Reasons to be Cheerful by Nina Stibbe Published by Viking on March 28, 2019
Genres: Fiction
Pages: 288
Format: Hardback
Source: Publisher
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'Funny, charming, odd-in-the-best-way and gorgeously uplifting! A delight from start to finish' Marian Keyes
'I read all of Reasons To Be Cheerful in one glorious gulp' Caitlin Moran ____________________________________'When people in the village heard I was about to start working in the city they tried to unsettle me with tales of woe. The sun, blotted out by the tall buildings, couldn't shine and the rain was poisoned by the toxic fumes that poured from the sock factories. My skin would be covered in pimples from the hell of it all'
So begins a young woman's journey to adulthood. Lizzie Vogel leaves her alcoholic, novel-writing mother and heads for Leicester to work for a racist, barely competent dentist obsessed with joining the freemasons.
Soon Lizzie is heading reluctantly, if at top speed, into the murky depths of adult life: where her driving instructor becomes her best friend; her first boyfriend prefers birdwatching to sex and where independence for a teenage girl might just be another word for loneliness.
In Reasons to Be Cheerful Nina Stibbe shows her extraordinary gift for illuminating the vital details which make us human. She is that rare writer who makes us laugh whilst reminding us of the joy, and the pain, of being alive.______________________________________'This made me laugh and broke my heart . . . Stibbe is one of the all time greats' Daisy Buchanan
'Loved it! I so love Lizzie. She is brave and kind and funny and totally original . . . I couldn't have liked it more (as I think Noel Coward said.)' Katie Fforde
'Another great from Nina Stibbe' Kathy Burke
'Very few writers can find the delicate balance between heartbreak and hilarity like Nina Stibbe' Red Magazine
'Reasons To Be Cheerful is just the read you need right now, seamlessly weaving together the big themes of life with charm and warmth' Stylist
'Nina Stibbe is an author of such effortless wit that she could turn a shopping list into a bestseller' Isabelle Broom, Women and Home
From start to finish Reasons to be Cheerful was a joy to read. It was hilarious, witty and laugh out loud funny. There are sharp observations that just serve into the humorous side.
Okay so I may have lied in my first paragraph. There was a brief moment where I did not enjoy this book. At the very beginning there is a tooth extraction happening and it goes horribly wrong. This would have been fine if I hadn’t been sitting in the dentist waiting for a check up. I did not want to take my chances.
This is an addictive book, all down to Lizzie’s sharp observations of every day life. They are small but so stop on, that you cannot help giggling with glee.
This is a fantastic tale as Lizzie tries to navigate her new life in the ‘big city’ and get through each day of her slightly random career choice. As well as dealing with extremely odd colleagues. And a boss who has extreme odd requirements. Have you had to hold a cigarette for your boss so clients can’t smell smoke on his hands? Didn’t think so.
Reasons to be Cheerful may not have been a high action type of book, but there is warmth and a relatable story that makes this book stand out.
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