My favorite book rec sources
My go-to bookish folks when I need recommendations
Well, readers, it’s been a tough week here in the US. What is helping me cope is my community. So, today I want to spread some love to a small part of my bookish community.
My reading life took the back seat for a few months earlier this fall. During a busy time, reading became an afterthought for me. And I realized during this time how important bookish community is.
Having connections with fellow bookworms positively influences my life. From discovering new titles to add to my TBR, chatting about new releases, and encouraging each other to try a new author, all that book chat keeps me going. If reading has taken a back seat in your life, and you're looking for a boost, get immersed in a bookish community.
Two Sundays ago, I had a "treat yourself" day planned in honor of finishing out my wedding season. Among other things I love, treating myself to a fresh stack of books was on the list.
Leading up to it, I carved out an hour to sit down and catch up on what my favorite bookish people on the internet had been loving the last two months and jot down titles that caught my eye. I took that along as I perused the shelves of my favorite bookstores, coffee in hand, and could feel the bookish energy coming back into my life.
So, here are a handful of my favorite bookish people on the internet that I love turning to for book recommendations and conversations.
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Bookstagram
Ah, my first love. I might not spend as much time over there as a few years ago, but I still love popping in occasionally and seeing what these bookish friends have been reading and loving.
@poppyxpaper is one of my original favorites! In addition to her lovely artistic skills, I've loved swapping book recs with Megan over the years.
@katyisreading shares a reading taste similar to mine. She blends romance reads with literary fiction reads, and I'm always eager to see what she's reading.
@thebookishglow also has a reading taste similar to mine. I love her calm content and thoughtful book lists (my favorite!). Lucky for us, she's on Substack now, too â—¡̀ˆ
@nellreadsbooks never fails to make me want to pick up a book. If you need inspiration to make reading a bigger part of your life, follow Nell! She is a voracious reader with fantastic recommendations.
@agrayreads is my go-to source for literary mysteries. She hasn't steered me wrong!
Substack
Ah, my current love. What I love about Substack is that you get more context about books here. The content is at a slower pace, which leaves more room for nuanced conversation and thought around books. I always craved more of this when I spent most of my time on Instagram, so I'm glad to have found it here.
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Petya is on a constant quest to reflect on her reading life, and it inspires me to do the same! Our tastes overlap in some areas and diverge in others, but I'm always left feeling inspired to pick up a book after spending time with her posts.
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Katy enriches my reading life by encouraging me to be more thoughtful and intentional with my reading life. I've loved her seasonal reading reflections and stepped into even more of my own as a reader from all the bookish wisdom she shares.
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Kolina makes me want to read every book she writes about! I've had a few outstanding reads on her recommendations, so I always look forward to seeing what she is reading and loving.
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Natalie was one of my first bookish follows here on Substack, and she is my go-to source for romance recommendations and vetting. I really appreciate the way she thinks and writes about romance books.
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A fan favorite for a good reason! I look to Sara for literary fiction recommendations, but I also really appreciate all her reflections on the reading life. She's a former English teacher, and through her posts, I definitely have learned how to become a better and deeper reader.
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Alexandra is newer to the Substack space, but being one of my favorite Instagram follows, I'm so glad she made the leap to this space! We share a love of curating thoughtful book lists, and I love seeing hers.
I’d love to hear your favorite bookish folks on the internet that are go-tos for book recommendations and reading inspiration! Let me know in the comments so we can spread the bookish love.
‘Til next time,
Book-people are the best people everywhere but Substack is unique in how well suited it is for meaningful book conversations. The combo of long-form and discoverability is magic.
You have listed so many of my favorites and so excited to dig into some new friends (because I know they will be friends).
Two more from me, that consistently give me book recommendations that really fit my taste are Kate Jones and Nic Marna - reflective, emotional, and challenging literary fiction.
We share all of these Substack favorites, Michelle! A few more great ones are A Strong Sense of Place (feeds the travel urge too!) and Romancing the Phone which so eloquently discusses the romance genre.