What do you get when you combine a group of retirees with a timid stay-at-home mum, a group of preschool-aged children and a geriatric dog of indeterminable origin at a run-down, underfunded community building? Chaos. Unbridled chaos.

How to Age Disgracefully is a cute story - a little odd, sure, but it leans toward quirky and funny, enjoyable overall. The book is told from four characters’ perspectives: Lydia, the middle-aged mother of two, getting back into the workforce and hoping to find purpose in leading a group of seniors in age-appropriate activities; Art, a down-on-his-luck actor desperate to be booked for a role; Ziggy, a teenage father trying to build a secure future for himself and his infant daughter; and Daphne, who is used to shutting everyone out but a milestone birthday spurs her to start letting others in. All of them have reasons why they need the Mandel Community Centre to stay open. Along the way, they each learn that for that to happen, they need to lean on one another, confront the uncomfortable parts of their past, and reexamine their ideas of what it means to live life into old age.

Clare Pooley knows how to write a comedic scene. The opening scene of the book, where a law enforcement officer pulls over a bus containing characters at a variety of ages, had me cackling. However, the irreverent tone can be jarring at times. Without spoiling anything, the inciting incident of the story - a traumatizing event by any measure - is played for laughs when it’s really not a funny situation. You can kind of equate it to Seinfeld - not everyone’s a *great* person at the start of the story and they have their own reasons for doing what they do. But you can understand why they continue to interact with one another, where their goals align, and you see those walls come down as they foster genuine connections. While the “saving the community center” trope is a cliche as old as government bureaucracy, it serves the story well as a framing device for getting such disparate characters to band together for a common goal.

I think fans of Fredrik Bachman’s Anxious People and the movie The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel will find a lot to like here - I certainly did. If you’re looking for a feel-good novel that serves as a reminder that getting older does not have to coincide with slowing down or becoming stagnant, How to Age Disgracefully will scratch that itch.

**Many thanks to NetGalley, Clare Pooley, and Penguin Group Viking for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

♥️HOW TO AGE DISGRACEFULLY♥️
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𝙿𝚞𝚋 🗓️: 𝙹𝚞𝚗𝚎 𝟷𝟷, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟺
🤩𝕄𝕪 𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: 𝟜 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤!! ★★★★

🤏𝚃𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚍𝚋𝚒𝚝...”A senior citizens’ center & a daycare collide with hilarious results in this new comedy”

🌻𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚊𝚢...You can expect lots of laughter from this book! I loved the senior citizen characters..the friendships, the perfect amount of weird-ness & all the happy feels it gave me! The dog in this book was the best too🐾🐶..a white dog named Margaret Thatcher . 😆 Well, I don’t have a white dog but my white cat, Winter here wanted to recommend this book to you all!🐱Enjoy! 😋

Not my kind of book - nothing against the plot or author. Not for me, sorry.

How to Age Disgracefully is a story about lonely seniors who meet when they sign up for a local senior citizens club.

I loved the premise of this book and the cast of characters. Claire’s style of an unlikely group of people coming together and changing each other’s lives is my favorite style of story to watch unfold. Unfortunately I struggled to connect with it, which is odd because I have absolutely loved everything Pooley has written so far.

This author is one of my favorites and I think this one is the best of their work that I've read. So so so good. I couldn't put it down and want to meet all of the characters in real life and to be part of this cozy group of eccentric folk. So good. Thank you for this advanced copy!!

📚 BOOK REVIEW 📚

How To Age Disgracefully By Clare Pooley
Publication Date: June 11, 2024
Publisher: Penguin Group Viking | Pamela Dorman Books

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚MY REVIEW:

Oh my gosh, did I LOVE this book!! If you are looking for a feel-good book, look no further: How To Age Disgracefully is filled with laughter, moxie, and so many reminders of the importance of human connection.

The motley crew of characters in this book were the most flawed and lovable characters you'll find, yet there's no doubt they will be some of the most memorable characters of any book I'll read this year. The book is told from multiple POVs, with each chapter alternating perspectives from different characters...so the reader gets to see each character's flaws up close and personal, as well as each character's motivations and personality traits that make him or her so damn lovable.

The storylines in the book are all so endearing, and the quirks of the characters caused me to laugh out loud so many times throughout the book. It was so uplifting and inspiring to read a book in which the majority of the main characters were all over the age of 50 -- and who remind us that life doesn't end just because we got a certain age. There are so many unexpected layers to the story that really kept my interest in these characters and their lives. And the writing was just so easy to read and flowed so smoothly - to say it was a fun read feels like a bit of an understatement.

This was a five star read for me, because not only was it enjoyable, but it really made me FEEL something. It was hopeful, funny, uplifting, sweet, inspiring... And a reminder of the little things in the world that make life so wonderful -- at every age.

And by the way, don't miss the author's notes at the end of the book. Never before have the author's notes made me cry... Till now. Pooley's words provided some background about why she wrote the book and how the idea came to her -- and it made me love the book even more. ❤️

Thank you SO MUCH to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking | Pamela Dorman Books for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. And thank you to Clare Pooley for this book -- I picked it up because of the title, and I stayed because of its magic.

#HowToAgeDisgracefully #ClarePooley #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #ARC #booklover #bookaddict #fictionbooks #feelgoodbooks #bookreviews #bookrecommendations #bookrecs

This was a cute funny cozy mystery but the plot was a bit all over the place on this one. I loved the characters they were fun and quirky and the banter was top notch. This book just felt a little slow with so much going on but nothing happening at the same time. I really enjoyed this authors writing and hope to read more from them in the future. I would like to thank net galley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

How to Age Disgracefully is as hilarious as it is heartfelt!

Lydia, a woman in her 50’s with an empty nest, takes a job as the director of the Senior Citizens’ Social Club. But these seniors are NOT what she was expecting and they are all hiding something. When the community center that houses their social club loses funding, the group (and the dog they now share custody of) joins forces with a teenage father they met through the community center’s daycare next door.

It is a toss up if they will be able to get along well enough to save the community center or if they will all be arrested.

I SO SO SO recommend this book! I loved trying to figure out who Daphne was hiding from, and discovering Ruby was doing secret knitting installations all over town. Art and William’s long friendship was touching, and Ziggy’s story of navigating being a single father and a teenager was great. This novel has something for everyone!

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Viking for an advanced copy of Clare Pooley’s newest novel.

Clare Pooley takes everything you think you know about octogenarians and turns it upside down. When middle-aged, new empty-nester Lydia begins a senior club at the community center, she's expecting to lead a group in puzzles and games, but the group is quickly high-jacked by the group of seniors who have a different idea of fun including booze and hand knit penises. This novel is laugh-out-loud funny with the best, quirky characters.

I love this author so much and her books but I felt like this was sex in the city gone wrong. There’s no such thing as “too old” but with these characters it definitely applies. So much skipping, so many headaches trying to get through it

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this title. This book was so good! I loved how everyone joined forces to stick it to the man and save the day care and social club.

Oh my gosh--this book was just pure fun. I loved all of the characters and how all of their stories intersected. I just smiled and laughed through the only thing.

4,5 stars

Don't mess with old people. They've been around for a long time and they know how to get things done.

Lydia, mid-fifties, decides to get a job managing a senior center. How difficult could that be? A few cups of tea and a plate of cookies and lots of visiting with the elderly people who use the community center. She is in for one surprise after another. Daphne hasn't always been on the right side of the law, Art is a kleptomaniac, Ruby knits these caps and garments fit only for giants, and a former long-distance truck driver who has buried several husbands and has the tattoos to prove it. There is a day care center sharing the building. A single teenage father with a very young child in the day care is trying to keep himself out of drug trouble with his council neighbors. And Lydia's husband has a serious roving eye.

The city sees a piece of prime real estate and sets out to close it down, and bring in the dozers. They have not counted on these crafty senior citizens. Do they save their building? Do they save the day care? Do they help Lydia get even? And can Daphne manage to stay one step ahead of the law? Will true love triumph? The story is laugh-out-loud funny and also a tear jerker. Prepare to enjoy every minute of this heart-warming story.

If you’re looking for a read that simply makes you say . . . . IT FEELS GOOD! Clare Pooley might just be the gal for you. All of her books sort of follow the same thing – a ragtag bunch of folks finding unlikely friendship and a common cause. The cause this time around is saving the local community center from demolition. The ragtag friend group starts with some senior citizens and the woman who has been hired to run a social club for them. A high schooler, his baby, the kids from the nursery school and a dog eventually get added to the mix to bring on the saccharine sweet feels.

The story here jumps off with the community center van being pulled over by the cops who are looking for one suspect in particular. Nearly every occupant begins confessing to why they are the one the police are looking for – while the actual suspect is making a break for it. Then it does a rewind to introduce you to all of the characters, their backstories and eventually ends back at the beginning.

If you’re a fan of the Thursday Murder Club folks (particularly Elizabeth) and want to have some more fun with geriatrics, but without a body count, this one might work for you.

3.5 Stars and rounding up because it’s nice to smile sometimes : )

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley was such a breath of fresh air, I had so much fun reading this one. The characters were great and the lighthearted approach to aging brought me such hope and joy. I loved the premise and it was executed beautifully by Pooley, I am excited to read more of her work.

Overall is was hilariously perfect and perfectly hilarious.

Lydia, a new hire at the Senior Citizens’ Social Club, expects tea and gentle card games. Instead, she encounters a delightful mix of quirky characters: Art, the kleptomaniac; Daphne, hiding from her past; and Ruby, a Banksy-style knitter.

Pros:
Character Depth: Pooley masterfully crafts flawed yet lovable characters. Their secrets, hidden behind age’s invisibility, add intrigue.
Unconventional Methods: The seniors team up with daycare toddlers and a geriatric dog to save their community center. It’s heartwarming chaos.

Cons:
Pacing: While engaging, the plot occasionally stumbles. But the characters more than compensate.

Beyond pacing, it’s the limitless spirit of these aging misfits that captivates. A love letter to resilience, humor, and unexpected friendships.

Synopsis:
A quirky and lovable group of septuagenarians team up with a daycare to save a failing local community center while unlikely friendships form in the most unexpected ways.

Quick Take:
I loved this book! From the prologue I knew we were going to be in for a treat. Like her last books, Pooley writes these rich, layered characters that you can’t help but love. There were so many times I was laughing out loud at their antics and wondering what they were going to get themselves into next. This is a fresh, feel good book that will definitely appeal to all ages!

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP81WujQt/
"How to Age Disgracefully" is available on June 11, 2024. I would like to thank the Publisher and Author for providing an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley.

What a fun read! Five stars!

I often found myself laughing out loud while reading this unique story, which centers around witty and humorous characters. The novel introduces the members of the Senior Citizens Social Club at the local community center. When they discover that the center might be shut down, the seniors come up with elaborate plans to keep it open, often seeking help from the children in the daycare center next door. This book has a little bit of everything: romance, mystery, humor, and a Taylor Swift reference.
I truly enjoyed the themes of unlikely (cross-generational) friendships, found family, and the importance of community that are found in this delightful book.

I cannot remember the last time I laughed so hard while reading a book, and that is why I highly recommend it to all readers. Read this book – you will not regret it!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. I wasn’t really sure about this book when I started it but loved it after about 20%. I felt the same me about Daphne. It took a little to warm up to her but once you learn her back story her tough facade made sense. I was super invested in all the other characters and how their stories would end. This was my first book by Clare Pooley but definitely not my last. I feel like this would make a good movie or limited series. I enjoyed this so much and will be recommending it others.

Claire Pooley has become an auto-buy author for me. I really enjoy the way she writes stories about the way people can connect with others in unexpected ways. In this case, it's the coming together of a senior center and a day care center, and those involved with each of them. Pooley injects her typical humor, and this plot lends itself to that given the unique circumstances. It's wonderful to watch how she weaves the characters' stories together and then pull it all together at the end - as she always does!