Bringing back the books

Mood readers, digital readers, I’m-not-reading-this-unless-it’s-a-classic readers, whatever reader you are, you’ve heard of Bookstagram. The aesthetically pleasing space on Instagram dedicated to literary lovers has transformed the way fellow readers choose their next book and how a nuanced review can influence one to pick up a book instead of their phone.

Want to start a book but don’t know what to choose? Bookstagrammers and podcasters, Rhiannon Fallows and Hannah Wilkinson, @twogirlsonebookpod, have over 1,000 posts to pick from. They explain their time on Bookstagram, how covid affected their reading goals and what their favourite content to create for Instagram is.

Meeting each other only three years ago through mutual friends, they discovered their similar interest of reading. “I wanted to restart reading in lockdown. I put on FaceBook for some recommendations and Hannah replied like, “I want to read with you! Let’s do a book club together!” So when I got back into reading, my other half suggested to make a podcast- because that’s what you do when you’re having a midlife crisis!” Rhiannon laughs wholeheartedly at their quick success on Instagram, building up a following of over 12,500 readers.

Starting Bookstagram as a social media to promote their podcast, both Hannah and Rhiannon have grown quite an unexpected following. “We said to each other that if we got 10,000 followers, we’d get matching tattoos, then we smashed it, and now we have matching tattoos!” Rhiannon states, smiling at each other.

“Be determined, keep being creative and the outcome will be very special.”

Book slumps. A reader’s nightmare. When you just can’t find the energy to pick up a book and read it. “My top tip when you’re in a slump is short books.” Hannah says, “I loved ‘Before the Coffee Gets Cold’, which is just over 200 pages. It’s Japanese fiction, I loved the whimsical nature of it. It’s one story told in three parts, I thought that was a good technique; and the cover is so pretty!” Hannah accentuates, admiring the glistening cover.

“That’s something we never used to consider before Bookstagram, how much detail goes into the look of a book!” Rhiannon continues from Hannahs point. “The prettier the book, the better the pictures will do. Before, I’d pick up a book and read it, but now I really consider what it looks like too.”

From fun book challenges to full length reviews, Bookstagram allows your imagination to run rife, with the use of hashtags to increase the views on a trending pic. “I enjoy giving my opinion and telling everyone what I think. I take pride in crafting a review to help people decide if something is for them or not,” Hannah nods, showing her adoration for books and care for her followers. She continues, “the challenges are fun, but I prefer reviewing, although it does mean taking more photos, but I don’t mind that!” She laughs as Rhiannon nods her head agreeing. “We’ve made it more difficult for ourselves! I enjoy cover recreations or the makeup trends,” Rhiannon says expressing her love for makeup, “makeup was definitely my main hobby before I got back into reading.” From makeup matching book stack pics like Rhiannon, to writing a captivating review, Bookstagram really is a place to show off your creativity in any form.

“If I’m reading, I’m not thinking about anything else.”

Bookstagram broaderns your genre go-tos when other bloggers showcase what they’ve recently loved in a pretty picture. Rhiannon states, “I’m a historical fan. But I’ve enjoyed some romances recently, Bookstagram has done that for me.” Hannah adds, “I love the darkest, weirdest stuff!” she says laughing, Rhiannon agrees with her. “Booksta has opened my genre field so much that one of my favourite books was ‘Great Circle’ by Maggie Shipstead -which is historical fiction- something I’d never pick up. I love translated fiction too. You get an insight into different lifestyles and cultures, I always want to be learning something whilst reading.”

During COVID, more people started reading books again, using them as an escape from reality. “I have a noisy brain,” Hannah admits, “If I’m reading, I’m not thinking about anything else. Booksta kept me accountable during lockdown, if I didn’t want to get out of bed, I’d remember I needed to post, make myself look presentable and pose with a book! If you’ve got the type of brain that spirals, reading is great to divert your attention.” Hannah acknowledges.

Whilst working alongside the podcast and blog, Rhiannon and Hannah both agreed how intense posting can be. “It’s pretty much a full time job once you grow on a platform. We put a lot of time into it, but for those wanting to start a blog, it can be hard to grow on Instagram.” Rhiannon shares. “They make you work for it! If you want to do it, be determined, keep being creative, doing what you love, and the outcome will be very special!”

Listen to their podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5xhsmNx36GF8vmqD5CE6aD