Just because you can write good songs, it doesn’t mean you can write a good book. But Juliana Hatfield’s forthcoming memoir/tour journal is at least more worthwhile than Jewel’s poetry. On the heels of a new self-released solo album, When I Grow Up looks back at the girly-voiced musician’s 20 years in the business while also focusing on a string of recent gigs with her band, Some Girls.

The chapters that focus on the tour would have been better suited to a blog, or maybe just Hatfield’s personal diary. She comes across as whiny (complaining about, among other things: the air conditioning in Cracker Barrel and possible “meat remnants” on her portobello mushrooms at another restaurant) and consistently beats herself up over imperfect guitar solos and her difficulty connecting with fans. Spats among the tour crew make for tedious reading, too. For the most part, Hatfield’s distinctive view of life on the road—as an industry veteran who still plays dives and doesn’t mind uncoiling her own cables—buoys these sections of the book.

The real value of When I Grow Up lies in the firsthand account of Hatfield’s career, from her early days with the Blake Babies to the announcement of her 23-year-old virgin status in Interview magazine and her guest appearance on My So-Called Life. Fans will especially like the chapter on “My Sister,” Hatfield’s most successful single. (She replicates this story-behind-the-song format weekly on her blog.) And amid the musical discourse, Hatfield writes honestly about her struggles with anorexia and depression. She has grown up since Hey Babe. But something about her book tells us Juliana Hatfield’s not ready to walk away just yet.