10 Bookstagrammers to Follow for Serious Reading Inspo

Victoria Ratliff

We simply must begin with Victoria, played by Parker Posey, who couldn't have picked a more fitting book to read: The Beautiful and the Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

The 1922 novel tells the story of a privileged couple named Patch and Gloria who revel in their extravagant 1920s New York lifestyle. However, as their fortune begins to fade, they struggle to adapt, and Patch is led down a path of depression and alcoholism.

In Season 3 of The White Lotus, the Ratliffs start as a wealthy Durham, North Carolina, family, but then Timothy finds out that he's facing financial ruin and possible jail time, which begins to undo his character. The parallels are uncanny.

Belinda

As one of the only two returning characters from Season 2, viewers have been on the edge of their seats watching Belinda grapple with the whole Greg/Gary situation. Still, you might not have noticed that her character was reading the self-help book Surrounded by Narcissists: Or, How to Stop Other People's Egos Ruining Your Life by Thomas Erikson.

You can probably gather from the title that it delves into what drives narcissists and how to deal with them. Given Season 3's themes of spirituality, as well as Belinda's moral struggle over what to do about Greg/Gary, some speculate that perhaps her reading choice is foreshadowing a final showdown where she takes control.

Lochlan Ratliff

Compared to his arguably obnoxious brother, Saxon Ratliff, Lochlan Ratliff, played by Sam Nivola, is a more subdued character. Even so, he was actually seen reading Hunger by Knut Hamsun, which has been called one of the most unsettling novels ever written.

This book follows a young man who wanders the world and is subjected to the silent judgment of others. Still, he continues exposing himself to the outside world, and his own thoughts become a form of self-inflicted torment.

The link between Lochlan and Hunger seems pretty straightforward. He and the protagonist are both searching for their identity, and since Lochlan is part of such a chaotic and critical family, it's understandable why he's struggling.

Laurie

Laurie, played by Carrie Coon, also picked up an extremely appropriate title: Modern Lovers by Emma Straub. It mirrors Laurie's getaway with Jaclyn and Kate, following three lifelong friends as they navigate a summer of change.

In the book, the children of friends Elizabeth, Andrew, and Zoe come of age and entangle themselves in new relationships, which causes long-buried secrets and unresolved tensions to surface.

If Modern Lovers is any indication of what's to come in The White Lotus, it's safe to say that Laurie, Jaclyn, and Kate's bond won't be repaired by the season's end.

Chelsea

Chelsea, played by Aimee Lou Wood, has actually been caught reading two different books this season, including Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living by Pema Chodron and The Essential Rumi by Jalal Al-Din Rumi.

Both books revolve around themes of spirituality, self-reflection, and inner peace. The former offers self-help advice based on traditional Tibetan Buddhist teachings, while the latter is a collection of spiritual short stories.

The real question is, who is Chelsea seeking wisdom for? Is she on her own self-discovery journey, or is she trying to help her boyfriend, Rick? Only time will tell.

Jaclyn Lemon

Last but not least, Jaclyn, portrayed by Michelle Monaghan, was spotted reading My Name Is Barbra by Barbra Streisand. In her memoir, Barbra reflects on the defining moments of her career and personal life.

This makes sense because Jaclyn is also an actress who's balancing a high-profile marriage to a fellow actor and confronting the realities of aging in the public eye. Still, it's unclear what My Name Is Barbra is hinting about Jaclyn's fate on The White Lotus, if anything.

Riding the High by Paisley Hope

Swift and Saddled by Lyla Sage

Ada Hart has sworn off men after rebuilding her life post-divorce and career pivot. Not only is she "Ms. Independent," she's the sought-after new hire at a popular Wyoming ranch. It's a dream come true which is why she wastes no time celebrating at a bar that ends with her scrumptiously kissing a sexy stranger. To her dismay, that sexy stranger's name is Weston Ryder and he's her boss.

Even though Weston's completely okay with it, Ada's trying to avoid him as much as possible. She doesn't have time to fall in love, especially with the person who's the reason her career is about to get the biggest boost ever.

Kit McBride Gets a Wife by Amy Barry

Kit McBride's life takes on a new meaning when his sister decides she wants her brothers to get married. Her plan involves sharing interesting facts about them in The Matrimonial News in hopes that a few women will fall head over heels in love with them.

In a strange turn of events, Maddy Mooney cosplays as the lonely widow she's been working for after the latter thinks it's a great idea to become a "mail-order bride." Of course it's by accident, but Kit McBride doesn't know this nor is he aware that Maddy's plan of making him fall in love with her will be set in motion the moment she sees him.

Talk Dirty, Cowboy by Elle Thorpe

Bowen Barclay and Paisley Ackerly didn't meant to meet each other, but a video game brings them together anyway. Both are single parents, but Bowen's a widow with a failing career while Paisley's keeping secrets about her past. However, they're absolutely smitten with each other and the undeniable attraction that exists between them. The only things that may keep them apart are the publicity that follows Bowen and the things he'll learn about Paisley.

Live, Ranch, Love by Emma Lucy

Rory Jones' heart is crushed when she catches her boyfriend cheating on her, so she escapes to the ranch in Colorado her great aunt left behind. She thinks she'll get over writer's block if she's able to renovate it which would also give her a boost of confidence. But head rancher Wyatt Hensley isn't easily convinced.

For one, he's put everything into maintaining his position and refuses to hand it over. Secondly, he's not impressed by Rory's perceived flightiness. But a plan that works for both of them is develops which begins to smooth over quick first impressions.

It's not like they're going to act on the desires building in their hearts.

Where Courage Calls by Janette Oak

Beth Thatcher hasn't had to worry about much in life because her wealthy background has always shielded her from different things. But her aunt's daring career makes her willing to give up comfortable living in exchange to become a teacher in western Canada. Surprisingly, Beth's father isn't against her decision to leave home which gives her courage that she can do anything she puts her mind to.

However, Coal Valley doesn't roll out the red carpet upon her arrival because the townspeople are now in the debt of the mining company. Also, Beth is faced with challenges when she realizes how poor of an education the children in her class have received and that there's an overall language barrier.

Just when things couldn't get worse, Beth finds her heart torn between someone she's always known and a new face that's always there for her. Will she decide to stick to her resolves or will she quickly leave Coal Valley behind?

Lone Wolf in Lights by Stacey Kennedy

Texas Destiny by Lorraine Heath

Amelia Carson is a mail-order bride who's wondering what her new husband Dallas Leigh will be like. As her train comes to a stop in Fort Worth, Texas, she immediately perks up when she sees the man who's waiting for her. The problem is that it isn't Dallas, but his brother Houston.

They set off on a long journey to Amelia's new home with Houston resolved to keep things amicable between he and his brother's new wife. But it's hard not to fall in love when you're in close proximity to someone and get to see what motivates and scares them.

Cross Cowboy by Elana Johnson

Travis Cooper works at his family's ranch where being loud comes as easy to them as getting their many animals to listen. But a run-in with Shayla Nelson makes him reconsider running his mouth so mouth even though he knows he's her former best friend's ex. Travis also knows that the rivalry between his ex and Shayla isn't fair, seeing that the latter didn't actually do anything wrong.

But a slippery slope exists between them because it seems like chaos follows them everywhere they go. It's just that Shayla can't help but fall for Travis even though she knows she probably shouldn't.

Heart and Hand by Rebel Carter

Tempestby Beverly Johnson

Trailblazerby Anna Schmidt

Grace Rogers puts on her big girl pants and joins the Fred Harvey Company in Juniper, New Mexico to help save her family's farm. Though she wasn't planning on it, she finds herself enamored by Nick Hopkins. He's a cowboy who's marriage and family goals are the only things he cares about. Despite this, he and Grace find themselves in a predicament given her job's strict rules against marriage.

They decide to pursue love on their terms, but don't anticipate that another man has his eyes on Grace. Unfortunately, he'll do whatever it takes to ruin what Nick has with her so he can have her to himself.

Forsaken Falls by Shirleen Davies

Wyatt Jackson's licking the wounds of failure following his successful run as a solider, he hobbles towards Splendor, Montana to seek refuge in the care of someone he hasn't seen in a while. Then there's Nora Evans and her wandering spirit.

Forced to move from place to place because her family won't claim her, she also finds herself living in the west. In her mind, being single and childless don't seem like a bad idea even if she's always thinking about a certain sexy individual named Wyatt.

He and Nora have every reason to stay away from each other, but it's hard when the heart knows what it wants.

Brush Creek Cowboy by Liz Issacson

Walker Thompson's been content working at the Brush Creek Horse Ranch while raising his young son Michael, but he secretly years for Tess Wagner. She's also a single parent who happens to work alongside him during the annual fall Heritage Festival and they've always kept things cordial.

But right when Walker decides he wants to get to know her beyond a friendly level, Tess makes a heartbreaking confession that scares him away. He doesn't want to experience anymore hurt, but he can't help but imagine how sweet life will be if he and Tess give each other a chance.

One TikTok user posted a shocking yet potentially plausible The White Lotustheory on their account @longmirelp. They call attention to the monitor lizard that keeps showing up in Belinda's storyline and suggest it could be the reincarnation of Tanya trying to protect her.

"The lizard is not random; it's not just some throwaway thing. It keeps popping up and following specifically Belinda," the TikToker said.

Remember, Belinda is one of the only two characters who returned from Season 2 for the series' latest season, along with Greg/Gary. It's also worth underscoring how both Belinda and Greg/Gary played critical roles in relation to Tanya's Season 2 storyline.

Then, following Tanya's tragic death, Natasha Rothwell reprises her role as Belinda and travels to Thailand for a wellness training exchange. It was during her tour of the latest The White Lotus hotel that she first saw a monitor lizard and got startled, to which her tour guide responded, "In time, the lizards will become your friend."

Later, Belinda calls her son, Zion, who will soon be arriving at the hotel, and during their conversation, she hears the trees rustling. She thought it could be snakes, but it actually could've been a lizard, given they're excellent climbers.

Another clue surfaced more recently after Belinda called Greg/Gary out for knowing Tanya, and he initially denied it. Following that interaction, Belinda was in her bedroom when, again, she heard rustling.

Pornchai, who'd previously given Belinda her tour when she encountered a lizard for the first time, proceeded to move a dresser and (shocker) reveal a lizard inside her bedroom. Is it just a coincidence that the camera then showed Belinda's laptop, and she'd been researching Tanya's murder the night prior? Some fans don't think so.

And even though Belinda is in Thailand for the wellness training exchange, it's no secret that she is a spiritual character. This has led many to speculate that Tanya's spirit might've been reincarnated as the lizard and is attempting to protect Belinda as she navigates the Greg/Gary situation.

Finally, since Tanya dreamt of being on an Asian mountain with a cyanide pill back in Season 2, fans think that could've been foreshadowing, and Tanya in lizard form may help Belinda in her showdown with Greg/Gary.

If this theory seems totally out there, we get it. But the first episode of Season 3 was entitled "Same spirits, new forms" — and prior to the season's premiere, HBO's EVP Francesca Orsi even noted it was "an exploration about spirituality versus the ego, and it's set against the Eastern religion."

The TikToker's video has amassed more than 884,000 views and over 64,000 likes, with plenty of commenters commending their detective work.

"This is actually the best fan theory I've ever seen. Even if it's wrong, it's insane," one user wrote.

"I'm gonna try, this is such an amazing take," echoed another.

What do you think about Tanya making a possible comeback as a lizard? Is it too out there, even for The White Lotus, or an idea that's worth considering?