A powerhouse of a book to lift your spirits as you jog along with this group of lively septuagenarians. Hold onto your hat. Claire Pooley brings together and skilfully builds a group of characters finding a new outlet through a community group that is in danger of folding as the council want to close it down. Add a teenage dad, a group of nursery children and a group leader needing to find herself . Have a few laugh out loud moments along with some more serious issues. A superb read

Hilarious!
Lydia starts an over seventies club at the local community centre three afternoons a week. Her outlook is jigsaw puzzles, tea, and cake and bingo. This is not how it goes.
There is Art who is a failed actor. Ruby, the Banksy knitter, Ziggy, who is a teenage father who desperately wants to better himself and my favourite character, Daphne.
The community centre is threatened with closure, and between them and the nursery next door, they hatch a plan to save it.
This really is a laugh out loud book. I can't recommend it enough.
It was lovely to see Iona pop up too.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House uk for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Fabulous character driven escapade with one of my favourite characters yet. Daphne was just perfection, especially as we discovered more about her past. I loved the fact that she was such a force of nature, and the way she brought out the best in all the other characters.
The spiderwebs of the different character arcs were perfect and I really loved the way this small group made such big changes.

Absolutely delightful! A real feel-good story which made me laugh out loud several times. I loved all of the characters which were brilliantly portrayed

A laugh out loud book with a Strong message.
Clare Pooley has written a brilliant that firmly makes the point that the older generations and not to be underestimated, and that anyone who does, be the6 local councillors, two timing husbands, romances scammers,drug dealers or anyone else should be very wary.
Though they are peaceful, conforming and laid back at the start, it gradually becomes clear that thes3 characters are not to be messed with and are definitely growing old disgracefully.
Other generations are included in the book as well, from a one year old upwards and they all have their own issues. Their lives are touched for the good by the seniors.
This book is a joy to read.

This was my second Pooley book and it definitely didn’t disappoint.

I love how there are always such strong characters in her books. Ones that you can really resonate with and others that you think are a bit naff.

Daphne was incredible. She made me laugh and I loved her list of ‘how to make friends.’ There always seems to be a very strong female character and Daphne was definitely it.

The way that all of the characters start off as Individuals and then come together to fix all of the problems is brilliant and I loved that everyone had something to hide.

I think the storylines throughout were great and it touched on lots of subjects that can happen in day to day life.

Another fab character driven book by Claire.

This is my third book by Clare Pooley and I have loved every one of them. Both The People on Platform 5/Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting and The Authenticity Project were five-star reads for me and How to Age Disgracefully does not disappoint. Pooley stuck to what she does best…mix in a bunch of strangers and stir the pot to see what happens. Pooley writes engaging stories that have you cheering the characters on. She deftly blends humour and misery and ends up with a story with a cozy mystery vibe…with no mystery, just a bunch of seniors taking the world on by their own rules.

This story was such a fun romp. I adored Daphne even though I didn’t like her at first. All the characters were pretty likable and we get many points of view but Daphne is the star. Don’t get me wrong, the other characters are wonderfully written but Daphne just seemed to stick out more than the others. The entire time I was reading the book I wondered, can these strangers become friends? Can they be the answer they’re all looking for? They were just such an unlikely bunch to become friends and each other’s answer to their prayers. Funny, sad, moving and quirky Clare Pooley hits another one out of the park.

This was such a fun read! The characters are fantastic, I loved Daphne and wish I had half her fearlessness and audacity, Ziggy is a charmer and Ruby is a laugh-out-loud hoot. The story is outrageous but brilliantly told by the cast of characters and rattles along at a great pace. I loved every word of it!

If you are looking for a highly entertaining read with a tremendous feel-good factor, this is your book. It doesn’t offer deep insights into the running of the world but it is full of the most genuinely interesting characters, who in their odd combination dazzle like a firework display.

We get introduced to all of them in the prologue of this novel, when the policewoman who stopped their minibus encounters the most unlikely combination of idiosyncratic characters, whose stories we are about to discover in what follows.

It all started with middle-aged Lydia suffering from empty nest syndrome and in need of a new purpose – preferably paid - who gets the council’s permission to run a Senior Citizen’s Social Club in the town’s community centre, shared with a nursery, AA Anonymous, Ante-natal classes and the like. Her recruits turn out to be an unruly motley crew, ill at ease with Lydia’s ideas of macrame, bingo and jigsaw puzzles. When the community centre comes under threat of closure, they mobilise and use all their resources – and they are plentiful – to turn things around.

The story gets funnier and more and more heart-warming with every page that reveals the personal histories and flaws of its characters. In Clare Poole’s own words, she aimed to create older characters who are bossing it and my word, they certainly do.

The whole story borders on the ridiculous, is highly unlikely, but utterly utterly charming. I loved it.

I am grateful to NetGalley and Transworld Publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A lovely uplifting read from Clare Pooley especially for someone in the 70+ age group. It is nice to see someone acknowledge that older people still have lives and feelings. I laughed and cheered along with the seniors as they dealt with the challenges life threw at them in their own unique ways. The author includes a non speaking 5 year old, an 18 year old single father and his baby and a menopausal downtrodden group leader in her mix of characters for variety and boy does it work. All the characters have full back stories and at various stages in the book these are used to full advantage. This was my first Clare Pooley book but it certainly won't be my last. If you want a feel good, laugh out loud, read you won't go wrong with How to Age Disgracefully.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

I was excited to read this as I enjoyed reading 'The People on Platform 5' last year. 'How to Age Disgracefully' is about a group of people who meet at Mandel Community Centre and are brought together by their desire to save the centre. The story was a little slow to get going after an initial chapter with the policy looking for someone. What it was doing was building the characters and letting you get to know them all and Clare does this brilliantly. Although there are lots of different characters I was never confused about who was who. About half way through, I couldn't put this book down. I was rooting for this unlikely group of friends to save the centre and curious who the police were after. A wonderfully heart-warming story and I would read more from Clare Pooley in future.

A really funny, heartwarming and inspiring story. I’m exactly Daphne’s age and totally understand and emphasis with the way she feels, although I haven’t got her dodgy background!

All the characters in the book have interesting back stories that are revealed throughout the book making them interesting and believable. The cause they all fight for makes you want them to succeed- it’s also a familiar story. I loved it all, fabulous book and an original angle to look at the elderly wisely

Thank you to Netgalley the author and publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review

Clare Pooley's book was an absolute gem for me, a five-star read that left me eager for more of her work!
From the very first page, I was captivated by Lydia, the main character who finds herself in a whirlwind of eccentricity and mischief. The characters are like nobody you've ever met - a kleptomaniac ex-actor, a mysterious woman with a hidden past, and a grandma who's a graffiti artist with yarn! These characters are crafted with depth and charm and I assure you, they will stay with you even after you've closed the book.

This book has so many moments that made me giggle like an idiot. But there are other emotions entangled within these pages as well, written beautifully.

'How to Age Disgracefully' has a squad of seniors as the main crew. It's not often you come across such a vibrant and diverse group of older characters taking the spotlight. Clare Pooley absolutely nailed it with this book.

If you're looking for a story that combines humor, heart, and a wonderful cast of characters, then this book is a must-read. Trust me, you're in for a treat!

How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley is one of the most funny books I have read recently.
The plot revolves around two unlikely groups at a local community center: a daycare center and a senior citizens' club. As the city council decides to tear down the center and sell it off, unlikely alliances are formed between the members of both groups, which have nothing in common. 
From the senior group of septuagenarians to toddlers as young as less than a year old get together to save the community center. There are unexpected friendships that come out of this giving the perfect lead-up to found family trope.  What ensues is a series of events that are hilarious, thrilling as well as heartbreaking, and heartwarming at the same time. As everyone gets their act together for the community center, skeletons start coming out from every senior member's closet. Apparently, they are not at all what everyone expects of the elderly. This is what I liked best about the book; Pooley has written characters that break the generic stereotypes of older people: frail, slow, unimaginative, and docile. In fact, each senior character has a surprising and quite interesting backstory, giving them a lot of complexity and depth. From a former gang member who was part of a famous heist, to a woman truck driver whose multiple husbands died under mysterious circumstances, and a yarn bomber called Yarnsky (after Bansky), who knits gigantic objects and secretly puts them over public properties. 
Along with this bunch of colorful characters, I also liked how Pooley takes the plot forward by giving us different character perspectives across each chapter. Finally, she neatly ties up the climax with the prologue, which I found to be a brilliant writing technique to keep readers hooked on the book. 
For those in a reading slump, How to Age Disgracefully might be just the book that will get you back to reading. This book was definitely a refreshing interlude for me since I am in between reading some serious and intense non-fiction. And if you like books with feisty old women protagonists, this is perfect. I enjoyed this book thoroughly, especially because it reminded me of another favorite from last year, Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.

I have been a huge fan of Clare Pooley ever since I read The Authenticity Project, and this new book doesn't disappoint at all. Clare writes such wonderful characters and creates worlds where people are extraordinary in their goodness...even if it is shown in some non-usual ways. They may be curmudgeonly, impatient, or have secret past lives but when the chips are down, they are there for people. We need more people like Clare's characters in the world!
My favourite characters were Art and William. I loved their relationship, it was so easy but so deep - they just accepted each other fully and knew when to push and when to back off. That doesn't mean I didn't love all the others though, there were some fierce and inspiring (in many different ways...I'm looking at you Yarnsy!) women within the pages who I thought were just brilliant. Also, little Lucky with his perfectly timed and pitched first words had me howling.
Clare's humour always hits just right for me, it has that unique quirky Britishness and quick one-liner retorts that make you chuckle to yourself and wish you could respond like that in real life. This book particularly reminded me of Sue Townsend's style of writing, which I hope Clare sees as the compliment I meant it to be.
The story is bonkers but absolutely believable - you never know who anyone really is or what they will do when put into crucial situations...and you should never underestimate older women. We are full of rage and have nothing to lose! It has everything: romance, suspense, dastardly plots, found family, redemption, comedy. You'll be hard pushed to find a better way to spend a few hours than in the company of the Mandel Community Centre's various groups.

How To Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley was absolutely hilarious. So much so that in one chapter, I sprayed tea all over my kindle because I laughed mid-sip 🤦‍♀️

Our main madam, Daphne, decides on her 70th birthday that she needs a bit of a life overhaul. She joins the local senior citizens club to try and make some friends, but during her first meeting there’s a nasty accident which sees her thrown into a battle to save the local community centre from being closed down. Enter the band of senior citizens, children from the nursery, one teenage dad and an ownerless dog! Cue hilarity, absurdity and wit! And we have ourselves an absolutely smashing little comedy.

This story is told from multiple POVs and each of the characters is lovable, funny, quirky and perfectly imperfect. I absolutely adored Daphne… she’s such a badass and I hope that when I’m her age I am that cool. The Authors Note at the end was really lovely, and Ms Pooley, if you’re reading this, I think you’re a fabulous writer who’s so far from redundancy!

This little gem will be out 20th June 2024 and I can’t wait for you to get your hands on it! ✨

Thank you Clare Pooley for being that rare novelist who can make me laugh out loud and keep me totally engaged from start to finish. I am so pleased that writers are using us older people as the central characters for novels, we have all lived messy complicated lives although maybe not quite as interesting as this particular heroine. The characters are engaging and the storyline races along with a happy outcome for all, a thoroughly engrossing couple of hours. Thank you Netgalley, publisher and author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Saved this book for after surgery in hospital, not a wise move in hindsight. This had me laughing out loud and really cheered me up.

I totally agree why bother being prim and proper life is for living and hopefully enjoying. If a few good stomach laughs come along then all the better. I really like the characters, no one were who they seemed to be to the outside world.

This book pointed out that generational gaps can be crossed if all parties are willing to work at it. Innocence from the youngsters versus wisdom (not always( from the older generation.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me stomach ache whilst in hospital through laughing.

Claire Pooley has firmly become one of my auto-buy/request authors. Everything she has written, I have loved.

Pooley has a special skill for writing about the people we don’t necessarily think about in this genre, particularly those of an older generation. Why people don’t write about OAP’s more often I don’t know. As characters they offer a wealth of history, experience and knowledge coupled with a certain come what may attitude that adds a great deal of humour to the narrative.

I highly recommend joining this motley crew of teens and pensioners on their heartfelt and hilarious journey to save their local community centre. I dare you not to enjoy yourself…this is British at its best!

This is my first book by Clare Pooley, and it won't be my last!

This was such a lovely, fun, laugh out loud book proving that age really is just a number.
Following the antics of Daphne, Art, Ziggy and Lydia who, along with the rest of the group who are trying to stop the community centre from closing down.
The characters that Clare has created in this book, make you wish they were all your family.
Lydia, the menopausal 54 year old who is suffering from empty nest syndrome, along with alot of other issues (Jeremy!!!!!) to Ziggy the 18 year old Dad to 8 month Kylie, who is just a baby himself, Art the has been actor who is just a lost soul and Daphne who has just turned 70 and is lonely and needs a new purpose in life.

This book had me chuckling from start to finish.
Thank you Clare and Netgalley for the advanced copy.