Behind The Screen Tag

This tag was created by Amber @ Du Livre. Amber is awesome, and you should follow her blog. The "Behind the Screen Tag" is about everybody's favorite subject . . . me!

Behind The Screen Tag

When did you start blogging, and what was your first review?

I started Read All The Things! in August 2013, but I’ve been blogging since 2005. I think I wrote my first book review in 2011? It was a short, scathing review of the Twilight series, and I don’t believe it exists on the internet anymore. That’s probably a good thing.

Who/What inspired you to start blogging?

Curiosity? When I was in middle school, I remember begging my dad to let me have a website. All the cool kids had websites. He said no. I blame him for the fact that I never became a cool kid. When I got old enough to use the internet unsupervised, I started experimenting with blogging and posting my (cringe-worthy) fiction and poetry online. I sincerely hope all of my self-indulgent teenage whining has been wiped from the face of the internet. My dad was right: I never should have been trusted with a website.

What is a blog-related goal that you have?

I’d love to have a professional artist redesign all the graphics on this blog. There are so many beautiful blogs in the world. Unfortunately, this isn’t one of them.

What is one thing that you wish someone told you about blogging?

You have to comment and interact with the community. If you want people to read your blog, you have to let them know that it exists. Get comfortable with shameless self-promotion. You can’t just lurk in the shadows and hope that people will magically discover you. That won’t happen.

Me, when I started blogging.

What is your biggest blog-related accomplishment?

Keeping this blog running for four years. At this point, I can’t imagine my life without it. My blog is like a small, infuriating child that keeps me up late and wakes me up early. I have no time for sleep. Night is for reading and writing blog posts.

What types of posts do you enjoy writing?

Wrap-ups. I like compiling all the stuff that happened in a month and putting it in one place. Yearly wrap-ups are interesting, too. I love writing stats posts. They make me feel like I’ve accomplished something.

Where do you usually blog? What does your setup look like?

I blog at my desk. My setup looks like a 7-year-old laptop and a lot of muttered swearwords.

My desk, my books, not my poodle.

What was your last 5-star read?

The Butcher's Hook by Janet Ellis. It's about a female serial killer in 1700s London. Very graphic and gory. I need to find more historical horror books.

What was your last 1-star read?

Perfect Little World by Kevin Wilson. This novel about a nontraditional family had the potential to be quirky and wonderful. Instead, it was underdeveloped and slow.

What are three words that make you pick up a book?

Cult, remote, atmospheric.

What is your Hogwarts house?

What is your favorite reading environment?

My bed. Everywhere else is too distracting. My bedroom is mostly empty, and I can lock the door.

What advice would you give to new bloggers?

The only difference between your blog and a million other blogs is you. Find your voice, write about your passions, and do whatever works for you. Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing.

Do you want to do this tag? Consider yourself tagged.