I Can Barely Take Care of Myself

I bought this book mainly to read what she has to say about being child free and it was worth it. I share her annoyance and anger at having the smugly married and babied up come up to you and grill you about your procreative choices. And I also realise what a privilege it is for me to have a choice in this matter when the women before me didn't have a say or an option. I am proud to be a free, independent child free woman.

Further musings about the book and about being childfree here: https://elizabethtai.squarespace.com/blog/on-being-childfree

OK, to start: for me, as a lady who's not really interested in having kids, a LOT of this book prompted vigorous head-nodding from me. If you want kids or already have them, you probably don't want this book? Or maybe you do so you'll stop saying things like “Oh, but if you don't have kids you'll never feel REAL LOVE?” to ladies. Whatevs.

Anyway for me, this book was very relatable and hilarious. There were a few slightly problematic parts–like Kirkman seems kinda smug about how not having kids means she won't get fat, which isn't that really the kind of thing ladies should avoid judging other ladies about?–but ehhh personally I forgive it based on how much I enjoyed the book overall, and also based on how equally fucked up the kinds many moms say to non-mom-ladies are.

The audiobook is read by the author and that added an extra level of hilarity to it, especially whenever she imitates her mom.