Step Into Maddy & Allie’s Vibrant and Astonishing Bookstagram Garden

This week, sisterly duo Maddy & Allie give us a peek into their built-in book club. Their colorful Bookstagram displays are a guaranteed mood-booster.

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Collage featuring the Bookstagrammers Maddy and Allie of @booksbymallie. The top third of the frame depicts pink and orange flowers on a rumpled cream sheet, with "Up-and-coming" written in black cursive, "BOOKSTAGRAMMER" written in pink prints all-caps, and "of the week" written in pink cursive. In the bottom two thirds of the frame, three photos are taped side by side. The first photo is of a blue-themed book flatlay, the second photo is of Maddy and Allie at an event, and the third photo is of a yellow-themed book flatlay. "@booksbymallie" is written on a piece of tape below the photo of Maddy and Allie.

Opening @booksbymallie’s Instagram page is like stepping outside into a patch of warm sunlight on a spring day. Each meticulously arranged post bursts with color, vibrant still lifes with books at the centerpiece. But this dynamic duo brings more to Bookstagram than just an eye-catching aesthetic. They also share thoughtful reviews, excellent recs, and even the occasional dog cameo. Join us as we chat with Maddy & Allie, the sisters behind @booksbymallie.

Bookstagrammers Maddy and Allie standing in front of a pink backdrop with large red hearts reading "Bloomsbury: Fall in Love, One Page at a Time." Maddy has long, wavy dark brown/blonde hair wears a strapless white top with a blue pattern and matching white pants with a blue pattern. Allie has brown hair tied half up, and wears a red checkered dress. She has a phone hanging off a strap around her wrist. Each sister is holding a glass of red wine.
IMAGE VIA BOOKSBYMALLIE

Maddy & Allie (@booksbymallie)
Instagram | Allie’s Goodreads | Maddy’s Goodreads

Why did you start your Bookstagram?

We started our Bookstagram as a way to spend time together! As kids, Allie read hundreds of books, and Maddy hated reading; now, we can talk about books and share our love for them. We started posting on Instagram under @booksbymallie because Mallie is what our mum would call us when she got our names confused.

Where are you from?

Sydney, Australia.

What do you want your Instagram to bring to the world?

We want our Instagram to bring some brightness and colour to the world, as well as an unashamed appreciation for books. You can get some funny looks in real life when you say you read mostly romance, but on Instagram, you can find your people!

A flatlay featuring the novel Cruel Is the Light by Sophie Clark atop a rumpled white sheet. To match the cover's blue background, various blue flower and butterfly decorations have been arranged to frame the book, along with a blue pouch featuring an embroidered celestial design.
IMAGE VIA BOOKSBYMALLIE

Favorite Bookstagrammers:

Allie: @thetorturedbookdept, @pokegirlpink, and @papayanpages.
Maddy: @tierney.reads, @mariannasreads, and @larissacambusano.

Favorite Books and Authors:

Allie:
Top 3 Books: Our Infinite Fates (Laura Steven), Queen of Shadows (Sarah J. Maas), and Reckless (Elsie Silver).
Top 3 Authors: Elsie Silver, Laura Steven, and Emily Henry.

Maddy:
Top 3 Books: The Right Move (Liz Tomforde), All the Missing Pieces (Catherine Cowles), and Just for the Summer (Abby Jimenez).
Top 3 Authors: Elsie Silver, Liz Tomforde, and Elle Kennedy.

A flatlay featuring seven of Elsie Silver's books laid on a rumpled beige sheet. Five of them are arranged with their spines facing out, from left to right: Powerless, Heartless, Hopeless, Flawless, and Reckless. Two of them are laid flat, from top to bottom: Wild Eyes and Wild Love. The books are surrounded by pink and light purple flowers.
IMAGE VIA BOOKSBYMALLIE

Fictional Crush:

Allie: Theo Silva (Reckless).

Maddy: Ryan Shay (The Right Move).

TBR List:

Allie: Great Big Beautiful Life, Alchemised, Rose in Chains, and One Dark Window.

Maddy: Butcher & Blackbird, My Dark Romeo, and The Bonus.

What’s your special approach to content?

We batch-create most of our content on days with good sunlight! We go with the flow mostly as well. We have a general idea of what we would like to take photos of, but we will change to something else if it feels like a chore.

Aesthetic / Instagram page theme:

Bright and colourful, spring themes.

How often do you post?

At the moment, every day, but we try not to pressure ourselves into keeping up with that when life inevitably gets in the way.

What does your Bookstagram mean to you?

It’s an escape into our hobbies from our busy daily lives.

Favorite Bookstore:

Allie: Lifeline stores!

Maddy: Big W, lol.

Author to take a selfie with:

Allie: Emily Henry.

Maddy: Elle Kennedy.

Favorite book cover:

Maddy: Wolf.e by Paisley Hope.

When did you know you had made it as a Bookstagrammer?

1) Being recognised by an employee of a publisher at a book signing!
2) Being invited to an amazing event at Bloomsbury.
3) When some of our favourite Bookstagrammers followed us!

Advice for aspiring Bookstagrammers:

Community comes first, build connections with people on Bookstagram, and you’ll love it forever.

Thanks to Maddy and Allie for stopping by! Be sure to check out their Instagram and follow both Maddy and Allie on Goodreads.

Want more Bookstagrammers in your feed? Click here to read our interview with romantasy lover Becs.

Find all your favorite Bookstagrammers’ favorite reads at our Bookshop.

INTERVIEW VIA BOOKSTR / SANJANA PATEL
FEATURED IMAGE VIA BOOKSTR / ELISABETH RAUSCH