This was a cute story I enjoyed very much. The story of Seniors with secrets and some younger people who makes up a great community of neighbors. This book mainly focuses on Delia a 80 year old women with her own secrets that kept herself hidden away to protect them. Until she decides to step out into the light to make friends and socialize. She is feisty and sometimes down right mean. But when she opens her heart to possibilities anything can happen and it does.

This book got me out of a reading slump and everything about it was delightful. I was a little unsure at the dual pov at first as the chapters are short and I was getting everyone confused. I caught my stride around 8% and then was golden until the end. I absolutely love the whit in this book as well as each of the characters.

The story follows the participants of a Senior Club who meddle into the lives of Lydia and Ziggy who help run the center. Lydia is middle aged and is on the brink of her marriage falling apart, and Ziggy is a new dad while still in high school. Art is in his senior years and hasb een estranged from his family for decades and Daphne has decided to create a new social life for herself. Ruby is a knitting champion and pranks the small town with her creations.

This book is the definition of found family and also that age is just a number that doesn't really mean anything.

I loved it!

Besides language, there isn't really any content.

To see a link to my review via Instagram please see: https://www.instagram.com/p/C6FgojfrveO/?img_index=1

I will also be giving a shout out to Pooley, NetGalley and the publisher on June 11th on publication day.

To see my goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6434518898

New life goal - age as disgracefully as Daphne.

This is my second Clare Pooley novel and she is the perfect author for an eclectic cast of characters who find a community and family with each other. It reads lighthearted despite some heavier themes woven throughout, with a lot of heart and humor along the way.

Plenty on hijinks and antics and a handful of septuagenarians to fall in love with, this is a great poolside read for the summer or really for any time.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pamela Dorman Books.

I thoroughly enjoyed this character study of strangers who couldn't be more different yet somehow connect in such a madcap adventure! The opening had me laughing from the get go. The various backstories were well developed and I felt that I recognized similarities in some people that I know and care for. I recommend this book to anyone ready to settle in, buckle up, and go for a very unexpected journey.

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 Whoever said life was all downhill after forty clearly did not know this group…As Daphne emerges from reclusive era, she collides with quite the colorful cast of characters! At a community center where a nursery meets a senior center, and every other stage of life in between, an eclectic group comes together to try and save the Mandel Community Center. A beautiful read that truly encompasses the breadth of human experiences, showing how we are all better through our collective diversity. Fun, witty, heartwarming; Claire Pooley delivers another amazing book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Review is on Goodreads and will be posted on Instagram ahead of publication!

I'm very incoherent rn about how amazing this book was, like, the wholesomeness was screaming 😭 Clare Pooley always writes the best unexpected found families, and this book is yet another masterpiece at that genre! 10/10 would reread

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

This was really such a heartwarming, enjoyable, and fun read. It's about Lydia, who takes a job at a senior community center. Then there is a chance the center could be closed down, so the seniors are on a mission to save their beloved community center. They also gain help from the daycare center next door, including the toddlers. You'll have multiple POV’s. I loved these funny, quirky characters and their antics. You see how seniors might be old in years, but they're still young at heart. I just love that! A nice, light and entertaining read.

Out June 11.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

If I had to say a phrase to describe this book, I would say “she’s a good time!”.

How To Age Disgracefully is just a fun novel that challenges conventional perceptions about aging and the elderly. While the book could have been a bit more concise, it is an engaging and uniquely entertaining read that captures the vibrant spirit, camaraderie, and liveliness of a diverse community and people of all ages.

The author does an excellent job portraying the multi-generational dynamics and relationships between the characters. We see the classic wisdom of "you are like a child twice" reflected in elders like Art and William. Through their childlike curiosity and humor we see the old and young are never too far apart. But we also meet feisty seniors like Daphne who defy stereotypes of sweet grandmothers baking cookies, instead drinking, cursing, smoking, and teaching mischievous life lessons. Though, like most people, with Daphne and our random bunch there’s more that meets the eye. Including their desire to be seen beyond their appearances and true connection.

I was particular fond of Ziggy, the teen parent’s perspective. Through Ziggy's experiences with this rambunctious group, the novel allows growth, struggle, and learning on both sides of the age divide. Readers also get to see characters like Lydia in their fifties come into their own while bonding with the elders. Despite tackling some heavier themes like teen pregnancy, infertility, loss, and gang activity, the book maintains an overall warmth and lightheartedness. It takes on these topics from the approach of second chances and self discovery.

At its core, the story centers around the senior characters' mission to save their beloved community center. But ultimately, the book conveys that the true value lies in the unbreakable relationships they've forged, not just a physical space. Readers will find much joy and sweetness in this casual, heartwarming novel perfect for mother-daughter sharing or book club selection. How To Age Disgracefully makes for a tremendously cute yet insightful read.

This was such a fun read. The characters were hilarious, charming and lovable. The way she intertwined the seniors with the children to help save their center made the story. As an American there were a couple of English words that I wasn’t sure about but I think I assumed correctly with where the scene was going.

Lydia is at that dangerous age, the early 50s, when the menopause arrives, your body starts to betray you, and in her case, her daughters have left the nest and her husband seems to have lost interest in her. She decides to volunteer at the local Hammersmith community center, specifically with the seniors. She assumes she’ll feed them tea and cake and help them with bingo and jigsaw puzzles, but she has really missed the mark there. The seniors are not even a little bit interested in that passive stuff. And we’re off, with a group of uncontrollable oldsters. They all end up teaming with other groups at the center, particularly the kids, in various projects to persuade the local council to fix up the community center rather than sell it off to developers who will just raze it and build luxury condos.

The lives of Lydia, seniors Art and Daphne, and teen dad Ziggy intersect and we find out their histories, sorrows, and challenges. It’s often hilarious, but touching too.

A quick and entertaining read.

There is nothing better than a rag tag group of retirees and reading about their shenanigans. What a surprising delight this book was. I loved how the author was able to tell the story through so many characters that all tied together perfectly. Their relationships to each other and the development of the characters themselves had me shedding tears and giving cheers by the end of the book. This is a book for anyone who likes kooky characters with a lot of heart, a bit of a mystery, and a cause that they all band together to help achieve. My favorite characters might have been the side ones like Maggie the dog and Lucky. I do wish I had a bit of Daphne in me, I will have to look to channeling her no nonsense disposition in the future. Overall, I had a blast reading this book, and definitely recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

With recent releases like The Thursday Murder Club and Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, I feel like we are being spoiled lately with books about quirky, elderly characters going on madcap adventures, and I am thrilled.

As soon as I read the prologue for How to Age Disgracefully, I knew I was in for a wild ride. A police constable pulls over a minibus in which she finds an incongruous group - several elderly people, as well as three children dressed up like policemen. Um, yeah. Sign me up.

This book was such a fun romp. The tone is irreverent and humorous, but with the heart you expect from a book predominantly featuring older people and children. The characters were excellent. Daphne takes center stage, but there is also Art, the thief, and Ruby, the Banksy of knitting. Throughout, all I wanted was to see these characters find common ground and community in one another, and I wasn't disappointed. This is the perfect novel to read if you're looking for a book brimming with warmth and heart.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for granting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️: 3

✨ found family
✨ cast of characters
✨ hilarious antics
✨ multiple POVs
✨ literary fiction

A funny and quirky story that follows a wacky cast of characters from all ages and walks of life as they join together to help save their community center. The antics that ensue are hilarious and keep the reader wondering what’s next!

My three star rating is a reflection of my inability to fully connect with this book. I didn’t feel like it was clear going into this one, that it would be literary fiction. It should not by any means be categorized under romance. I felt a little blindsided and thrown for a loop on what I was going to read.

📚Thank you NetGalley, Viking Books and Clare Pooley for the ARC of How To Age Disgracefully.

Lydia runs the eccentric senior center social club, and when the city council threatens to sell the doomed community center building, the social club joins forces to save the building.

Similar to her other books, Pooley brings together an entertaining cast of characters spanning generations and forming unlikely friendships. We find a combination of wacky scenarios and heartwarming moments as the characters overcome obstacles and grow into better people. The story reminds us not to underestimate the older generations as they're not as boring as the stereotypes make them out to be.

If you enjoy a heartwarming story I'd recommend picking it up! It started a little slow for me but I enjoyed it overall.

Thanks NetGalley for the complimentary copy.

This is my first time reading a book by Clare Pooley, and I can’t believe no one told me about her brilliance before now! Seriously, how have I missed out on her writing until now?

Lydia, the main character, gets thrown into a world full of quirky and mischievous personalities. Pooley has created such a vivid and dynamic group of characters that they feel like they could jump right off the page. There's Art, who has a habit of stealing things; Daphne, who is burdened by hidden secrets from her past; and Ruby, the knitting world's answer to Banksy—each one is a gem. So, when the city council plans to demolish their cherished meeting spot, this golden group isn’t going to let it happen without a fight!

This book had me laughing out loud, with real belly laughs that made my sides ache. But it’s not just about the humor—there’s a lot of heart in these pages too. I’m not ashamed to say that some of the touching moments had me shedding more than a few tears.

I love how fresh and unique this book is! It’s not every day you come across a story featuring a gang of seniors as the main characters. Clare Pooley has truly hit the mark with this one, and I can’t wait to dive into more of her work!

Funny books about senior citizens definitely seem to be a thing right now. This one wasn't a mystery for a change. It was very entertaining though.

I really liked all the colorful characters and the found family vibes. The book made me chuckle several times. The ending tied things up nicely, but I wouldn't mind reading more about this group in the future.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

This book was everything that I wanted it to be in more. From all the quirky characters to a beautiful plotline I was drawn in on page one and just fell in love the more I read. This book is funny, it is quirky, it is perfect. It will be a top recommendation from me this summer. I hope that I will have lived a life so fulfilled that I can be just as amazing as these characters as I enter the “older” years of my life.
Thank you ever so much to Penguin Group Viking, Pamela Dorman Books, and Netgalley for allowing me to read this funny beautiful book.

What this book is not:
- an actual guide to aging disgracefully (bummer!)

What this book actually is:
- a delightful, funny, and sweet but not too sweet story of a group of people who meet through a local community center, form their own community, and cause good trouble.

This is probably my favorite made up genre: old people refusing to be old, silent, and out of the way. I loved the variety of older characters that still had something to offer to the world. I loved all the quirky characters (except Noah's dad). I loved how the older people interacted with the younger characters without treating them like little kids. How everyone comes together is the community we would all like to see. I even loved reading the author's note at the end. The only thing I didn't like was the epilogue. Most of it could have been skipped. the reader knows how things will be going forward and didn't need it cemented for them. But I guess many people that read books like this really really want to make sure the characters are okay.

This was a delightfully entertaining book! I love ALL of the characters, young and old! They are so fun and really come together to help one another out! If you like entertainment, this is the book for you!

I don't often read books in this genre, but this one was really fun. I enjoyed the cast of characters working to save their Community Center. I will definitely be reading more by Pooley.