FORGET the calorie-counting, singleton world of Bridget Jones. Mimi Smartypants takes the genre of the chick-lit diary to an entirely different level.

The real-life diary of Mimi, a 30-year-old Chicago girl, first appeared on website diaryland.com, where it won a cult following. Now Mimi's witty observations on life in the windy city have made it on to the bookshelf.

While the book has no real plot to speak of, Mimi's hilarious antics make you want to keep turning the pages.

This is a woman who frightens mad people on trains, hides under her desk at work to make secret cups of tea and spends too much time getting hopelessly drunk in bars.

The World According to Mimi Smartypants makes a refreshing change from the conventional girl-meets-boy romances, which are usually aimed at women.

Because it is a genuine diary, it has an intriguing anonymous feel, revealing only sketchy information on anyone other than Mimi, including her husband who is referred to only as LT.

Updated: 09:12 Wednesday, February 11, 2004