Clare Pooley has once again captured my heart with her delightful storytelling! In "How to Age Disgracefully," Lydia finds herself immersed in a world brimming with eccentricity and mischief when she encounters a cast of characters so vibrant, they practically leap off the page. From Art's penchant for pilfering to Daphne's shady past and Ruby's knitting prowess—each character is a masterpiece in their own right. When the city council threatens to bulldoze their beloved hangout spot, this golden team isn't about to take it lying down!

This book had me laughing out loud, with belly laughs that had me clutching my sides. But amidst the humor, there's a poignant exploration of friendship and community, which brought tears to my eyes. I was particularly drawn to Daphne's journey as she navigates the complexities of re-entering society, with her interactions with fellow senior citizen Art providing some truly amusing dialogue.

"How to Age Disgracefully" presents a diverse cast of characters, from the funny to the malevolent, all united in their determination to save their community center from closure. With Lydia leading the charge and a motley crew of characters by her side, this quirky tale promises laughter, mischief, and a hefty dose of British charm.

Overall, Clare Pooley has crafted a fresh and unique story that celebrates the highs and lows of aging disgracefully. From Daphne's fearless quest for friendship to Art's knack for playing dead on screen, "How to Age Disgracefully" is a delightful read that will leave you chuckling from start to finish!

This was a fun, light read that had some twists and turns I wasn’t prepared for. It was a slower pace than what I’m use to and found myself struggling at times to finish but ultimately it was a wonderful read and I’m glad I pushed through.

How to Age Disgracefully had me laughing out loud almost from the very beginning. At first, I was not sure if this book would be for me, but that feeling lasted at most 25 pages because by page 30, I was laughing in the doctor’s office and finding myself needing to hold in the laughs. The main character is a septuagenarian widow named Daphne. She has decided to reengage in a social life after 15 years of solitude. She joins a senior citizen social club which is led by Lydia, a recently hired former stay at home mom.. The senior citizens meet at the community center in the room next to the nursery, where Ziggy, a single teenage father drops off his daughter Kylie so he can go to school. Not to give anything away, but the two groups (the seniors and tots) join together to save the community center from being demolished for a new development with the help of Maggie Thatcher, a recently orphaned senior dog.

These seniors are a sassy bunch filled with their own hidden issues and trying to make their way in a world that wants to ignore them or make them be boring. They aren’t having it. There is so much care and humanity in these characters that the reader genuinely gets to know, understand and root for them.

I received this ARC from the publisher for my honest opinion. I highly recommend this delightful light-hearted book.

I’ve loved Clare Pooley’s books and her depiction of found family and real characters. This book was right in line with what I always love about her work. The story was warm and the characters lovable. The shifting perspective was a little unclear as it felt like one voice throughout, but I liked the voice, so that was ok. I also thought there wasn’t enough of a connection to the community center to justify the story around it - why couldn’t they gather somewhere else? But those are minor complaints. All in, it was a warm and lovely read.

The kindle version had lots of errors, but I imagine that’s just due to the advance nature of the copy.

Are you a Senior citizen? Are you lonely? Join a Senior Club!! Sounds so easy doesn't it? This Senior group is anything, but dull. Everyone has a secret . Some of them can get you arrested. Add a childcare center in for fun. Old and young is a wonderful mix. Need a leader? How about one with a horrible, cheating husband? Can an old actor with a shoplifting habit, a woman who has been hiding for years, a crochet fanatic with a talent for serving justice, a talented senior dog whose owner dies under odd circumstances at the first meeting and a teenage single father one together to make a perfect story. Yes, they can.
This is a great book no matter how old you are. It would make a great movie, too!
Thank you, NetGalley!

I really enjoyed this book. Likeable characters and I couldn't put it down. Please write more Clare Pooley!!

This is the most delightful book I have read in a while. From page 1, I dreaded the end because it is THAT wonderful! This book is a warm hug and medicine you didn't know you needed. The characters, the plots: everything is perfect and inspires true joy.
Synopsis: The Senior Social Club and a daycare team up to save their community center. What could go wrong? ANSWER: Everything!

This was a comical look at a ragtag group of senior citizens banding together to save their community center. Full of heart and humor, it’ll be perfect for those who enjoy found family elements, a lighthearted tone, and a fresh look at aging.

Personally I struggled with the pacing of the plot and was never fully immersed in the story but I imagine this book will be a great fit for many readers as we head into summer. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital copy!

Nobody does an ensemble cast quite like Clare Pooley. This was such a fun whirlwind, I loved the elements of mystery and overlapping storylines and how they all came together. The range of ages of all the characters played together so well. I loved how smart and funny the humor about babies, teens, elders and every age in between was throughout the book. Another perfectly titled book as well!

Thanks to Viking and NetGalley for the ARC.

3.75 stars

This was a fun read featuring quite an assortment of offbeat characters who intersect at a local community center that is being threatened with closure for lack of funding. We have Lydia, a brow-beaten woman in a bad marriage; Daphne, an impressively intimidating 70 year old with a mysterious past; Art, a hapless has-been actor; Ziggy, a teenage dad who is trying to do right by his daughter, and a few others.

How they come together and their oddball campaign to save the community center makes for quite an enjoyable read. Lots of humor but also characters you care about. And there is a tidy and optimistic but not overly Pollyannaish ending that is quite satisfactory.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I would watch the crap out of this if it were a sitcom tv show!! I love cantankerous old people who have silly little quirks, and the fact that they’re British (I have a strange fondness for British people), made this all the more delightful. Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

A ragtag group of seniors, a teenage father, and a middle-aged woman with a cheating husband create unlikely relationships and find that life with friends is so much better than going it alone.

First of all, thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for giving me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

This was my first book by Clare Pooley and I'll definitely be checking out more of her writing now! The story has sweet a sweet found family and fun heist vibes with a plot centered around the main protagonists trying to save their beloved community center from being shut down and turned into luxury apartments. Pooley paints a gorgeous picture of the importance of community and the power it can hold when community members come together to fight against systemic barriers. You won't regret picking up this book!

A police officer boards a van full of elderly Brits, and everyone confesses. Shoplifting, questionable deaths of spouses, politically charged yarn bombing, stalking a spouse, an unwitting drug mule, no one on the bus fits into the stereotypical mold. And that seems to be the main point of this book. We regularly overlook the older members of our community, forget their strengths, weaknesses, and quirks. It will be difficult to do so after reading Pooley's novel.

Aside from the reminder, the novel is hilarious. My co-workers are wondering about me after loud and lengthy laughing sessions during my lunch breaks. The characters are delightful and develop satisfyingly during the story. The plot, revolving around the proposed demolition of their community center is tight, and well developed. Everything works together well including the preschool next door and the orphaned dog.

This a a sparkly gem of a book, much like Daphne's jewelry, which I highly recommend.

This is my first Claire Pooley, book and I cant wait to read more. How to age disgracefully follows an unlikely group of seniors who come together to save their community center. Pooley seamlessly winders her characters lives together, slowly unpacking their personal histories which have led them to their senior group. This book has everything; humor, mystery, romance, and so much more. Grab this book for a quick and fun read.

I really wanted to like this book. I felt that I could give one more star if the leap from character to character was less jarring. It took me forever to get into the book because I would connect to a character and then they would be dropped for the next one.

Thank you so much to Viking Books for the free ARC!

This was so much fun! In this charming story, an unlikely group of people have been brought together after a senior citizen’s center and daycare collide unexpectedly. The story is told from the following perspectives:

Art- An older man living in a house haunted by its past memories
Lydia- A woman watching her marriage fall apart as she runs the Senior Citizens’ Social Club
Daphne- A woman who decides to really start living and stop hiding on her 70th birthday
Ziggy- A young, struggling single dad in a heap of trouble

This book was light and funny yet tender and emotional! All of these unique characters were battling huge and heavy issues while the overall feel of the book remained light. This is a paradox not perfected by may authors, but Pooley captured the heart of the dichotomy!

I feel like we were only able to scratch the surface on these characters and that they could each justify an entire book of their own life stories! Petition for a sequel because I need to know what happens next for these friends!

Dog lovers won't want to miss reading about the star of the show "Margaret Thatcher" or “Maggie” or “M” the dog!

Sidenote: the cover is INCREDIBLE!

This will be available for purchase on June 11th!

I loved this book so much. I read The Authenticity Project by Claire Pooley earlier and loved that too. But this one was even better! I LOVED the different age groups in it, and could identify with several of the characters. Claire has a great way with putting diverse characters together in a group who end up caring about each other. This group went from toddlers to Seniors, and everyone benefitted and bloomed from being in the group. They all had issues they were facing, and the ending is hysterical and satisfying. You have to read this book.

This was a very enjoyable, light-hearted, feel-good book. There were so many laugh-out moments and it was easy to picture all the characters in my mind. A bunch of extremely entertaining characters, from seniors with very varied backgrounds, to a new empty nester trying to find a new purpose in life and then some school and nursery kids. Their common goal: to save the community center they all use and love (for very different reasons). Every character was likable in their own way. I also loved how the book started with a scene close to the end. What a hilarious way to start this book, especially as the reader does not know any of the characters yet. I was actually quite sad when I finished the book. I look forward to other books by this author.

Like Clare Pooley’s previous books, this one has a multi-generational cast of characters that make it utterly delightful and laugh-out-loud funny.

Lydia has a new job running the Senior Citizen’s Social Club and the members are unlike anything she expected. Art is an out-of-work actor, William is a former paparazzi, and Daphne is a 70-year-old who lives alone and talks to her plants. And that is only half of the lively crew. When the City council tries to sell the community center building, the Social Club members enlist the help of the daycare, a teenager, and a dog to save the building.

Why I Love It I read this book in a day. I laughed, I cried, and I applauded. This book made me feel so good. The multi-generational cast of characters makes this book appealing to anyone who loves a great second-chance fiction book. It is about finding yourself and your inner strength (with a side of revenge). And one of our favorite characters from a previous book makes a brief appearance!