Why Bookstagram?

Scrolling through my personal Instagram feed while drinking nearly cold coffee in my dorm room a year ago, I saw a picture unlike anything I'd ever seen on Instagram before.

A copy of the newly published Caraval by Stephanie Garber, surrounded by flower petals, richly textured cloth, and a Funko Pop of the Mad Hatter. The colors seemed to leap off of my phone screen, and ironically enough, I was also reading Caraval at the time that I saw this post. I'd just gotten back from a book signing at the local Barnes and Noble, and after hearing the author (who was also a former English professor at my university) speak, I was feeling incredibly inspired. Seeing this picture doubled my inspiration, and channeled it into an area other than writing: photography.

I loved the way the book looked in the picture, the way that it screamed "read me!", and stood out boldly against the selfies, animals, and food pictures that usually populated my feed.

And just like that, I dove into the colorful world of "bookstagram". I piled books and other things to put in the photos together and began snapping away with my phone camera. Then, when I finally had a shot that I liked, I set about creating my bookstagram page.

A year and 62 posts later, I can honestly say that I am so happy I decided to take up this hobby. It's unique, and the bookstagram community is one of the highlights of my life. Everyone that I've communicated with is so friendly, and ready to recommend a good read. The pictures on my bookstagram feed are beautiful, and everyone that I follow has immense skill.

Of course, I wouldn't be anywhere were it not for my amazing followers! All 347 of you guys make my day every time I see your likes and read your comments. The bookstagram community has often been my place of comfort during the rough times in my life, and now that I've finally graduated from college I'm thrilled to be able to spend more time doing what I love most: reading, posting bookstagram pics, and writing.

So, if you love books and photography, I would highly recommend taking a look at the bookstagram community. It is what inspired me to dive deeper into the world of book reviews and create this blog! Just search #bookstagram on your Instagram account, and you'll be flooded with gorgeous images of books!