If you are not familiar with the wonderful world of #bookstagram on the Instagram app, let me get you caught up as quickly as I can. There are readers all over the world who have dedicated their Instagram account to posting photos of the books in their collection. Much of what you’ll find is bright, sunny book worms who love contemporary literature, mainstream or traditionally published books and Young Adult fiction.
But #bookstagram has a dark side too. Since I’ve been active in the community for four years, I know which rocks to turn over to find the accounts dedicated to horror culture and the people living that Halloween Gothic lifestyle all year ‘round. Allow me to recommend a few that you should be following.
1. @thehellbound_heart
Glenn Parker has great taste in horror fiction and is known for his outdoor, bookish photos as well as his videos. His #bookstagram fans & followers love his videos so much, Glenn decided to venture past the account and launch his own podcast called, Does The Dog Die in This. His pilot episode just launched with special guest, Josh Malerman.
2. @darkdevoka
Sandra posts the most creative, eerie, and unusual digital art. She takes selfies with her German edition horror books and then edits them to create some pretty wild photographs. It's super entertaining to see what she will come up with next.
3. @dlgillis20
Debra Gillis take magazine quality photographs of her books. If she gathered her "greatest hits" and published a coffee table book, I'd be the first to buy it. She makes use of her extensive collection of found objects, paper ephemera, and antique props. Probably the most beautiful account on #bookstagram, and she's a horror fan! Bonus!
4. @bookishmarie
Marie McWilliams has an elegant, gothic aesthetic. She takes a lot of photos of her horror collection but she also treats her followers to some atmospheric selfies and lifestyle posts. Recently she started a #BookTube account where she reviews horror. Marie's account is unadulterated, dark eye-candy.
5. @grumplstiltskin
I've been a huge fan of Lee-ann's account since even before she started reading more horror. Her flatlay photos have always been inspiring to me because she has a real eye for color and arrangement. So imagine my joy when she started posting more yummy photos talking about all the books I read and enjoy too! Great book recommendations, photos, and a genuinely friendly person.
6. @macabre.ex.libris
If I could swap libraries with any #bookstagrammer on Instagram, I would choose Brett's. He has an amazing collection of limited, signed, special edition horror books that would make any serious book hoarder jealous. He has impeccable taste in books. I recommend following him so you too can wish you knew where he lived so you could steal his books. (Did I just say that out loud?)
7. @thevoidwhichbinds
I'm choosing to feature Will because it's a shame more people aren't following his account. Especially all my horror-loving friends that don't just collect horror books, but are also horror cinephiles who buy a shitload of Blu-Rays and soundtracks. Will posts his extensive collection of the horror trifecta: Books, Movies and Music. He will be very hard on your wallet.
8. @forestnoir
I am in love with Alyssa's photos. They are so dark, moody, and gothic. Alyssa lives here in the PNW and she's a professional photographer. Not only does she post delectable photos of books, she posts lush landscapes and beautiful selfies. I highly recommend adding a bit of her unique brand of noir to your Instagram feed.
9. @axghoststory
I adore Christina. Her account is especially fun to follow in October because her Halloween-lifestyle is so dreamy, but Christina exudes that vibe all year round. If I could borrow any #bookstagrammer's home decor aesthetic, I would study this account and make my purchases accordingly. But she doesn't just decorate well! Christina is an avid reader and posts her horror books in beautiful, creative ways.
10. @astrangerdream
Where does everyone get those amazing bookmarks you see EVERYWHERE all over #bookstagram? Well, A Stranger Dream of course! I just had to give Karlee a shoutout because every horror fan I know who also has a #bookstagram account has probably repped for ASD. Karlee posts her rep photos on her feed, so it's a great way to keep up with new designs as well as #bookstagram accounts that post a lot of horror. I use one of her bookmarks in almost all of my photos (including this one) and I use them to keep my place in my current reads. You can never have too many.
Now, with over 41M photos in the #bookstagram tag, you most likely aren't going to find what you're looking for if you're interested in following accounts that post primarily horror. Here are a few hashtags you should click if you want to narrow down that search:
shameless plug: @mother.horror
I hashtag all my review photos
#motherhorror
And lots of horror fans participate in our @night_worms photo challenges:
#nightwormschallenge
Happy bookstagramming!
About the author
Sadie Hartmann, “Mother Horror” reviews horror fiction for Cemetery Dance Online and Scream Magazine. She is a co-owner of a curated, horror fiction book subscription company called Night Worms. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, kids and Frenchie.