How to start a bookstagram (and have fun)

Hi friends. I wanted to do this post because I have a Instagram account that is dedicated to reading and my love of books. Being in the bookstagram Community is really fun but it can become very frustrating as well. Well I have met some really cool people and seen some amazing pictures sometimes you feel uninspired or frustrated that the work you put into your picture isn't getting likes or you're not getting followers. So here are some tips to starting your own bookstagram account.

1. Make it one hundred percent you. For a long time when I had my first bookstagram account I wanted it to look like everybody else is most beautiful pictures that I saw. When in reality all I needed to do was put myself into the pictures and make them something that I would like to see.

2. Don't do it for the likes and the followers. When I had my first bookstagram account I was so frustrated because I felt like I put so much time and effort into my pictures and I had little to no followers when other accounts who had only been active for a month had over a thousand followers... so I quit . Believe me I understand what it feels like to take a picture that you're really proud of and not get any likes or not get new followers but in reality this is supposed to be fun so why worry about your likes and your followers am I right?

3. It's okay to take a break. Last summer I decided that I was finished with bookstagram and the entire community. I still followed many of the people that I enjoyed seeing pictures of but taking a break really made me inspired and refreshed to wanting to have a bookstagram again and start inspiring people with my pictures and my words. Taking a break is okay if you lose followers you lose followers that's just the nature of the situation.

4. Have fun. Having fun is the most important aspect of the bookstagram community. We are a group of people that enjoy reading and enjoy looking at pictures of books. In my opinion we're a rare breed. But when it stops being fun why are you still doing it? In order to have a successful account you need to make it fun if it isn't fun anymore you shouldn't be doing it.

5. Interact with people. This is important because this is how you get book recommendations or if you're having a bad day somebody compliments you on your picture. I can't tell you how excited I get when I see that I have comments on my pictures even if it's just a smiley face. It shows that people are looking at my pictures and enjoying what I did.

And finally...

6. Write what speaks to you. I tried to put more time into what I'm writing them into the picture that I take. I feel like it gives the viewers and followers a sense of who I really am and that I'm not just a girl who's taking pictures of books. I'm there too talk about books and share my love of books. I'm one hundred percent me in my post.

Bottom line is if you're thinking about starting a bookstagram account just remember that things don't happen overnight I started my first bookstagram two or three years ago and I only got up to 500 followers with my new account I'm only up to 800 and I'm fine with that. I just enjoy inspiring others with my pictures and my words.

Tips to help you read more

Hi readers. I wanted to do this post because if you're anything like me you have very little time to do anything for just yourself. For me that means setting aside time to read. All day long I sit and think about all the things I need to do throughout my day when all I really want to do is read. Wrapping myself up in a new book is my favorite thing in the entire world and I have quite the collection that has been neglected for so long. With my schedule being so busy I have had to creatively find new ways to read more so here's some tips that have worked for me and I hope that they will work for you as well.

1. Audiobooks!!! I cannot stress enough how much audiobooks have helped me. I listen to them when I drive to the grocery store when I have to go to an appointment or when I'm driving home to visit friends and family. Because of that I have listened to seven books just this year including The Mark of Athena and now the House of Hades as well as The Alchemist. Audio books are such a great way to kind of Disconnect from the busyness of everyday life and immerse yourself in a story even if you don't have your nose in an actual book.

2. Scheduling. My schedule is always packed. Although i don't work which I am very blessed to not have to do so that means  I take care of house and home, my husband, a puppy, the finances, I set up appointments I do all the paperwork, I do it all. So where in a 24-hour period do I find time to read. Well I have to schedule in little blocks of time throughout my day. For instance I have been going to the gym quite often and when I do so I bring my book, in fact I finished a book today! I read the last 60 pages while I was on the treadmill and I'll tell you what... it was fantastic I was tired, I was sweaty but I felt so good knowing I had finished yet another book. On days that I don't go to the gym usually I will schedule my time after my puppy's down for the night and I'm curled up in bed.

3. Don't force it. This is more of a tip so that you don't get frustrated if you can't read during your day. Don't force yourself to read if you're not in the mood. I cannot stress this enough. If you try to force yourself to read when you're either not in the mood or have too much going on youre not going to not get wrapped up in the story and not process what you're reading or you're going to piss yourself off because you tried so hard to read and still can't do it so do not force it.
... And finally

4. Set an amount of pages. This kind of goes hand-in-hand with the scheduling aspect. But if you're having a busy day and all you want to do is sit down for just a few minutes and read a book give yourself an allotted amount of pages. Tell yourself okay I can't do anything else until I read 15 pages of this book and make yourself read those 15 pages and be as present as possible. Immerse yourself in those 15 pages just so that when you finish your satisfied with what you read, how you took it in and are now ready to tackle the next part of your day and if you find you have more time give yourself another 15 pages.

the bottom line is we as a society find ourselves going 10 miles a minute and it's completely unacceptable if we do anything less (am I right?!?!) But it's okay to put things aside that don't need to be done right away like the dishes or the laundry give yourself a little bit of time just for you. I can't tell you how many days I finally had a few moments for just me and I would sit with my book and think oh I still need to do the dishes and I put my book down and go do the dishes and then I would find a handful of other things that needed to be finished right then and there so that by the end of my day I would have a huge chunk of time to read. But that's not how it works because by the time I got into bed and had my book out ready to read I was so exhausted from doing so much throughout my day. So if you follow these four steps or any variation of them whether you add extra steps or subtract some steps these should help you find more time during your day to read.

I hope you guys got something out of this that might help you when you're in a reading slump when you feel uninspired or when you feel like you just don't have any time because believe me I understand but using these tips should not only help you find more time to read but inspire you to read more and more often!

The Girl who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making By Catherynne M.Valenti

Hi readers! Its been quite some time since I have posted. As you know I am a very busy lady! Hope all of you are doing well and ready to hear all about my latest read. Now first off, with my busy schedule I have very little time to read (a post about that and some tips is coming soon!!) So lately I have been reading while I work out. I just get on the tredmill and powerwalk and I read and that is how I was able to get this book read and this review ready to be posted!

Picture Provided via my book theme Instagram!

Synopsis: A Girl named September lives a quiet life with her Mother and Father until one night a Leopard called The Leopard of Little Breezes comes to take her on the adventure of a lifetime. During this adventure she takes a bath, meets a Wyvern names A through L or Ell as she calls him, begins turning into a tree, meets a Marquess named Mallow and visits a land where its only fall all the time!!! She has very little time in this place and has to confront Mallow before her time runs out.

Here is my review on this whirlwind of a story. I have had this book for years now and every time I tried to read it I could not get past the first chapter. That's not because it is boring by any means but it was not my time to read it. The first page alone has enough excitement to hook any reader. About a week ago I had posted a picture via Instagram with the cover of the book and a friend commented that she had read all of the Fairyland books and how I would love them, so I finished the book I was currently reading and began The Girl who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making and I cannot tell you how much I loved it and how wonderful of a book it was. Upon reading the first  pages I felt that I was in a familiar place. A place where I had visited once before, a long time ago and I couldn't quite put my finger on where that place was until I started the next few chapters and I realized that I was in a place closely related to the Classic Stories of The Wizard of Oz, Alices Adventures in Wonderland  and The Phantom Tollbooth. This story was so similar to those 3 books that it was like revisiting those old and timeless tales. I cannot tell you how satisfying this story was and how put together the entire plot was. When I wrapped up today I found myself feeling a bit sad because I had seen this force of a girl called September travel to new lands, make new friends and find her way back home all in one piece. September felt like she was my friend through this book and she was the girl I wish I could have been at her age.

I HIGHLY recommend this book to people young and old. You will not be disappointed and I am about to start book two as soon as I wrap this up! Give it a try, you wont regret it!!