Internet users have been creating book-centered content since the web’s inception. In recent years, these “bookish” posts have taken hold of social media and beyond, scattered around libraries and bookstores boasting influencer recs based on tropes and spice level. A handful of Cleveland-based creators put their own stamp on the scene.
Zoranne Host (@zoranne_)
This Parma native has more than 160,000 followers combined on her TikTok and Instagram accounts where she discusses and reviews her favorite sci-fi and fantasy reads. “Talking about books online is literally my full-time job,” Host says, “which is really, really freaking cool.” Host, a lifelong avid reader, says she was always an observer of book content on social media but decided to try it out as a hobby during the pandemic. “Like, one viral video took off, and the rest is kind of history,” she says.
Nahomy’s Library (@nahomyslibrary)
Nahomy Ortiz-Garcia enjoys nearly 7,000 followers on Instagram, where she lifts up Hispanic and Latino authors. She grew up in Puerto Rico and landed in Cleveland 12 years ago. “I learned English watching Disney Channel and reading subtitles on the TV,” she says. “I learned even more as I was reading The Hunger Games and other books when I lived in Puerto Rico.” She watched other creators discuss books she wanted to read. “When I moved here, I wanted to make friends,” she says, “so I started my Instagram.”
Mikey (@cle_booktender)
Mikey Feinman’s page started with book and cocktail pairings, then leaned into book tropes’ inspirations for cocktail ingredients. The Florida native moved to Northeast Ohio for work and got back into reading during the pandemic. “I was reading so much I started posting about [books] on my personal page,” Feinman says, “and all of my friends were asking, ‘Why don’t you do something book-related?’” She particularly enjoys finding independent authors. “I think there’s a really cool community in the indie author scene,” she says. “They connect a lot with us bookstagrammers.”
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