Tastemaker Salon: An interview with Brooke (@libraryofbookish)

Reading 200 books per year, why an ending that angers your readers might be a good thing, and a modern retelling of Frankenstein

What’s your bookstagram handle?

@libraryofbookish

When did you start your bookstagram?

June 2019.

How did you get started/what made you get started?

I kept seeing book posts on Instagram and I had just gotten back into reading again after becoming a mom to my second child and wanted to get back into a hobby I loved. After following and chatting with some book accounts, I thought it would be fun to start my own. I just wanted to make friends with people who liked the same things as I did and chat books.

How many books a year do you read?

It’s increased each year since 2019 but last year was 200. [Editor’s note: !!!]

What are your favorite genres?

Thrillers! But I like reading mostly all genres.

How would you describe your taste/social media aesthetic?

I don’t necessarily follow a particular aesthetic, sometimes I'll do book recs or features or recommendations but I do like my photos to have a darker vibe to them. I just like the pop it gives the colors on the cover. 

Who are some of your favorite authors? What about their work really captures you?

You! [Editor’s note: Aww shucks!] But I also love Gillian Flynn. Her books are so dark and twisted. James Patterson got me into reading so I’ll always be fond of him. Others: Jennifer Hillier, Stacy Willingham, Alex Finlay, Ruth Ware, Lisa Jewell. And too many others to name. 

What makes a book stand out to you?

If it surprises me. Doesn’t have to be a crazy twist, just keeps me invested. Maybe goes somewhere I didnt expect, or when the characters are well-developed and I care for them. I love when a book pulls you in and makes you think about it even after you’ve finished.

What do you wish people knew about bookstagram/booktok/the book blogging community?

It’s not a compeition. It doesnt matter how many likes or followers you have, or what books you read. You don’t have to post particular things. You can just have fun with it and do your thing. Be you. Read what you want, as much or as little as you want. It doesn’t matter. 

How do you decide which books to read, and then which books to feature?

I’m a mood reader. When it comes to reading, I have a committment issue. I can’t promise to read something now or later. I’ve just got to be like, This book looks good so I’m going to read it now. 

What's the best way for authors to reach out to you? Are there things authors do when they reach out that you hate?

I love working with authors! It’s always so exciting when one reaches out. The only thing I would say I don’t love is feeling pressured to read a book and post a review. It can be intimidating knowing they’ll read it and worrying about their feelings but also because I am a mood reader, I prefer to pick up a book whenever it compels me for maximum enjoyment. 

What kind of book are you dying to read? (I don't mean a book that exists—but if you could design the perfect book you're dying to read, what would it be/what kind of elements would it have?)

I want to read something that makes me feel like I did when I read Gone Girl. That was HEAVY on my mind for awhile after I read it. To be honest, I was angry when I finished it because of how it ends. But isn’t that the brillance of it? That it inflicted such feelings? And it was so cleverly plotted and twisted. 

What's a thing you see publishers or authors do on social media that drives you CRAZY and not in a good way?

I don’t like when they bash readers. I understand that reading reviews that aren’t 5 stars can be hard but readers should be able to express their feelings on books without fear of backlash. I love when authors share their fav books tho! I love to see what they recommend.

What's the book you recommend the most often and why?

This is tough because every reader is different so I tend to recommend based on their preferences. Some favs though that I think many tend to enjoy are: The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. Book Lovers by Emily Henry. Jar Of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier. 

Do you ever DNF books? And if so, at what point/what causes you to DNF?

I do. I think it’s the same as a show you’re not enjoying or food you don’t like. If it isn’t working, or you’re not into it for whatever reason, let it go. I wouldn’t finish a show I didn’t like, so I won’t finish a book I can’t get into. Time is precious. Try another book.

Wise words! Thank you so much, Brooke!

Backlist beauties

Recommending: Frankissstein by Jeannette Winterson

Year published: 2019

Just in time for Halloween, my backlist beauty recommendation is this weird, fun, smart modern take on Frankenstein that tackles gender, AI, sex bots, cryogenics, and the inception for Mary Shelley’s classic. I pretty much never get bored of reading or seeing iterations of the fateful Lake Geneva chill buds hang for the Hot New Romantic Poets that resulted in a teenaged (!) Mary Shelley writing Frankenstein.(Which may also be why I made my roommate watch the insane and insanely 80s film Gothic in his 31 days of October terror marathon.)

But that’s only a portion of the novel—the main narrative thread is the story of a transgender doctor in Brexit Britain falling in love with a mad scientist against the backdrop of a scientific culture racing to change humanity as we know it: replacing human interaction with AI, extend lives into hundreds of years, revive the dead. It’s a whipsmart thinker with all the fun of a Carl Hiaasen novel and a thoroughly original spooky read. Let me know what you think if you pick it up!