Posted by Alex Reeve is a 23-year-old from St. Paul, Minnesota who loves books. Last year, she read 99 of them, and so far this year she has read 24. She reviews books on her Instagram handle @alexreevereads. Her favorite genre is literary fiction, and her least favorites are horror, mystery, and science fiction. This summer she’ll be attending New York City’s Columbia University as a student in the Columbia Publishing Course, “I am hoping to get into the publishing industry after the program; I feel like my Bookstagram was my hobby but also giving me a lot of practice for the career I want!” she said. Read more about a fellow book lover Alex Reeve below!
Question: Why do you love to read?
Answer: Soooooo many reasons. I love stories. I love being entertained and learning at the same time. I love seeing an author’s creativity and how they form and tell a story. Reading inspires me. I love seeing myself represented in the stories I read, but I also like reading about experiences completely different from my own.
Q: What inspired you to start doing book reviews on Instagram?
A: I’ve always been an avid reader but I was reading less (less than I do now) in college; I’d say I was reading 2-3 books a month then. During the first quarantine in 2020 I found I had a TON of time on my hands, and was reading 6-8 books a month. I was reading so much and had so many thoughts about the books that I wanted to share, so later in the year I started my Bookstagram!
Q: How long have you been doing it for?
A: Since October 2020! A year and a half.
Q: You read 99 books in 2021, which is a cool feat! Were you hoping to read 100 books?
A: Yes, I actually was planning/hoping to read 100 books. On December 31st I was going to finish a book that was less than 300 pages. I think I read about 90 before I gave up because I hated the book so much! I decided it wasn’t worth it to push through and finish a book I really wasn’t enjoying. Plus I figured that I had started and decided to put down (for the time being) so many other books throughout the year that in total I’ve read 100+ books. But officially I only finished 99 🙂
Q: What is your favorite book of all time?
A: This is simultaneously the hardest and easiest question! I have a lot of favorite books but I think I would have to say my favorite book of ALL TIME is Sula by Toni Morrison. I’ve read it 3 times!
Q: What is your favorite genre of books to read? Is there a genre you don’t like, what is it and why?
A: I would say my favorite genre is literary fiction, specifically contemporary Black stories. Sometimes YA fantasy sucks me in too, but it’s often really hard for me to get into and feel immersed in the world. Genres I tend to stay away from are science fiction, horror, and mystery. Not that I don’t like them at all but they don’t interest me as much as other genres.
Q: What books did you like to read as a kid?
A: Picture books I loved: Goodnight Moon, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
Middle grade: Warriors, A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Babysitter’s Club, Savvy, Moon Over Manifest, Gregor the Overlander
YA: Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, Twilight, Tiger’s Curse, Eleanor & Park, The Hunger Games
Q: What is the easiest part of writing book reviews? The hardest?
A: Sometimes for me it is MUCH easier to articulate why I DIDN’T like a book versus why I DID love it. When I love a book sometimes it’s just about how it made me feel or the ~vibes~ I got rather than specific qualities I can pinpoint.
Elena Reads and Reviews 