jane’s feature on our Instagram, @bookstrofficial! As always, if you’ve got a hankering for more of Jane make sure to follow her on her Instagram, @coffeeyre, and on Pinterest here!
Want more Bookstagrammers from Bookstr? Check out our feature from last week here!