15 Latina Bookstagrammers You Need to Follow for Your TBR List
May is one of our favorite times of the year because it’s Latino Books Month! Started in 2004 by the Rhode Island Latino Arts, it’s a month celebrated annually every year to uplift Latinx authors, illustrators, and books of every genre in both English and Spanish, and to inspire other Latinxs to pursue a career
Photo: Instagram/@tomesandtextiles/chicanareader/dh.trujillo
May is one of our favorite times of the year because it’s Latino Books Month! Started in 2004 by the Rhode Island Latino Arts, it’s a month celebrated annually every year to uplift Latinx authors, illustrators, and books of every genre in both English and Spanish, and to inspire other Latinxs to pursue a career in writing. In a publishing industry that remains predominantly white, it’s crucial for our community to receive visibility for our stories and credit for the groundbreaking work we’ve done to shape the landscape. It’s also an important time to recognize those doing the work to promote Latinx books of all genres on one of the biggest platforms people use to find books: Instagram. Known as Bookstagrammers, these readers can be instrumental to a book’s success, especially those by BIPOC authors, and spotlight stories that truly deserve the hype. Latina Bookstagrammers have made strides for the community and helped to put the spotlight on Latinx books and authors. This is not an exhaustive list but is a round-up of a select few who have truly made their mark. Read on to learn more about 15 Latina Bookstagrammers you need to follow and have on your feed this month and every month.
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Monse Bolanos @latinavirgoreads
Monse Bolanos is a one-stop-shop for all things related to romantic lit. Though she occasionally recommends books in other genres including memoirs and literary classics, lighthearted love and rom-com stories are her bread and butter, especially those written by Colleen Hoover, Emily Henry, and Mia Sosa. She’ll often add a custom-made Spotify playlist to her reviews to match the book’s mood and vibes for a richer, multimedia experience. In addition to reviews, she also posts about movies, bookstores, coffee, and her pop culture podcast.
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Ayiana @ayianareads
Ayiana is a lover of all the best contemporary reads from Beach Read to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. If you’re looking for in-depth reviews, look no further than Ayiana’s captions where she always shares her thoughts on the book’s dialogue, character building, pacing, and writing. She will also often do popular book tags to share her current book list, book buys and hauls, what shows and movies she’s watching, and what music she’s listening to. She’s known for her stunning, color-coordinated photographs to match her props and outfits with the covers of the books she’s reading.
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Juliana Michelle @bookishworl
https://www.instagram.com/p/CpV7mynLXgy/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Known for her bright red hair, acrylic nails, and love of everything pink, Juliana’s feed could not be more gorgeous, especially with the colorful and eclectic room she uses as a background. She also reads lots of love stories but especially those with a dark romance or fantasy twist, curating a unique book list for you to dive into. If you’re going for a cafecito con libros vibe, this is the account for you.
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Kristie Elizabeth @sarcasticbrunettes.library
https://www.instagram.com/p/CpozvF5Alsu/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
A Mexicana based in Georgia, Kristie Elizabeth has built a substantial and loyal following around her love for romance books (though she also enjoys historical fiction and fantasy) and unique book content you won’t find anywhere else. Her book reviews are fun and in-depth complete with a synopsis, content warnings, her thoughts, favorite quote, and rating on the “spice scale.” Within the romance genre, she particularly loves any book involving sports, fantasy, and the Regency era. You also find original book-related memes, tips and tricks, mood boards for books she’s reading, recommendations based on what she listens to each month, and bookish merch.
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Johanna @johannawithbooks
Johanna is a queer Afro-Dominican Bookstagrammer who loves reading books across genres including poetry, romance, fantasy, young adult, contemporary fiction, and memoirs. While she reads work from writers of many backgrounds, her page is heavily focused on Latinx books and includes in-depth reviews with the synopsis and her thoughts on voice, character, how the book touches on heavy and difficult themes, and more. She is most drawn to books that focus on sexuality, trauma, and women’s lives. She’s also become known for round-ups she posts featuring the Latinx-authored releases coming out each month and each year and her Etsy store where she sells Latina-themed reading journals. You’ll be sure to never miss what’s coming next from Latinx romance, contemporary fiction, short stories, poetry, nonfiction, YA, and middle grade.
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Shanon @amillionbooksinyourlifetime
Shanon is an Afro-Dominican Bookstagrammer with a beautifully curated feed about all the books she’s loving. She enjoys a variety of genres including romance, fantasy, mystery, and contemporary fiction. Her reviews are quick and to the point, focusing on the character building and development, story, and how the book ultimately made her feel, so she’s a great resource if you’re looking to make quick book decisions.
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Carmen Alvarez @tomesandtextiles
Carmen Alvarez is one of the most popular Latina Bookstagrammers on the platform today and arguably one of the longest-running accounts, having been around for over seven years. Her book account is focused on diversity and inclusivity with priority for Latinx and BIPOC authors including her all-time favorite, Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Her content mainly consists of reels with book recommendations and reading lists for every occasion, holiday, theme, and pop culture moment including World Book Day, Trans Day of Visibility, and Latinx Heritage Month, all with Latinx books as the primary focus. In addition to book reviews and BIPOC book content, she also often does spotlights on indie bookstores, Latinx-owned businesses, and social justice issues. Using her love for fashion and color, she shoots and edits her own photos to create a beautiful and photogenic feed.
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Dani Trujillo @dh.trujillo
Dani Trujillo is a Xicana and Indigenous Bookstagrammer, TikToker, and writer of Pueblo and Mexican descent who spotlights books in virtually every genre. She especially focuses on books by Latinx and Indigenous authors, posting round-ups of her recommendations and advocating for greater diversity and inclusion not only in publishing but across all media. She recently transitioned to writing her own books and is due to release her debut novel Lizards Hold the Sun this spring.
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Lina Marcela @books_arevida
Lina is a Colombian Bookstagrammer with a focus on historical fiction and romance books in English and Spanish, though she occasionally reads contemporary fiction as well. Her reviews are quick and easy to read but also inclusive of all her thoughts on characters, vibes, plot, and how it made her feel. With a careful eye for color coordination and detail, all of her photos are uniquely shot and edited to correspond with a frequently changing theme. Nonetheless, she effortlessly creates a cohesive feed with lots of coffee, plants, and food.
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Sharon Velez Diodonet @bookdragon217
Sharon Velez Diodonet is an Afro-Puerto Rican Bookstagrammer who reads and recommends books exclusively by BIPOC and Latinx authors. Her reviews are full of depth and heart, focusing heavily on the book’s themes, characters, plots, and how well they handle certain topics. She also includes her favorite quote and book recommendations for further reading that is similar or explores related themes. Not only does she read contemporary fiction but also fantasy, middle-grade, and YA, so there’s sure to be something for everyone. And as she frequently attended book events in her area, don’t be surprised to see her sharing selfies with some of your favorite authors! She’s also the creator of the #ReadPuertoRican hashtag and book club where she will share a new book pick each month, each authored by a Puerto Rican writer. Previous picks have included What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez by Claire Jimenez and The Storyteller’s Death by Ann Davila Cardinal.
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Lupita @loslibrosdelupita
Lupita is a Mexican American Bookstagrammer who offers bilingual reviews for English and Spanish-language books complete with all the chisme: the synopsis, characters, relationships, moments that made her laugh or just feel something, favorite quotes, and content warnings. She reads a variety of genres and includes both contemporary and classic reads. She also posts videos with her recent book hauls, themed book recommendations and round-ups, wrap-ups for each month, and snapshots from her life.
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Mara Gutiérrez @maragtzrbooks
Based in Mexico City, Mara Gutiérrez is a Mexican Bookstagrammer with a huge online following thanks to her visually stunning posts and unique astrology-themed book content. She does do book reviews, which are incredibly detailed and rich, but more often posts aesthetic photos and graphics of her book collection by theme and color or books she’s currently reading, mood boards, book memes, favorite first lines, and her DIY projects. Her specialty is sharing astrology-related content like book genres as signs and unique book recommendations for each sign of the zodiac. Having been on Bookstagram for over ten years, she’s definitely an OG worth following if you’re a fellow Book Lover.
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Karla Cruze-Silva @chicanareader
Karla Cruz-Silva is a Chicana Bookstagrammer who shares her love of Latinx literature with all her followers in various genres including romance, mystery, memoir, and children’s. Her book reviews are incredibly thorough and often touch on the various aspects of the book including its themes, writing, voice, favorite quotes, and what she came away having learned through the lens of her identity and perspective. A mother and a frequent traveler, she shares posed photos with books she’s reading or wants to read, selfies with authors, snapshots of her life, and moments of her two children exploring their own love for books and reading.
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Lupita Aquino @lupita.reads
@lupita.reads Replying to @cindy_books_n_stuff its a book fight (sort of) but I only fight with ppl I love & for things that I love #hownottodrowninaglassofwater #audiobooktok #audiobookrecommendations
Lupita Aquino is a queer Mexican American Bookstagrammer and Tiktoker with a heavy focus on BIPOC and Latinx books. But rather than just posting standard reviews, she goes even further, running a Substack with weekly Latinx author interviews, posting discussion videos on TikTok, running a semi-monthly book club with Latinx book club picks, and writing articles with book recs for outlets like TODAY. She also hosts and participates in many book events, interviewing authors and taking questions from the audience. As a mother and wife, she also posts content with her family and child, sharing BIPOC books for kids as well. Aquino recently celebrated her Bookstagram’s eight-year anniversary and is an inspiration not only to other readers in her mission towards inclusivity, diversity, and visibility but also an example of how fun reading can be.
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Ginel Mila @ginelreads
If you’re looking for a book page with a little bit of everything, Ginel Mila’s Bookstagram is the place to be! A Dominican American reader based in New York, she reads a wide variety of books including romance, personal development, and non-fiction. She frequently posts reading updates to her followers with what she’s reading, recent book purchases, color-coordinated book stacks, detailed book reviews, and bookstores she’s visited. She also shares round-ups of Latinx book recommendations and book-related memes that are sure to get your reading fire going.
