Lena Dunham's "Not That Kind of Girl"

  Let me just start of by saying that I got through about half of an episode of Girls before I quickly decided I didn't like it and was never going to watch it again.  Through this decision, I also decided that I was not a fan of Lena Dunham.  Now, even through this terrible thought process which was fueled by nothing than twenty minutes of a TV show--a pilot, none the less--I somehow found myself at the Barnes and Noble on campus, purchasing Not That Kind of Girl.

  First off, I love the cover.  The simplicity of it is wonderful.  It also reminds me of an old book from the 1960s, of which some older lady, who was in her prime then, has read and then sent it in the mail to one of her relatives.  Normally, I try not to "judge a book by it's cover," but let's face it, I do that way to often.  The cover definitely had something to do with my decision in picking this book up and proceeding to take it to the register before somehow convincing myself that I wasn't going to enjoy it.

  From the second I got on the bus to head back to my apartment, I dove in.  As I casually read the table of contents, I asked myself a few questions.  One of the biggest questions was, "What if someone sees me reading a section entitled 'Love & Sex' and they think I'm some kind of weird person?  I just started going to this school.  I can't get things started off rocky already!"  After I got over my initial fear of someone reading over my shoulder, I found myself thoroughly entertained from the get-go.

  I have to say, my favorite section was probably "Body."  In it, she talks about her history with yo-yo dieting, which I can definitely relate to.  Dunham also discusses doing sex scenes in her work and her experiences and feelings behind them.  Being able to read this about her made me feel just a bit closer to a person of which I would otherwise never really know anything personal about.  I suppose that's why I also really liked this book--I gained insight into a celebrity's life and feelings and realized that it's not to different from my own.  I experience some of the same thoughts and emotion she describes in this section, as well as the last section, in which she discusses her experiences with therapy.

  Within the contents of this book are a wonderful and enjoyable story of Lena Dunham's life thus far.  I really enjoyed just being able to delve into this book and absorb every word that she had to offer.  Being a person who tends to slack off on reading non-school-related books during the semester (since I can't concentrate on yet another piece of information besides what I absolutely have to), this was a nice break and a great way to enjoy reading again.  I have gained a new appreciation for Lena Dunham and am sorry that I every judged her and her work before this.  If you haven't read this yet, I highly suggest you pick it up!  And if you have read it already, let me know what you thought!