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The #MyRealLookChallenge

LOOK by Zan Romanoff is about what you present vs. who you really are, about real intimacy and manufactured intimacy and the blurring of that line. It’s a deceptively glamorous, feminist, utterly compelling, queer coming-of-age novel about falling in love and taking ownership of your own self–your whole self–in the age of social media.

It got us thinking about the whole expectation vs. reality of social media. So, we asked some of our favorite bookstagrammers to show us their own version of expectation vs. reality on their accounts! Scroll down to see their responses!

P.S. You’re invited too! Show us your best #bookstagram photos and the reality behind taking them and hashtag #MyRealLookChallenge!

 


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I wish I could say that all of my photos are spur of the moment, or just taken when the mood feels right. but if I’m honest, I hate planning out shots that look and feel like they fit my feed. that’s what everyone is expecting on #bookstagram though, right? ••• as a #PenguinTeenPartner, I’m engaging in the #MyRealLookChallenge to show you the real side of my bookstagram. this is the seventh shot I took, but take a swipe to see the mess of my room I tried to cover up with my angles. one thing this self-quarantine is taught me is that we can’t waste time on pointless things, like faking a setting or editing to perfection, when life gets back to normal. the expectation is no longer anyone’s reality – were all in the same boat! ••• this beautiful book, however, could not have come into our lives at a more perfect time. @zanopticon’s LOOK revolves around a girl’s reality and what is portrayed on social media. I can’t wait to turn the pages tonight and hopefully learn how to be better about not letting social media dictate my day, or life. ••• #lookbook #mirrorselfie #expectationvsreality #socialdistancereading

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Thank you @penguinteen #partner and @zanopticon for this gifted book. Look by Zan Romanoff is out now and I am really looking forward to diving in. Look is about what you present vs. who you really are, about real intimacy and manufactured intimacy and the blurring of that line. It’s a deceptively glamorous, feminist, utterly compelling, queer coming-of-age novel about falling in love and taking ownership of your own self–your whole self–in the age of social media. Perception vs Reality in my world is clean light countertops vs actuality of living in a house with dark everything. Trying to find the light in this house is hard. I know those light, bright photos are what really draws #bookstagrammers in but that just isn’t what I have to work with so I have to fake it. For instance in the first picture you guys see a perfectly crafted photo in what looks to be my kitchen or bathroom with a white granite countertop. In reality this pic was taken amongst the chaos of my living room on a @replicasurfaces board with bookstacks all around (See photo 2). I’m having a hard time with this unplanned staycation we have going on in the country. I took most of my book photos out and about in New Orleans at local coffee shops or restaurants. The stay at home order has me trying to use my brain and what I have in my house for photos. I’m not creative so send suggestions! Look sounds like the perfect book for these times and it’s available now for you to pick up. Let me know what you think once you read it. Tell me your reality vs what you put out on social media.

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. ⁣ ⁣ Social media is hard. When I started my bookstagram account, I had no idea how much time I would spend trying to get the “perfect” shot. There are huge accounts with tens of thousands of followers posting AMAZING content every single day. It’s easy to feel intimated by other accounts posting such beautiful book pics. ⁣ ⁣ @penguinteen released the book by Zan Romanoff ( @zanopticon ) on Tuesday (3/31) and it sounds GOOD! ⁣ ⁣ : ⁣ “Things Lulu Shapiro’s 10,000 Flash followers don’t know about her:⁣ * That the video of her with another girl was never supposed to go public.⁣ * That Owen definitely wasn’t supposed to break up with her because of it.⁣ * That behind the carefully crafted selfies and scenes Lulu projects onto people’s screens, her life feels like a terrible, uncertain mess.”⁣ ⁣ The # is meant to glimpse into the life of a bookstagram “influencer” … Though I certainly don’t consider myself an influencer, I do try my best to make each of my pictures special. ⁣ ⁣ Swipe ➡️ to see the reality behind my picture for this book- which is !! ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #bookstagram #bibliophile #goodreads #goodreadschallenge #unreadshelf #bookshelf #bookworm #bookstagrammer #booknerd #igbooks #booksofig #booklahoma #bookstafriendz⁣ #evavsthealgorithm ⁣#yanovels #yaromance #lgbtbooks #lgbtbook #youngadultbooks #youngadult #look #zanromanoff #MyRealLookChallenge #PenguinTeenPartner

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QOTD – Did you have or feel any expectations when you first joined bookstagram?⁣ ⁣ Since becoming a bookstagrammer about one year ago and discovering booktube last year, I learned there are certain expectations and perhaps an assumption that you 1) have a perfectly curated collection of books, and 2) have a drool-worthy home library fitting to grace any home decor magazine. I can see why some may think that. Looking at the many beautiful bookstagram accounts it would certainly appear as though EVERYONE in the book community has those things. And look, some do, but many do not, and both are ok. Whether you have no book collection at all or have a collection of under 100 books or a collection of over 1000 books, it’s all ok. Even if you don’t have that home library to rival all home libraries. What matters most is the joy you get from reading and hopefully the love and support you feel from being part of the bookstagram community. ⁣ ⁣ The book LOOK by Zan Romanoff (@zanopticon) touches on the subject of expectation vs. reality. So I’m really excited to dig into this book this month to see how Zan explores this topic. The book is out and on shelves now! Thank you to @PenguinTeen for giving me a copy of this book. It is greatly appreciated. #PenguinTeenPartner⁣ ⁣ The photos in this post are part of the #MyRealLookChallenge. I’m showing you what my photos look like before and after being edited. ⁣ ⁣ What are your thoughts surrounding expectations in the bookstagram community?

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Instagram vs Reality – How much of yourself to do share here?⁠⠀ . . .⁠⠀ Swipe ➡️ to see what my desk looked like right before I took this photo. Right now, my desk is doing double duty as my bookstagram place in the evening and my workstation during the day. tbh I’m working on not associating stress with a space that usually brings me peace. It’s not been easy – most days I shut my computer and go downstairs, only to return when I have to. How are you coping? Take the #MyRealLookChallenge with me by posting bookstagram vs reality on your feed or in your stories. Tag me so I can see! Look, which is the latest book by @zanopticon (who also wrote Grace and the Fever, one of my FAV reads), is out now and I can’t wait to read it. Synopsis below!⁠⠀ .⁠⠀ Things Lulu Shapiro’s 10,000 Flash followers don’t know about her:⁠⠀ * That the video of her with another girl was never supposed to go public.⁠⠀ * That Owen definitely wasn’t supposed to break up with her because of it.⁠⠀ * That behind the carefully crafted selfies and scenes Lulu projects onto people’s screens, her life feels like a terrible, uncertain mess.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Then Lulu meets Cass. Cass isn’t interested in looking at Lulu’s life, only in living in it. And The Hotel—a gorgeous space with an intriguing, Old Hollywood history and a trust-fund kid to restore it—seems like the perfect, secret place for them to get to know each other. But just because Lulu has stepped out of the spotlight doesn’t mean it’ll stop following her every move.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ It’s a story about what you present vs. who you really are, about real intimacy and manufactured intimacy and the blurring of that line. It’s a deceptively glamorous, feminist, emotionally complex, utterly compelling, queer coming-of-age novel about falling in love and taking ownership of your own self—your whole self—in the age of social media.⁠⠀ .⁠⠀ .⁠⠀ .⁠⠀ #PenguinTeenPartner #ZanRomanoff #yacontemporary #bookish #igreads#booknerd#bookstagrammer#bibliophile#booknerdigans#instabooks#bookblogger#Bookstagram #yalit#yabooks#bookphotography#yafiction#bookgram#bookphotography#idratherbereading#bookishphotos#readersofinstagram#booksbooksbooks #penguinteen

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I don’t show my face on here very often. I am very insecure about how I look because of gender dysphoria and my weight. But you all know my personality. I may seem like I have it together at times, but I don’t. Very few people truly know me. I am trans. I am bisexual. I’m a Christian. I am disabled. I try to show kindness to everyone, but I have a very small patience. This is me. I am a mess. But I love myself for who I am inside. I was sent this book by @penguinteen for free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. What can I say about this profoundly beautiful book? It is essentially about how we base or worth on how others see us. It is about finding who you truly are. It is about being yourself and not who everyone wants you to be. It is so beautiful. LGBTQ+ representation, feminism, heartbreak, and amazing writing. Just go read this. Rating: 5 Stars #myreallookchallenge #penguinteenpartner #zanromanoff #bookstagram #instabooks #booklover #bookish #igbooks #reader #readers #bookgeek #booktography #readmore #transgender #bookaholic #bookstagrammer #readya #yareader #youngadultliterature #bookdragon #creativebookstagram #booknerd #booknerdigans #bookfeature #readeraesthetic #bookphotography #booksharks

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✨Expectation vs. Reality ✨ ⁣ ⁣ I wish my room looked as clean as it does in the first photo. Between reading (mostly the news) and school, my life has gotten a bit more chaotic. My sleep schedule is all jumbled…I go to bed around 3am and wake up at noon. I can’t really focus on reading without having to constantly check my phone. With so many people walking on the streets to get fresh air, it’s hard for my family to even walk outside without accidentally bumping into someone (in the suburbs!).⁣ ⁣ Meanwhile, I am so lucky to have my family here with me and a ton of books to read! I am really looking forward to reading LOOK by Zan Romanoff, a book that is one of my anticipated releases for 2020. The main character, Lulu Shapiro is more than what she appears to be on Flash (read: Instagram) and her life completely changes after a published video was never supposed to go public.⁣ ⁣ LOOK is on shelves now! Order from your local indie bookstore to get it in your hands immediately I am anticipating that this one will be a big 5 for me. ⁣ ⁣ Thank you @penguinteen for sending me a copy! #MyRealLookChallenge #PenguinTeenPartner

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. QOTD: Talk bookstagram with me! What’s your photo taking schedule like? What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done for a photo? . Happy Thursday! The weather outside is absolutely amazing today and I’m feeling more motivated than ever. And, despite the fact that I just took new bookstagram photos the other day, I’m feeling tempted to bust out my camera and take more . Speaking of photos, today I’m partnering with @penguinteen to do the #MyRealLookChallenge ! So, I’m sharing a bit of “bookstagram expectations vs reality”. For example, the first slide is exactly what you may expect from my account. A setup featuring a book, and if you swipe you can see my reality. Book photo sessions are normally super chaotic and messy behind the scenes! As much as I wish photoshoots were as simple and put together as thos picture… I can firmly say that just doesn’t happen . Thank you so much to @penguinteen for sending me a beautiful finished copy of Look! This book is currently available for purchase and on shelves now #PenguinTeenPartner . . . #readgushcommunity #look #zanromanoff #bookishflatlay #behindthescenes #booknookstagram #bookhoarder #bookstagrammer #booksofinstagram #booklove #totalbooknerd #bibliophile #bookphotography #readersofinstagram #yabooks #bookpages #booktoday #booksofig #bookcommunity #ilovebooks #booksbooksbooks #toberead #reading #reader #bookblogger

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Expectation vs. reality: what it’s like to read while social distancing – There are so many times on bookstagram where I think we forget that we’re all just in our houses reading. There is so much pressure to be aesthetically on point all the time and I am just Not. So, here’s a little Look () at what bookstagram thinks reading looks like in quarantine vs what it really looks like (for me). – I’m also celebrating this fabulous new queer YA release, Look by @zanopticon it’s a book about social media and how what we post on our socials can be totally removed from who we really are. It’s also a queer coming of age story! The book is out now (released 3/31) and I think y’all should all be sure to check it out. It was in my most anticipated releases of the year video for a reason!! – Full synopsis: Things Lulu Shapiro’s 5,000 Flash followers don’t know about her: • That the video of her with another girl was never supposed to go public. • That Owen definitely wasn’t supposed to break up with her because of it. • That behind the carefully crafted selfies and scenes Lulu projects onto people’s screens, her life feels like a terrible, uncertain mess. Then Lulu meets Cass. Cass isn’t interested in looking at Lulu’s life, only in living in it. And The Hotel–a gorgeous space with an intriguing, Old Hollywood history and a trust-fund kid to restore it–seems like the perfect, secret place for them to get to know each other. But just because Lulu has stepped out of the spotlight doesn’t mean it’ll stop following her every move. Look is about what you present vs. who you really are, about real intimacy and manufactured intimacy and the blurring of that line. It’s a deceptively glamorous, feminist, utterly compelling, queer coming-of-age novel about falling in love and taking ownership of your own self–your whole self–in the age of social media.

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you might be wondering why the third picture in this photo collection isn’t edited. that’s because i’m participating in the #MyRealLookChallenge with @penguinteen. LOOK by @zanopticon is a queer coming-of-age novel about falling in life and taking ownership of your self—your whole self—in the age of social media. the idea of a “my real look challenge” is extremely interesting to me, especially right now. something i’ve always prided myself on on my platform is my willingness to be my completely authentic self – to be totally honest with my amazing followers – but to actually be very honest, in my personal life, that’s really hard for me. [tw going forward] after all my experiences with trauma, i shut myself off from my world. and though i thought i got over that, i’ve recently found that is far from the truth. as some of you may know, i recently attempted suicide, and i am now in intensive treatment, and i have discovered a lot of myself – one of which is how difficult being honest is, because i don’t feel i deserve support. i don’t say this to fish for compliments, but to be honest, as this challenge suggests. obviously, this is not enjoyable for me or the people in my life, but that is the truth of living with trauma. it messes up your life in every way possible. and that is why i am so excited to read LOOK. LOOK is about navigating a terribly messy situation and finding yourself in the midst of it. it is about surviving and falling in love with someone else and with yourself. i am so very excited to read it. LOOK is out now, so feel free to order yourself now, especially from your local indie if possible! #PenguinTeenPartner • • • • • #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booklover #bookish #look #zanromanoff #newrelease #bookbirthday #queerbooks #queerya #yalit #yabooks #booknerd #bookworm #bookfiend #igreads #readersofinstagram #reader #queerlit

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