Find your personality type match, and check out which book recommendation is the right fit for you! Let us know how you feel about the choices and what other books you’ve seen yourself in.
Need something to read to get you through this year's inauguration? This list has 5 reads with fictional presidents you should read to get you in the political mood!
Hey, fellow book lovers! Welcome to Bookstr’s Three to Read! I hope you’re prepared for this holiday as we got some great reads for you to try. I know this pandemic has been more than crazy but what better way to spend your time than deep in a book? Check out the full video below!
Hot Pick
Five Total Strangers
by Natalie D. Richards
Image via sourcebook
Synopsis:
She thought being stranded was the worst thing that could happen. She was wrong.
Mira needs to get home for the holidays. Badly. But when an incoming blizzard results in a canceled connecting flight, it looks like she might get stuck at the airport indefinitely.
And then Harper, Mira’s glamorous seatmate from her initial flight, offers her a ride. Harper and her three friends can drop Mira off on their way home, but as they set off, Mira realizes her fellow travelers are all total strangers. And every one of them is hiding something.
Soon, roads go from slippery to terrifying. People’s belongings are mysteriously disappearing. Someone in the car is clearly lying, and may even be sabotaging the trip—but why? And can Mira make it home alive, or will this nightmare drive turn fatal?
Why:
This thrilling new read will have you on the edge of your seat as you dive deeper into Mira’s journey home. Be careful with which stranger you trust.
Coffee Shop read
The Noel Letter
by Richard Paul Evans
Image via Simon & Schuster
Synopsis:
After nearly two decades, Noel Post, an editor for a major New York publishing house, returns to her childhood home in Salt Lake City to see her estranged, dying father. What she believed would be a brief visit turns into something more as she inherits the bookstore her father fought to keep alive.
Reeling from loneliness, a recent divorce, and unanticipated upheavals in her world, Noel begins receiving letters from an anonymous source, each one containing thoughts and lessons about her life and her future. She begins to reacquaint herself with the bookstore and the people she left behind, and in doing so, starts to unravel the reality of her painful childhood and the truth about her family. As the holidays draw near, she receives a Christmastime revelation that changes not only how she sees the past but also how she views her future.
Why:
What better way to get into the holiday spirits with this heartwarming story. If you’re looking for a read with courage, self reflection, and perfect to get you in the mood for the holidays, this read is for you!
Dark Horse
The Girl Who Wasn’t there
by Penny Joelson
Image via sourcebook
Synopsis:
Nothing ever happens on Kasia’s street. And Kasia would know, because her chronic illness keeps her stuck at home, watching the outside world from her bedroom window. So when she witnesses what looks like a kidnapping, she’s not sure whether she can believe her own eyes…
There had been a girl in the window across the street who must have seen something too. But when Kasia ventures out to find her, she is told the most shocking thing of all: There is no girl.
Why:
You should definitely check this story out as it’s perfect for individuals interested in diverse characters. Joelson explores real life issues and chronic illness with this read!
A post shared by 𝗹 𝘂 𝗰 𝘆 ☾ (@the_bookish_astronaut) on
Why did you start your Bookstagram:
About 2 years ago, I was transitioning from being a full-time high school science teacher to being a stay-at-home mom, and I wanted to have a creative outlet of sorts. So one day I decided to create an Instagram account where I would share reviews of my favorite books. I didn’t even know that bookstagram existed as a sub-community on Instagram so it was a very pleasant surprise when a few lovely Bookstagrammers welcomed me and made me feel right at home.
Where are you from:
I was born in Ukraine. I immigrated to the US when I was 15 and lived in Brooklyn, NY. Recently we made a long-awaited move to New Jersey and being closer to nature has been amazing! I’m definitely more of a small-town person rather than a city girl.
What do you want your Instagram to bring to the world:
I want my bookstagram to be a place where everyone feels welcomed, warm, and cozy. I want to inspire people to read more Science Fiction and Fantasy. And I want people to feel relaxed and cozy while looking at my photos.
Fun Fact about you:
I watch The Office pretty much every day. Even if it’s just one episode. It is my ultimate feel-good show and never fails to make me relax! I even like having it on in the background when I’m alone. It makes me feel like I’m surrounded by friends.
image via @the_bookish_astronaut
Favorite Bookstagrammers:
There are so many that inspire me on a daily basis and in different ways. I talk to @starborn_reader on a daily basis, she’s my howler sister and has become a great friend! @Canxdancexreads is another friend I talk to all the time, she has a unique mermaid theme! Some of the other beautiful accounts that inspire me are @abookishknight, @for.fuctions.sake @thedarklingone, @lifeinlit, @myfriendsarefiction, and @_chelseareads…but honestly I could go on all day! Bookstagram is filled with amazing, talented, creative people!
Favorite Books and Authors:
The Red Rising series by Pierce Brown is my absolute favorite. I can talk about it for hours, just ask my family, friends, and followers. It is such a perfect blend of sci-fi and fantasy, with amazing world-building, character development, and plot. I cannot say enough good things about it. My other favorite is the Silo Saga by Hugh Howey. Anything by this author, really. I love his lyrical writing style and his ability to create amazing characters.
Fictional Crush:
Darrow of Lykos from Red Rising. This is a character that just speaks to me. There’s nothing better than a tortured soul struggling to make things right for those he loves.
image via @the_bookish_astronaut
TBR List:
Ah, the dreaded tbr list, I swear it keeps getting longer no matter how much I read. But the next few reads I am super excited to get to are Vicious by V.E. Schwab, Scythe by Neil Schusterman, and Darkdawn by Jay Kristoff.
What’s Your Special Approach to Content:
I try to post books that I love as well as books that are just beautiful to look at. I try to showcase each particular book and make sure it is not upstaged by anything else in the shot. Recently, I have also simplified my captions. This way they are much more relatable and give my friends a snippet of my daily life.
Aesthetic / Instagram page theme:
It took a bit of time to get to where I am now and to finally be happy with the content I’m putting out, but what I always wanted my photos to bring across is that cozy feeling of reading by a window on an overcast fall day. So my shots always have all the prerequisites for doing just that, a cozy blanket, some candles, a cup of cocoa/coffee, fairy lights, and, of course, a rain-splattered window.
image via @the_bookish_astronaut
How often do you post:
I try to post every single day. Of course, sometimes that isn’t possible, but I try my best to make sure I stop by at least once a day and share what I’ve been up to and check in on my bookstabuddies with a question of the day!
What does your Bookstagram mean to you:
My bookstagram is my safe space. It is a place where I can unplug from the hectic everyday life and chat with amazing people from all around the world about our mutual love of the fictional worlds. It is also my creative outlet and a place I get to share my passion for reading, photography, and being cozy!
Favorite Bookstore:
Most of the time I buy books online. My favorite is Book Depository, since I tend to find the UK editions of books to be so different and so pretty! But a trip to Barnes and Noble is always a great idea too!
image via @the_bookish_astronaut
Who would you have supply you with a lifetime of books:
Book Depository, for sure! Give me all the UK and special editions!!
Author to take a selfie with:
Pierce Brown for sure! Since that means I get to meet Howler One in person! (Awroooo)
Favorite book cover:
Vicious and Vengeful by V.E. Schwab. I just got the UK editions for my birthday and I cannot stop staring at them. They make my brain happy! Come to think of it, all of Schwab’s books are extremely aesthetically pleasing.
image via @the_bookish_astronaut
Book you have claimed to have read that you didn’t:
I have never claimed to have read a book I didn’t read. (Well maybe something for a college class! ) Other than that, I just don’t see the point, since if someone is asking if you’ve read a book they probably want to discuss it with you, and the lie would immediately come out!
When did you know you had made it as a Bookstagrammer:
I think to me that was in the first few months. By then I got comfortable and learned “the ways” of the community. I met some amazing people who shared my love for books, people obsessed with the same fandoms I was. To me, that was making it, since that was the reason I made the account in the first place!
Favorite fandoms:
Red Rising, of course. The Hunger Games is the OG obsession that got me into the dystopian genre. And I cannot forget Illuminae Files!
image via @the_bookish_astronaut
Advice for aspiring Bookstagrammers:
Be yourself. Share your love of books. Create meaningful connections with people who understand you. Don’t be too hard on yourself. There is no “right way” to bookstagram. We’re all here for the same reason, and that’s to laugh, cry, review, recommend, and connect. No matter how far apart we are, we have books to bring us together.
Additional bookishness:
Shortly after starting my bookstagram, I opened a small Etsy shop, Dream in a Bottle, where I sell handmade bookish keepsakes, bookmarks, and other bookish goodies!
