This collection of stories, culled from Kirk’s adolescence as well as the early years of her marriage through the present day, is a must read for anyone who has ever felt like they didn’t quite fit in between the stereotypes of the virgin, the whore and the soccer mom. These laugh-out-loud stories are equally funny, sarcastic, witty and sentimental and readers will feel like they are reading their best friend’s journal...or their own. Kirk is ballsy, brainy, brave and brilliant and readers will love her. (synopsis courtesy of Goodreads)
So many of us strive to fit within the confines of what others deem as normalcy, and it can be downright unforgiving. It’s hard to be perfect all the time, to do the right thing, to gain acceptance. And yet we still try, often failing and feeling as though we don’t belong or don’t measure up.
Diana Kirk asks a very important, albeit subtle question in Licking Flames: Tales of a Half-Assed Hussy. Why does it matter? Why try to fit into some box when it’s a lot more fun and freeing to to just be yourself and live the life you want to really live?
Licking Flames is unfiltered and real. Divided into short stories that delve into the mind of Kirk, we get an idea of what it’s really like. What it’s really like to be married, have children. Have friends who aren’t perfect and do some really stupid things. There were moments where I felt a little judgmental of her choices, because they were choices I’d never make in my own life, but that’s the point. Whether you agree with her or not, Kirk is true to her experiences and who she is, regardless of what any of us think.
Where I identified with her the most was when she recounts her experiences as a teenager. I certainly never colored inside the lines during my teen angst years, behaving boldly and brashly. There are times I’ve wondered if I’d change things if given the opportunity to go back in time, yet ultimately, I wouldn’t. I was very brave back then, a strength I wish I could get back now, in my late thirties. You can tell how much confidence she has in her own skin. That’s the sort of thing I’d like to strive for. Normalcy is overrated.
Thanks to MindBuck Media for the book in exchange for an honest review.
1 comment:
This book of essays covered all of the above. Most made me laugh and one touched me so deeply I woke my husband in the middle of the night and made him read it. There was no way it could wait until morning.
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