Guess what, Keeper-Upperers? Not only is Keeping Up With The Penguins one year old now, but so is the Keeping Up With The Penguins Instagram! When I started this blog, I’d heard about the #bookstagram phenomenon, but I had no idea what a wonderful, warm, and welcoming community I’d find there. I set up an account, and started posting photos of the books I was reading and reviewing, and it fast became one of my favourite parts of this project. I’m no great shakes at photography, I don’t go All-Out Extra with props and fairylights and all that business, but that’s the beauty of #bookstagram – it’s not about the bells and whistles, it’s about the books! I’ve “met” some truly fantastic people over the last year through the platform, and I thought today I’d share a short list of some of the best bookstagram accounts you really should be following.
@alexs.bookgram
Alex has got gorgeous bookish photos in all kinds of locations, and every time I scroll through I find something new to add to my TBR. You can check out her account here, and her book blog here.
@jane.read.next
I “met” Jane in the early days of sharing on Instagram, and her feed fast became one of my all-time favourites. She’s a fellow Aussie, a veteran of the publishing industry, and there’s a lot of crossover in our tastes! I’ve loved many of the books she recommended. Also, now and then, she’ll share photos of her gorgeous doggos – the easiest way to win me over! Check out her account here.
@yumyumicecream
Veronika’s guardian angel is Jack Kerouac with a recent assist from Lorrie Moore. She would love to put the novels of John Darnielle into the hands of anyone who has ever ached or cried from loneliness. And she’s one of my favourite bookstagrammers! Her feed is filled with gorgeous books, almost always accompanied by a coffee that makes my mouth water or some other delicious treat. Check out her account here.
@bookkissed
Aysha is a literature student, and it shows in her feed: a gorgeous varied collection of books from every genre and period (though I do notice she has a particular affinity for Stephen King and Agatha Christie, they feature often!). She posts beautiful and creative book stacks and snaps of what (and where) she’s reading – always a joy to see! Check out her account here.
@sasha_hawkins
Sasha loves reading all kinds of books, and at the moment she’s focused on the classics. She wants to spread the word that there’s a classic for everyone, and that our options go beyond the white male-dominated literary canon (a girl after my own heart!). She’s a sucker for beautiful books – but aren’t we all? I love her collection. Check out her account here and follow her on Goodreads here.
@booksthroughmyveins_
I had the pleasure of meeting Camila at a local #Bookstagrammer meet-up a few years ago. It turns out we’ve got a lot in common, beyond living in the same city: we’re both creative writing grads, we’re both fiercely honest in our reviews, and we both love great books. Her photos are a lot prettier than mine, though! Check out her account here.
@rooreads
Stephanie Berg is a Chicago-based bookstagrammer with a feed that slays! I’ve discovered lots of new literary fiction and gorgeous editions (seriously spectacular cover art, where does she find them?!) through her account. She’s currently a @pageonebooks ambassador, and you can find her account here, and follow her on Goodreads here.
@classicsandcaffeine
I’ll bet you can tell from her handle – classics AND caffeine! – that Ester is truly awesome. She’s based in Indonesia, and she shares a lot of classics and modern classics worth reading. She’s on a little hiatus at the moment, hopefully she’ll be back soon to share more bookish goodness with us! You can still check out her account here.
@book_trails
Fattyma loves books and photography, so bookstagram is her true home! And we are so lucky to have her, my eyeballs turn into hearts whenever I look at her posts. She reads all kinds of books – classics, best sellers, fantasy, mystery, young adult, and more – and her photos are incredible. Check out her account here and follow her on Goodreads here.
@spinesvines
I must admit, I’m a little bit a lot in awe of Jamise. She’s taken her passion for books (spines) and wine (vines), and turned it into not only this beautiful bookstagram account, but also @diversespines – a book club initiative that highlights women writers of colour and encourages us all to read more diversely. She’s doing incredible work, and I love it! Check out her account here, and more of her stuff here.
@khakipantsofsex
Cathal is another fantastic Aussie bookstagrammer (and, I’ll admit my bias, a close personal friend). He loves YA, fantasy, and “anything queer TBH”. Plus, if you follow him, you’ll get to see glimpses of his workplace (Sappho Books) and the famous bookshop cat! He honestly could not be more awesome. Check out his account here.
@bookish.behavior
If I’m ever worried that I’m missing out on some amazing diverse reads, I head straight for Poonam’s feed, because it is chockers with amazing recommendations and gorgeous photos! The reviews in her captions always give amazing insights into what’s worth reading and why, she is a must-follow for every booklover. Check out her account here.
@happinessisreading
What is it about the combination of books and coffee that makes for such great bookstagram feeds? Ritika is another caffeinated booklover, and she shares her incredible collection of literary fiction, non-fiction, modern classics, and more. I’ve spotted so many of my favourites in her gorgeous photographs. Check out her account here.
@vincereview
I actually came to Paula’s bookstagram through her blog, where she posts amazing and insightful reviews of books old and new, but whichever way you find her, you’re going to want to mash that follow button! She’s a former author and English student, and (like me!) she’s seeking to read classics, best sellers, and other books to discover for herself what they’re like, instead of relying on the opinions of self-professed experts. Her reviews are no-frills straight-talkin’ brilliance, and her enthusiasm is definitely contagious! Check out her account here, and her blog here.
So, if this incredible assortment of readers doesn’t convince you to check out #bookstagram, I don’t know what will! You can, of course, find little ol’ me here too. Are you a bookstagrammer? Drop your handle in the comments so we can all see your stuff (or share it over at KUWTP on Facebook!).
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February 15, 2019 at 10:36 AM
Thank you so much for the shout-out and for always showing my blog and bookstagram account some love. I’ve loved reading your blog in the past year. You review classics and other books in such a clever, witty way. It’s always a joy to read your reviews. And I love that you’ve shared some bookstagram accounts that I haven’t discovered yet. I will definitely have to check all these bookstagrammers out!
February 15, 2019 at 2:24 PM
You’re a superstar, Jane, thank you so much for this lovely comment 😍 I love reading your blog too, I feel like there’s a lot of crossover in our tastes and reading life and it’s so great to feel the vibe! Big, big love x
February 15, 2019 at 10:35 PM
What a great year it’s been, and you’ve covered such a lot of impressive reading in that time. I love your reviews and look forward to more. I’m so chuffed that you’ve added my account to this list, since I’d been very nervous about jumping into the tsunami that was bookstagram. But as you say, it’s a great place to be for book chat, recommendations and like minds. I’m now following those on your list I hadn’t come across yet. Let’s keep the book discussions going in 2019 🙂
February 16, 2019 at 1:00 PM
Oh Paula, thank you so much! I love your bookstagram, and your blog – always look forward to seeing what you read next and your insights, always brilliant. ❤️🙏
February 20, 2019 at 7:13 PM
Had a look at the Instagram thing and then found that it was only accessible from a mobile device (if you want to post content).
That pretty well identified where generationally it was pointing itself and that didn’t include me.
I haven’t gone back.
I’m guessing there will eventually be a standard browser based access method, by which time I’ll already be looking at the next thing…
February 7, 2021 at 4:49 PM
You can check out @tanjim1 too. I really like this south asian girl with great Aesthetic and nice reviews.