Meet this week’s featured Bookstagrammer, Frank Socha @franksforewrod, whose personality shines through the screen with his book reviews on anything and everything that catches his eye. Frank dedicates his time to reviewing a wide variety of books and creating a Bookstagram community where every reader is encouraged to be true to themselves. Join me in learning about Frank’s never-ending journey as a Bookstagrammer.
Frank Socha of @franksforeword
Instagram | Goodreads
Frank, thanks for agreeing to this interview! Let’s begin!
Why did you start your Bookstagram?
There was a point on my personal Instagram where pretty much everything I was starting to follow was Bookstagram accounts. There were 3 in particular that I was ALWAYS chatting all things bookish about (@booksovrbros, @kalobdaniel, and @jareadforfilth) who all became genuine friends and gave me the push to start my account. I always wanted to have one and to form a space where I could speak freely about books while also finding new books and authors I may not have come across otherwise. It was seriously the best decision to make this account!
Where are you from?
I was originally born in Detroit, but being an army brat, moved almost immediately. I’ve lived in Colorado for 27 of the 33 years of my life, so I claim Colorado as my home.
What is a fun fact about you?
My very first love (other than my mom, of course) was running. My Dad was in the army and would take me out with them in the mornings for PT, and I absolutely fell in love with it! I started running competitively when I was 10 and ran all through college. I was a five-time All-American in Track and Cross Country, and it was the absolute best part of my collegiate tenure! I still run competitively a little now, just with an audiobook going on in the background.
Who is your favorite Bookstagrammer?
The limit truly does not exist with this one!
What about your favorite books or authors?
I have so many! My favorite book of all time is Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. I also absolutely love The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune, The Guncle by Steven Rowley, Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas, and Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan. All those authors are favorite authors; others include Erin Craig, Sophie Gonzales, and Natasha Bowen.
Who is your fictional crush?
PRINCE. HENRY. The absolute perfect little bean! Henry very much reminds me of younger me, where it feels like you can never have what you actually want (he’s a prince, I was an army brat, so queer just didn’t really fly), so it makes me just want to hold him, amongst other things. I also just love his banter. I wanted to be the one emailing him back and forth SO BAD. He’s genuinely a funny person and has a wonderful personality! I just want to be the Thisbe to his Pyramus.
What’s on your TBR?
Well, at this moment in time, I currently have 146 books on my physical TBR. Which continues to grow, never shrinks. A few books that I am absolutely excited to dig into are The Will of the Many by James Islington, Babel by R.F. Kuang, The Lightning-Struck Heart by TJ Klune, Prince of the Palisades by Julian Winters, Heaven Official’s Blessing by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, et al., A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab, Spark of the Everflame by Penn Cole, and Phantom and Rook by Aelina Isaacs.
What is your special approach to content?
I don’t really have one, honestly. The stuff I post is stuff I have the absolute most fun doing. It’s very much my personality being translated to the page. I want my page to be a representation of me, the types of books I like, and the books I’ve discovered. I’m always super silly in my reviews, but I absolutely love writing them. I do about half reels, half posts/carousels. The reels are mostly me just being goofy with that bookish life or showcasing special editions, as those are my FAVORITE! The posts are usually me holding massive book stacks (because who doesn’t want to double making content with getting a good arm pump in?), a recent trend I wanted to hop on board with, or book reviews.
What is your page’s aesthetic?
I feel like this is something I am still figuring out! I’ve tried a variety of themes, filters, etc., but I have finally landed on making my page bright. I want it to look like a toddler got a hold of a 128 mega pack of crayons and went to TOWN on a wall! Just colors everywhere!
What does your Bookstagram mean to you?
It means I have a space to be unapologetically me, while also meeting people who a.) accept me for that and b.) are unapologetically themselves. I absolutely love being able to promote and talk about the queer books I wish I had when I was younger, especially because these books are constantly under heavy fire. I feel that if I have a platform, I need to use it. And I absolutely love doing so. Granted, I don’t only read queer books! I read it allllll. But being a queer person myself, I do, of course, read a lot of queer literature.
It’s also an opportunity to make connections. When I tell you I’ve met some of the best people on Bookstagram, which has led to many real-life friends, which is just so cool to think about. It also acts as an escape when I need it. Books in themselves feel like such an escape, so to have a platform dedicated to them really takes the edge off being an adult! Bookstagram has been such a happy and positive space for me, which I know is not always the case, but it really does just provide so much fun and joy to engage in!
Do you have any advice for aspiring Bookstagrammers?
Take the plunge and do it YOUR way! I know I teetered back and forth on whether I should make a Bookstagram or not, and I’m so glad I did. I also felt like there was a certain template or must-have types of posts that needed to be done and that is simply not the case. It is YOUR page. You can post as much or as little as you want. You can post whatever you have the most fun with. You can post whatever books you want, and they don’t just have to be popular. It’s your space, and you get to express its uniqueness in any way you decide.
A special thank you to Frank for sharing his Bookstagrammer journey and insights. Be sure to follow him on Instagram and Goodreads for book reviews, recommendations, and more!
Check out another Bookstagrammer of the week here!
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