The summer months are beckoning, and we can’t wait for days spent reading on picnic blankets or by the pool. We know our alumni have great taste so to help gather suggestions for books to include in your suitcases we spoke to alumnae Imogen and Poppy who both run their own bookstagram accounts to discover their recommendations.
Alumna Imogen Fowles (History, 2023) graduated just last year but her love of books started long before that; she can be found as @imysbookshelf on Instagram and TikTok. Alumna Poppy Smith (Anthropology, 2018) has been running her bookstagram @poppyreads since 2021 and you can hear other chapters of her thoughts on TikTok and YouTube. When not sharing stories of the wonderful University of Exeter alumni community, Alumni Communications Officer Megan Myer is most often found with her head in a book, so she caught up with them both for a good ol’ bookish chat.
What is your favourite genre or author to read?
Poppy: My most-read genre is probably literary fiction, particularly character driven books. My favourite author is Sally Rooney, she writes such realistic, flawed characters with the most frustrating yet relatable communication breakdowns!
Imogen: For me my favourite genres are: fantasy, historical fiction, and retellings. In terms of fantasy some highlights are The Emily Wilde series by Heather Fawcett, The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune, The Crimson Moth by Kristen Ciccarelli, The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo, and Belladonna by Adalyn Grace. My degree was in History, so it’s no surprise that it’s carried over to my bookstagram page! I’ve really been loving witch-lit recently including The Last Witch of Scotland by Philip Paris, The Revels by Stacey Thomas, and Weyward by Emilia Hart. I also love a retelling whether its historical, mythological, fairy-tale or folklore in nature. Some of my favourites are Morgan Is My Name by Sophie Keetch, Medea by Rosie Hewlett, Girl, Goddess, Queen by Bea Fitzgerald. Cassandra Clare, Holly Black, Sarah J Maas, Madeline Miller, Natalie Haynes, Rebecca Ross, Stephanie Garber, and Emily Henry are definitely auto-buy authors for me.
Describe your bookstagram aesthetic in three words.
Imogen: Bright, (sometimes) moody, and crafty. I particularly like using props in my photos!
Poppy: Vibrant, expressive, and playful.
What are you adding to your summer TBR (to be read) pile?
Poppy: I will be bringing Emma Cline’s The Guest with me on holiday to Greece in a few weeks’ time, as it’s not too heavy to pack for the flight and I love a summer themed thriller when I’m chilling by the pool. I also plan to listen to The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston on audiobook, because what’s better than a romance read when it’s sunny?
Imogen: Anything by Emily Henry is always great for a summer read! They’re hilarious, heart-warming, and relatable. I would always recommend fantasy for a long aeroplane journey; it’s so easy to be drawn into fantasy worlds and completely forget where you are. Claire Keegan’s short stories are perfect for when you’re lacking in luggage space! She is the queen of putting so much depth and emotion into so few pages.
For those of us who aren’t getting our suitcases out this summer what would you recommend reading to help alumni feel like they’ve escaped to a different world?
Poppy: The descriptions of the summery beachside setting in Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid are so evocative, I would definitely recommend this as an option if you feel like being transported to the Californian coastline! Another wonderfully escapist read is The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune – set on a magical island, this is probably one of the most comforting and heart-warming books I’ve ever read.
Imogen: I’ve just finished Every Time I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack and it’s the perfect escapist/holiday book! It’s a hilarious murder mystery set in Rome; the main character is an author on a book tour for the latest book in her murder mystery series. It very much brings the holiday vibes. If you’re looking to escape to another world, look no further than Travis Baldree’s book, Legends & Lattes. It is the epitome of cosy and escapist fantasy.
If ended up stranded on a desert island with just one book or series, would you take with you, and what other luxury item?
Poppy: I would probably take the His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman – I feel like I could read these books over and over again and never get bored. As for a luxury item, probably some yarn and a crochet hook to keep me occupied!
Imogen: Is it cheating to choose my Kindle as my luxury item? If so, I would have to choose tea. For me, it’s a reader’s best friend. The series I would take is a very tough question; there are so many to choose from. But I think I would have to pick the Once Upon a Broken Heart series by Stephanie Garber. It’s whimsical, heart-breaking, joyful, and all-around wonderful. I would highly recommend it!
Have you been in a reading rut lately and not sure what pages to dive back into? Bookstagram might be just the place for you.
Poppy: If you love books and would like more reading recommendations, then bookstagram accounts are the place to look! Engaging in the bookstagram community has hugely broadened my reading tastes, and it’s great to be able to access honest reviews from real people alongside being able to actually discuss the books with them – it’s like one huge, welcoming book club!
Do you have any more TBR recommendations? Tag @exeter_alumni in your Instagram stories and let us know what you’re reading. And as ever, if you’ve got an alumni news suggestion or a topic, you’d like to hear more about our DMs are always open or you can drop us an email at alumni@exeter.ac.uk.