Interview With a Bookstagrammer - January 2021

Welcome to our first interview of 2021! This month we spoke to the brilliant Manon (@womanon). Manon's bookstagram features a beautiful autumnal aesthetic and a regular book themed question of the day for all of your book chat needs.

Thanks so much for chatting with us, Manon! 📖

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I love how supportive everyone is, and how it feels like we’re one big family. I have always had a hard time to express myself, and I am always a very closed person, but I love how I can just throw it out on my posts, and people actually listen to me. This has helped me tremendously to open up in real life as well.

Definitely, haha. In the beginning, when I just started my Bookstagram, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. I didn’t have a theme, I didn’t have an aesthetic, I was just taking photos I loved. But over the years, as I evolved myself, I found my own theme, something I like, and I found my aesthetic. I definitely can say I have learned a lot of things over the years when it comes to photography!

I love to write, and am hoping to be a successfully published author one day. Aside from that, I love to play videogames, and I love to watch series and movies.

Have you always loved books? Tell us the book that cemented your love of reading! Any particular author who’s a huge inspiration?

I have read for as long as I can remember. As a child, my father and mother used to read to me, and I distinctly remember going to the library every Friday to pick up new books with my mom. This is probably one of my favourite memories. I mainly read Dutch books when I was still a child, but one series I remember being really fond of (and still am) is the Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanagan. This has to be one of the best middle-grade series out there, and I can highly recommend it. When I left secondary school and went to study for English teacher, I fell out of love with books for a while, mainly because I had a lot of books that were mandatory to read for the course. The book that rekindled my love for reading (and how I found Bookstagram) was Heartless by Marissa Meyer. The book destroyed me in the best possible way, and I still reread it every November. Other favourite writers include Amélie Wen Zhao, Shelby Mahurin, Sarah J. Maas, Leigh Bardugo, V.E. Schwab, and Brigid Kemmerer. I am probably forgetting a lot now.

First of all I would invite Gilbert Blythe. First of all because he’s my number one book boyfriend, and second of all because he is one of my favourite characters. I just love how well he knows his own mind, and how he can visualise his dreams.

Secondly, I would invite Cath from Heartless. She is such a strong and fierce character, I would love to explore her mind. Oh, and she can bake the best tarts, and one loves a tart at a dinner party, right?

I have thought long and hard about the last person I’d like to invite, since initially she is from the same book, but in the end I just have to go with Anne Shirley. She would be the life of the party, and I am a firm believer that we are kindred spirits.

Anne of Green Gables, without question.

There is actually one account where I look forward to seeing a new post appear, @daryadarcy. Every photo she posts tells an inquisite story, and her aesthetic is just extremely on point. I can only encourage you to check out her page!

Bookmark. Though I must admit that I love it when I buy a vintage book and is has some wear, like a cracked spine or dog ears. It just makes it feel that more vintage to me.

Whether you’re still doubting to make the jump to Bookstagram, or simply haven’t thought of it yet: why not join? I can honestly say that the Bookstagram community is insanely welcoming, and it largely consists of supportive people motivating each other to read books. I do have to give out a warning, though: your to-be-read will increase rapidly until it’s bigger than your lifespan with all the book recommendations you receive through Bookstagram! Will I see you there?

 

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