Welcome back to the best time of the week! Today’s feature is Juliet/@julietslibrary. She’s a British book lover with a talent for creating cute scenes for her posts.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CF2cltNgh3k/?igshid=1duwfb2fgeiir
Why did you start your Bookstagram:
I started my bookstagram in 2016 as a way to document what I was reading. It was mainly just for my own record, but I’d been having a lot of conversations with friends about books as well so it also felt like somewhere I could put all my reading recommendations in case friends were interested. It quickly grew to something far bigger than that though!
Where are you from:
I live in north-west London, but I’m originally from Bath and I love going back to visit family – it’s the perfect excuse to explore the city and countryside.
What do you want your Instagram to bring to the world:
I want it to be a place where people can come and feel safe, forgetting about what’s going on in the world and just connect with fellow readers. I’m also very passionate about encouraging my audience to read more diversely, and I’ve been creating seasonal reading lists as a starting point for those who want to read more books by BAME authors but might not know where to start.
Fun Fact about you:
When I was small, I used to want to be a carpenter, until I found out that I’d probably get lots of splinters, so I went off the idea…
Favorite Bookstagrammers:
So so many, but here are just a few:
@ab_reads
@rose.reads.books
@whatsallyreadnext
@emilyhowarth
@asbthebookworm
image via @julietslibrary
Favorite Books and Authors:
The Secret History – Donna Tartt
Americanah – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Ready Player One – Ernest Cline
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn – Betty Smith
The Neapolitan Series – Elena Ferrante
(and so many more, but these are some of my top top books)
Fictional Crush:
No fictional crushes – only my (factual) husband who is the greatest partner any author could write into being.
image via @julietslibrary
TBR List:
It’s endless, and always growing, but top of the list for me right now are these titles:
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré
Girl in the Walls by A. J. Gnuse
The Man Who Saw Everything by Deborah Levy
Dominicana by Angie Cruz
What’s Your Special Approach to Content:
I really want my feed to give off a super cozy vibe, so I share a lot of photos of my favorite cafes around London and cozy spots around my house and mix this in with updates on recommended books and latest reads. For me, it’s all about creating a calming space online and inspiring people to take time to read.
image via @julietslibrary
Aesthetic / Instagram page theme:
Color-wise, I’m all about whites, browns and pinky-peaches, so these colors tend to dominate my feed. And content wise, my focus is books, but I also add in some lifestyle and interior content too. And more recently, some baby content as my husband and I are expecting our first child this autumn!
How often do you post:
Usually a couple of times a week – I try to be fairly consistent but sometimes I just have a busy week and so Instagram can get pushed to the side, or I’ll choose to take a break from my phone (often to prioritize reading!).
What does your Bookstagram mean to you:
I’ve always loved reading, but my bookstagram has enabled me to discuss books in a way I wasn’t able to before. It’s really put my desire to chat about books on the front foot with my family, friends and friends of friends, and I love how it’s really opened up conversations I wouldn’t otherwise have had with people.
image via @julietslibrary
Favorite Bookstore:
Toppings and Co in Bath – I love that shop so much. It’s so light and airy and they have the BEST selection of books. I always make sure to visit when I’m back in my hometown.
Who would you have supply you with a lifetime of books:
Great question – probably the Women’s Prize for Fiction. I find I end up loving most of the books nominated for the award, even if some of them I’d not naturally pick up myself.
Author to take a selfie with:
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – I wrote my dissertation at University on her book, Americanah, and I’m a big big fan.
Favorite book cover:
Such a hard question! I collect copies of The Great Gatsby and I recently purchased a copy from Orion Fiction that was purely a cover buy. It’s just white and black but the typography on the cover is so fitting – they’ve really mastered the classy elegant feel of the text. Other than that, I adore the Puffin in Bloom classics collection illustrated by Anna Bond of the Rifle Paper Co gang. These covers are simply stunning!
Book you have claimed to have read that you didn’t:
For me, it’s less about claiming I’ve read books I haven’t and more about staying quiet when I haven’t read books I feel I really should have as an English Literature graduate. I’ve definitely done that! And this list would include certain iconic Shakespeare plays and a lot of ‘classic’ books I feel embarrassed not to have ticked off my list yet…
When did you know you had made it as a Bookstagrammer:
Being a bookstagrammer has opened up a whole world for me, which has been both strange and exciting. I’m very privileged to be sent a lot of books and be invited to some incredible events, but I think the biggest thing for me was receiving a free press pass to London Book Fair (one of the biggest book industry events of the year) as a result of my Instagram account. Walking round wearing a badge that said ‘@julietslibrary’ felt like a significant moment for me. It felt like a real recognition of my worth as a booklover and book reviewer from the industry that I most championed, and that was very special.
Favorite fandoms:
There don’t tend to be fandoms for the kind of books I end up reading, but I love the pure passion and dedication of fandom members!
image via @julietslibrary
Advice for aspiring Bookstagrammers:
You have to do it for the love of it. Forget the numbers, forget the algorithm, forget the popular Instagrammable shots – it’s about finding your own way of showing up online, and being true to that. If you love YA books, post about them. If you love fantasy books, talk about them. And have fun! Sometimes I can feel a bit uninspired in my content, or tired of posting, but once I go back to basics, post what I want to post, and engage with other lovely readers out in the world, I just re-fall in love with bookstagram all over again.
Additional bookishness:
One of my greatest achievements is turning my husband into a reader. He read the occasional book before we got married, but I’ve worked hard to recommend books to him that he’d enjoy (he likes sci-fi thrillers, interesting crime, and cookery books) and it still warms my heart when we both take books out to coffee shops and sit in amiable silence just reading. I’m slowly trying to transform the wider family into readers too, and love the challenge of finding the perfect book for each person.