Books: Daily reminders to look on the bright side of life

THE aim of Richard Happer's latest book is to "cheer up miserable sods one day at a time".

Packed with an entry for each day of the year, the Viewforth father believes his book will bring a smile to even the most grumpy of people.

"I started collecting my favourite pick-me up stories about 12 years ago and the more I found out, the more I realised how much there is to celebrate on a day-to-day basis.

"So here are 365 reasons to look on the bright side of life," he says.

Proving how being a "bit of a slob" can sometimes pay off in life, the entry for September 28 explains how Alexander Fleming woke up on that day in 1928 to learn he had discovered the world's first antibiotic - completely by accident.

Having not tidied up his laboratory before leaving for a month-long holiday, he returned there to find a culture that he had been exploring was contaminated with a fungus, yet the colonies of bacteria around it were dead.

That mould turned out to be penicillin, the most life-saving drug ever known.

Perfect for a Christmas stocking filler, the book is packed with similar, fascinating trivia suitable for all ages.

Richard Happer is also the author of the novel The Hills Are Stuffed with Swedish Girls, which was released last year.

365 Reasons to be Cheerful, by Richard Happer, is published by Portico Books, priced 7.99. It is released on September 30.