Another week, another bookstagrammer's feed to explore! This week, Bookstr's #Bookstagrammer of the week is @mariannareads_. Her bright, warm aesthetic expresses her passion and love for books from a variety of genres.
Tag: cozy
#Bookstagrammer of the Week: @pagesofbonnie
Grab a hot beverage, your coziest blanket, and open Instagram for another #bookstagram day! This week we're featuring Australian bookstagrammer @pagesofbonnie and her unique, warm autumn aesthetic.
#Bookstagrammer of the Week: @always_and_forever_lyndsay
Time for another bookstagram of the week! This week, cozy up with @always_and_forever_lyndsay and her bright, autumn vibes.
#Bookstagrammer Of The Week: @kath_reads
Happy bookstagram day! Today’s feature is Kath/@kath_reads. She promotes Filipino authors and her other favorite titles with cozy vibes.
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Why did you start your Bookstagram:
I started my bookstagram back in 2014 when I noticed that most of my friends are getting fed up with me rambling about books on my personal Instagram account, lol. I wanted to meet booklovers all around the world and talk to them about books (and other things we love) everyday, if possible.
Where are you from:
I’m from the Philippines but I’m currently living in Germany.
What do you want your Instagram to bring to the world:
I want to inspire people to pick up a book and start reading. I want them to realize that reading can be fun. I wasn’t a reader since birth so I want to remind them that it’s never too late to start and enjoy reading. I also want to help to promote books written by Filipino authors.
Fun Fact about you:
I have 12 piercings (including tongue and tragus) and 4 small tattoos.
image via @kath_reads
Favorite Bookstagrammers:
I have a lot! @lookingforabura, @nerdytalksbookblog, @sumaiyya.books, @lottelikebooks, @theguywiththebook, thatbookishteacher_, @africaanah, @babblingbooks, @bunteschwarzweisswelt, @utopia.state.of.mind, and @bookishrose. I can go on with the list forever.
Favorite Books and Authors:
Some of my all-time favorite books are The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Vicious by V.E. Schwab, and My Fate According to the Butterfly by Gail Villanueva. Some of my favorites authors are V.E. Schwab, Haruki Murakami, Leigh Bardugo, John Green, Bob Ong (Filipino author), and Taylor Jenkins Reid.
image via @kath_reads
Fictional Crush:
Delilah “Lila” Bard (Shades of Magic by V.E. Schwab).
TBR List:
How much time do you have? lol. Some books on my priority list are A Place For Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza, 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami, and The Bone Witch trilogy by Rin Chupeco.
What’s Your Special Approach to Content:
I’m not sure if I have one but I try to be as authentic as possible. I want my content to be relatable and simple. Captions are also challenging so I try to be more natural and affable at the same time when writing one.
image via @kath_reads
Aesthetic / Instagram page theme:
I often change my aesthetic/theme but I make sure that my photos always give a cozy and relaxing vibes. I love my current theme so I think it will take a very long time for me to change it again.
How often do you post:
I used to post twice a day and follow a certain schedule I made but it became stressful and tiring. Now I try to post everyday or every other day.
What does your Bookstagram mean to you:
It means so much to me. It’s a community that became so much important to me. It’s where I have met a lot of amazing and creative people who eventually became my friends. It’s also my creative space. It’s where I share my love for books and photography.
image via @kath_reads
Favorite Bookstore:
In the Philippines we have a bookstore called Booksale. They sell affordable pre-loved/second-hand and brand new books. Fully Booked (Philippines) is also one of my favorites. My favorite bookstore here in Germany is Saint George’s English Bookstore in Berlin.
Who would you have supply you with a lifetime of books:
Penguin Random House, Titan Books, and Scribe.
Author to take a selfie with:
Definitely Victoria Schwab and Haruki Murakami.
Favorite book cover:
My top three are The Never Tilting World by Rin Chupeco, My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh, and Seeds Planted in Concrete by Bianca Sparacino.
image via @kath_reads
Book you have claimed to have read that you didn’t:
The Harry Potter series? lol. I only read book 1 to 4 but for some reason people assumed that I read the whole series. I never claimed it though. And I’m really not sure if I still want to continue with the remaining books.
When did you know you had made it as a Bookstagrammer:
When I received a message from one of the Community Team at Instagram (back in November 2015) telling me that they included me and my account on the Bookstagrammer’s List. I think that was also the time when the term “bookstagram/bookstagrammer” became official. Also, when I started getting messages from people telling me that they love my content, read a book because of me, and that I inspire them. These always make my day.
Favorite fandoms:
Game of Thrones, Studio Ghibli movies, and Shades of Magic.
image via @kath_reads
Advice for aspiring Bookstagrammers:
Don’t stress about algorithm/numbers. I’ve been there and it’s not really helpful. Make sure you are having fun and staying true to yourself. Share your honest thoughts/book reviews. Engage with other accounts. Make friends. Don’t forget to credit the original creators if you use/repost their photos, videos, or book reviews on your account. Take a break when needed. Bookstagram is not only a place to discover new books/authors. It’s also a place to learn and understand more about other people’s culture. And lastly, be kind.
Additional bookishness:
Being a slow and a mood reader (like me) is not easy but don’t let it get in your way. Also, join a book club (virtual or in real life) or look for reading buddies. Happy Reading!
feature image via @kath_reads
#Bookstagrammer of the week: @jessbetweenlines
Happy Bookstagram day! This week’s account is Jess/@jessbetweenlines. She has a warm vintage vibe that will make you wish you were in front of a fireplace with a book.
Why did you start your Bookstagram:
I started my Bookstagram in June of 2018 for mainly two reasons: 1) I was looking for a creative outlet for my thoughts and photography 2) I was desperately looking for a place and a community that I could share what I’m reading and obsess over books with. Bookstagram turned out to be everything I was looking for and more.
Where are you from:
I’m from Frankfurt, Germany, but currently doing my studies in Trier, Germany.
image via @jessbetweenlines
What do you want your Instagram to bring to the world:
With my posts, I’m trying to get people excited about reading, but also, my Instagram has always been about taking things slow, appreciating the little moments in life, and being kind to yourself and others.
Fun Fact about you:
I’m a huge sucker for tea. I drink what would probably be considered unhealthy amounts of it on a daily basis, but I just can’t help myself.
Favorite Bookstagrammers:
Okay, wow, that’s a tough one! There are so many amazing creators who inspire me, but a few of my favorites include @riannewrites, @thelostlibrary, @stefiereads, @prideandpaperbacks, @shetellsastory, @wildlandpages & @polly.florence.
image via @jessbetweenlines
Favorite Books and Authors:
My top three favorite books are Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, What a Carve Up! by Jonathan Coe and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.
Fictional Crush:
I’ll have to got with Mr. Rochester for this one.
TBR List:
Some books that I really want to get around to reading this year are The Count of Monte Cristo, Brideshead Revisited, and Great Expectations.
image via @jessbetweenlines
What’s Your Special Approach to Content:
That’s such an interesting question. I try to create a mood and tell a story, if you will, with every picture that I post. So before taking pictures, I really try to think about what that mood is going to be and “set the scene” by e.g. playing music that inspires me and fits that specific mood. And then it’s all about trying to make that “vision” that I have in my mind a reality.
Aesthetic / Instagram page theme:
I would describe my aesthetic as cozy and vintage-inspired. I always have so much fun with coming up with new ways of editing and new “themes”, if you will, but I think these two “associations” are always a constant on my page.
How often do you post:
I post daily, but I have taken breaks before, especially when I was struggling with my mental health, and I think it’s so important to acknowledge these moments, when stepping away is the right thing to do, and just taking some time for yourself.
What does your Bookstagram mean to you:
My Bookstagram community has become like a family to me. I know it sounds super cheesy, but it’s true! I just know that whatever might be going on in my personal life, I can go on Instagram and there will be people there who will make me smile and forget for a moment or two. But I have also shared some of these personal struggles with my followers before and the support and the encouragement I received in return every time was mind-blowing to me. I am so thankful every day that I have discovered this wonderful place and wouldn’t want to miss it for the world!
Favorite Bookstore:
My favorite bookstore is called “thebooks.pl”. It’s a small independent bookstore in Warsaw, Poland that specializes in second-hand English books and I would visit it all the time when I was living in Warsaw. It’s a tiny store, but it’s filled to the brink with the most amazing titles and they’re super affordable as well! It honestly doesn’t get better than that!
Who would you have supply you with a lifetime of books:
See above. I really love second-hand books, so I’d be totally fine with that.
image via @jessbetweenlines
Author to take a selfie with:
So, this is awkward, but most of my favorite authors are dead, so yeah… But I guess Jonathan Coe would be cool to meet and take a selfie with. Honestly, now that I think about it, yeah,I would totally love to get to meet him and ask him all about What a Carve Up! and how he got this brilliant idea to write it. Oh, and meeting Murakami would be awesome too. To hear his thoughts behind his books would be amazing because how do you even come up with that stuff?!
Favorite book cover:
The Penguin Essentials edition of What a Carve Up!… Sorry, I just really love What a Carve Up!, haha.
image via amazon
Book you have claimed to have read that you didn’t:
I don’t think I ever did that.. I was the person who actually read all the mandatory reading in school… and actually enjoyed it, haha!
When did you know you had made it as a Bookstagrammer:
Does this article count, haha? I don’t really know what “making it on Bookstagram” would even entail. I’m just glad for finding a community and being able to share the things that I care about, and hearing people say that they admire that and find some inspiration in it, is the closest thing to what I think making it on Bookstagram would be.
Favorite fandoms:
Harry Potter! I know the fandom is going through a bit of a crisis right now, due to (imo) J.K.Rowling’s problematic behavior, but I think we can still appreciate the series for what it means to us, separating it from the author. What I know is that I’ve learned so many important and valuable lessons in these books – about friendship, about acceptance, about fighting for what you believe is right – that still hold very true to this day. And I think Rowling should take a page from her own book, quite literally, and reevaluate her stance and what it means. The books and movies are not the problem. She is.
image via @jessbetweenlines
Advice for aspiring Bookstagrammers:
The only advice I can really give is, try to be yourself! I know it seems daunting at first when starting out, because there are so many amazing accounts that seemingly know what they are doing, but all of us have to start somewhere. I think more important than figuring out an aesthetic, or improving your photography skills (which are both important of course, but will happen over time, anyway) is having fun and making friends. Because this is what the community should always be about – finding like-minded people to share your passions with. So, be yourself and don’t forget to have fun!
Additional bookishness:
Have you guys checked out What a Carve Up! yet? No? What are you waiting for? Seriously, you won’t regret it!
