The world of books is changing.

When I attended Bryce Courtenay’s final Masterclass, I was amazed when he told the class he had a professional researcher whose job involved searching for information that he needed for his story writing.

Most recently my path crossed with Miranda, a Booktuber, till then I never knew about this job. It was exciting to find out about the world of booktubing.

Lights, Camera, Action !

Welcome Miranda, and congratulations on the wonderful work you do. I’m looking forward to asking you some questions.

When did your passion for books start?

My passion for books started at the age of three. I used to love picture books and can remember pointing and trying to read along with the words on the page. It was always hard as I learnt Italian before English so I used to get my words confused.

Primary school was where my love of chapter books started and I used to borrow so many books from the library. The first chapter books that got me into reading were the ‘Warriors’ series by Erin Hunter. I remember seeing the big kids reading them when I was in Year Three. These books gave me a real push and introduced me to more advanced books.

What is a Booktuber? And what does this involve?

A BookTuber is a person who reviews books on YouTube. It involves keeping up to date with the latest YA releases and giving honest reviews and opinions for publishing houses.

It also involves making videos related to all things books such as fun tags, book hauls and discussions.

How did you find out about booktubing? Is this a worldwide movement?

I came across BookTube purely by accident. I was looking up internet articles about Fallen by Lauren Kate and came across a YouTube review for it. In the recommendation bar I then found out that people were reviewing books online and became fascinated and thought to myself, I can do this. After watching a few BookTubers and getting my new camera, I started.

In the three years in which I have been part of the community, BookTube has changed very much. It started with a few people five years ago and now has expanded through social media and is known worldwide, even at Vidcon.

How do you choose the books to review?

A lot of my reads I am fortunate to receive from publishing houses. I review these books in my hauls and monthly wraps. They are usually the books I review first before books I receive from authors or my own personal buys.

In the time you’ve been a booktuber, please tell us three of your best reads?

This is a hard question as I have come across some fantastic reads in my time. For this question I will probably mention books that surprised me as my best reads.

My first was ‘Thanks for the Trouble’ by Tommy Wallach which I read this year. I became so in love with the characters and slight magic in the plot line that I could not put it down.

I loved ‘The Quietness’ by Alison Rattle which was based around real life events. It told the story of fifteen-year-old Queenie who lived in the nineteenth century, was poor and taken in as a maid at this house with two women. These women adopt babies but Queenie soon discovers that something isn’t right.

The third would be Tandem by Anna Jarzab which explores parallel universes.

Name three of your favourite characters in books over the years? Why are they your favourites?

Favourite characters would be Frankie from Frankie. She had such an interesting personality that was engaging to read about. I love Marina from the I am Number Four series as she becomes stronger and learns about herself throughout the series. I also enjoyed Celaena from Throne of Glass.

As a writer, I want readers to relate to my characters and the locations where the books are set? Are there books that stand out for you using these ingredients?

Yes definitely.

Recently I have read more books set in Melbourne or around Australia and find they are so much more relatable than the usual high school/ college American scene that runs through a lot of books. I love books set around the iconic landmarks in Australia.

Name three of your favourite interviews and why you enjoyed them?

Interviewing Ellie Marney as she was the first author who gave me a chance. Other than that I can’t define which have been my favourites as I find each author speaks so differently and is so inspiring in their own way. I have to say Juliet was amazing for bringing in some lovely props on filming day and for the support she continues to give me.

Are there any exciting upcoming plans for you?

In October I will be at Sydney Book Expo speaking on a panel which should be heaps of fun. I just hope to take things slowly and finish up well at school.

What piece of advice would you give to others who are chasing their dreams?

The world is huge and you meet lots of different people in it. Don’t let others define you and always trust yourself and your gut instinct on what you want to do. I have always tried to go for what I hold close even though there are setbacks.

Who inspires you? And why?

My Mum inspires me because she is so strong and gets through everything in life with a smile. My boyfriend as well because he never stops working and is always so dedicated to doing well in life.

Quick questions:


Fantasy or Realism? Fantasy

Instagram or Facebook or Twitter? Facebook

Summer or Winter? Winter

Coffee or Tea? Coffee

Book or e-book? Book

Short read or long read? Long

Descriptive or Light read? Light

Thank you so much Miranda for taking part in this Q and A. It’s so interesting to hear about what you do. Keep up the fabulous work Super Star. You inspire me.

Miranda is passionate about what she does and is helping to spread the word about Australian authors. I knew when I met her that we had so much in common, a love of storytelling and a passion for sharing the love of books. I’m sure you’ll hear more about this talented lady.

Booktubing is a great way for books to reach a worldwide audience and it’s bringing many positive changes to the book world.

You can find Miranda on Facebook, Youtube and Instagram.

PART TWO:

Miranda has interviewed me about my latest book Dance Demons. The interview will be on her Youtube book channel soon. Good luck Miranda, may your voice and love of books reach a worldwide audience.

Here is the link to her YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/user/BooKss101?feature=watch

And her Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/BooKss101Miranda/