I read this book during one of the pandemic lockdowns because I was looking for a light read and I saw that it had won an award for comic fiction. I had also read Love, Nina and thought of her as a funny writer. While it did have moments of humour however, the overall mood of the book was more wistful and regretful. Lizzie Vogel sets out to work as a dental assistant and leave her chaotic home life behind. But her dentist employer is racist, barely competent and cruel to boot. The book sees Lizzie coming to terms with harsh adult truths and realising that happy endings only take place in fairytales. It brought me up against the true meaning of the word 'cheerful'. 'Cheerful' does not mean 'happy'. 'Cheerful' tends to mean clutching at straws to feign happiness when all around you is pretty grim.

Reasons to be Cheerful is one of those books that you finish and think, 'Oh - is that what adult life is to be then?' I read it during a phase where I was searching for comfort fiction and it did not meet my needs. That does not make it a bad book by any stretch. I would say that it was very well written given how keenly it made me feel depressed. But I think that as with other books that failed me in an hour of need, I look back on it with a leery eye. Nina Stibbe may be funny but there is a cynicism behind the humour about which readers would do well to be wary. And that guy who pulled the photo scam on Lizzie and Andy was one cold-blooded bastard.

This was an enjoyable read and provided a lot of laughter whilst reading it. I enjoyed the style of the read and the informal, chatty nature of it. At the beginning I was quite gripped but I lost interest and some of the descriptions of dental procedures were a bit much for me and I had to skim!

I love Nina Stibbe and this book is no exception! This was such an easy read which is perfect for me at the moment as im finding it very hard to focus. I really enjoyed the character of Lizzie and her story, however for someone who hates the dentist there was quite a lot of dental talk!

Nina Stibbe did a lot of research about dentistry in the early 80's before placing the young Lizzie at JP's dental practice in Leicester, her boss being an unpleasant man keen on joining the Freemasons but not much interested in his patients. As Lizzie lives in the flat upstairs and dips her toes into the business of having a boyfriend, her life is interwoven with her ditsy mother's family, while having driving lessons from the vicar's wife who sleeps through them, and visiting her apparently enthusiastic father who is very busy with his new family. So as Lizzie navigates her way through the beginnings of an independent life, much of the entertainment for the reader is in the quirky characters, and her own naive yet knowing observations, not to mention her out-of-hours unprofessional dental treatments for friends.

Nina Stibbe is a delightful writer, funny, poignant, moving. This is a sort of prequel to her previous books, and adds an interesting insight to her early life.

Easy to read, I liked the style of writing but there was a bit too much dental talk for me and as someone who has a phobia, I struggled with this a bit. Not the fault of the author and I'd like to try more books by her, especially if a different occupation is involved. ;-)

Although this was an enjoyable read, I don't think it was quite the one for me. I didn't find myself fully engaged with it, so didn't find it as funny as I know a lot of other readers have. But, different books for everyone, it's always interesting to see different takes on a book. I do encourage you to give it a read if you're after a light-hearted book that takes a little look into the quirks of human nature.

Another hilarious tale from the brilliant Nina Stibbe! Reasons To Be Cheerful is the perfect lockdown read, it’s charming, heartwarming and Lizzie’s distinctive voice is truly hilarious. I haven’t actually laughed at loud at a book in so long. Stibbe is so underrated and this needs to change! I’m hoping another Lizzie Vogel installment awaits us....

This book is sheer bliss, and a wonderful reason to be cheerful! Lizzie Vogel is in Leicester working as a dental nurse for the rather horrid JP, and the novel follows her growing up and all the tragedy and hilarity that involves.
This is one of the few things which has made me smile through a difficult week, and I just can not recommend it enough - it’s such a joyful, uplifting and cosy read. Although Stibbe covers some very serious topics such as racism, alcoholism and death, the warmth and optimism with which she writes manages to keep this whole read feeling light, like cuddling up with an old friend. There is no one quite like Stibbe and every novel is just pure pleasure.

This book is funny charming and absolutely delightful I read it from cover ti cover in a few hours and loved Lizzie. She is so relatable & brilliant. A must read

Well, I didn't pause for breath. Long swathes of text which I had to keep reading, I enjoyed the relationship between Mam, lodger, daughter. Who's boyfriend was he. Fast paced, non-stop.

Not at all funny - I wasn't even sure there were any jokes, they were that dull. I can see why some might compare this to Adrian Mole - that kind of 70s/80s nostalgia childhood stuff - but this wasn't nearly as witty or charming. Very boring and not even remotely comedic - I can see why no-one's talking about this.

A funny and heart-warming book, I am a big fan of Nina's and her unmistakable comic style, she balances humour and heartache beautifully.

I didn’t instantly connect with the character of Lizzie but the book drew me in without me realising. It’s a Bildungsroman - we learn about Lizzie through her reflections and her interactions with the quirky cast of characters around her. Her relationship with her mother is revealing and the poignant story of her first love was beautifully done. This isn’t a book to judge by its first impression but readers will be glad they stuck with it. Thanks to #netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book.

I am sure this is a great book. I have loved all of Nina's previous books. Unfortunately I have a really really bad denatl phobia and I couldn't get past the first set of descriptions of the dentists!!!!!!

I struggled this book but not because of the writing, which was easy to read and quiet funny. I am petrified if the dentist and reading of an unqualified dental nurse doing extractions and fillings literally had me running from the book. I'm glad I tried and I kind of enjoyed what I read but I didn't finish this book.

I am sorry to say I did not enjoy this book, it just was not for me.
I hadn’t realised when I selected it that it was the third in a series and perhaps I would have enjoyed it more of if had read the first two before embarking on this one. It appealed to me as it is of my era, and the pre-publication professional reviews had many literary references that made me think it would be so funny, alas, I did not laugh at all...
I appreciate I am in the minority, and many, much greater than me, have found it amusing, so I must just be missing something.
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Although it was a third in the series (this should be made clearer in this platform), I still enjoyed it a lot. It's very funny and heartwarming. I'll definitely read more from her.
Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

Lizzie Benson, who we met in "Paradise Lodge" and "Man at the Helmet", finds a job as a dental nurse to a horrible, incapable dentist JP Wintergreen. As it turns out, Lizzie is rather good at the job, she even undertakes some dental work herself. She also moves into the flat above the practice, becomes a fan of the women's magazines she finds in the waiting room and learns a dental technician she falls for.

The characters were hilarious, but at the same time believable and relatable. Nina Stibbe has nailed the distinctive voice of Lizzie brilliantly and also, her characterizations are perfect and engaging. It was a great joy for me to read this book as it was the third one in the series and I loved to see the characters again - I've already grown fond of them and there is something special in them all - you may not like some of them but you still care about them. They're all brilliantly crafted, no matter if they're the main or the background ones.

This book is full of ridiculous situations but it doesn't mean that it is not believable, because it is. Maybe it's a bit overboard, maybe it's a bit over the top, maybe we need to read it with a pinch of salt but this is what I expect from Nina Stibbe. The events simply work here, with this bunch of eclectic characters, and it seems natural. The author is great at observing and pays incredible attention to details, and this is what makes the book so outstanding - it might be not the quickest read, the pace is rather slow but the sharp observations and dialogues simply make it an addictive and hooking read. And let's not forget the dry, sarcastic humour - it's simply brilliantly clever.

Nina Stibbe brought back the 70s and 80s - music, the way people dressed, the cars. The references were there, the characters spoke like people in those times. This story will be so relatable to many because it touches upon growing up and not really knowing what it is you want to do with your life, and it shows that it's also OK to simply find your ways as you go.

"Reasons to be Cheerful" was a brilliant and - yes! - cheerful read. It made me smile, it made me laugh, it made me cringe with embarrassment and I loved it. It was a witty, brutally honest and bitter - sweat novel, touching and poignant about coming of age, about family, relationships and grief. It's brilliantly chaotic but this is why I liked it so much, and I loved the writing style - it's straight to the point, it's dry and it's almost reportage - style but it works perfectly and Nina Stibbe is a great story - teller. If you're in a need for a smile and chuckle and bonkers characters, do not hesitate - Nina Stibbe is the right person and her books sync up to this descriptions perfectly. Highly recommended!

I loved this SO MUCH. Nina Stibbe is a glorious writer and despite my not having read Paradise Lodge (is that a prequel to this?) I just adored the whole thing. Bar one pretty major event. Which I won’t give details of but it did break my heart a bit. I’m so glad I read this.

Edit: I’ve just realised this is the third in a series. Ah well I still loved it and there are two more for me to read!