Where are you from?
I was born and raised in Southern California. I love it here and would never want to call any other place home.
Why did you start your Bookstagram?
I started it as a way to hold myself accountable for reading. I had a million excuses as to why I didn’t have time to read. When I started my Bookstagram, I had a goal to read twelve books in a year. By the end of that first year, I had read over seventy books.
image via @hardcoverhippie
What do you want your Instagram to bring to the world?
I want it to inspire people to not only read more but to get them out of their comfort zones… to read books that they would not normally pick up. When I started reading books that I had never dreamed of reading, it opened my mind and heart to people, places, and ideas that I never knew I had.
Fun fact about you?
I wouldn’t consider it a fun fact, but I eat no fruit. Like literally, I have never eaten any kind of fruit.
Favorite Bookstagrammers?
Oh, there are just too many… but some that come to mind are @bookstackedblonde, @vellichorblues, @alexs.bookgram, and @natashaniezgoda.
Favorite books and authors?
My all-time favorite book will always be To Kill a Mockingbird, but I also love The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and anything written by Tarryn Fisher or Fredrik Backman.
Fictional crush?
It may sound weird but I adore Raymond from Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.
image via @hardcoverhippie
TBR List?
Oh gosh, it’s a never-ending list. The Nightingale, A Little Life, The Heart’s Invisible Furies, and The Affairs of the Falcóns are just a few.
What’s your special approach to content sharing?
My content mostly coexists with my everyday life. If I am at a used bookstore or I bring home fresh flowers from the store, I’ll snap a picture. There isn’t really anything special about it. Of course, I get lots of inspiration from so many of the talented Bookstagrammers on Instagram.
image via @hardcoverhippie
Aesthetic of your Instagram page theme?
I don’t really have a theme, but I really love orange and blue if you can’t tell.
How often do you post?
I post whenever I have inspiration, so that is not every day because, well, I’m not inspired every day and that’s real life. I did not create this space for a certain number of followers or for a sense of popularity. I mostly created it for a creative outlet to hold myself accountable. Sometimes I will post every day for a week, and then go a month without posting anything.
What does your Bookstagram mean to you?
Bookstagram is a community of literature lovers coming together to share stories and discuss how each one of those stories made them feel. When I read a book, I can escape from whatever reality is around me at that time. With Bookstagram, I feel like it’s an escape from the typical social media world. It seems less superficial and more of a community than most social media platforms.
image via @hardcoverhippie
Favorite Bookstore?
A cute indie bookstore in my hometown of Riverside, CA called Cellar Door Books.
Who would you have supply you with a lifetime of books?
Atria Books… some of my favorite books are published by them.
Author to take a selfie with?
Michelle Obama!
Favorite book cover?
I actually collect all the different cover versions of Little Women. There are so many and I love all of them!
Book you have claimed to have read that you didn’t?
The Goldfinch, in my defense I have read half of it and seen the film.
image via @hardcoverhippie
When did you know you had made it as a Bookstagrammer?
Have I made it? Does doing this interview mean that I’ve made it? [Laughs]
Favorite fandoms?
My fandoms include The Night Circus and Harry Potter.
Advice for aspiring Bookstagrammers?
Do it. Do it for yourself and not for the perks. I have grown so much as a person and have made so many friends from around the globe for starting somewhat of an online reading diary, and I don’t regret any of it.
image via @hardcoverhippie
Additional bookishness?
Encourage reading to anyone who will listen. I try to bring up my love of reading and my favorite books to everyone I meet. If the world read more, not only would more people be well informed, but I also believe it would bring more humanity to the world.
What did y’all think of this week’s Bookstagrammer? She made me want to hop a flight to California and escape this dreary New York chill, ASAP! If you or someone you know has an incredible Bookstagram as well, contact us on any of our socials and you just might get featured next week!
featured image via @hardcoverhippie
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