Sunny Side Up: A Story of Kindness and Joy

by Susan Calman

The Calmanifesto of Happiness

'One of the kindest people I have ever met - a beautiful dancer and a beautiful person' Kevin Clifton
'Be good, be kind, be more like Susan Calman' Kirstie Allsopp
'Be kind to yourself - read this book, keep it on your bedside table or on your Kindle - even Kindle has the word kind in it' Sandi Toksvig
'Full of wisdom and humour, with the soft underbelly of the profound' Fi Glover
'It's a warm, funny and delightful book that is sure to cheer even the grumpiest curmudgeon in your life' Woman and Home

Susan Calman's enthusiasm at being on Strictly Come Dancing was an inspiration to all of us. Cheer Up Love , Susan's first book, had a clear to help people understand depression. Sunny Side Up has a similarly clear to persuade people to be kinder to each other and spread more joy.

These are extremely difficult and confusing times - people are cross and shouty. It's exhausting! But more than anything, people like Susan, people who don't hate other people, are apologising for the way that they think. Susan wants to make sure that they don't. That it's ok to love people, that kindness is something wonderful and brilliant and to bring on the joy.

So the mission is simple. To get the nation to join her in not being negative. To bring back joy, kindness and community, to find that joy in the little things in life and defeat the hate and fear.

Susan is a one-woman army of hope and joy, and she's ready to lead the nation in a different direction.

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook, Memoir, Comedy, Humor, Biography, Mental Health

304 pages, Paperback

First published September 6, 2018

Reviews

[Rachel Stephenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the book just as I enjoy listening to Susan Calman on the radio. She radiates good nature, with a lot of vulnerability that makes me want to take her home and make her her favourite tea then tuck her up in bed with my favourite teddy bear. I'm not sure I found the book particularly helpful on a practical level, and I didn't feel I'd learned anything by the last page, but then maybe that wasn't the point. It was just an oasis of people being nice to each other for a while, which is sometimes just what is needed.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Allow me to introduce you to Susan Calman - comedian, presenter, writer, cat lover, ex-lawyer, dancer and one of my top three favourite Scottish celebrities.
Her first book Cheer Up Love is an autobiographical look at battles with depression.
Sunny Side Up explores how kindness in many forms can bring joy to life. In addition to mentions of her time on Strictly Come Dancing, which inspired her new positive outlook, she includes tweets from members of the public about acts of kindness and ruminations on other aspects of life.
I love how Susan Calman writes in such a relatable, positive and wholesome way. It is such a delight to spend a few hours in her company albeit in the pages of a book or even watching her on TV. I would love to meet her in real life.

[Malene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love the book and Susan's sense of humour, appeal to doing the right things in our world and her mantras of spreading joy and kindness. To me she is most definitely a kindred spirit.

[Jo Ring · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this book. Bought it in a charity shop for Dad and Jackie but ended up reading it myself. Really funny. 9/10

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great Calmanifesto - having seen her stand-up live, it’s lovely to get a peek behind the curtain and hear her as she really is. I really liked the anecdotes and tweets describing acts of kindness scattered throughout the book. Her insights and reflections on how she has become braver, kinder and more joyful were funny and, at times, moving. It was a nice, enjoyable read.

[Lizzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved reading this - it made me laugh and shone a light through the January gloom. Susan Calman has such a strong writing voice, and her outlook on kindness and joy reminded me of what’s important in life. To move past the divisions and barriers in our society, kindness and community need to be our focus. It helps that I also adore cats, because she is definitely a mother of cats!

[Dljervis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each turn of the page brought a little more joy. Didn’t really want to finish it.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just brilliant. What a lovely human Susan is!

[TwoDrinks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found it just when I needed it.

[Kinga · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderfully warm and positive book about how to make the world better in small, individual acts of kindness. I love that Susan Calman writes just how she talks and I could hear her wonderfully cheery voice in her book.

[Dawn Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Susan Calman for years (Thanks Radio 4), and bought the first of her books - Cheer Up Love because I had a friend experiencing some pretty awful mental health at the time. I found that useful and Susan was kind enough to sign my copy when she visited Exeter. I was keen to read this next book because I'm also one of those people constantly expecting the worst, but hoping for the best, looking for the light in each situation and trying to be cheerful. So much so that I actually received a direct complaint from fellow managers once.
This book is full of positivity, jam packed with wonderful anecdotes from the nation about how an act of kindness has made the difference in their day. It's an uplifting, hopeful and joyous read, that inspires me to stick with it. Thanks Susan.

[Nick Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've liked Susan Calman when I've seen her on TV (moreso comedy panel shows and her documentary about Secret Scotland than SCD.. I'd stopped watching by the time she was on) and I quite liked this, but nevertheless was left a bit underwhelmed. Here she tries to encourage the simple benefits of embracing little acts of kindness and appreciating the joy in life - and she does make a lot of sense when she's talking about this. However, I just felt it was some incredibly good points that were lost in a bit of a rambling and unfocussed monologue. This isn't necessarily the author's fault - the remit of the book was always going to be a 'light' look at the ideas discussed, hence it couldn't ever be a detailed academic tome - but it ended up a 'quite interesting' and 'fairly amusing' book where I maybe wanted something more groundbreaking and (what I find) witty and hilarious.

[Wendy]

I love Susan Calman, and all the insight and humor she has brought into my life because of her books and her TV shows. If I have a bad day or have lost faith in humanity (that happens a lot these days), I just pick up one of her books and feel instantly better. True story!

She is honest and insightful, and she shares a lot of her own difficult experiences in life through her amazing sense of humor. I have learned a lot from this kind and empathic woman, and I love listening to the audio version of this book when I am out walking. And the best part is that Susan Calman has narrated it herself, and that makes the audiobook even more amazing to listen to.

Everyone should read this!

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really honest, refreshing and uplifting read.

[Susan Myles · Rating 3 out of 5]

TW: Anxiety, Depression

Forgive me but I started writing this review and then the app crashed and I’m a bit upset that I lost a good two paragraphs to apple’s incompetence.

Part memoir, part self help book. Sunny Side Up: a story of kindness and joy, aims to uplift the reader with happiness that can be found in unlikely places. I found this book funny and sweet but a little simple. Having been published in 2018 it can read a little dated but maybe it’s more a time capsule (depending on your perspective).

Considering it was conceived and written after Calman’s post strictly glow up it really does use it as a crutch somewhat. All respect I believe many a celebrity or tv personality when they go on said reality show that the experience changed their life. Also I was a big fan of strictly in 2017 and Kevin Clifton and Susan Calman were like the pairing I wanted to happen in my dreams so like I do understand where it’s coming from. It might’ve been different if I had read this 2018 instead of you know being in my final year of university having approximately three breakdowns a week.

It maybe is a reason to read her first book ‘Cheer Up Love’ to get the full story but the fact that she glosses over a lot of her life that could’ve given me something deep but instead you just kind of resort around the same thing you’ve been saying throughout the book. It doesn’t really take you on a journey and I don’t feel much different coming out of it. Though Calman has done a clever thing and really made it hard to critique this book negatively as it goes against the very mantra of the text. This isn’t a bad book by any means and if you are familiar with Calman on social media in particular than it will read a lot like her posts on Instagram. Very chipper Scottish lesbian who doesn’t like fuss and can get a bit anxious but wants a simple life but will still be pessimistic and uses a cheery tone to hide that somewhat. At least that’s what I gathered, but maybe that’s just because it reminds me of people in my own life.

It’s still funny as Calman is very funny, I found her description of school social dancing incredibly accurate, her interactions with people and her reactions to people amusing, and her descriptions of her cats gave me a chuckle. She also uses a bit of audience participation or citizen journalism I suppose where she asked people who came to her shows to tweet her moments of kindness they’ve had in their lives and by far these sections are the best of the book which might be a little unfortunate since it’s mostly the work of these other people tweeting. But Calman’s reactions to them and relating them to moments from her own life feels the most genuine part of the book. I don’t mean that she feels insincere but sometimes this chipper persona complete with stories that don’t dive deep enough can feel a bit sanitised.

Ultimately I did need to read this book as a bit of a palate cleanser after ‘Strong Female Character’ as if I didn’t I would’ve probably never stopped thinking about said book. Both books feel like polar opposites of the same thing so I needed to read something far more lite entertainment than more thought provoking comedy drama. But it’s a testament that I was able to read this book so quickly that it is an easy read and I’d recommend it to anyone that needs a book full of musings that might stop them doomscrolling for a second.

[Louise Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been seeing Susan Calman more and more on tv since her appearance on Strictly Coming Dancing – she was my favourite that year! And I really feel like she’s a ray of sunshine – she makes me smile when I see her.

So it was surprising to me that she struggles with depression. It shouldn’t be a surprise as I have learnt over the last couple of years how easy it is to put a happy face on when you feel the complete opposite, but it was a stark reminder that things aren’t always what they seem.

I think the world would do well to remember that – it’s easy to think that everyone is happy, particularly in a world where we all share the good bits on social media, but I think more people are struggling than you think.

Over the past few years I’ve changed my life. I’ve gone from being miserable in the shadows to walking in the sunshine. I’ve most definitely turned my life Sunny Side Up.

But while depression was the main subject of Calman’s previous book, this book was about how we can spread joy. Joy, kindness and community spirit.

Fear, anger, rude behaviour, intolerance, spite and bullying are all in evidence every single day of the week. But I believe that if we were all a little bit kinder, a little bit more full of joy, things would be better.

As the blurb says: “Susan is a one-woman army of hope and joy, and she’s ready to lead the nation in a different direction. This is her Calmanifesto of Happiness.”

And not just talking about being kinder to other people, but to yourself too:

Be kind to others, but above all be kind to you. You deserve it. You can be Wonder Woman if you want to. I know I am.

Scattered throughout the book are tweets that Calman collected while she was on tour asking for people’s unexpected acts of kindness – they made me smile so much to realise that our world is not all so bad – the news is so full of negativity these days with people panic buying and neglecting the most vulnerable people in our society, that it’s nice to remember that there are people who still care.

If we are kind to each other not only can we learn more but we can become less frightened of those who we consider different. Kindness is letting people change. Kindness is getting to know people. Kindness is letting people be people.

I would recommend this book to anyone who just wants to feel a bit happier – you can’t help but be happy at the end of this book. I’m definitely adding Susan to my list of fantasy dinner guests, I’d love to just sit down and talk to her, she’s such an inspiration. Plus, I’d love to talk more about what it was like to dance with Kevin on Strictly – she talks about it a lot in this book, but he was my favourite Strictly Pro!

I want this to be a wonderful world. I want it to continue to be a place where magnificent, odd, eccentric individuals flourish. I need it to be better for those who come after us. I’m going to do my absolute best, even if I fail along the way.

[Carrie Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book for two reasons: memoir is a form of prose I'll be studying for my MA course, and because I like Susan Calman. Two birds with one stone seemed like a good bargain.

In truth, I haven't quite finished reading it yet, but her easy style, her way of making you feel as though she's having an open and honest chat with you, and her brand of humour have made a shocking few days far more bearable for me. A chronic pain sufferer whose NHS interventions, including pain reducing surgery, have been abruptly stopped by the devastating coronavirus pandemic, I've not been dealing at all well with a huge pain flare up. But reading Susan's words has proven to be an unexpected coping tool - something comforting to cling to in the lucid moments between medication doses. I love her new outlook on life and hope she never loses herself to the darkness again. I don't know if she'll ever see this review, but I want to thank her, sincerely, from the bottom of my heart. The advice offered prompted me to follow through on a thought I'd had. I knitted matching pairs of hearts for our local ICU departments, following a Facebook appeal, but thought about making a couple extra in the favourite colour of a friend and neighbour, who is a carer in the community. I dragged myself into a sitting position long enough to knit a couple in two shades of blue, sent hubby across with them, and was rewarded with a message from my friend, telling me she was delighted with them and touched by the fact I'd done them for her. I didn't need the thank you, but knowing she was pleased and felt valued gave me something to smile about between bouts of tears and morphine. Not sure what act of kindness I can think of to carry out tomorrow, but I've got a bit of Susan's wind in my sails now. Plus she was an awesome Wonderwoman, and always will be.

Highly recommended as a metaphorical, caring hand to help lift you out of a hole, and a lot of good, sound, common sense all round.

[Louise Bath · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Susan Calman anyway, and so I was looking forward to reading this. She has a lovely light, engaging writing style, and as with her previous book, tackles her subject without fuss or melodrama. Her Calmanifesto is a joyful one; kindness is something we need far more of these days, and I enjoyed this book from the start. I defy anyone not to be touched by her account of her time on SCD, and much of what she says about herself really resonated with me.

That being said, as I read on I started to think of that annoying Liverpudlian woman in the life insurance ad, who says "I worry about everybody else!" in such a smug voice that I can't help adding "What do you want - a bloody medal?!" in my head. Calman's constant reiteration of how she finds joy in others begins to grate after a while: always seeing the good in everyone is fabulous if you can do it, but I'm much more cynical, and I found this aspect a little unrealistic. Similarly (maybe because of how I was feeling at the time?), I found her unexpectedly preachy and "holier-than-thou" at times.

If I hadn't found some aspects of this otherwise highly commendable book sanctimonious and finger-wagging, it would've got an extra star - or even two.

[Canlit4ever · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not know anything about Susan Calman when I picked up this book, which would seemingly be a terrific shock to her given how she goes on about her world renown for many, many pages. Those who know and love her might well deepen those feelings in reading it. For me, finding out more about her through reading this book was fairly painful as there is a fair bit of moaning and righteousness under the guise of enlightenment that I found unappealing. Her description of acting as an anti death penalty advocate was interesting, but I cannot imagine wanting to go to one of her comedy shows. I googled her shortly after I started reading and discovered she is worth £54m. Umm, yes I imagine she’s managed to find a way to some joy; her pretentions towards working class camaraderie only rankled from there on out. I don’t really know why I finished the book though I am predisposed to do so. Had I not, however, I would have missed the one funny part about what she named her cats. DCI Jane Tennison is a brilliant moniker for a feline and insisting on recognition of her cat’s rank is excellent. I hope surfacing that lone highlight saves readers slogging through 300 pgs of vanity publishing.

[Shelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

YES CALMAN!!!!
I can truly say this book made me laugh, Ugly Cry and Joyful.
A mix of stories from Susan's life and her latest Tour. She asked audience members to tweet her Acts of Kindness, and they are scattered through-out this book. Wonderful.
From her last book about Depression, you know Susan was not always a Joyful person. And to read yet another book on 'How to Get Your Happy On' would be annoying.....
This is not that, this is far from a 'How Too' Book.
It's a group of joyful events from a a women I hold in great esteem.
A recent contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, she shares stories of her experience and her love for her Dancing partener Kevin Clifton (that's the bit that made me cry)
I could quote sections back forever, but the stand out moments for me where...
The fact the RIGHTLY Susan agrees that ALL JAM IS EVIL.
And that 'Although some people believe Bears are not indiginous to the UK. They obviously have never been to the right parts of SOHO'

A Gem of a Book!

[Jane Flynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a book I didn’t know I needed to read until I read it! Susan Calman’s ‘Calmanifesto’ of kindness and joy was an absolute tonic and should be prescribed reading for the cynics of this world - amongst which I must reluctantly count myself. It’s about finding kindness in the simplest of deeds, the book is scattered with acts of kindness done by and for ordinary people, who tweeted them to Calman following a request for these from audiences at her stand-up shows. The book also tells us to be ourselves and not worry about what others think. There’s no point in subjecting yourself to ‘high culture’ if it’s not what you like. It’s perfectly ok to bingewatch terrible films or listen to cheesy music if that’s what brings you joy. Don’t concern yourself with other peoples opinions. As Calman says herself, she ‘realised one absolute truth: some people are just not very nice.’ After reading this joyful book, just determine to avoid them!

[Jonnie M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Susan Calman never fails to bring a smile to my face - whether seeing her on telly, listening to her sunny voice or reading her books - her good nature just shines through. In Sunny Side Up, Susan presents her 'Calmanifesto' and advocates for the importance of joy, kindness and empathy in an increasingly divided and tribal world.

Over the course of the book, Susan displays a welcoming level of vulnerability presenting how she learned to be kinder to herself, whether through her experiences on Strictly Come Dancing or her interactions with fans at her shows.

You may not learn any lifechanging lessons or desire a reread, but in many ways, this is a warm hug of a book. A warm hug from a woman who admits she wishes she could physically come into our homes to make us nicer and happier “like a tiny Scottish happy Santa”. And sometimes that's all you need.

[Jan Duthie · Rating 4 out of 5]

How do you manage to write a happy book about having depression? Susan Calman certainly has found the solution. It’s not preachy or formulaic Susan simply tells us how she found a way to make herself happy and for her the answer was dancing. I know Strictly certainly adds sparkle to Autumn and Winter nights but for Susan it showed her how to have fun and we all got to watch her sparkling her way through each Saturday night having fun. We may have two left feet or cloth ears but we can find our own way to happiness. Her second theme is kindness and there certainly isn’t enough of that in the world. Give someone a hand, speak to people, care about your friends and others - the list of kind things is endless. Great book Susan.

[Katy Wheatley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given a copy of this to read by Amazon Vine. If you like Susan Calman you will love this, because it's basically her in book form. At its heart is the transformative effect that appearing on Strictly Come Dancing had on Susan. How it made her braver, how it made her think about the world differently. How, most importantly, it gave her joy, and how she translates that across into her every day life and tries to look at the world in a more positive way and share it with everyone. Having said that, it's not cloying, or annoying. It's funny and self deprecating and has a lot of asides about cats in it, and all of that is good. It is what she calls her Calmanifesto, and it's a good thing.

[Gail Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Susan Calman's writing. #SusanRocksMyWorld

This book drew me closer than expected to a woman I am never likely to meet, it also assured me that we have a lot in common, but enough differences to ensure an interesting mix. We both have a strange devotion to Premier Inn, love Strictly Come Dancing, and are adept at hiding our true feelings. We also hate Wuthering Heights and love campers (well she said caravans, but I'm flexible) and enjoy "The Curse of Oak Island".

The Calmanifesto of finding joy is one we should all sign up to and this book proved to be a moment or two of joy for me. It's well worth the read, and I'd happily (ney, even joyfully) recommend it.

[Yoga girl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like this lady. A former Lawyer, now a Comedien , I like her brand of humour... I watch her travel programmes and she doesn't take herself seriously. I hadn't read her first book which is mainly based around her Depression. This second book is based on observing and joining in with the act of just being kind to others. The tone is conversational and funny but also honest and raw.
Susan has a clear message- even on a crap day, someone else's kindness can monumentally change your outlook. The change may be lasting or fleeting, but Kindness is always remembered and never wasted.
Susan , may magic and good things follow you everywhere.

[David Campton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read Calman's first book, though I suspect it might resonate, given my personal experience of depression. This book also reveals some things I have in common with this diminutive Scottish comedian. I may not have issues re toilets or an unhealthy obsession with cats but I do believe that the world could do with a bit more kindness, starting with us being kinder with ourselves. I am currently reading another highly respected, if not revered, book that touches on such issues from a deeper, more philosophical/spiritual position. I prefer Calman's book. It has more laughs.

[LaurieAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a quirky lady! I loved this book and how Susan opens herself up to how she has changed, sees that it's a good change and wants to share it with the world. I listened to the audiobook, which was read by Susan herself. And this is one that would want as a physical book so I can highlight those passages I found funny and enlightening so I can revisit them when I need cheering up. I highly recommend this beautiful book, however you want to experience it, which will leave you with a smile and a few chuckles.

[I Read, Therefore I Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Susan Calman is a corporate lawyer-turned-comedian who appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2017. In this book, which refers heavily to her Strictly experiences, she urges readers to practice kindness and thereby bring joy to themselves and others. It’s not the deepest of messages but I liked the wry, at times pointed, humour she deploys when sharing her experiences and making her arguments and I hope that it brings her more fans.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice book about kindness which I am sure I have read in its entirety in the voice of Susan Calman. I enjoyed reading her stories and found myself laughing out loud on more than one occasion. I found myself agreeing with Susan on her views of kindness so for me it was an element of feeling like she was preaching to the converted. A feel good read that I would happily recommend to other readers.