Series 6, Post 3: "Not That Kind of Girl"

By Kristin Bivens

Any of you out there ever heard of Lena Dunham? Or better yet, have you heard of the HBO show, Girls?

My boyfriend and I are a little bit addicted to Dunham's show, Girls, a television show that has a bit of Dunham's own personal experiences weaved into the plot line.

So obviously, when her new nonfiction book debuted September 30th, I downloaded it to my Nook as soon as I woke up.

And I'll be honest, I haven't finished it yet because

photo courtesy of fashion.vogue.com

I read before bed and tend to fall asleep five pages in, regardless of how good the book is that I am reading.

But so far, I can hear "Hannah" from Girls in this book. Dunham is Hannah and I feel like she's a friend of mine, as I read about her formative years. It is a great, fun read with self deprecating humor that I both write and enjoy.

The essays have a central theme but often take swerves and turns while trying to get there. She may bounce around thought wise but not in a way where I lose interest because her perspective and thoughts are always entertaining. The questions in her mind, the honesty she brings to the table about what enters her mind is refreshing. She's not afraid to say it, whatever "it" is.

Usually I'm not someone who enjoys reading about ladies' sexual encounters but with Dunham, she sprinkles it with embarrassment, laughter, complete awkwardness and the knowledge of what she is trying to accomplish with each guy.

And in true fashion, it isn't all about guys. It is about the uncomfortable reality of growing up and being a little messed up in the head. It's about being a girl.

Just like Dunham's character on Girls, Hannah, Dunham does let men treat her like crap despite her feminist views. I really like that both she and her character can be a feminist, but still be feminine and still pine for a boy to like her. It is a pleasing change of pace! Feminism doesn't have to be an extreme.

Another thing I find endearing about Lena Dunham is that she'll be going along with some sort of hilarity- making you laugh- and then she hits you in the face with real life, with reality. I was reading along in one essay and after chuckling, I got to a part where I thought to myself- "whoa, this is serious." My mood flipped immediately. A good writer can pull that off. And Lena Dunham, well, she's a good writer.

Catch Girls on HBO. Look for Lena's new book "Not That Kind of Girl." You won't regret it.