Self-help books, motivational speeches, and affirmations are not for Miandas, but this book is anything but. In an age of extravagance, over-indulgence, and fear-fueled news cycles we are brought to the conclusion that we should all be Mirandas - as the often sole voice of reason and reality (if tinged with a healthy dose of cynicism) we must embrace this often maligned and left behind character, if only for the sake of the survival of the little sanity we have left.

I'm sure that like most people who grew up watching Sex and the City we all wanted to be a Carrie - care-free, fashionable, and the life of the party - and for a breif moment, I did too. But like a dire few who didn't have access to American cable tv until the dawn of internet independence and pirate torrents that came with financial and physical independence, I came to the series a bit late, so I was always a bit conflicted about wanting to be a true Carrie. Sure, I wanted the shoes, but I was fully ensconced in a dual major English and History degree with serious plans to get a post-graduate in librarianship; could the two ever be reconciled? I may have spent my paycheques on shoes for a long time, but being the true Miranda that I am, I got the degrees - with only slight adjustments to schools on the opposite coast and a finishing career as far away from hordes of screaming children as possible. As much as I wanted the fashionable lifestyle, the reality of practicality is truely what I think defines the Miranda. We have fun, we have nice things, but at the end of the day we're more likely to eat the cheap chocolate cake out of the garbage than to live with sweaters in our ovens.

Don't quite get it? Time to take a deep dive into the philosophy of what makes the Miranda so great, with Fairless and Garroni as your guides. Even without an in depth knowledge of the show or being an admitted Miranda, I think that this book is such a good blend of wit and wisdom that you couldn't help but laugh - even if it's at yourself, as the authors do a surprisingly good job at stripping away the BS and laying the criticisms right alongside the compliments. I mean, how serious can you get when the person you're putting on the pedestal wears bucket hats over hoodies (much less throws out chocolate cake)?!? A must read both for the thinking girl who needs a laugh and for the party girl who needs a reality cheque. We could all use one of those, honestly, as long as it doesn't come in the form of an apartment-induced panic attack! ( )

This was a fun and funny read (see: Chapter 1's astrology lesson; I'm a Miranda with Carrie-rising). ( )