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Reasons to be Cheerful

Winner of the 2019 Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction
By Nina Stibbe
Series: The Lizzie Vogel Series
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Check link for latest rating. ( 4,224 ratings, 488 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Reasons to be Cheerful by Nina Stibbe is a charming, humorous novel that follows teenager Lizzie Vogel as she navigates her first job in a dental surgery. Set in 1970s Leicester, Lizzie deals with eccentric colleagues, family quirks, and first love, all while coming of age in a delightfully awkward and endearing manner. Her journey is filled with wit and insight, offering a heartwarming glimpse into her pursuit of happiness and independence.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate witty, uplifting stories that blend humour with heartfelt moments. It's perfect for fans of quirky characters navigating the challenges of life with charm and optimism. If you're looking for a feel-good read that combines sharp observation with emotional depth, this book promises to be a delight.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

"Originally published in Great Britain by Viking, March 2019"--Title page verso.

A brilliantly funny and heartbreaking story of growing up and finding the independence you might not actually want . . .

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A brilliantly funny and heartbreaking story of growing up and finding the independence you might not actually want...

Teenager Lizzie Vogel has a new job as a dental assistant. This is not as glamorous as it sounds. At least it means mostly getting away from her alcoholic, nymphomaniacal, novel-writing mother. But, if Lizzie thinks being independent means sex with her boyfriend (he prefers bird-watching), strict boundaries (her boss keeps using her loo), or self-respect (surely only actual athletes get fungal foot infections?), she's still got a lot more growing up to do.

Reasons to be Cheerful offers a delightful exploration of adulthood's misconceptions and the often comical journey towards genuine autonomy.

Series: The Lizzie Vogel Series

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  • Reasons to be Cheerful
    A brilliantly funny and heartbreaking story of growing up and finding the independence you might not actually want... Teenager Lizzie Vogel has a new job as a dental assistant. This is not as glamorous as it sounds. At least it means mostly getting away from her alcoholic, nymphomaniacal, novel-writing mother. But, if Lizzie thinks being independent means sex with her...
    By Nina Stibbe
    Paperback
    Sold Out

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Reasons to be Cheerful by Nina Stibbe is widely praised for its witty and charming writing style, often compared to Sue Townsend and Alan Bennett. Critics highlight its blend of humour and emotional depth, creating a heartwarming and uplifting coming-of-age story. Reviewers describe it as an effortlessly funny and delightfully quirky read, packed with amusing detail and poignant themes of adulthood and personal discovery.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780241974988

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 02 January 2020

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 17.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 202g

Pages: 288

Collections

Contemporary Romance Fiction General Fiction Humour Literary Fiction Nina Stibbe Penguin Books Romance Series: The Lizzie Vogel Series

About the Author

Nina Stibbe was born in Leicester. She is the author of two works of non-fiction - Love, Nina and An Almost Perfect Christmas - and three previous novels- Man at the Helm, Paradise Lodge, and Reasons to be Cheerful, which is the only novel to have won both the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction and the Comedy Women in Print Award. Love, Nina won Non-Fiction Book of the Year and was adapted by Nick Hornby into a BBC TV series. Nina Stibbe lives in Cornwall.

Also by Nina Stibbe

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  • Went to London, Took the Dog
    Went to London, Took the Dog
    Painfully funny, but also deeply moving - Meg Mason Vulnerable, sharp, funny, wise - Bonnie Garmus A unique comic voice, endlessly funny - David Nicholls Twenty years after leaving London, Nina Stibbe is back in town with her dog, Peggy. Together they take up lodging in the house of writer Deborah (Debby) Moggach in Camden for 'a year-long sabbatical'. It's...
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  • One Day I Shall Astonish the World
    The breakout novel from the prize-winning author of Reasons to be Cheerful about the ebb and flow of female friendship over half a lifetime. Susan and Norma have been best friends for years, at first thrust together by force of circumstance (a job at The Pin Cushion, a haberdashery shop in 1990s Leicestershire) and then by force of character (neither...
    By Nina Stibbe
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  • Love, Nina
    'How deliciously fresh and funny she is - a real discovery' Deborah Moggach Being a nanny is great. Not like a job really, just like living in someone else's life. Today before breakfast Sam had to empty the dishwasher and Will had to feed the cat. Sam- I hate emptying the dishwasher. MK- We all do, that's why we take...
    By Nina Stibbe
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