HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!

  Hey everyone! I just wanted to give a big HAPPY HALLOWEEN to everybody celebrating today! Does anyone have any big fun plans for the day? My plans are to just hang out with my boyfriend. We will probably watch some Halloween movies and eat candy. I am planning to dress up as a pirate, because I already have all the stuff for it. Halloween is my favorite holiday and I normally put more time and effort into my costumes, but I didn't have it in me this year. Since I am a very strange person, however, I always have costume-y items on hand.

Leave me a comment with what you are dressing up as for Halloween and what your plans are! I would love to hear. Also, let me know if you read any great Halloween reads this year! Personally, I read Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin and LOVED it! Until next time, happy reading!

~Miranda Kae

Friday Finds #1

  FRIDAY FINDS showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list… whether you found them online, or in a bookstore, or in the library — wherever! (they aren’t necessarily books you purchased). Friday Finds is hosted by A Daily Rythm!

My Finds:

• Is It Just Me? by Miranda Hart (Because she is one of my heroes)
• The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer
• Lost At Sea by Bryan Lee O'Malley

• The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths, Volume 1 by Brian Froud
• The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle (Graphic novel adaptation by Peter Gillis)
• The Storyteller by Various Authors

  All of the books listed are links to Goodreads if you are interested in checking them out! Leave me a comment and let me know what books you have found this week or a link to your Friday Finds post. Until next time, happy reading!!

~Miranda Kae

Shelf Control #1: Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister

  Shelf control is a new weekly meme hosted by Bookshelf Fantasies. Shelf control is about the books we have on our shelves that we have not yet gotten around to reading, but want to. 

My pick this week:

Title: Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister

Author: Gregory Maguire

Published: 1999

Pages: 372

Synopsis (via Goodreads): We have all heard the story of Cinderella, the beautiful child cast out to slave among the ashes. But what of her stepsisters, the homely pair exiled into ignominy by the fame of their lovely sibling? What fate befell those untouched by beauty ... and what curses accompanied Cinderella's looks?

  Set against the backdrop of seventeenth-century Holland,Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister tells the story of Iris, an unlikely heroine who finds herself swept from the lowly streets of Haarlem to a strange world of wealth, artifice, and ambition. Iris's path quickly becomes intertwined with that of Clara, the mysterious and unnaturally beautiful girl destined to become her sister. While Clara retreats to the cinders of the family hearth, Iris seeks out the shadowy secrets of her new household -- and the treacherous truth of her former life.

How I got it: My boyfriend bought it for my from a used book store.

When I got it: July 2015

Why I want to read it: Firstly, this book is by the same author as Wicked, which already peaks my interest. Secondly, I love when authors retell classic fairy tales, especially when it is from a new point of view. It is great because it is something you already love, but with a new twist. 

  Let me know what books you have hidden away on your shelf that you have been neglecting in the comments!

~Miranda Kae

15 Books I Feel Guilty Admitting I Have Never Read

  There are a ton of classic books out there that I have never had the pleasure of reading. I always feel guilty admitting that I haven't gotten around to reading them. I only attended one year of high school before I decided to get my GED, so I didn't get the chance to read most of these books in school like a lot of people. I definitely want to get around to reading this list, and I am hoping to get a lot of them finished when I start my English and literature courses for college. Until then, here is the list of books I am ashamed to admit I have never read.

1. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl Yes, admittedly, I have never read the diary of Anne Frank. This is one I didn't get the opportunity to read in school because I only attended one year of high school.
2. Lord of the Flies by William Golding I know..
3. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Trust me, I know! 
4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen I'm ashamed, I really am.
5. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee I am such a bad bibliophile. 
6. Call of the Wild by Jack London I don't even have an excuse here. I was assigned this book in school, I just never read it.
7. The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger I know, I know, I know!
8. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame I have seen the Disney cartoon, does that count? 
9. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens I have read some Dickens, just not this one.
10. Moby Dick by Herman Melville I did try to read this before, but it was before I was old enough to enjoy it. I need to try again.
11. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens Another Dickens I haven't read.
12. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain I have read Huckleberry Finn though!
13. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Another classic I need to get to.
14. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley For shame
15. Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling Okay, I left this one for last because I know a lot of people will gasp at this one. Yes, I've never read Harry Potter. I did start reading the first book when I was in second grade, but my brother got mad because it was his copy and he didn't want to share. There was never a copy available at the library during that time, so I just sort of moved on. I never came back to it. I know I need to, I just haven't.

  So there it is! My shameful list of books that I need to read. I have added them all to my Goodreads TBR list while I made this list. That way I have them staring me in the face to remind me that I need to get to them. Are there any books that you feel guilty admitting to never having read? Feel free to share in the comments or tweet me about them @ohkaereader. 

~Miranda Kae

10 Bookish Facts About Me

  I wanted to do a little something extra to help reader get to know me. I came up with the idea of making a list of 10 facts about me related to books. I would love to get to know any readers or fellow book bloggers as well, so I propose that anyone who wants to make their own list either leave it in the comments or leave me a link to their list in the comments. So, here is my list.

1. I have a collection of Goosebumps books. I have almost all 62 of the original series, I am only missing 4. After I get those I am planning on starting to collect more of the other series.
2. The reason I want to become a librarian is libraries have always made me feel like a place was really home. My dad was in the Army, so I moved around a lot. The first thing I did every time we moves was make my mom take me to get a library card. It was the one thing I always had.
3. I have a book idea that I have been thinking about for a few years now. I keep getting new and better ideas for it, but I have not begun to write it. I hope someday to get it out of my mind and onto paper.
4. My dad grew up going to school with James A. Owen, Author of Here, There Be Dragons. I got to meet him and his brother and have them sign a copy of a book for me. I even got to see some of the artwork for the second book before it was finished. 
5. My favorite childhood author is Roald Dahl and my favorite childhood book is Fantastic Mr.Fox.
6. I try to read a seasonal book every year during Halloween and Christmas. I love to get into the seasons.
7. I love reading comics! DC is my favorite superhero world and Aquaman is my favorite superhero. Yes, I did say Aquaman. (She-Hulk is my favorite Marvel hero)
8. One of the reasons I know my boyfriend is perfect for me is he has a huge book collection. Most people think, "we would make adorable babies." I think, "we would make an amazing library!"
9. I don't have a #1 favorite book. It would be way too difficult for me to pick just one favorite.
10. I, sadly, hate to admit that I go through periods of time where I don't read anything. It's like a sad reading rut that I fall into from time to time. I'm hoping having this book blog will give me more reasons to read, therefore lessening those periods of time.
    

  So that is it! Those are just 10 book related facts about yours truly. As I said before, I think it would be great if others got in on the fun and shared some bookish facts about themselves. Maybe we even have some bookish facts in common! Definitely let me know if that is the case so that we can bond. I'm really looking forward to make even better posts in the future. Until then, thank you so much for reading!

~Miranda Kae

Seconds...yes please!

My Review of Seconds by Bryan Lee O'Malley

Synopsis (courtesy of Goodreads):

  Katie’s got it pretty good. She’s a talented young chef, she runs a successful restaurant, and she has big plans to open an even better one. Then, all at once, progress on the new location bogs down, her charming ex-boyfriend pops up, her fling with another chef goes sour, and her best waitress gets badly hurt. And just like that, Katie’s life goes from pretty good to not so much. What she needs is a second chance. Everybody deserves one, after all—but they don’t come easy. Luckily for Katie, a mysterious girl appears in the middle of the night with simple instructions for a do-it-yourself do-over:

1. Write your mistake
2. Ingest one mushroom
3. Go to sleep
4. Wake anew

  And just like that, all the bad stuff never happened, and Katie is given another chance to get things right. She’s also got a dresser drawer full of magical mushrooms—and an irresistible urge to make her life not just good, but perfect. Too bad it’s against the rules. But Katie doesn’t care about the rules—and she’s about to discover the unintended consequences of the best intentions.

  From the mind and pen behind the acclaimed Scott Pilgrim series comes a madcap new tale of existential angst, everyday obstacles, young love, and ancient spirits that’s sharp-witted and tenderhearted, whimsical and wise.

My Review:

  Let me begin my rolling out my absolute admiration for Bryan Lee O'Malley. Scott Pilgrim is one of my absolute favorite graphic novels and films. I have even cosplayed Ramona Flowers several times. So, I had high hopes when I started reading Seconds. I sat down and within a couple hours I had already devoured the entire thing. Katie, the main character, isrelatably messed up. She is sassy, sarcastic, hopeful, and closed off. The novel has great themes including friendship, relationships, witches, alternate realities, and so much more. As always, Bryan Lee's art direction is quirky and adorable. If you are a fan of Scott Pilgrim, you will be pleasantly surprised to find a couple little nods to it hidden within Seconds. Being the huge fan I am, I grinned and showed whoever was around me when I spotted the little hidden surprises, even though they had no idea what I was talking about. Overall, I loved Seconds. For me, it had a little bit of everything, and it even teaches a valuable life lesson. I highly recommend picking up a copy and giving it a read, especially if you are a fan of Scott Pilgrim.

A definite 5/5 stars in my book!

Where to Get It:

  I borrowed a copy from my local library, but I recommend buying a copy so you can read this amazing novel as much and as often as you want. 

• Amazon
• BAM!
• Barnes and Noble

Thanks for checking out my review!

~Miranda Kae

Working hard to make improvements

  Hey there! I have been working for hours trying to make changes to improve my blog. I am really excited to start getting some content up, but I have been trying to make everything presentable first. I am sure over time everything with improve more and more. This is such an exciting adventure for me that I want to make sure I put in the effort to really make it worth it. I have been hanging out on my Twitter and checking out other book blogs to help with some ideas. I am looking for any tips I can get to help me with getting used to everything involved. If anyone has tips for me, reach out to me and let me know. 

  All that being said, I am hoping to post some actually book related posts in the next couple days. Right now I am just trying to set up and spread the word about my new blog. I have a whole TBR stack that I am looking forward to digging into and sharing with everyone. I would also be interested in book suggestions and ideas for what people might like to see me review. Thank you for anyone reading! Like I keep saying, I can't wait to really get started!

~Miranda Kae

Welcome Welcome Welcome!

  Hello everybody and welcome to my brand new book blog! There are a few things I would like to discuss to begin with as an introduction to me and my blog. I am very much looking forward to really getting into reviewing books, meeting new people, and most of all, reading!

  The reason I decided to start this blog is that recently (2 days ago to be exact), I participated in Dewey's 24 Hour Read-A-Thon. Seeing all the book blogs and how friendly they all were with each other made me really want to be a part of the community. I am an aspiring librarian, so staying up to date on new books would be great for me.

  Since I am new to the whole blog atmosphere, there are a lot of things that I don't have a grasp on just yet. I have a whole list of things that I would like to learn and add to my blog, so even though my blog isn't amazing yet, stick around! I really want this to be a great place for people to come to read about my thoughts on books and also share theirs with me.

  I haven't worked out a review system just yet, but that is the next thing I plan to work on. More than likely, I will have a simple rating system so it will be easy to read my opinions. I am sure my methods with change and grow to be better over time, but for now I will try my best.

  I have a quick "about me" page as well as a list of ways to get in contact with me. I will add more pages later as necessary, but for now those are what I have.

  I can't wait to dive into this thing! If there are any book bloggers out there with tips or advice for me, I would greatly appreciate it! Thank you so much!

~Miranda Kae