#ArmchairBEA Day 1: Introduction

Image credit: Amber of shelfnotes.com

I usually try to avoid posting more than once a day, but I'm making an exception just for today, so I can post my introduction for Armchair BEA. To learn more about what this, and how you can participate, visit ArmchairBEA.com. Today's specific topics and link-up can be found here. Below are my answers to five of the ten introduction questions provided here.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging? Where in the world are you blogging from?

I'm Katie Fitzgerald, a former children's librarian turned stay at home mom living in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC. I started blogging on New Year's Day 2011 at Secrets & Sharing Soda, where I posted book reviews. I then started a second blog in March 2011, Story Time Secrets, which was for all my story time outlines. I have since combined both blogs into Story Time Secrets, which includes book reviews, book lists, story time starters, etc I got into blogging mostly because I like to write, and because my then-boyfriend, now-husband thought I would be good at it and encouraged me to stick with it.

Describe your blog in just one sentence. Then, list your social details -- Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. -- so we can connect more online.

Story Time Secrets focuses on resources for sharing books with kids. I am on Twitter as @mrskatiefitz​, and my blog's Facebook page is here. I also post to Pinterest quite a lot.

What was your favorite book read last year? What’s your favorite book so far this year?

My favorite books from 2013 were Bo at Ballard Creek by Kirkpatrick Hill, illustrated by LeUyen Pham and The Golden Day by Ursula Dubosarsky. Some of my favorites so far this year are Revolution by Deborah Wiles, Steering Toward Normal by Rebecca Petruck, and Welcome to Dog Beach by Lisa Greenwald.(All three are middle grade titles. That tends to be what I read the most.)

Spread the love by naming your favorite blogs/bloggers (doesn’t necessarily have to be book blogs/bloggers).

Some of the blogs I have been reading lately are: Catholic All Year, The Matt Walsh Blog, The Library Adventure, Ms. Yingling Reads, Randomly Reading, and kbaer.com.

 Share your favorite book or reading related quotes.

 One of my favorite quotes about books is from Please Bury Me at the Library by J. Patrick Lewis:

A bad book owes to many trees
A forest of apologies

Check back tomorrow for an Armchair BEA post about interacting with authors.