Are you in need of warm and cozy content? Melgen is our Booksgrammer of the week, and her content helps relax her followers while also being able to recommend the books she loves! Melgen is delighted to be a part of this article for the week, and don’t forget to check out her pages!
Melgen Munoz of @mayy.reads
Instagram | TikTok
Let’s start the interview!
Where are you from?
I am from Fort Worth, Texas!
When and why did you start Bookstagram?
I started my Bookstagram account in October 2022. I started my account because I kept seeing videos on TikTok where people would post recommendations on what to read, and since I was slowly getting back into reading in the summer of 2022, I wanted to see posts that were not videos, and I instantly got hooked on it! It helped me love reading again and make new friends! Also, it helped me continue my love for reading! You know that feeling when you’re done reading a book, and you feel like there’s an empty hole inside your chest? That’s how I would feel until I started my Bookstagram and continued to talk to others about my favorite reads!
How would you describe your account’s aesthetic/why did you choose it?
I would describe my account’s aesthetic as a cinematic warmth considering that I use my Fujifilm X-E4 for all my photos (my favorite camera I have ever owned!). I chose this aesthetic because I feel like it fits my own style, which is simple, relaxing, and comfortable and reflects my lifestyle! I also love capturing the books I am currently reading in a style that others find relaxing as well!
What are some books on your 2024 TBR list?
Some books that I have on my 2024 TBR list are:
- Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross
- Archer’s Voice (the annotated version) by Mia Sheridan! (This one is a re-read.)
- Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage (I have recently been into cowboy romance books, and I am loving them so much!)
- After by Anna Todd, The Housemaid by Freida McFadden, and The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides (One of my Bookstagram friends gifted these books to me and are on my 2024 TBR list!)
- The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston
- The Elsie Silver Chestnut Springs series (I have Powerless, Reckless, and Hopeless left to read!)
- One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
- Happy Place by Emily Henry
- Addicted series by Krista and Becca Ritchie
Any fun facts about yourself that your followers may not know?
- That I have a Master’s Degree in criminal justice! While I love romance novels, I’m slowly starting to read thriller books!
- I named my Bookstagram account May since I was born in May! In my opinion, it’s one of the prettiest months in Texas!
What are some of your favorite books/series?
- The Twisted series by Ana Huang is the first series I have ever read due to the recommendations I received on Bookstagram. I loved all the characters, but my top favorites have to be Christian and Stella in Twisted Lies!
- Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan is my all-time favorite book! I started this book in the summer of 2022 before I made my Bookstagram account, and I had no one to share my thoughts with until I made my account. Then I could finally share my love for the novel with others! It literally had me giggling and staying up until three in the morning reading!
- One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid (I loved the novel more than the movie.)
- Book Lovers by Emily Henry
- Normal People by Sally Rooney (I watched the show at the same time I was reading the novel, it was fun.)
What are you currently reading? How are you liking it?
I am currently reading Heartless by Elsie Silver, and so far, I love it so much! It’s the second book of the Chestnut Springs series!
What author would you love to meet?
An author I would love to meet is Mia Sheridan! I have only read Archer’s Voice by her, but that one novel made me want to meet her if she ever comes to visit a bookstore in Texas!
What does Bookstagram mean to you?
Bookstagram was, at first, meant to be a place where others would post photos of what they are currently reading to me, but now it means more than that. It means creating friendships with others who have the same book interests as you or even making friends who have different book interests but still give the book recommendations they give you a chance! I have made a couple of friends on Bookstagram who live in Canada, Florida, England, and California! It’s been so much fun because it’s not just a place where people post books but a place where people create friendships and their love for books all in one place!
Who are some of your favorite Bookstagrammers?
- @thechaoticreader_
- @the.busy.bookish.mom
- @bookish.hope
- @morgansbookshelf
- @readwithmelinda
- @bookandhelen
- @bringyourownbooks
Do you have a favorite bookstore where you’re from?
Near me, all we have is a Barnes & Noble and Half Price Books (lol!), so I have to say those are my favorites. Half Price Books, however, has to be my number one; it’s where I have bought all of my classics for less than five dollars!
Any advice for aspiring Bookstagrammers?
The advice that I have for aspiring Bookstagrammers is to have fun with your account! I know for some, it might look overwhelming because that’s how it looked for me at first, but it’s not! Talk about your favorite books, and write your reviews from your own perspective! Don’t let others make you feel bad because you loved a book they didn’t, or vice versa. Make it your own, put your own aesthetic into it, and don’t feel the need to finish a book if you don’t like it! That’s why I feel like a lot of people stop reading because they feel that pressure to stop reading altogether if they do not finish the book they are currently reading. Just pick up another and go on from there because, at the end of the day, the book you didn’t want to finish is still going to be on your bookshelf until you’re ready to continue it or not!
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