Literary Instagram sounds like it should be a fairly relaxed corner of social media. It conjures images of nicely staged photos of books next to cups of coffee, short reviews of favorite reads peppered with hashtags, and a welcome reprieve from the unending absurdity of the rest of the internet. Thanks to Mashable’s Heather Dockray, who has provided interested travelers with a guide to the weirdest accounts of what she refers to as “Deep Bookstagram,” we now know this is not the case.
As Dockray puts it, these literary accounts are “in many ways…the exact opposite of traditional Bookstagram, which usually comes with a cheery, gratingly cozy demeanor.”
The piece rounds up a number of good Instagram accounts that show off what she’s talking about, including one where books are photographed with scoops of ice cream dripping off them and a pair where wild old paperback covers are Photoshopped with new names.
The best accounts, though, are devoted to actual, un-doctored covers . The trio of @awfullibrarybooks, @donatedbooks, and @paperbacksfromhell simply archive some of the literary treasures that a careful observer can find in the wilds of used book shops, garage sales, and libraries.
The Donated Books account, which documents “interesting books donated to the Schenectady County Public Library,” is the clear highlight of these.
The other two are no slouches either, though. Their collections contain everything from glorious pulp that seems to give off a mildew-y smell right through the screen to wonderful tutorials for anyone interested in beading their way to cutting-edge fashion.
Even if none of those do it for you, there’s also the account that just collects pictures of people taking photos of themselves in various places while wearing a drawing of Flannery O’Connor’s face as a mask.
Just like a library’s stacks, literary Instagram is full of untold treasures just waiting to be discovered. Delve further into these strange new worlds by reading the full story at Mashable.
Send Great Job, Internet tips to [email protected]