Sasha Fountain is one of those dream readers that every author wants to have. She not only reads diverse books, but she also supports them financially and goes above and beyond by recommending them. But if you only know Sasha from her bookstagram or TikToks, you would never know that she is also a successful business owner of Love Bound Pages. A Black-owned independent bookstore based in Jamaica, Queens, New York.
And with this spotlight series, I wanted to not only uplift marginalized authors but also introduce you to book influencers, editors, narrators, and ordinary readers who are doing fantastic work to uplift marginalized readers and authors within the book community.
But I have yammered on way too much. Let’s get started with the interview, shall we?
Tell me a little bit about yourself. Who are you, and how did you get into being a book influencer?
I’m Sasha aka Sash (I got the nickname from one of my high school teachers and it stuck lol). I’m from NYC and my day job is in the IT industry. I was a freelance photographer and videographer/ editor for a few years until I decided the freelance life was not for me lol. I started my book influencer journey on TikTok in 2022 after seeing the BookTok videos all over my feed. I applied to Hear Our Voices Tours as a book tour host and got my first ARC in December 2022. After that I was hooked and I’ve been a tour host for HOV ever since the beginning of my book content creator journey. As my following grew I started applying to influencer programs and hopped on NetGalley (I have an atrocious feedback ratio lol). Now I’m more selective about the ARCs I request because I don’t want to end up burnt out.
Have you always been a big reader?
Yes, my mom taught me how to read before I was in kindergarten and I’ve loved it ever since. When I was younger she was a stay at home mom so we spent a lot of time at the library whether it was to borrow books or go to their kids programs.
What made you want to open LoveBound Pages bookstore?
My top genre is romance and I kept seeing the romance-only bookstores lack diversity whether it be Black, Indigenous and other POC or LGBTQ+ authors and I wanted to curate that space. At the moment I’m still in the planning phase (got the LLC though lol).
How does being Afro-latina inform your reading tastes?
Being Afrolatina has me gravitating to more Black authors from the diaspora vs other Latine authors a lot of time because of the antiblackness in the Latine community. Especially in the literary space white Latine authors are the main focus of recommendations when some book creators (especially white Latine ones) have to post about Latine books. There’s a reason why when Latine Heritage Month is coming up we see multiple folks post about remembering to feature Afrolatina authors. There are definitely white Latine book creators and authors who do the work of highlighting and recommending Afrolatine authors and I appreciate them.
How did you get into reading romance?
I remember reading Pride and Prejudice when I was younger and loving it. Then I started borrowing Harlequin romances from the library and hiding them from my parents lol. As my reading tastes have changed I started reading LGBTQ+ romance through fanfics before getting a KU subscription and diving into a bunch of different romance subgenres.
TikTokWhat is your favorite sub-genre of romance?
Paranormal romance (I’m a sucker for romance with shifters and fated mates).
Do you read anything in any other genres?
Horror (dipping my toes in), Nonfiction, Thriller, Science Fiction, Fantasy
What is your favorite book?
Pride and Prejudice. I have 5 copies including 3 special editions on my shelves.
Who is your favorite author?
It’s hard to choose but I’m gonna go with a few of my current faves Natasha Bishop, Kit Grey, and Taz Ansley.
What is your favorite trope?
I’m torn between Grumpy/Sunshine and Fated Mates.
What is your reading pet peeve?
Misogyny and especially Misogynoir.
What is your favorite reading format: ebook, paperback, or audiobook?
I’ll rank them first is ebook, second is paperback and third is audiobook.
What do you wish that you could see more of in the books that you read?
I wish I could see better mental health representation in the books that I read. There are a few authors I love who do it well and I appreciate all care they put into their portrayals of characters who struggle with their mental health.
Where do you read most? Do you read on your commute or are you a weekend reader?
I read a lot during my commute. Mostly when I’m on the subway because the noise of the MTA buses is a bit distracting. On the weekend I tend to forget to read. I always break my Kindle streak on weekends lol.
Do you own a library card? How often do you use it?
Yes, I have a few and I use them fairly frequently because I borrow ebooks and audiobooks on Libby.
What book did you read last?
A Few Rules For Predicting the Future by Octavia E. Butler
What book are you currently reading? Carceral Capitalism by Jackie Wang
What book are you reading next?
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
If you could bring three books to a deserted island, which would you bring and why?
Only For The Week by Natasha Bishop, All Jocked Up by Gianni Holmes, and Scoring the Player by Kit Grey
Which character from a book is the most like you?
Janelle from Only For The Week by Natasha Bishop. I totally related to her people pleasing tendencies and I totally felt seen.
What is your reading goal for this year?
200 books.
What do you do to get out of a reading slump?
What’s worked for me previously is listening to audiobooks. It may take me a while to finish the audiobook but it keeps me reading until I feel like going back to my Kindle or a physical book.
What is your favorite thing to eat when you read?
Usually don’t eat while reading. I like drinking a latte or some tea while reading.
Are you the kind of person who reads several books at once or the kind of person who can only read one book at a time?
It depends on my mood sometimes I’ll do one at a time and sometimes I’ll read 2-3 books so I can switch up.
What are your top 3 book couples/book ships?
In no particular order: Salem and Arnaz from Scoring the Player by Kit Grey, Janelle and Rome from Only For The Week by Natasha Bishop, a new addition is Ezekiel and Hendrix from Hopefully Unconditional by Taz Ansley
Finally, please get a me a list of links to your social media and websites.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sash_marguerite/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sash_marguerite
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/39130053
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@sash_marguerite
Blog: https://www.sash-the-bibliophile.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sashthebibliophile
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/sashmarguerite.bsky.social
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Sash_Marguerite
LoveBound Pages: https://loveboundpages.com/
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