We’ve already heard from a few ilksters regarding their secret lockdown passion projects. You can catch up with them below, but today’s all about Andrew and his deep dive into #bookstagram over at @reading.andrew.

Describe your side hustle in a sentence.

I take a pretty photo of the books I’ve just read and tell people whether or not they should read them.

Now do it in emojis.  

? ? ? ?  

What inspired you to give it a go?

I’ve always loved reading. But I spent the time I should be reading complaining that I wasn’t! So I wanted to make myself a bit more accountable for reading more, and the instant gratification from strangers on the internet turned out to be just the ticket. I absolutely love attention.

What’s it taught you? Give us the full Eat Pray Love.

I actually learned pretty quickly that my reading history was so limited – I really need to diversify my reading choices. So I’ve started branching out, reading genres I usually wouldn’t and exploring the works of under-represented authors that don’t get as much attention as some of the big names. I’ve also learned lots about photo editing too, which is nice for when I become an influencer during the second lockdown.

Tell us about your proudest side hustle moment.

Hitting 1,000 followers! Over one thousand people want to listen to me talk about books. Madness to me.

Any chance whatsoever you’ll still be doing this next year?

I hope so! As lockdown has eased and life has gotten busier my reading rate has dipped, but I think that’s normal. I just need to find the right balance. And to stop feeling guilty that I’m not reading as much.