Meet the Blogger Behind the Blog - Diana @ Book Of Secrets

Lets welcome Diana @ Book of Secrets for this weeks "Meet the Blogger Behind the Blog."

1. Tell us a little about yourself. Anything interesting we should know about? Maybe something juicy? :)

Thanks for having me here, Danielle!  A little about me: I'm a married mother of two, and I just turned the big 4-0!!  My kids are 5 (girl) and 3 (boy).  They go to school half-days, so morning is when I have a few extra minutes for blogging!  I have two book blogs: Book of Secrets (mainly romance), and The Forbidden Bookshelf (erotica) that I share with Tanya from Among the Muses.

The one juicy thing I have to share is not about me personally, but it's about my relatives who are actors.  My sister-in-law plays the waitress Arlene on the show True Blood, and my brother-in-law played Ben Linus on Lost.  (They're married.)  Pretty cool, huh?  I think my daughter got their acting gene.  She loves to perform!

2. How long have you been reading? When did you start? When did you officially become addicted?

As a young child I wasn't a big fan of reading.  I read books when required at school.  I started reading for pleasure as a teenager.  My grandmother and I would share Jackie Collins' books!!  (My mom didn't know.  LOL!)  My grandmother was the one who got me addicted to reading.  She always had a book close by.

3. What genre did you start reading first? Or have you always read romance novels?

Romances were my first love.  I went through a mystery phase, then fantasy.  I always come back to romances.  With so many subgenres of romance to choose from, I never get bored.

4. What are your favorite genres now?

Within the romance genre, my favorites are paranormal, historical, suspense, and contemporary erotic.

5. Is there any genres you don't like? Why?

I'm not a fan of sci-fi, though I did just read a book called Demon's Captive that fell into this genre, and it was very good.  However, it was more about the relationship between the characters and not about the technical mumbo jumbo.  Also, the Young Adult genre does not appeal to me.  I read the Twilight series, and well, that was enough for me.

6. If you had to guess how many books you have read in your lifetime how many would it be?

I don't think I could guess the number.  I'm not a fast reader, so I'm sure it's much less than most book addicts.  Last year I read 69 books, and I'm hoping to reach 100 this year.

7. How long does it usually take you to read an average book?

I'd say 2 - 3 days, though it just depends on the craziness going on in my life at the time!

8. What is your review style? Any formulas? :)

I've tried using formulas, but I can't find one that works for every book.  I usually do a brief summary (unless the book blurb is really good).  Then I go into what I liked or didn't like, the strengths and weaknesses.  I don't care for overly gushy or snarky reviews, so I try to keep it honest and informative to my readers and respectful to the author.
 
9. Do you tend to judge a book by it's cover?

Sometimes.  Let's just say if a cover looks cheap and cheesy, I probably won't buy it, unless someone I trust tells me it's really good.


10. What are you reading now?

I'm reading the anthology Playing Easy to Get.  Kresley Cole's story, "The Warlord Wants Forever," is on one of my reading challenges this year.

This or That?

Hardback or Paperback? Paperback or eBook
Dog ears or Bookmarks? Bookmarks! Never damage a book!
YA novels or Adult novels? Adult only.
Library or Bookstore? Bookstore
Reading glasses or No glasses? No glasses
Snack while reading or No snacks? No snacks
Beach or Mountain? Mountain to live, beach to visit
Vampire or Werewolf? Werewolf
Hot or Flirty? Hot
Movie 1st or Book 1st? Book
Contemporary or Historical? Both equally
Page-Turner or Tear Jerker? Page-Turner