Ordinary Joy: A Realistic Guide to Being Yourself

by Kim-Joy

A non-judgemental guide to finding your own kind of joy

Kim-Joy rose to fame in 2018 following her appearance on The Great British Bake Off, where she was best-known for her cute, quirky bakes and radiant positivity. Before her appearance on the show, Kim-Joy worked in the NHS as a qualified Wellbeing Practitioner, supporting and treating patients with anxiety and depression, while facing mental health difficulties of her own.

Filled with funny, relatable moments from Kim-Joy’s life, along with a practical toolkit to navigate being ‘different’, Ordinary Joy is a moving and inclusive guide to finding joy, sometimes in the unlikeliest of places. Kim-Joy shares stories, reflections, questions and prompts to help you get to know yourself better, to help you live more authentically.

From how to set boundaries and say no, to saying yes to the right things and people, along with simple ways to celebrate your differences, Ordinary Joy reminds you that you belong.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help

224 pages, Hardcover

First published September 25, 2025

About the author

She was born in Belgium to an English father and Malaysian-Chinese mother and now lives in Leeds with her partner.
Kim-Joy rose to fame having made it to the final of the Great British Bake Off 2018 with her unique, intricate baked creations that captured the hearts of the nation.
Her iced woodland creatures, space turtles and beautifully decorated cakes - along with her calmness and vibrant positivity - put a smile on everyone's face and Kim-Joy has since earned a legion of baking fans around the world.
Having previously worked in mental health, she now devotes her time to creating cakes and treats that bring a little Kim-Joy to as many people as possible.

Reviews

[Ragen Pry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very well written and presented. I loved the colorful pages and the summaries. Kim Joy is a ray of sunshine.

[Devon Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a wholesome feel-good self-help book!! It honestly felt like every chapter was written just for me. It definitely won’t be for everyone, but if you connect with the topics I’d highly recommend it. Journaled alongside it and ended up feeling really positive after reading it.

[bookblurbage · Rating 3 out of 5]

⚠️TW: mental health, bullying, loneliness

A taster includes being quintessentially you means being comfortable with yourself. Having the confidence to find 'your community', the people you gel with. It's ok to be weird, quiet doesn't mean shy. It can be observant, respectful, reflective. 

The three star rating seems harsh, but a lot of the information here was a reminder for me rather than something new. I expected a balanced view with wellbeing based information alongside Kim-Joy's perspective.  Throughout, for me it seemed more memoir, than part memoir part self-help book. 

A kooky, colourful and goblin filled delight. I cherished every minute with this book. Thank you Kim-Joy!

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

In such a colorful book Kim- Joy addresses struggles and topics we often hide from the public. I love her formatting of the book and while she shares her own experience she also gives feedback in a cute self help way. A fun read filled with bright colors!

I met Kim- Joy through the Great British Baking Show and saw her adorable unique cooking skills! While I never met her in person, she radiates so much joy you wouldn't know about some of her struggles that she has been through. I think we can often say this for other people as well, we never know what is internally going on for someone who has an alterior of happiness and joy.

[Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

As far as self-help books go, this one stands out. So many are written in the tone of "I have life all figured out so just do what I say and you can find the key to happiness too". But Kim-Joy has really done something different. She carefully and deliberately takes the tone of "hey, I'm still figuring things out too, but here's some helpful stuff...if you want" and it's very refreshing. I felt more like a conversation with a best friend than a self-help book.
Extra points for how beautiful this book is as well. Colorful pages, cute doodles, thick pages. 😍

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kim-Joy was not my immediate favorite on GBBO, but won me over by being her genuine self. This book is about being you by being comfortable with yourself. I appreciated her bits of memoir talking about mental health, loneliness, and bullying. Specific tactics and words for setting boundaries were helpful to me. This book feels compassionate and personal.

[Rose Scholefield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully designed and written in nice, chunked out information. I would certainly recommend it to a few young people that I feel would really benefit!

[Kaylie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved how this book approached the subject of being authentically yourself. I found the chapters about vulnerability and finding child-like joy particularly helpful.

[Ritchie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read -
Heartfelt, compassionate, genuine good advice for anyone who's ever felt out of place, misunderstood, or lost (which is probably everyone)!

[Amy Backes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so thankful for this book that saved me from a recent reading slump! If I had enough hours in the day, I would have finished it in a single day. It was so easy to read but still substantive and thought provoking. Kim-Joy’s anecdotes really illustrated the key points she was making in each chapter, and the suggestions were very helpful. She distilled complex topics down and provided easy to understand descriptions and tips for your own life. This book was a joy to read, and I’ll be recommending it to friends and family!