Meet The Bookstagrammer: @bookishkaren

Article contributed by Johanna H

Behind the minimalistic and aesthetic book feed, @bookishkaren is 30-year-old Karen. You might think she works within graphic design or social media when looking at her photos and smart edits, but Karen is actually a nurse, and a very proud dog-mama to the cute chow chow, Greggy. After growing up and living 13 years in Tripoli, she now lives in the Philippines where she loves nature walks and summer sunsets. Karen is a big fan of pizza and late-night poetry, but we want to get to know Karen even better, and especially more about her book Instagram and her book interest.

Firstly, we love how cohesive and aesthetic your feed is. How did you find your style?

Thank you! Honestly, it took a while. I guess I was too concerned about making a good impression, especially when I was just starting. I bought props and a lot of bookish stuff just to get that perfect flat lay shot. I wanted my feed to be just as pretty as other bookstagrammers’ feeds. But doing that only felt like I was copying them and I realized that that’s not me, that’s not my style. So, I took a short hiatus to really think on what I wanted my aesthetic to be. I kept experimenting with my photos until I found that minimalist look that I like. And it felt good to finally stick to that.

Why did you start your book Instagram?

I have heard about the community prior to joining bookstagram. Two of my college friends were already doing it months before I even decided to do it myself. They inspired me to create my own account and I thought, why not? Also, I don’t have that many friends who read and bookstagram truly helped bring more bookish people into my already-bookish-life and for that, I am extremely grateful. I think I really needed this outlet to express myself more and at the same time, connect. It’s been great getting to know these people who share the same passion as mine and talk about books the way that I do too.

If someone out there is thinking about creating a bookstagram, what advice would you give them?

I’d say, do it! Do it with love, be yourself, and engage. Don’t be scared to communicate because this whole community is very welcoming and friendly. Be genuine in your posts and in your interactions and don’t be discouraged by the numbers. Always keep going.

If you could invite any five authors or characters (dead or alive) to a dinner party, who would you invite and why?

Wow, that is hard. I feel like there are so many potential candidates for this, depending on what the theme of the party is. I’m going with characters just because I feel like they’re easier to pick. I would invite Jo March from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott because she thrives on entertaining others and I love how she’s so absorbed in everything that’s happening around her. My second invite is for Jane Eyre from Charlotte Bronte’s novel. She’s also very passionate and outspoken. Then the rest of the guest list would consist of Mary Lennox from The Secret Garden, Wendy Darling from Peter Pan (who I assume would love tea) and Narnia’s Queen Susan, just because.

You seem to read quite a few different genres of books. Which genre would you say is your favourite?

I do. I like switching things up from time to time. My most picked-up genre is fiction, specifically historical fiction and romance. The former tends to impact me the most, while the latter I consider as a comfort read. Someday I want to have a huge collection of historical fiction books. There’s simply something so vital about reading past historical events and learning what they contributed to humanity. It is both an escapism and an exploration.

When you aren’t reading, what do you spend your time with?

If you asked me this question 3-4yrs ago, I would no doubt say writing. But now I just take some time for myself and recharge on energy, you know? Whenever I’m off-work and not reading, you’ll find me either catching up on lost sleep or listening to music with my dog. That’s it. But in my productive moods, I clean, learn a few choreographies here and there (and eventually mess it up), sing bad karaoke or binge-watch movies with my parents.

Which three books do you think everyone should read?

First of all, I think everyone should read whatever book they want to read. No one should force you to pick this or disregard that. But, if I were to recommend books, I would definitely suggest And Every Morning The Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrick Backman, The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (my favourite), and Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson.

And lastly, do you have any goals for your reading 2021?

I wish to read more nonfiction and a few genres that I don’t normally read, like thrillers and mystery. For 2021, I just want to continue reading books at my own pace and not get pressured by hype so much. And of course, more diverse reads!