If you’re still looking for book recommendations and the kind of book pictures and videos that make you want to hit the ‘Like’ button (so that, you know, your friends know you’re cool that way) on Facebook, you’re so last year.
The place to be is Instagram, and the hashtag to use is #Bookstagram. But since that will mean a problem of plenty, we picked a baker’s dozen of handles for you to follow.
Just literary
@theparisreview
Every now and then, one must pause and reflect upon some words of wisdom. But not just any words. Here you’ll find snippets of previously published poems and past interviews with iconic writers, along with illustrations and their most memorable covers. The literary magazine was founded in 1953 and is one of the most-widely read journals today.
@epicreads
If you’re into Young Adult fiction – reading it for a friend if not for yourself – this is the account you should be following. A bright community for YA book lovers pin-points the hottest teen books.
@fictionnotfriends
Talia is all of 16, lives in London, and has a penchant for books and travel. She blends her reads with some of the most stunning backdrops – the ocean, the rocks, the London Eye, and more! Her perspective on books is most swoon-worthy.
Book people (who doesn’t love them?)
@hotdudesreading
He’s got the looks and he’s got the books. So, stop everything and take note of the three most interesting words for, ahem, a female booklover – hot, dudes, reading. Follow for regular images of scenes of hot dudes reading straight from the streets and subways of New York City. Could it get better than this?
@subwaybookreview
What’s the most common way of passing time while traveling in a train? Yes, we know it’s Whatsapp. But this handle goes on to prove that the NYC subway has some of the most interesting readers in the world – native Americans and tourists included. They’re constantly reading – from Toni Morrison to Greek myths, and Agatha Christie to David Foster Wallace. Best of all, each picture comes with a short review of the book photographed. This is a lovely black-and-white account of strangers reading on the subway. Wouldn’t it be great if someone archived the book-people here in India too – on the Delhi metro or in Mumbai locals?
Food and design (books too)
@bookbaristas
NYC-based college grad Natasha describes herself as “Just a book person recommending you hot drinks and hotter reads”. She’s got the combination of books and brews right, and the stylish pictures work impeccably in her favour (she’s got over 94k followers). You won’t get many book recommendations here, but you’re sure to get ideas on how to style your reads with a brew! Also, she owns super cool socks.
@coffeeandbookss
Is there a better pairing than coffee and books? Echoing our thoughts here is Tanbir Minhas, who records her book-coffee moments in beautiful rustic cafés and indie bookstores in the San Francisco Bay Area. And her recommends are worth watching out for. There’s an eclectic mix in there – from Jhumpa Lahiri to Haruki Murakami, Henry Miller to Voltaire, and Ray Bradbury to Gillian Flynn. (Don’t miss the extra ‘s’ in the handle.)
@imjustahuman
Anna is a Ukrainian student who’s in love with books, just like the rest of us, but what sets her apart are the creative pairings she does with her favourite reads. Be it flowers, fruits, coffee, cake, candles or lights, Anna’s got everything going great.
Pets. Yes, pets.
@ernest_hedgingway
“Ernest is a persnickety hedgehog with a love of books, antiques, and sleeping. These are his adventures.” Nikki, who lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma is a reader, writer, photographer, cook, creator, dreamer, believer (phew)… according to the bio on her blog. She owns a pet hedgehog whom she’s lovingly christened after you-know-who. Tiny Ernest spends his days with Nikki discovering the joy of reading. At times he’s found solving a crossword puzzle, other times he’s seen resting upon a pile of books. Oh, he has his own book too!
@catbookbclub
Cats and books. That should break the internet. Sleepy cats, inquisitive cats, bored cats, curious cats – each one sprawled and perched over one or more books.
@dogbookclub
There are dogs. There are books. What’s not to love? This handle captures all those moments when the furry canines interrupt your time with books. The captions are the funniest and in all caps because hey, “BOOKS ARE EXCITING”, right?
Bookstores
@strandbookstore
New York City’s landmark bookstore has been around since 1927. The 86-year-old bookstore holds 18 miles of books and has three floors of used and rare books on Broadway and 12th. Here you’ll find pictures of author events held inside the store (readings and signings), along with shelfies and giveaways. Every now and then, the staff post their book recommendations too.
@chroniclebooks
Chronicle Books, the San Francisco-based independent publisher, is an Instagram pro. The company publishes books on food, architecture, interior design, and home & garden, and children’s books. And they never get their frames wrong.
