Like reading, creative hobbies allow you to improve concentration but above all to let go. A manual activity straight from Japan offers compulsive readers the opportunity to combine a love of books and the satisfaction of do it yourself: book nooks. In English, this term simply means “reading corner” and it has been counted… nearly 73 million times in publications on TikTok! So make some space in your library: here is everything you need to know about this trend that is as stylish as it is regressive, and which is nevertheless not new.
Also discover: 5 good reasons to start keeping a reading journal
Book nook trend: it all started with miniature scenes of Tokyo…
In 2018, the Tokyo artist Monde, still active on . Pavements, windows, green plants… Everything is there, in 3D, a miniature version like in a diorama or a doll's house! Internet users are getting excited: the tweet revealing his work has no less than 67,000 shares today and the designer, an illustrator in everyday life, has since put these recent creations on sale several times a year. Seven years ago, you had to spend at least 150 euros to purchase one, according to our colleagues at Buzzfeed Japan.
Also discover: Reading in original language: 3 tips for (re)starting reading in English without the hassle
Book nooks for all literary tastes and all levels!
All it took was other Internet users nimble with their fingers, but also brands offering diverse and varied dioramas, many of which target book lovers. Including self-assembly! If Monde initially gave pride of place to the city of Tokyo, we can now find book nooks on the themes Bridgerton, Harry Potteror representing intimate libraries, cozy verandas or welcoming bookstores. In short, objects as beautiful as they are soothing (don't forget to light them!) which give pride of place to literature, which can also be placed as inserts in the middle of your rows of books.
On the one hand, there are those that we assemble after having received them as a kit (and whose price can also exceed a hundred euros depending on the models and materials!), available on specialized sites but also from major brands like Fnac, Cultura, Furet du Nord or Nature & Découvertes. If you're starting out, you'll prefer wooden models, accessible even for teenagers aged 14 and over, whose small pieces are already laser cut, numbered and accompanied by stickers to place on them. All done in an hour or two! For the more experienced, more complex models with much more content are also available: allow around ten hours (and patience) to obtain the final result.
But if you prefer to create everything from A to Z, without going through these kits, a very useful book was published last April by Hoëbeke: The magic of Book Nooks: miniature creations to slip into your library by Raphaële Vidaling, who offer twenty models to build step by step. There's more to it!
