If you are on bookstagram, you may enjoy those beautiful, aesthetically pleasing pictures, often accompanied by reviews and book chats. Haneesa’s bookstagram account provides just that. She found the perfect balance between gorgeous pictures that make you want to live inside them, and engaging reviews and recommendations. I was lucky enough to interview Haneesa to ask her about her experience in the book community.
Can you introduce yourself and your account?
My name is Haneesa, I'm 25 years old living in sunny Singapore. My bookstagram handle is @haneesa.reads. It's essentially a space for me to share about my current reads, post little book reviews and chat with other like-minded readers globally. It has really turned into a safe space and sort of escapism from the hustle and bustle of daily life.
What made you want to start a bookstagram account?
The idea came about when I had started getting back into reading in the past couple of years. I watched a lot of Booktube which fuelled my enthusiasm to read even more. From there, I started posting a lot about the books I was reading on my main personal Instagram account. Slowly, I started to feel as though I was "spamming" content about books that most of the people following me on my personal account wouldn't really care for or were interested in. I also craved getting to know more people with who I could talk about books and share reviews. And so I started following some book accounts on Instagram, and thought it would be fun to create my own - a space to talk about (mostly) books!
What is your favourite type of content on booksta?
I don't have a specific favourite, however, going back to basics I think reading people's reviews and thoughts on books is great. It gives rise to differing opinions in the community and sparks healthy discourse. On top of that, the creative book stack challenges are always fun to participate in!
Is there a book that got you into reading? What was it?
I fell in love with reading (and writing) back when I was a kid. So the best answer to this question would be Roald Dahl's books. Matilda, The BFG, The Twits, The Witches, James and the Giant Peach, etc. Reading Dahl allows your imagination to run wild, and as a kid, that feeling is great. Also "The FarawayTree" series by Enid Blyton.
• What inspires you when you create content?
This is a great question! It's easy to start a bookstagram and then slowly find it a chore to keep posting and updating content, especially if your day-to-day job or responsibilities get in the way. The inspiration for me comes from seeing my friends on bookstagram post content. It's the community that inspires me to keep posting and creating content. Seeing comments on my post and people responding about how they "also loved that book!" makes me happy. Inspiration also strikes when I've read an insanely good book and simply want to rave about it to the world.
What is the one book that you will always recommend?
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Yes, it's massively hyped up, but for good reason. Taylor Jenkins Reid is an incredible writer and this book got me out of the worst reading slump and made me recall why I fell in love with reading in the first place. I still remember reading the first chapter, and immediately thinking to myself - this is going to be a favourite. And I was right! If you haven't read it, please do so.
What do you like most about the book community? And is there an aspect that you don’t like?
I love how everyone is welcoming and encouraging. It's a wonderful community to be a part of and I am so glad I have found this safe space! The only thing I'm not fond of is when I've seen a bookstagrammer's review being completely dissed or judgment placed on those who read and like overhyped/"booktok" books. Whenever I see judgment or negativity, I get a little put off and log off. Bookstagram is supposed to be a safe space for me and so I don't like seeing that on the platform.
What advice would you give to someone starting in the book community?
Go all out! Post whatever you want and don't be bogged down by trying to keep your feed as clean and consistent as possible. Also, read what you love and rate is as you truly want to. Read the hyped books or the obscure books - whichever is your cup of tea! Don't be swayed by the low ratings or negative comments by others about a book that you found you actually love.
Thank you again to Haneesa for doing this interview. You can follow her on Instagram (@haneesa.reads) to make sure that you don’t miss any new content!
Blog Post and Interview By Juliette @a_spoonful_of_juliette
All photos in this post belong to @haneesa.reads
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