Don’t judge Susan Gilman’s Hypocrite in a White Poufy Dress by its cover. Sure, the illustration is a little girl in a tutu and combat boots, and it screams “chick-lit.” The inside of the book, though, is smart and funny and has a universal appeal. Don’t judge it by the back of the book, either, which says Susan Jane Gilman is like a female David Sedaris.

Yes, there are romantic pitfalls and a supportive boyfriend she eventually marries, so it’s understandable that people would want to shelve it with vapid Bridget-Jones material. And any humorous autobiography of a neurotic kid with weird parents is bound to draw comparisons to Sedaris. But Gilman can stand on her own as an observer of life, as a humorist, and as a writer. I’d say it’s summer reading at its best: it’s sweet without being twee and smart without being ponderous.

Bookdwarf notes: I read this book too—it’s hilarious. I hate the description laugh out loud funny, but I did laugh. A lot. Out Loud.