Reasons to Be Cheerful — Nina Stibbe

The hilarious and moving story of one young woman's adventures in adulthood

Eighteen-year-old Lizzie Vogel lands a job in a local dentist's office after answering a classified ad for a "mature lady with a strong interest in dental issues." The job comes with an apartment of her own, as well as an eccentric boss, a high-strung coworker, and the occasional call to perform light dentistry herself. It also provides Lizzie with an introduction to Andy Nicolello, young man of her dreams: handsome, kind, slightly indifferent. Lizzie seizes her chance to find love and soon begins calling him her boyfriend even though they have never so much as kissed or sat next to each other on the sofa. Navigating the new waters of adult life (conquering homesickness, learning to drive, hosting a dinner party, making bold-or tragic, depending on the viewer-fashion choices), Lizzie arrives at an unexpected, and unexpectedly moving, destination.

Painfully funny, sharply observed, and deeply empathetic, Reasons to Be Cheerful is a novel that lives up to its title, confirming Nina Stibbe's status as one of the most original and delightful writers at work today.