Book lovers everywhere tend to have their own favorite ways of keeping track of where they leave off. Scraps of paper, worn Post-it notes, and the classic “dog-eared” pages are just a few examples of such idiosyncrasies. No matter what one’s preferred style may be, it is likely that few have thought of the way in which a bookmark might be able to make a difference. For blogger Natasha Minoso and author Jaqueline Mellow, however, this very idea was the inspiration behind founding She Is Booked.
Less than two months ago, the friend duo found themselves equally upset by the toxic political climate pervading the country. “Jacqueline and I were FaceTiming after watching some of the Kavanaugh hearing and feeling incredibly disheartened,” Minoso explains to Bustle. “Jacqueline looked at me and said, ‘Is there something we can do? We have these platforms, we need to try and make some sort of difference, especially now.’ We had no idea what to do at first but I was all in.”
The women leveraged their respective social media presence in order to combine their efforts toward a positive outcome. On October 19, She Is Booked was launched as an online shop selling two bookmarks: “She Is Booked” and “I Read Like A Girl.” Inspired in large part by the #MeToo movement, Minoso and and Mellow are committed to donating proceeds from She Is Booked to organizations that support women. Donations were first made to RAINN (The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network) and have now expanded to PSI (Postpartum Support International).
The slogans were chosen for both their minimalism and frankness. “We want to use our voices to help make a change, where we, as women, are busy making moves towards a more equal and just future for ourselves, for those who didn’t have the chance before us, and for those who will come after,” explains Mellow. “We also like how the phrase ‘Like a Girl’ is consistently being flipped into a positive measurement of success, because that’s exactly what it is. We want to help push that messaging.”
The idea to use bookmarks as a medium of change combined Minoso and Mellow’s passion for reading with their desire to do something meaningful amid a chaotic political and social environment. “We wanted to start simple, with something that every reader could get behind,” says Minoso. “Bookmarks are also little pause buttons on reading, and that’s a great time to make your mark IRL. We also love that the bookmark is a physical reminder that you’ve done something good. On the back of each bookmark we have an acknowledgment that says, ‘If you are holding this bookmark, you have made your mark.'”
For both Minoso and Mellow, reading provides a connection to more than just the page. The opportunity to form connections with other readers is the first step in creating a more compassionate, caring world. “I think that while reading can seem solitary, it is often anything but,” says Mellow. “It’s a way to feel connected to situations, [to] characters, and to feel understood. The reading community is an incredibly passionate space. Despite having different ideologies, religions, and nationalities, despite the fact that many of us will never have the chance to meet in person, we stand together in our shared passion for literature. This creates such a unique empathetic bond between strangers reading the same stories. What an amazing thing! And what an amazing group of people to help champion a cause.”
You can support She Is Booked by visiting their online shop or following their Instagram page.