Mira stars are popular targets for amateur astronomers because they are generally bright and their pulsations produce large changes in magnitude. This also means they are eminently suitable to study using spectroscopy. We report here on spectroscopic observations of five Mira stars: RY Cep, SU Cam, T Cep, V667 Cas, and OR Cep. We describe the life cycle of a Mira star and explain how the carbon-oxygen balance in its atmosphere determines its spectral classification. Atmospheric pulsations in these stars produce shocks which generate Balmer emission. We present graphically their different spectral behaviours and development of emission lines.