Don't Be Afraid of the Dork

Was inspired to read the book by my love for the BBC mini-series. While I liked the book I preferred the mini-series - regardless the mini-series did a good job adapting the book. The book gets a little sentimental and preachy at points (the mini-series strips these out which is why I liked it better)but was still an engrossing read.

An apt description would be a pride and prejudice-esque romance in an industrial and slightly more modern setting. North vs South, Class Warfare, the birth of workers unions, christianity vs capitalism - these contrasts and debates help give the story and its characters some weight.