Author Guide · Comedy Memoir & Essays
Books Written by
Mindy Kaling joined The Office in 2004 as a writer and performer, and went on to write 24 episodes and play Kelly Kapoor. Her first book, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (2011), was written in the same voice: short comic essays about growing up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and finding her way into television. It and its follow-up, Why Not Me? (2015), both made The New York Times best-seller list. This guide covers her 3 key books, in order, and where to begin.
By Lisanne Swart · 3 key books · 2011–2020 · Updated October 2026
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Quick answer
Mindy Kaling has written three essay collections: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) (2011), Why Not Me? (2015) and the shorter Nothing Like I Imagined (2020). Start with Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, which covers her childhood and the road to The Office; the next two follow her life after it.
Where to Start with Mindy Kaling
If you want how she got into comedy
→ Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (2011) — childhood, New York and The Office.
If you want her life after The Office
→ Why Not Me? (2015) — Hollywood, The Mindy Project and confidence.
If you want something short
→ Nothing Like I Imagined (2020) — a few essays on her later life.
3 Mindy Kaling Books, in Order
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?
Her first essay collection, published by Crown Archetype: growing up as the daughter of Indian immigrants in Cambridge, Massachusetts, college at Dartmouth, the off-Broadway play Matt & Ben that she co-wrote and starred in, and joining the writers’ room of The Office. It mixes memoir with lists and short comic pieces, and was a New York Times bestseller.
Why Not Me?
Her second collection, published by Crown Archetype on 15 September 2015, while she was making The Mindy Project. The essays cover her life and work in Hollywood after The Office, and confidence, which she argues has to be earned by hard work. It was also a New York Times bestseller.
Nothing Like I Imagined
A short collection of personal essays published digitally by Amazon Original Stories. It picks up her life after Why Not Me?.
In What Order to Read Mindy Kaling
Read them in publication order. Each book picks up roughly where the last left off: the first ends with her early years at The Office, the second covers The Mindy Project era, and the third her life after that.
Nothing Like I Imagined is much shorter than the other two and was published digitally by Amazon.
A reading path
1. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (2011)
2. Why Not Me? (2015)
3. Nothing Like I Imagined (2020)
Everything Else Mindy Kaling Published
Beyond the 3 key books: 2 more, grouped by kind.
Open a group with the + to see every book in it.
Other books
2
2 books · 2004–2013
- 2004Matt & Ben: A New Playthe off-Broadway comedy about Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, written with Brenda Withers
- 2013Questions I Ask When I Want to Talk About Myselfa small book of 50 conversation topics to share with friends
The years · 1979–2020
Quick facts about Mindy Kaling
- Known for
- Mindy Kaling is known as a writer and actor on The Office and as the creator of The Mindy Project and Never Have I Ever.
- 1979
- Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts
- 2004
- Joins The Office as a writer
- 2020
- Never Have I Ever premieres on Netflix
- Born
- Vera Mindy Chokalingam, 24 June 1979, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- The Office
- Writer from 2004, credited on 24 episodes; played Kelly Kapoor (2005–2013)
- Created
- The Mindy Project (2012–2017); Never Have I Ever with Lang Fisher (2020–2023)
- Bestsellers
- Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? and Why Not Me?
- First play
- Matt & Ben (2004), with Brenda Withers
The red mark is 2011: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, her first essay collection.
How Mindy Kaling Writes
Kaling writes in short pieces, as a sitcom writer would: personal essays mixed with lists, mock documents and quick jokes. Chapters are rarely long, and many can be read on their own.
Under the comedy, the books are about work. The first explains how she got from a play written with a friend to the writers’ room of The Office; the second is about her life after it and about confidence as something earned by hard work.
The later essays are more reflective. For other funny, personal essay writers, see Samantha Irby and Nora Ephron.
Watch
Mindy Kaling and B.J. Novak on Why Not Me?
Mindy Kaling talks about Why Not Me? with B.J. Novak at BookCon 2015, in the full panel from her publisher.
Frequently asked questions about Mindy Kaling’s books
How many books has Mindy Kaling written?
Three essay collections are on this page: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (2011), Why Not Me? (2015) and Nothing Like I Imagined (2020). She also co-wrote the play Matt & Ben (2004) and a small book of conversation topics (2013).
What are Mindy Kaling’s books in order?
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) (2011), Why Not Me? (2015), Nothing Like I Imagined (Except for Sometimes) (2020).
Where should I start with Mindy Kaling?
With Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, her first book, then read on in order.
What is Mindy Kaling’s most famous book?
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (2011).
Do you need to read Mindy Kaling’s books in order?
No, each stands alone, but reading in order follows her life from childhood to The Office, The Mindy Project and after.
Did Mindy Kaling write her books herself?
Yes. No co-writer is credited on her essay collections; she was a staff writer on The Office from 2004.
Were Mindy Kaling’s books bestsellers?
Yes. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? and Why Not Me? both reached The New York Times best-seller list.
Is Nothing Like I Imagined a full book?
It is a short collection of essays published digitally by Amazon Original Stories in 2020, much shorter than her first two books.
Is Never Have I Ever based on Mindy Kaling’s life?
Partly. She created the Netflix series with Lang Fisher, and it draws on her own childhood in the Boston area, which she also writes about in Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?.
Footnotes
- Mindy Kaling — Wikipedia
- Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? — Wikipedia
- Why Not Me? — Wikipedia
- In new memoir, Mindy Kaling has more to say — NPR, 2015
- Nothing Like I Imagined — Wikipedia
- Mindy Kaling nails the secret to success — Salon, 2015
Bibliography last verified 9 October 2026. Where sources give different first-publication years, this page uses the year in library catalogues or the publisher’s own record.
This list was not put together by a machine.
The notes are all mine,
and the books are all his.
Lisanne x
Written by Lisanne Swart, who has curated reading lists and author guides at lisanneswart.com since 2021.
See more on her personal bookshelf.
“People talk about confidence without ever bringing up hard work.”
— Mindy Kaling, Why Not Me? (2015)
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