What a fun, lighthearted story! Getting old is not funny, but this book will make you laugh.

One of the older women in the story discusses the prejudices that women have to deal with, but said the prejudices against older people is much worse. Oh no! The characters talk about older people being invisible more than once. These characters are interesting and well developed by the author.

Just because this story is light and fun does not mean that you will have it all figured out. There are twists in the story that were not anticipated. The ending is good, but not what I expected. This older group uses all that they learned during their lifetime to make life work out well, not just for them, but for those around them.

How to Age Disgracefully is the first Clare Pooley book I have read. As a quirky group of senior citizens work together to try to save their local community center, new and unlikely friendships are formed. This book was an enjoyable fast read. I am definitely going to check out more of Clare Pooley's books from my library.

Thank you, Penguin Group Viking and Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book.

This is such an entertaining book with lots of fun, quirky characters, each with their own set of problems to be solved. Thank goodness they can help each other work things out!

There is a new Senior Citizens Club advertised at the Community Center, Daphne decides to join -- she has not been out of her apartment for 15 years…

At the Community Center Daphne meets: Art, whose problem is sticky fingers; Lydia (the group leader), whose problem is her wayward, and sometimes abusive, husband; Ziggy, a high school student, who is a single father in need of day care for his baby daughter; Ruby and Anna, who are the funniest, quirkiest old ladies!; and “Margaret Thatcher”; oh yeah, that’s the dog of one of the other members of the club (poor woman, you won’t believe what happens to her at the very first club meeting -- and I’m not telling!!). And, of course, Daphne has a whole set of worries of her own to work out.

But the main problem is that the city council has decided to tear down the Community Center, which is much beloved and needed by the local citizens, and build a “luxury development.” And this zany group of people decides that they must save the Community Center from being destroyed.

So, just start reading, get to know all your new friends, and let the fun begin! But hold on, because it’s quite a ride ;)

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Clare Pooley, and Pamela Dorman Books/Viking for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

When Lydia takes over as director of the senior citizens’ club, she is expecting to spend leisurely afternoons crafting while drinking tea and eating cakes. But the members of the club have their own agendas. And soon the city council is threatening to shut down the community center. The members of the social club band together to save the community center, and hijinks ensue.

I loved this quirky ensemble of characters! They are not at all what you might expect from a group of senior citizens and definitely different from the normal stereotype. I want to be friends with them all! This was such a fun and entertaining story to read, both funny and heartwarming.
Rating: Loved

Thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Viking for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Clare Pooley brought her signature wit to this book. I think it would make an excellent movie adaptation. The characters were fresh, and not corny. At times it could be a bit sacccharine but that didn’t take away from an overall sense of warmth. This novel takes twists and turns you don’t expect.

I have read each book Clare Pooley has published so far, and I walk away so truly fulfilled at the end of each book. I don't know how she builds such unique characters who each have so much depth without making each book 500 pages. But she absolutely does, and then she blends each of them in together perfectly too. I had so much fun reading this and will absolutely be revisiting soon.

I had so much fun reading this book! I love “new lease on life” books and books that celebrate aging because I think there are too few of them! The characters in this were fabulous and I could see it play out like a movie. It had just the right balance of hijinks and sweetness.

How to age disgracefully
By Clare Pooley

I absolutely loved this book! I discovered this author when I randomly selected Iona Iverson’s rules for commuting and I just adored it! Similar to Iona Iverson this book mixes a bunch of strangers together and lets the story unfold! I love how the author writes, the books are so charming! This book was so fun!

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Viking|Pamela Dorman books for the digital advanced readers copy!! Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Add it to your TBR!!

Clare Pooley has a gift for writing multiple POV stories; this was my second read of hers and I absolutely adored both. This story was an amazing reminder of "you never know what someone else is going through". I loved following each character and seeing their growth. I also find that I love when the main characters are over 60 years old; something about their fearless attitude and wisdom is so comforting. I can't wait to read more of Pooley's work and highly recommend this book to everyone!

I anticipated this book would be great. I've loved the author's other books as well, but this book was so refreshing. I loved the blend of characters, unwinding back stories, and incredibly satisfying resolution to it all. I want Daphne to be friends with Elizabeth from the Thursday Murder Club series. Similar energy and I think they would really be a force to be reckoned with. I love the little Easter Egg for a prior book. So worth the time when you just want a warm hug of a book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

When a group of seniors join the local community center, things go awry but in the best possible way. This book will have you rooting for everyone and will put a smile on your face. Such an uplifting, heartwarming tale.

I always enjoy her books. This felt very much similar to The Authencity Project in the warm fuzzies department and I enjoyed it.

Format: Kindle (ARC)
⭐⭐⭐ 3.5 Enjoyed, would recommend

How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley is a funny and heartwarming read. Lydia, who starts working at a senior community center, teams up with a quirky group of seniors and the daycare next door to save the center from closing. The story, told from multiple perspectives, highlights their friendships and personal growth. Daphne, a reclusive senior, decides to become more social, leading to amusing and touching moments.

The lovable and relatable characters make this an uplifting and enjoyable book. Despite a few unbelievable moments, it’s a delightful book.

How to Age Disgracefully is a fun book with a great ensemble of characters. Daphne is an older woman who is looking to change things up in her life. She attends a senior group at the local community center, and meets people who are also aging disgracefully. She ends up helping a teenage father by watching his daughter in the afternoon so he can get some help with college plans. The seniors all end up helping each other out of various situations and it’s all very entertaining and funny. Even Iona Iverson from her last book makes a brief appearance in this book. Clare Pooley has become a must read author for me. Thank you to Pamela Dorman books and to NetGalley for an early copy. How to Age Disgracefully is available now.

Such a delightful read! Every character in How To Age Disgracefully were well crafted, with perfectly paced development that kept me wanting to turn the page without breaks. The author somehow managed to keep the best balance of humor while imbuing her characters with compelling backstories and (honestly) baggage that wound up binding them more endearingly to one another as each of their webs intertwined. Highly recommend this to anyone looking for a funny and charming heart-warmer.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Viking House for sharing this lovely page-turner in exchange for an honest review!

Senior center and a nursery school collide for this fun romp. Full of quirky characters, each at a tipping point, hijinks ensue as the group works together to save their community center and to resolve some of their personal issues. I enjoyed each character’s point of view and would have happily taken a chapter from the points of view of Anna, Ruby, and William as well. No one was perfect, but they were endearing and easy to root for. Another winner from Pooley. If you liked Iona Iverson, there is a good chance you’ll enjoy this one as well!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy and a chance to read this early. All opinions are my own.

Clare Pooley’s How to Age Disgracefully is such a great read. The story centers around a local community center and the programs it provides, from a daycare to a senior center and everything in between. As the characters all band together to try and save the center they create everlasting bonds with each other. Even though the book has a large cast of multigenerational characters they are all easy to identify and are brimming with so much personality.

This book is heartwarming and charming but also wickedly funny. I found myself laughing out loud multiple times. These characters and the found family they represent will live in my heart forever. I also highly recommend the author’s note at the end where she details her inspiration for the book. As someone whose youngest recently started college her note really resonated with me and the made reading experiment even more special. This story gets an enthusiastic 5 stars from me!

A book to make you smile. Characters are funny without meaning to be. Their flaws and situations make you a little happier while reading.

4.5 stars

I became a big fan of Clare Pooley after reading The Authenticity Project. How to Age Disgracefully did not disappoint! The story revolves around a group of seniors trying to save their community centers. Joining the group is their 50-something leader who is trying to find a purpose now that her daughters are in college, a 16-year-old father raising his infant daughter, some very cute preschoolers who share a space in the community center and an adorable dog named Maggie Thatcher.

I loved this book! I loved the writing. I loved the characters, and I loved the story. I am not exaggerating when I say that I laughed out loud several times. But mostly I loved that the book blows apart the stereotype regarding seniors and how they are usually depicted in books as frail and in poor mental health.

The Authenticity Project is the perfect book to read if you want a fun story with loveable characters.

This was a fun romp with loveable characters, themes of found family and defying expectations, and a lot of humor. I enjoyed the portrayal of people at different stages of life coming together and being kind of ridiculous. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.