Rediscovering My Passion for Reading and Starting a Book Instagram

For a long time, reading was never something I particularly enjoyed. At school, it always felt more like a task than a choice — I read the books I was told to read, but I never really connected with them or saw reading as something I’d do in my own time.

That changed in 2023. During lockdown, like a lot of people, I suddenly had a lot more time on my hands and not much to fill it with. Out of curiosity more than anything, I decided to start reading the Harry Potter series to see what all the hype was about and I ended up loving it. It completely changed how I saw reading. For the first time, it felt immersive, exciting, and something I genuinely looked forward to.

After that, it kind of snowballed. I started picking up more books, exploring different genres and before I knew it, I was completely hooked. Reading went from being something I avoided to something I couldn’t get enough of.

At the same time, I was also spending a lot more time on my phone, especially on social media. Like a lot of people my age during lockdown, scrolling became a daily habit. That’s when I came across TikTok and more specifically BookTok — a growing community of readers sharing recommendations, reviews, and reactions to books. Seeing other people talk so passionately about reading made me even more engaged and excited to discover new stories.

That inspiration led me to create my own book-focused account on Instagram. What started as a small space to share my thoughts and favourite reads has grown into something I’m really proud of. Watching the account develop and connecting with other people who share the same interest has been incredibly rewarding.

Reading has had a much bigger impact on me than I expected. It’s not just something I do for fun it’s also helped improve my writing and creativity, especially alongside my work in film. More than anything, though, it’s become a form of escapism that I really value. There’s something special about being able to step into different worlds, perspectives and lives just by opening a book.

I genuinely think everyone should try to find a book they connect with. For me, it completely changed my mindset around reading and it’s now something I can’t imagine not being part of my life.

This was my bookshelf during lockdown which I can now say that I have read every book on this bookshelf

This was around about the time I discovered my love for reading. In this image I am reading 'Jane Eyre'