Many people often ask me “why in the world do you annotate?” Some might think that it makes reading feel like a task, but I personally enjoy my books so much more when I annotate. Creating a system with my tabs, choosing my pen and highlighter, making little drawings in the margins – it’s an experience by itself, but it also helps you find something more in a book. You have to analyze to choose which tab to use, and so maybe you’ll find something you wouldn’t have even considered had you not been annotating. Not only that, but it is incredibly aesthetically pleasing – at least to me! Nothing makes me happier than seeing a stack of annotated books and flipping through the pages to find drawings, notes, tabs, and sometimes just some really random words. I know that some people might get “out of the flow” of reading to annotate, but I am one of the lucky ones since I actually find annotating gets me even more in the flow. Annotating became such a huge part of my life after I launched my annotating kit in November of 2021 that I decided to create my own bookclub in May of 2022 that focuses primarily on annotating. In other words, annotating has made me enjoy reading so much more in the last year and I am beyond ecstatic to be able to share my love and knowledge of the practice with my followers and customers!
RainyDaysLibrary is a bookish business that I opened on June 23rd, 2021. Starting off as only a blind-date-with-a-book shop on Etsy, I soon realized that my business was taking on a major role in the bookish community. Now, after one year of being open, RainyDaysLibrary brings a new focus on annotating to its customers and followers. Additionally, the brand not only represents the website and products, but also a lifestyle as well as a social media influence. So, while RainyDaysLibrary does stand for the bookish business that it is, our social media influence has grown tremendously over the past year, gaining well over 160K “lil raindrops” (the name for followers of RDL!) on TikTok, making RDL’s presence on social media an impactful one. Thus, RDL now stands for the business itself, maintaining a good mental health during study season, having fun with books, annotating, being organized, and basically just living life to the fullest.
How Did You Discover Fable?
I first discovered Fable through @aymansbooks, a Booktoker I have been following since 2020. She often posts content for Fable’s TikTok account, and so I became familiar with the app via her videos. After launching my book club, I had all my 30 spots filled within less than 15 minutes, and while I had considered accepting more people, I feared it would become a bit overwhelming and difficult to have in-depth conversations with more members. However, I wanted my followers to be able to tag along if they wanted to, and so I made an “extension” of the Tabbies on Fable; this way, anyone can follow along with us! All the members of the original book club noticed this, so some of them will sometimes post their updates on Fable, while I try to post as regularly as I can!
There’s actually more than just one reason! First, I’ve always loved books since I was a child, but books became much more important to me after Covid struck. Not only was I bored out of my mind since my school didn’t keep going online, but I began having serious anxiety issues. This brings us to my second reason, which is mental health. Books were my escape from reality back in April, 2020. I’ll always remember when I started to have more book-related content on my FYP on TikTok, and how I basically sprinted to grab my wallet to order From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout. Since then, I’ve turned my bedroom into a mini library, spent a very scary sum of money on books, and of course, I’ve launched my very own bookish business.I’d had this “blind date with a book” business idea on the back burner for quite some time before I launched it. Obviously, this idea was nothing new, as numerous shops on Etsy and even bigger companies such as Indigo and Barnes & Nobles were doing the same thing. However, I hadn’t found a single one that was based in New-Brunswick, and I wanted to offer this to my fellow NBers. I started going to the used bookstore that had just opened in my town and would grab a few extra books whenever I went for myself. I designed a logo, thought of an aesthetic for my brand, and created social media pages and an Etsy shop, and RDL was officially a business on June 23rd, 2021. After a follower of mine asked if I would ever ship to the US, I decided to offer International shipping and my business took off!Now, after one year of being open, I still offer my original product (blind dates with a book), but my business has become globally known for its focus on annotating. Whether this be my annotating bookmarks, kits, or annotated books, members of Booktok will probably have heard of it by now!
Desiree Worrall-Belanger is a Canadian bookish influencer known under the username @rainydayslibrary. Having been annotating for multiple years, Desiree shares her tips and tricks on her platforms - one of the primary focuses on her social media accounts as of late 2021. Pursuing an honors in English and a minor in Visual and Material Culture studies at Mount Allison University, Desiree is devoted to the world of words. If you’re trying to reach her and she doesn’t answer, odds are she’s at the bookstore, or perhaps she’s practicing some of her favorite hobbies such as reading, listening to music, and crocheting.