Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Bookish Wisdom earns from qualifying purchases. This doesn't change our picks or your price.
Quick answer: If you liked Everything I Know About Love, read Dolly Alderton's Ghosts and Good Material, then How to Be a Woman, Bossypants and Bridget Jones's Diary. All are witty, honest and warm about friendship, love and growing up.
Dolly Alderton's memoir tells the story of her twenties through hangovers, friendships and heartbreaks. It works because it is funny and very real. These books share that honesty, from memoirs and essays to novels with a similar voice.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghosts | Dolly Alderton | Adult | more Alderton |
| Good Material | Dolly Alderton | Adult | breakup comedy |
| How to Be a Woman | Caitlin Moran | Adult | feminist humour |
| How to Build a Girl | Caitlin Moran | Adult | coming-of-age |
| Bridget Jones's Diary | Helen Fielding | Adult | classic comedy |
| Bossypants | Tina Fey | Adult | workplace humour |
| Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? | Mindy Kaling | Adult | short essays |
| Yes Please | Amy Poehler | Adult | comedy memoirs |
| I Feel Bad About My Neck | Nora Ephron | Adult | essays on aging |
| Heartburn | Nora Ephron | Adult | funny breakup stories |
| Dear Girls | Ali Wong | Adult | bold humour |
| Why Not Me? | Mindy Kaling | Adult | light reads |
| Talking as Fast as I Can | Lauren Graham | Adult | TV fans |
| Scrappy Little Nobody | Anna Kendrick | Adult | self-deprecating humour |
| Beach Read | Emily Henry | Adult | rom-com with depth |
1. Ghosts by Dolly Alderton
Nina is a food writer who meets a charming man online and watches him disappear. A funny, tender novel about modern dating and midlife.
Best for: more Alderton.
2. Good Material by Dolly Alderton
A comedian is dumped and tries to figure out why. Told from a male viewpoint, it is sharp, sad and very funny.
Best for: breakup comedy.
3. How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran
A loud, funny memoir and manifesto on growing up female. Moran mixes personal stories with big ideas.
Best for: feminist humour.
4. How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran
Johanna reinvents herself in the 1990s as a music critic. A funny coming-of-age novel loosely based on Moran's life.
Best for: coming-of-age.
5. Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
Bridget keeps a diary of her love life, her weight and her job. The comedy classic that shaped the modern singleton story.
Best for: classic comedy.
6. Bossypants by Tina Fey
Fey shares stories about comedy, work and being a woman in a male-dominated field. Quick, funny and wise.
Best for: workplace humour.
7. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling
Short comic essays on friendship, TV and growing up. A light, funny read.
Best for: short essays.
8. Yes Please by Amy Poehler
Poehler writes about career, family and advice with plenty of jokes. Warm and honest.
Best for: comedy memoirs.
9. I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron
Ephron's essays on aging, cooking and living in New York are dry and funny. Short and easy to read.
Best for: essays on aging.
10. Heartburn by Nora Ephron
A cookbook author discovers her husband's affair while pregnant. Ephron's semi-autobiographical novel is hilarious and sharp.
Best for: funny breakup stories.
11. Dear Girls by Ali Wong
Wong writes letters to her daughters about her life, dating and career. Raw, filthy and heartfelt.
Best for: bold humour.
12. Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling
More essays from Kaling on confidence, friendship and success. Breezy and charming.
Best for: light reads.
13. Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham
The Gilmore Girls star writes about her career and the revival. Warm, chatty and easy.
Best for: TV fans.
14. Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick
Kendrick tells funny stories about acting and growing up. Honest, self-deprecating and quick.
Best for: self-deprecating humour.
15. Beach Read by Emily Henry
Two writers swap genres for a summer and fall in love. Funny and emotional with a strong female voice.
Best for: rom-com with depth.
How to Choose
For more of Alderton's own voice, start with Ghosts or Good Material. For laugh-out-loud memoirs, pick Bossypants, Yes Please or Dear Girls. For the novel format with a similar tone, try Bridget Jones's Diary, How to Build a Girl or Heartburn. For short, light essays you can read on the commute, grab Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? or I Feel Bad About My Neck. Some books contain strong language and adult themes. If you only have time for one, pick the format you prefer: Ghosts for a novel, Bossypants for a comedy memoir or I Feel Bad About My Neck for short essays. Most of the audiobooks are read by the authors, which suits this chatty, confessional style.
Related: The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz: Summary and Key Takeaways · Don’t Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Everything I Know About Love about?
It is Dolly Alderton's memoir about growing up, friendship, dating and heartbreak in her twenties.
Is there a TV adaptation?
Yes, it was adapted into a BBC series in 2022.
Which Alderton book should I read next?
Ghosts is her novel and Good Material is her second novel.
Are these books funny?
Yes, the majority lean on humour, though some have sad moments.
Is there a book with similar essays?
Nora Ephron's essays and Caitlin Moran's books are closest.
Who is Dolly Alderton?
She is a British writer, journalist and podcaster who also hosts the High Low podcast.
Can I read these books on a short commute?
Yes. Many are made of short essays, so you can stop and start easily.
Is this a good gift for a friend?
Yes. Everything I Know About Love and Ghosts are often given to friends who are in their twenties or thirties.