November 8, 2014. That’s when I posted my first photo of a stack of books on Instagram under the username @cityofdeja and joined a book-centered community aptly named ‘Bookstagram.’ In 2014, I was reading anything and everything labeled “young adult” and consuming BookTube video reviews on those very YA novels. Fast forward to 2024, and I’m studying English literature in graduate school and running a blog where I publish book reviews. Thus, it’s safe to say that Bookstagram was the impetus of my reading and reviewing journey, which would eventually become not only a hobby but a passion that I couldn’t imagine my life without. I was a reader before joining the online bookish community, but Bookstagram left an indelible mark on the way I consumed books forevermore. Here are my reflections after 10 years on Bookstagram.
Reader vs. Creator
While my activity on Bookstagram has waned over the years, I’m still eternally grateful for the outlet it provided me as someone who loves to read. I still recall my excitement of taking new photos of a recent a book haul, a reading wrap up, or just a pretty cover during the weekend so that I could post them throughout the week. The joy of discussing current reads and current bookish news with other creators and followers is what kept me posting for so many years.
Eventually, that word “creator” began to overtake my “reader” status when my account began to grow. Suddenly, I was working closely with the public relations teams of publishing companies, and I began receiving a plethora of book mail. The novelty of receiving books prior to their release date as Advance Reader’s Copies (ARCs) was one that I found joy in for a while, which made me feel like a proper Bookstagram “creator” (and later, even an “influencer”) back then. While I’ve dropped those labels now—and my new office/library feels so much lighter without the unmentionable number of ARCs taking space up on my shelves—I’m grateful for the experience that being a bookish “creator” brought me. I learned a lot about publishing, the ever-evolving trends of books and social media, and the power of exposure.
It took some time, but I also learned that the fast-paced consumption (and promotion) of books wasn’t what spurred my passion for reading anymore—if it ever did. Rather, the act of savoring (or disliking) a book so much that I was called to write a book review was the real essence of that interest. So, these days, I’m just a reader with a blog who sometimes has something to say. And if I take a fun bookish photo every now and again, then that’s enough for me.
Reading “Offline”
In 2023, I made the decision to begin slowly distancing myself from Bookstagram (and Instagram as a whole) after dedicating well over nine years to maintaining my account. The ways of the Internet has both its ebbs and its flows, and attempting to keep up with it all began to feel more frustrating than enticing. The years of being up for the “challenge” of growing my account were beyond me. So, after months of sporadic posting, I decided that it was time for an extended break from social media. I unplugged for the first time in forever, and specifically kept the Instagram app off of my phone. I was eager to learn more about the type of reader that I was beyond Bookstagram, and what types of books I would discover without them appearing on my Instagram feed.
During my “offline” reading, I was drawn to backlist reading for authors that I was dying to read more from outside of the classroom. Somewhere within my decade on Bookstagram, I’d went to college, studied English, and fell in love with how books were dissected for the sake of literary criticism (I talk more about my English major days on my podcast, Diary of an Ex-English Major). I discovered that reading for enjoyment also meant that I wanted to expand my thinking; I didn’t only want to escape into a book anymore. I wanted to unravel its parts and find out what the made the story tick. For me, the satisfied outcome after finishing a book was no longer the allure; rather, it was the process of reading and analyzing.
Life Post-Bookstagram
It is within this current era of my reading that I write this post. I’m a slower reader now, clocking at just about 15 books a year on average compared to the the 40-50 I used to read in years past. But the shift in my reading has allowed for the process to feel almost brand-new; it’s added the excitement and sense of wonder back into my reading. As I reach for classic literature and academic texts alongside the genre fiction that shaped my early reading habits, I’ve unearthed a second reading life that I’m excited to explore more of.
While my prime days on Bookstagram have come and gone, I still enjoy logging on to keep up with the happenings of my favorite authors (as well as creators that I have followed since the beginning). I don’t keep my hand on the pulse of popular fiction as I once did, but I think my ever-evolving reading tastes has given me a new perspective on how to review books—one that I am looking forward to put to use.
I guess a thank you is in order as Bookstagram taught me quite a lot over the years. It defined my teen years and went on to influence my studies and career calling. And while its place in my life is no longer central, I’ll never forget my Bookstagram roots.
And for old times’ sake, here’s a recent Booksta post:
Compared to my very first one:
Thanks for reading. Until next time,
City of Deja 
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