Tastemaker Salon: An interview with Rachel @bellville_lfl
How a Little Free Library turned into Bookstagram, Booksta best practices, and the power of a simple thank-you from authors
What's your bookstagram handle?
When did you start your bookstagram?
I started my bookstagram in June 2021.
How did you get started/what made you get started?
I have always had a love for books, and would follow so many bookish accounts on my personal Instagram. For my birthday in June of 2021, my dad made me a LFL as he knew it is such a passion of mine! I love sharing books and talking with people who stop. I started my page originally to showcase books that I share in my LFL, but it has since evolved into so much more!
How many books a year do you read?
I try to read around 10 a month, so I aim for 120 a year. This year I’m at 167 right now, so I hope to hit 175!
What are your favorite genres?
I think before having a bookstagram, I would stick to thrillers, but I now read almost every genre! It keeps the books fresh, in my opinion. Reading the same genre constantly can put me in a slump! So while my favorite is still thrillers (domestic and dark academia specifically), I love reading across genres!
What do you know about Bookstagram now that you didn't when you first started?
It is A LOT of work! Sometimes it can feel like a job, but I try to not let it get that far! I really think to get a lot of traffic and keep publishers and authors happy, you need to post at least once a day, have tons of engagement and share stories every day. But I don’t want to take the joy out of reading, so I try to keep it light and fun! A lot of people get burnt out on bookstagram easily!
Who are some of your favorite authors? What about their work really captures you?
Ashley Winstead is my absolute favorite. [Editor’s note: Ditto!] Not only is she such a delight to talk to, she is incredibly smart and so talented. The way she writes a thriller and then can switch to a rom-com so effortlessly is unmatched! And she dives so deep into her books and researches her topics so thoroughly to give you an immersive reading experience. I also don’t reread books often, but I look forward to rereading Ashley’s!
What makes a book stand out to you?
For a book to stand out, I want to not be able to put it down. I want to be thinking about the story and the characters even when I’m not reading and I want that story to stick with me. I read up to 16 books a month, so it has to be special to stand out! I want a book to make me emotional and really think outside of it. I also love when the words are so poetic and poignant and I’m highlighting throughout the book!
What do you wish people knew about bookstagram/booktok/the book blogging community?
It is hard and can feel thankless at times. I wonder why I take time to write reviews and take the pictures. Then I get a message from an author thanking me and saying how much my review meant, or a reader who picked a book up because of me and I love that feeling! It is also the best corner of the internet! For the most part, the people are so kind, we love gifting books and sharing each other successes both in bookstagram and life!
How do you decide which books to read, and then which books to feature?
If it’s an author I have read and loved before, I like to read their books again. Or if it’s a lesser known author, I love even featuring their books to get more exposure! I’m also guilty of “Bookstagram made me do it!” If people are raving about a book, I can’t feel left out, I have to read it too!
What's the best way for authors to reach out to you? Are there things authors do when they reach out that you hate?
Messaging on Instagram is the easiest way to contact me. I love hearing from my favorites or new-to-me authors!
What's the book you recommend the most often and why?
I feel like I truly try to connect with the reader to figure out what type of book would best suit them before I recommend! But for thrillers, I say The Last Housewife. It is shocking and I have gotten so much positive feedback when I’ve recommended it, but it is not for everyone! [Editor’s note: If you HAVEN’T read The Last Housewife yet, I’d HIGHLY recommend it. Thought-provoking, utterly original, and DARK DARK DARK. An absolute favorite!]
What hooks you about a book and keeps you reading? And for the books that you really love, what do you notice that makes you connect with them so strongly?
A strong start is key to getting me hooked. Even if the middle is slow, I need that instant action to grab me. I also love when the characters are relatable and I can empathize with them. It really gets me into the book!
Do you ever DNF books? And if so, at what point/what causes you to DNF?
Yes, I DNF occasionally, there are too many books and not enough time! I try to get around 30% in before I DNF, and sometimes find it’s just not the right time for that book and can pick it up later and enjoy it.
Editor’s note: Wow, thanks for such great answers, Rachel! So much wisdom here for writers to think about—for me, in particular, I’m thinking about ways to make sure all my stories have propulsive starts. If this sparked something in you, let me know in the comments!
Backlist beauties
Recommending: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
Year published: 1926
Yes, we’ve landed on the Queen of Crime herself. Probably many of you will have read this already. It’s been sitting on my shelf for years, but I finally picked it up last month—every fall, I find myself in the mood to read crime novels set in cozy or plummy British locales—and boy, was I silly to wait!
Often considered Christie’s masterpiece—which is kind of funny, given the prevalence of Hercule Poirot adaptations stateside of Death on the Nile and Murder on the Orient Express1—this is truly a marvel, with some excellent narrative sleights of hand that lead to an unexpected ending without ever cheating the reader. A masterclass of a book.
Bonus backlist: Peeping Tom (1960, dir. by Michael Powell)
While I was home for Thanksgiving, I caught the beginning of a documentary on Powell & Pressburger, the prolific British directing/writing/producing duo, whose English romantic films were highly influential to Martin Scorsese, among others. Powell’s Peeping Tom was playing right before it, and I caught enough to pique my interest, and look up the film, which is currently streaming on Tubi for free.
A horror-thriller that’s a precursor to the slasher genre, Peeping Tom is as psychologically complex as any Hitchcock film, with a technicolor palette, and a film director/madman who wields a camera against his victims like it’s Leatherface’s chainsaw.
Upon release, the film—which features nudity, violence, and an uncomfortable identification of the audience with its voyeur-villain—effectively killed Powell’s career. More recently it was named as one of the top 30 British films in history. (How the pendulum swings!) I thoroughly enjoyed it, and did I mention it’s streaming for free?
Yes, I know Ackroyd has been adapted, but not by Kenneth Branagh in a huge Hollywood production, which I guess is my current limited metric!
Loved this!