Announcing...

"Mom, stop taking pictures of me! Can't you see I'm trying to read?"

I've just started the official Such Stuff #Bookstagram account!!!!!!!!!

If you follow me on my personal Instagram account (@suzannetan16) you probably already know this, but now you can follow me @suchstuffbooks as well! I mean, if you want to.

So, what's the difference between the two accounts? Well, on @suzannetan16 I usually (sporadically) post pics of my kids and our general activities (and you're totally welcome to follow along with me there, provided you're not some stalker/creeper type, I do vet all my followers). But ever since I discovered #Bookstagram a few years ago, I've been captivated by this beautiful corner of social media. However, I'm not that great of a photographer, especially when it comes to flatlay spreads, and so I just followed along without really participating. Also, 90% of what I read is in an electronic/audiobook version, which just isn't as fun to photograph as a paper copy book, you know?

But over the past few months, I've been thinking about how I have  a lot of small bookish questions or things I want to share with people, but they wouldn't fill a whole blog post by themselves. Also, I've really been wanting to get more serious about tracking and talking about the children's books and read-alouds I read with my kids. Right now, I don't do a great job of tracking them on Goodreads or talking about them here on the blog. But then I had the brilliant thought that, you know what? All the kid books we read are physical! Meaning they can be photographed! Meaning I could share and talk about them on Instagram! And wouldn't that be a fun place to track and discuss the books I read with my kids? And of course, talk about all the other little bookish things on my mind too? It could be like a mini-extension of this blog!

But I didn't want to foist these bookish discussions on the collection of random cousins and in-laws and friends from two cities ago that follow me for news of my family, but don't really care about what I read with them. So thus, the need for a separate account, the official Such Stuff Bookstagram Account.

What's kind of ironic about me starting this account right now is that at the beginning of the month, I actually went on a social media fast, and didn't check any social media for a week. And I loved it. In fact, I read three books that week (not that I spend that much time on social media, it was just that instead of settling down to my lunch with my phone, I was settling down with a book instead, which led to me getting sucked in and reading for the rest of the afternoon, which was delightful!). And I almost thought that maybe I'd just quit social media altogether (I don't post all that often as is). But after the week was over I went back on just to see what I'd missed, and saw two of my friends had had babies and one was expecting, and that's just the kind of news I don't want to miss out on! I really do like these people, and I like keeping up with what's going on in their lives. So I don't think I can ever really quit social media.

But that does mean that, whichever one of my accounts you follow, don't expect any sort of regular posting or overwhelming flood of stories or anything like that. I don't have time or energy to keep this up at any sort of professional level. Also, I'm NOT a professional photographer, so I can't guarantee the prettiest pictures or anything like that. But I can guarantee some interesting bookish topics and good book recommendations. It'll be fun! And if it ever stops being fun, I'll just quit.

But right now, I'm kind of excited. I'm excited to have one more place to talk bookish things with bookish people (because bookish people are just the best!). So anyway, if you're inclined, and if you'd like one more place to talk books with me, feel free to follow along! I'd love to see you over too!