Reasons to be Cheerful cover art

Reasons to be Cheerful

Winner of the 2019 Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction

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Reasons to be Cheerful

By: Nina Stibbe
Narrated by: Gemma Whelan
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About this listen

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Reasons to Be Cheerful by Nina Stibbe.

18 year old Lizzie Vogel finds herself a new job in a dentist's surgery after answering a classified advert in the Leicester Mercury for a 'mature lady with a strong interest in dental issues'. Working for an eccentric dental surgeon who's obsessed with becoming a Freemason, Lizzie's life is uneventful, until Andy Nicolello turns up one day to deliver a crown. Lizzie seizes her chance to find love, and soon begins calling him her boyfriend even though they have never so much as kissed or even sat next to each other on the sofa. But Andy doesn't turn out to be quite what he seems...

Reasons to be Cheerful is a painfully funny account of life as a hapless teenager in 1970s Leicestershire from the bestselling author of Love, Nina, Man at the Helm and Paradise Lodge.

 City Life Coming of Age Contemporary Contemporary Romance Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Romance Urban Women's Fiction Comedy Funny Feel-Good Witty

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Critic reviews

Pitch perfect vintage comedy
Lives up to its title
My friends, you will UTTERLY ADORE Nina Stibbe's latest novel Reasons To Be Cheerful . . .It is SO SO funny, charming, odd-in-the-best-way and gorgeously uplifting! A delight from start to finish (Marian Keyes)

Stibbe's comedy probes what it means to become an adult, and how we form our financial, sexual, moral and political selves
So dense with amusing detail that I thought about holding the book upside down to see if any extra funny bits might spill from the creases between the page
I read all of Reasons To Be Cheerful last night in one GLORIOUS gulp and it's SUCH a joy - Nina Stibbe turns out more perfect, sharp, unique sentences than anyone else in the game. It just CARTWHEELS (Caitlin Moran)
If you loved Adrian Mole you'll adore Lizzie Vogel . . . quirky and witty, it also packs an emotional punch
Comedy gold . . . Reasons To Be Cheerful is just the read you need right now, seamlessly weaving together the big themes of life with charm and warmth
Reasons to be Cheerful's tone has been compared to Sue Townsend's but I could haul in Alan Bennett, Barbara Pym and even Jane Austen . . . she writes brilliantly
The true heir to Sue Townsend (Caitlin Moran)
All stars
Most relevant
Really enjoyed this, great performance, lovely story with great characters, I loved listening to this.

Hilarious and moving

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It was not as interesting book as I had hoped that it could be, disappointing is all I can say!

Light Humour.

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From start to finish, I totally enjoyed this book. loved the humour and description of life it sparked my teenage memories from the 70s. Even my husband enjoyed the story.

loved loved loved this book

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Some great characters, laugh out loud moments and a good deal of insight into family, life and loss. I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Wonderful characters!

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Really well written,- funny, charming, real and brilliant book with the performance being perfect

Funny, thoughtful and enjoyable.

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