This weekend, my family celebrated two very special birthdays….my late grandmother (who will find a way to haunt me if I divulged how old she would have turned) and my beautiful aunt, who celebrated turning 75 years young! Sometimes books find you at the perfect moments in your life and this story was exactly what I needed to feel closer to my grandmother, while falling in love with a group of senior citizens who are all still very young at heart!

Told from multiple POV’s, you will fall in love with all of the characters in this book. Daphne, you are the 70 year old I hope to be one day! What a brilliant character she turned out to be! She had me cracking up so many times throughout the narrative, along with the entire cast of characters in this story! I love stories that revolve around children and senior citizens because we can all learn something from the innocence of one and the experience of the other, and this book not only had a senior citizens community center BUT also had a kids nursery in the same building!

There was so much depth to this story! This book gave off major “cozy mystery” vibes with a whole lot of heart and humor sprinkled throughout! The “mystery” was really just about trying to uncover what these seniors were hiding from the rest of us, and believe me, the journey was so incredibly entertaining!

This story is inspiring me to go out and make a new friend over the age of 70. What a beautiful story about unlikely friendships and new beginnings this one turned out to be.

This was my first Clare Pooley book and certainly not my last! I am looking forward to reading “Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting”, which has been on my TBR for a while and who also made a special cameo appearance in this story!

4.5/5 beautiful stars from me!

Daphne’s tips on how to age disgracefully were just perfection and are applicable to all ages. Here is a little preview….

“Always take advantage of being underestimated.”
“When you have to choose between two options, ask yourself, "Which of them is the best way to die?""
“One should always leave a room before one is thrown out!”

Special thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for a gifted copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

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A delightful comedy involving a group of strangers trying to save their community center. Although it's the Senior Citizen's social club trying to save the center, it also pulls in people from all generations. Each of the characters has something going on in their life and they find help in each other as friendships and families are formed. Overall, a community centered story that shows it's never too late to make connections. Readers of Richard Osman and Frederick Backman will like this one.

Clare Pooley’s ‘How to Age Disgracefully’ contains a delightful ensemble of characters whose lives collide in an unpredictable and spontaneous manner. All strangers at first, they share their stories and form an unlikely circle of support reminding readers that we can find friends and create family’s at all stages of life.

This was a four star read and one I know even the most curmudgeon of readers will enjoy. This is available now so go get your copy!

Who would think that a motley group of senior citizens, their insecure leader, an eighteen year old student and his baby daughter, a maternity class of pregnant women and a sort of ugly dog named Margaret Thatcher could change a village council vote, become a famous meme, solve a fifteen year old jewel heist and win a TV contest. When this post first appears on the neighborhood site “Are you over seventy? Would you like to make some new friends?” Lydia hopes that someone will turn up to the first meeting and make her new job real. But macramé and other crafts are not for this group. Soon they have surveillance organized to watch Lydia’s possibly unfaithful husband. They are also planning a nativity play using children from the day care center and foiling the neighborhood drug dealers. There is so much more but no spoilers here. Just be prepared to laugh until you cry. Or vice versa.

Clare Pooley’s characters in How to Age Disgracefully may be old in years but not in spirit. I want to BE Daphne when I grow up! I am already planning to acquire a walking stick and use it as smartly as she does. Pooley has written a much needed book showing older men and women in charge, plotting successfully and managing those decades younger. I want to read whatever she writes next! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Viking and Clare Pooley for this ARC.

Thank you, NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Viking | Pamela Dorman Books for this reader's copy for review. I loved this book. I happened to read this book right before a fairly significant birthday and it could have been a move perfect timing. This book was perfect to let you know that age is just a number, and you never really know what to expect with anyone! I loved the dynamics with every character, especially Daphne as she changed from being alone and self-sufficient in the beginning to really connecting and growing. I have not read a Clare Pooley book before so I will need to check out more of her books.

How to age disgracefully was a fun, light read. I really enjoyed the comical banter between Art and Daphne as they navigate their friendship and a few problems that arise. There are several characters in the book that made this story enjoyable. This is solid 4 star read.

Clare Pooley has perfected the art of writing feel-good books with depth and lots of humor. Lydia’s new job as the director of the Senior Citizens’ Social Club is not what she expects it to be. She plans card games and puzzles for the members, but this group of seniors wants to do exciting activities like skydiving. When the city council proposes selling the local community center where the group meets, the Social Club and the parents of the daycare housed in the center join forces to fight back. Pooley crafts a tale filled with engaging characters, each with their own unique backstory, who come together to accomplish a goal while all sorts of hilarity ensues. I love the focus on older characters and intergenerational relationships. I highly recommend this one.

This is an amusing feel good story that keeps the reader engaged throughout the novel. The characters are quirky and well written as well as entertaining. Daphne is exactly what this town needed from the senior group and its leader to the young single dad. All the characters had their flaws and backstories which made them both unique as well as lovable. You can’t help rooting for all of them as they take on their obstacles in their paths. Daphne and Art’s slow burn romance add a nice touch to the story. #HowToAgeDisgracefully #ClarePooley #NetGalley
Thank you to Pamela Dorman books and NetGalley for an honest review.

This book has been getting a lot of buzz on Instagram!
From Goodreads: A senior citizens’ center and a daycare collide with hilarious results.
So fun!
I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of the ARC. My review is based on the plot, and I look forward to providing more details on this review later.

This was my first time reading a book by this author and, even though I didn't love it or had the best time with this one, I really liked Clare Pooley's writing, so I might consider reading another book by her in the future.
The characters were fine, I guess. But honestly? This book turned out to be a little 'too cozy mystery' for my taste, and I genuinely believe that I am not the targeted audience. So, I have nothing bad to say abou this book. I really don't think there is anything essentially wrong with this novel. It just isn't for me.
I'm sure it'll please many other readers, especially the ones who truly enjoy cozy mystery.

This cast of characters will be hard to forget. Clare Pooley continues to charm readers with her latest novel. With the threat of losing their social space, the senior citizen's social club teams up with the daycare next door to try to save the day. But everything is not as it seems. The characters we meet in this story are all holding back their own secrets and shame, and this story proves that we could all use a little help and love from our friends. With hilarious lines, thought provoking friendships, and seriously badass characters, you will be thinking of this story long after you close the book. Thank you to netgally for the early copy!

After reading this book, all I want in life is to age disgracefully! These characters were so unbelievably lovable and flawed! I could not get enough of them, and I was heartbroken when it was over. So many people, in so many stages of life, that were able to work together toward a common goal. Well written and an absolutely beautiful read!

A Delightful Surprise for Fans of Mischief and Heart

Initially, I approached Clare Pooley's "How to Age Disgracefully" with a hint of skepticism. As a devoted fan of Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club series, the opening pages felt a tad familiar. However, Pooley quickly proved she's a force to be reckoned with in the realm of charmingly rebellious senior citizens.

This novel is a delightful blend of humor and genuine emotion. Pooley's writing is consistently funny, yet she expertly navigates the serious moments without losing the story's momentum. The characters are endearing and relatable, their antics both amusing and heartwarming.

While I loved Pooley's non-fiction work "The Sober Diaries," I'm thrilled to have finally discovered her fiction. "How to Age Disgracefully" is a testament to her versatility as a writer. If you enjoy witty dialogue, heartwarming stories, and a cast of characters who prove that age is just a number, this book is an absolute must-read. I can't wait to explore more of Pooley's work.

A big thank you to Viking Penguin and Pamela Dorman books for an ARC copy of this book!

This book felt like a breath of fresh air. I often found myself grinning from ear to ear as I was reading.

A cast of quirky, lovable characters ranging in age from 8 months to closer to 80 join forces to save their local community hall. On the surface it may seem that they have nothing in common other than their shared goal, but as we get to know them (and they get to know one another) we see them come together as people & as friends.

This was such a sweet, funny, endearing read & I highly recommend it. I’ve seen others describe it as a lighter version of Anxious People and I agree with that comparison. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author!

I love everything Clare Pooley. While teaching important lessons, her writing is always so playful and incredibly charming. This book was no different.

My husband asked why I was smiling for 2 hours straight at my desk and it’s because I was reading How to Age Disgracefully. Recommend this to absolutely everyone.

I had a feeling I would love this one, and I did! 🩷

It struck very true to a Clare Pooley quirky found family book without feeling like I’ve already read the same story.

📖 “When the city council threatens to sell a doomed community center building, the members of the Senior Social Club join forces with the tiny friends of the daycare next door to save the building.”

This book was equal parts adorable, hilarious, and heartwarming. I loved each character for different reasons and couldn’t wait to see each of them get their own version of a happy ending.

🧶 The Yarnsky pranks were laugh out loud funny.

This may be my new favorite Clare book and will definitely be on my 2024 favorites list! 🩷

The characters were quite wonderful, and the framing worked extremely well. I was hooked when the police officer stopped a bus full of people we didn't know, and she had to scold them all to "stop confessing!" As we got to know each person's backstory, and how they went from being relatively isolated individuals to a small community to being an active part of a larger one, and the schemes they got into to support each other I kept chuckling out loud. Retelling the original scene at the tail end of the book led to many aha! moments.

I strongly recommend this book to people who are looking for an entertaining plot with strong characters and who know better than to presume elderly means feeble.

Lately a book about older main characters has been entertaining. I was grateful for the chance to read this one: It seemed like it would be engaging.

The writing was smooth and confident: great authoring. But have you noticed that some books start off showing the extreme side of the MCs to set up the narrative? This book seemed to have that kind of start -- and it succeeded in putting me off. The Prologue (intended to interject some action right away) seemed a little cheesy but fun. But the story got started with the POV of one of the seniors, and she seemed too determinedly solitary and crabby. I just didn't get hooked into the story, and I didn't finish. I hope someone will post a review where they felt the same but persevered and can report that it was a fabulous read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the opportunity to read the ARC. Publication date was June 11, so you can head to the book store or library to give it a try.

Claire Pooley’s latest, How to Age Disgracefully, is charming, funny, and heartwarming. Characters both young and old, mix in a little suspense and “crime,” and you have the makings of a delightful summer read.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Viking for this ARC.

THIS BOOK IS SO MUCH FUN! I had the biggest smile on my face while reading it.Thank you to NetGalley, Viking Books, and Pamela Dorman Books for a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion. It’s available now everywhere and I hope it will make you smile like it did for me! This is my first time reading the author’s work, and I plan to read some of her backlist this summer. Some of her books were already on my TBR, so I’m only slightly adding to its impossible length...
I love books about communities coming together to stand down or fight the bad guys. In How to Age Disgracefully, it’s a community center that is set for sale/demolition, and the community bonding together is the center’s clientele - the members of Lydia’s newly formed Senior Citizens’ Social Club, along with the pregnant women, AA members, and karate students who use the space for their meetings and lessons. Lydia, going back to work at her husband’s disapproval, was recently hired to run the new club, and the members do not meet her expectations. She assumed they would be clichéd old people wanting to sit still working on macramé plant-holder kits. Nothing against macramé plant holders (personally I’d love to make one!), but the senior citizens involved are active, mischievous, quirky, and absolutely loveable. Following a variety of members getting a new iphone to signing up for online dating to sharing an at-first unwanted dog after one of the members dies (not from old age but from a ridiculous accident) and babysitting for a teenage father, the story is witty and heartwarming, and I was left more optimistic about the world and people in general after finishing it.
If you’ve read Killers of a Certain Age, this one reads similarly - older characters, crimes, and great humor. I highly recommend reading this - and I’m so glad I took Allie @speakingof.books recommendation to read this recent release.