Anthems for a 30-ish comedy writer

Ever since entering life as a pudgy little girl afraid of diving boards and embarrassing her older brother, Mindy Kaling has gone on to wear many hats. She's a good friend and loyal daughter; she was entrenched in clique-y behavior before discovering her wonderful weirdness; and she baby-sat and lived through a disastrous interview for a network page position before landing a gig working for The Office. A chatty, happy-go-lucky person, Kaling discusses her struggles with body image, breaking into comedy writing, and the vague idea that she's not always where she wants to be in life. Offering funny, gentle, and sharp insights on the workings of her mind and the Hollywood lifestyle, Kaling's perspective is at once unique and comfortably familiar.

Another funny offering from another funny TV lady, Without Me? doesn't fail to entertain. I found out while reading this that Kaling had written some of my favorite Office episodes ("The Dundies" and the one where Michael burns his foot on a George Foreman grill). Maybe it's due to Kaling's age, but I've never felt more of a connection with a writer than while I was reading her book. Part of this has to do with the conversational, breezy tone and general cheeriness that radiates from the pages. Part of it has to do with Kaling's honesty - admitting her naivete, grumbling about an old bully, getting into a bad fight with her boss at one point. She has a lot of concerns about life and the world around her (some silly, some serious) that she and I have in common. I also enjoyed the loose narrative structure that gradually shows us just how her career took off. 

Readers looking for an in-depth look into her writing process will be disappointed. Nor does Kaling spend much time on Kelly, her alternate ego on The Office. But we do get several good stories about how she landed the job and get to know her comedy background. And although she's mum on, say, her dating life, she has plenty to say about boys, men, and the marrieds. 

Willing to share, happy to babble a little, her personality is endearing and fun. Some of the topics are random, such as how Kaling wants her funeral to proceed and complaining about complaining Jewish guys. But at the end you have a firm grasp of a personality stitched together with quirks, heart, and breezy dedication. Rating: 4.5 narcissistic photos in your Blackberry out of 5.