Tattoos have woven their way through various cultures obtaining multiple meanings and allowing people to express themselves through the ink on their bodies. Self-expression through tattoos has no bounds and the acceptance of permanent ink has been growing in today’s modern society. Many tattoos are inspired by pop culture and I asked our Bookstr members to share their tattoos inspired by their favorite books.
Books, Fandoms, and Family Sleeve in Progress
My world narrows down to two things: my family and books. I spend all of my time reading and hanging out with my husband and kids when I’m not working here at Bookstr. It’s always been a goal to have a sleeve tattoo done, and it’s been in progress for the better part of 3 years. From a family tree to a poem dedicated to my husband and my favorite Disney/books fandom “charms,” my right arm is almost completely covered. I need to add one more piece to the inner bicep and then finish the watercolors, piecing everything together.
The first tattoo I got to start this journey was my inner forearm. I plan on adding one more bookish tattoo in the bicep portion that says, “Only you can decide what breaks you.” As someone who grew up with a lot of abuse, that line from ACOWAR resonates with me like no other.
Kristi Eskew, Editorial
Mythical Ink
I am, as of yet, untatted but I have many ideas-most of them bookish! The Lord of the Rings has been a huge part of my life since I was a child. My father and I joke that it’s our “religion.” The Fellowship of the Ring was one of the first movies I watched (yes, I was probably too young), and I can still remember my dad reading the books to me as I fell asleep in my childhood bed. I’d love to get something to commemorate this timeless story on my body, a story that has inspired my journey as a writer and reader. A possible idea for this is the leaf of Lorien, which would solidify me as an honorary fellowship member.
In my adult reading life, one of the most captivating stories I’ve been engrossed in has been The Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater. These books are unlike anything I’ve ever read – slow, quietly magical, and incredibly real. I would love to stamp my love for this series on my skin with a tattoo of one of my favorite lines, “Safe as life.” For me, this quote is a reminder to embrace risk, be adventurous, and accept that life is unsafe – and is that way for a reason.
Fiona Hansen, Editorial & Outreach
Alchemy of Love
My husband and I got these matching tattoos the weekend before we eloped in September of 2011. The artist has us fingerprint the symbols for each other and he photocopied them onto the stencils that get painted onto your skin for the tattoo artist to work with. The symbols come from the concept of the Blood Seal in the manga/anime Fullmetal Alchemist, which in the story is a magical alchemical spell to bind someone’s soul to something else – in our case, each other.
Mine is on my left wrist and my husband’s is on his chest, and in the center of each is one half of a heart. We chose them because Fullmetal Alchemist was the first manga/anime we ever watched together and during one of those sessions we shared our first kiss.
Erin Dzielski, Editorial
Embracing Fate
While I do not have tattoos, I would love a tarot tattoo that predicts the book’s ending. Any specific book does not inspire the tattoo; however, after reading multiple fantasy and romance novels, the ending always comes with a twist, or the main character loses their love interest. Additionally, in the recent books I have been reading, the foreshadowing and hints provided by the author made it almost feel like a fortune telling. The future is already predicted for the characters to be worse than likely.
Dasha Umanskiy, Graphics
Tattoos are a fun way of showing your creativity and the inspiration you get from life experiences. Whether you have a sentimental reason for wanting ink or not, this is your sign to make an appointment and go get tatted!
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