FTC Disclosure: My copy of Not that Kind of Girl was provided by TLC Tours for this blog tour. I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
About the Author:Carlene Bauer was born in 1973 in New Jersey. She earned an M.A. in Nonfiction Writing from the Johns Hopkins University’s Writing Seminars, and has worked in and around New York publishing for this last long while. Her work has been published in The Village Voice, Salon, Elle, The New York Times magazine, and on the website of n + 1. She lives and writes in Brooklyn, and hopes that you don’t hold that against her.
Title: Not That Kind of Girl
Author: Carlene Bauer
ISBN-13: 9780060840556
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2009
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon
I'm not usually into memoirs, unless there's something about them that really perk my interest. And Carlene Bauer's Not That Kind of Girl perked my interest. Probably because I wanted to see how someone raised fundamentalist Christian adjusts to a coming-of-age in New York City.
Bauer's writing is at times poignant, at times self-effacing, and witty throughout. It captures her search for self-identity--especially when unwrapped from doctrine and dogma--and the questioning that goes along with the search. Who am I, really? What do I stand for? Who do I want to be? How do I be her, without losing the me that I've been all along? Then again, what part of me do I need to let go of, to get where I want to go? And what if that part isn't a part of me that God wants me to let go?
Immersed in philosophical discussion, Not That Kind of Girl brings you along on Carlene's journey to her version of happiness, from her childhood and teenage years, to college and beyond. I enjoyed its intellectual stimulation, even when I felt that there were gaps that weren't explained to my complete satisfaction. Because it's all about me, right? *wink*
drey's rating: 3/5 Good
Challenges: 100+
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3 comments:
I love memoirs, so I might like this one more than you did.
I'm torn about this book - I can't decide if it's one I'd like or not ...
Thanks for being a part of the tour!
Hi, this is my first visit to your blog. Very nice review of the book! I am also on this tour, and just posted my own review.
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