Meet Our Bookstagrammer of the Month: @worldswithinpages
We’re kicking off a Bookstagrammer of the Month feature this month, and we’re so excited to dive in. Since we can’t see as many people in the shop, we decided we ought to get to know a few bookish folks a little bit better, and hopefully put some follow-worthy accounts on your radar to fill your feed with wonderful reads, reviews, and recommendations.
For April, we’re learning more about Alisa, the person behind the account @worldswithinpages. Be sure to follow her — and us! @pagesontheave — on Instagram.
When did you start your account and why?
I started my account in summer 2017 as a way to connect with people who loved to talk about books. In real life, I don’t have many people I can talk to about what I am reading or want to read, what they are reading and loving, or just to chat with about bookish news and excitement that pops up in the industry. Through Bookstagram, I found what I was looking for in terms of just finding fellow readers, but it’s become so much more than that along the way. I have learned so much from the people I have connected with, not just about books, but also about them as individuals, their lives, their experiences and perspectives, and I am constantly blown away by how smart, supportive, and kind people can be in our little corner of the internet. I have a few people I have met in real life because of Bookstagram who are now my closest friends. I couldn’t be more grateful that I started my account!
How would you describe your feed’s style and what can people expect from following you?
My style is contains a little bit of everything, but I suppose it could best be described as a mix of books and lifestyle. I am not someone who creates intricate and staged images, simply because that’s not my style nor is it true to who I am as a reader or person. I like my feed to feel casual and natural as much as possible! In terms of what people can expect from following me, every day is just a new day and a new opportunity for shenanigans! I post about what I am reading (even the stuff I didn’t like), book hauls, TBR (to be read) piles, LOTS of pictures of my dogs, and glimpses into my life at the moment or what I am thinking about that day. My stories are just pure chaos, I won’t even try too hard to describe what goes on there, but you can expect memes, more of my dogs, reposts from motivational accounts (I share them more for me but also for my followers lol), and I absolutely don’t shy away from oversharing my life stories.
What are a few of your favorite Bookstagram accounts?
This is so tough to choose, but I will pick 5 of my all-time favorites:
@booknerdnative — Hannah is one of my best friends, but when you see her feed, you’ll know I am not just being biased.
@simoneandherbooks — Simone’s feed is a dream and she is incredibly funny and kind.
@shelfbyshelf — Hunter is SO freaking smart and his reviews make me wish I could sound even 2% as wise as he is when I write my own.
@jeanellnicolereads — Jeanell is just absolutely, unfiltered, pure sunshine. Her stories constantly make me smile (it may be her dancing that does it for me) and her feed feels like the warm hug we all need in our lives.
@jobis89 — Johann is my horror genre source of truth! I read a lot of horror, but Johann always seems to find hidden gems within the genre that I end up LOVING.
What are you currently reading?
I am reading a few different things right now! I like to read a few books in a few different formats at the same time to keep things interesting. As a physical book, I am currently reading Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb, my current audiobook is Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon, and my Kindle/e-book read right now is A Duke by Default by Alyssa Cole.
Who are a few of your favorite authors?
Brandon Sanderson, Paul Tremblay, Carmen Maria Machado, Patrick Rothfuss, R.F. Kuang, Neil Gaiman, Colson Whitehead, Stephen King, Alyssa Cole, Roxane Gay, NK Jemisin, Tessa Dare, Nick Cutter, Ibram X. Kendi
Any tips for Bookstagrammers just starting out?
This is always such a hard question for me to answer because I have a lot of thoughts and advice on how I think people should approach and think about Bookstagram. However, I think people start accounts for different reasons and with different goals in mind and that’s okay! What I would say is that, no matter what your goal is with your account, if you feel like there is pressure to conform to reading certain types of books, a certain number of books per year, a certain author, etc. and you don’t feel excited about it, don’t allow yourself to ruin the enjoyment of your hobby by fretting about it. Be true to yourself, post what makes you feel happy and fulfilled, and make sure to support your friends on the platform along the way!
The other bit of important advice I would give is to make sure who you are following represents a diverse and inclusive spectrum of people including BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ folks, people with disabilities, and more. As readers, books help us broaden our mindset, provide new perspectives, and learn new things. But if we are only engaging with folks who have similar life experiences to our own and who see things from the same lens we do, we will continuously fall short in our efforts to be more educated, action-oriented, and empathetic human beings and readers.
Books are an exploration. At Pages, we provide a place for you to become comfortably lost within our curated selection of literary fiction, nonfiction, and children’s literature. Come make yourself at home.
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