#BookTag Saturday: The Meet the Bookstagrammer #2 Tag

This week I'm thin on tags since it's the end of the year but a friend of mine tagged me on Instagram with the Meet The Bookstagrammer #2 Tag!

💥 Where Would You Like To Live?

New Orleans

💥 Did You Plan Your Bookstagram Account?

No, it started out as a regular account, then my author account, and now my bookstagram account.

💥 Dream Job:

I'm living it! I'm an author. I'd also like to work in a bookstore someday.

💥 Authors You'd Like To Meet:

Wendy Higgins, Sarah J. Maas, Leigh Bardugo, and Kylie Scott

💥 Favorite Place To Travel?

I loved Sioux Falls, South Dakota. There are a lot of places I'd like to go yet that I haven't been to though.

💥 Happy Place/Song/Food?

Happy Place: bookstores, Happy Song: Mz. Hyde by Halestorm, Food: Culver's burgers

#BookTag Saturday: the Bookish Sickness Tag

This was a fun, unusual tag that I was tagged with on #bookstagram on Wednesday. I answered on there, but now I'm doing it again with slightly different answers.

1) Diabetes / Sweet Read:

The Girl Who Invented Romance by Caroline B. Cooney - this is a sweet, innocent read and I've loved it since middle school!

2) Chicken Pox / A Book You Will Never Read Again:

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller - Just couldn't get into this one. Pirates aren't my thing.

3) Flu / Contagious Read:

The Royals Series by Erin Watt - I can't get enough of this series!

4) Insomnia / A Book You Read In A Night:

Fallen Heir by Erin Watt - Read this in close to one sitting

5) Amnesia / Book That Took Your Breath Away:

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco - Excellent world building, the author definitely did her research!

6) Bad Nutrition / Book That You Forgot to Eat While Reading:

First, am I the only one amused by that question? Shall I eat the book? I don't usually eat while I'm reading because I get so wrapped up in the story the rest of the world ceases to exist.

7) Homesickness / Book That Reminds You of Traveling:

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness, Crash Into Me by Albert Borris 

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If you're reading this post, consider yourself tagged!

A-Z Book Tag

I found this book tag on Lauryn April's Blog and it was originally created by The Perpetual Page Turner. I love doing bookish tags on #bookstagram so I thought I'd do one here on my blog. 

Author you've read the most books from:

Abbi Glines. I love my YA fantasy novels, but when I need a break and want to grab something contemporary I pick up Abbi Glines's latest or reread one of my favourites!

Best sequel ever:

A Court of Mist And Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2) by Sarah J. Maas! Best second book in a series EVER!

Currently reading: 

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

Drink of choice while reading: 

Some sort of coffee drink (Frappuccinos, Cappuccinos, etc.) or iced tea.

E-Reader or Physical Books:

Physical Books. E-Books are convenient because I can just grab my Kindle, but the screen is torture for my eyes after a while.

Fictional character you probably would have dated in high school:

Probably someone like Varen Nethers from Kelly Creagh's Nevermore Trilogy. I've always loved the tortured souls!

Glad you gave this book a chance:

The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee! Sci-fi isn't my usual thing, but the way it reads isn't at all like what I imagine a sci-fi novel is like and I'm completely addicted to the series!

Hidden gem book:

Awaken by Skye Malone. Her writing is just amazing!

Just finished:

The Dazzling Heights by Katharine McGee

Kind of books you won't read:

Books with LGBT main characters (I'll read some books, like Zoey Derrick's first 3 69 Bottles Series books where there are bisexual characters, but only if it's mostly guy-and-girl; it's nothing personal, just not something I enjoy reading). Also most Sci-Fi and Dystopian.

Longest book you've read:

Probably that one Harry Potter book that was over 800 pages.

Major book hangover because of:

I don't get major book hangovers... I can always start a new book within in a day even if an amazing book is still on my mind. Lately I can't stop obsessing over The Dazzling Heights by Katharine McGee... so good!

Number of bookcases you own:

3 main bookcases plus a giant shelf, 3 DVD shelf-things full, and a plastic three-door cabinet full (just in my room)

One book you've read multiple times: 

Strange Bedpersons by Jennifer Crusie, an oldie but a goodie!

Preferred place to read:

In bed or in my chair in the living room.

Quote that inspires you/Gives you all the feels because of a book you've read:

"To the stars who listen and the dreams that are answered." - Sarah J. Maas, A Court of Mist and Fury.

Reading regret:

Not getting around to reading the Game of Thrones books yet. They're just so long and I have so many books to read right now.

Series you started and need to finish:

The Mayhem Series by Jamie Shaw. I read the first book last year and got books 2 & 3 from the Apollycon Virtual Signing this year so they're on my shelf, just not read yet. And I need book 4!

Three of your all-time favorite books:

The Great Hunt by Wendy Higgins, A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, and Pants on Fire by Meg Cabot

Unapologetic fangirl for:

The ACOTAR series, although ACOWAR didn't live up to my expectations. 

Very excited for this release:

Shadowsong by S. Jae-Jones and Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalo

Worst bookish habit:

Starting a book, not really liking it, but telling myself I have to finish it before I can move on to something else. Book masochism!

X-Marks the spot. Start at the top of your bookshelf and pick the 27th book:

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Your latest book purchase:

The Shadow City by L.C. Hibbit - It's free through this weekend I believe, so I decided to pick up the whole trilogy.

ZZz, last book that kept you up way too late:

Trust by Kylie Scott

Want to take the A-Z Bookish Survey? Consider yourself tagged!

Life of a #bookstagrammer

A while ago when I first started being really active again on Instagram I stumbled upon the #bookstagram hashtag. I used it occasionally on and off to post pictures of books I'd gotten from the library or books I'd bought, what I was reading, etc. - but I didn't really get the broader scope of the hashtag at the time. #Bookstagram is more than just people sharing pictures of books, #bookstagram is a community full of amazing, creative like-minded bookworms who love to show their love for books and reading through photographs. 

I began to post on #bookstagram heavily in November then participated in a couple "challenges" in December and again this month and I've enjoyed finding my niche and trying out different ways to be creative with my photographs with props. And the challenge prompts make it so easy! The more I post and interact with other book lovers the more I come out of my shell. Along with this blog and my books, I feel like I've finally found people who get me. #Bookstagrammers are my kind of people! 

So that aside, what goes into creating one of my daily #bookstagram posts?

1. Gathering Materials:

I start off by looking at my prompt for the day from whichever challenges I'm participating in then select the book or books I want to use and the props I may want to accent the pictures with. Lately, I've chosen a theme of setting my books on a red background so I used a blanket I have laying around as a backdrop. Mini fairy lights also look awesome in my pictures, especially wrapped around my books. (They're really cheap, I got them on Amazon for like $7!)

2. Arranging My Books 

Once I have everything I want to use, I lay the blanket down on a flat surface (usually my bed) and lay my books out on top of the blanket where I want them. Sometimes I stack them, sometimes I stand them upright, sometimes I show their spines, sometimes I tilt them to the side. It depends on what part of the book I want to showcase.

3. Add the Props

#Bookstagram props can be anything. They can tie to the book like a mask with a copy of A.G. Howard's RoseBlood or a camera with a copy of Meg Cabot's Pants On Fire. They can tie to the prompt your working on or just be something pretty that looks nice with the book. I've used: scrapbooking paper, fake flowers, bookish candles, Funko Pops, Mirrors, Wine Glasses, Wooden Cutting Boards, Hats, Funky Fabrics, even a Butcher Knife once! 

4. Take the Photo and Make Any Adjustments

I try to take my pictures in the best lighting possible, but sometimes (especially in winter) it's cloudy and the room is dark, or it's late in the day so I have to make adjustments to the lighting and crop the images once I've taken the picture on my iPhone. I could use my digital camera but I think it would be too much trouble to upload the photos from my camera to my computer then onto my phone to upload on Instagram. 

5. Upload to Instagram

Once everything is to my satisfaction I upload my pictures to Instagram with a description of the prompt (if it's a prompt photo) and some hashtags so people can find my picture. Some hashtags I use a lot are: 

#Bookstagram

#Bookstagrammer

#Bookish

#Bibliophile

#Bookworm

#BookNerd

#Booklover

but there are so many that you could use...

Sound like fun? Here are a couple #Bookstagram challenges coming up for February. I challenge you to try to participate in at least 1 for the month of February...

use hashtag: #loveatfirstpage17

use hashtag: #febbooksarelit

(I'm just finishing up #JanBooksAreLit and it was really fun!)

use hashtag: #GrimDragon

(I'm also doing their January prompts)

For more challenges to participate in check with @bookstagramchallenges

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For more bookish photos follow me on Instagram: @TaylorFennerWrites