Oh Kae Reads: 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.