Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read this wonderful book! Clare Polley has done it again with a splendid myriad of characters which covers a diverse age range. From the opening chapter where everyone confesses to something, I knew i was on an excellent journey. I became so invested in Ziggy, Lydia, Art and of course the wonderful Daphne. I loved the way Daphne found herself involved in everyones lives, whether she wanted to be or not. This story is so vibrant, colourful and relevant. The way the narrative brings everyone together to help try and save the community centre but also to help each other was wonderful. I also enjoyed the little touches of karma along the way too! As you can tell I'm a huge fan. This could so easily be made into a TV series. Already looking forward to your next book Clare. I shall be recommending this to all my friends.

Lydia is starting her first job in many years as an activities coordinator at a social club for older people. However, it seems that the participants have their own ideas about what they want to do. They haven’t been running for very long before the council announce they can’t afford to repair the hall and have plans to sell it to developers. The social club and their fellow hall users set about trying to raise the necessary funds to save it for themselves and the community. Claire Pooley introduces an engaging collection of characters. Apart from Lydia, there is Daphne with the shady past, Art the aging unsuccessful actor and estranged family, William the retired paparazzo and Ziggy the teenage single dad and his daughter Kylie. These characters are all brought to life so successfully, that I am missing them now I’ve finished the book, a talent Clare Pooley has shown in all of her books. The stories that are woven around the central theme of the hall fundraising are touching, humorous and interesting, with some unexpected twists and turns along the way, one of which is effectively teased in the amusing prologue. This book was well written, amusing, touching and well paced. As you can tell, I loved it.

How to Age Disgracefully is a really fun character driven read. The plot felt fresh - it's always nice to read something fun and fluffy (and I mean this in a good way) that isn't driven by a love story.
I'd also really recommend The People on Platform 5 and look forward to reading The Authenticity Project.
4.5 stars.

Firstly I would like to thank netgalley/the publisher for sending me a copy of this arc as I love the authors books and currently re reading her first book after I finished this one! I don't give five stars lightly and this is definately deserving of it! The plot is so different and its nice to read something different every once in a while and Daphne and Margaret made me laugh out loud many times and mixing in a younger character was a very interesting part to the plot. Loved it and would highly recommend this book!!

Really enjoyed this and thought the characters were brilliant. I would love to read more Clare Pooley in the future.

What a fun read this was! Clare Pooley has written another cracker, with all her signature warmth, depth, and humour. Authentic, memorable characters, a rollicking, page-turning plot and a welcome message that's it's never the wrong time to grab life by the ears and live it your way. I loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with an ARC for my honest review.

Lydia sets up a group for over 70’s at her local community centre, as she wants to do something for herself. Her children have now left home and her husband is always working. She thinks it’s just going to be quiet elderly people wanting to play bingo and do some knitting. She has no idea of the colourful characters she is going to meet! When the Council are planning to close the centre and develop into flats, the group and the nursery have to work together to stop them closing it down.

Daphne joins the group after she decides to get her life together after her 70th birthday. She has no friends and has hardly left her flat in 15 years, but wants to change that. No one knows why she is this way and what life she lived before her husband died.

This is the first book I have read from Claire Pooley and I will certainly be picking up her other books now. The characters she creates are great and you really feel connected to them. A lot of humour and sadness throughout, it’s a nice mix. You really feel like you know the characters by the time the story ends. I would recommend this to everyone!

Clare Pooley is the master of connecting an eclectic group of people, who at first you would not expect to get on, but who become firm friends by the end. And that is exactly what happens in this story of a group of elderly people including Daphne and Art, brought together by Lydia, a middle aged woman dealing with her own issues as well as a young single dad called Ziggy, his daughter and a dog named Maggie Thatcher!

The impending closure of a community centre brings out the best, and sometimes worst in this bunch of characters that will have you wanting to be their friend to join them in their crusade to save it.

I am a huge fan of the first two fiction books by the author and thoroughly recommend you read them if you like this one because you will not be disappointed. (And for fans of The People on Platform 5 will have a little surprise when YouTube gets discussed in this new book). The similar thread to the other stories is a joy to read and be part of with plenty of laughs along the way whilst dealing with some heavy topics too. So many things are covered in such a sympathetic and empathetic way that have you routing for each and every one of the memorable characters that stay in your mind long after you have finished the story.

I honestly highly recommend this book as a must read if you enjoy a feel good story that is well written, thoughtful and very funny too. Brilliant.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This was my first Clare Pooley book, and it was an incredibly fun read with a fabulous cast of characters centred around a local community centre and its new "senior citizens' social club" run by downtrodden fiftysomething Lydia. There's less-than-successful, now septuagenarian actor Art, knitting guerrilla Ruby, ex-trucker Anna, retired paparazzo William, and of course the redoubtable Daphne, who has a rather unexpected set of skills. Not to mention teenage father Ziggy, and a dog called Margaret Thatcher.

All have their stories, but at the centre is Daphne, who is both magnificent and terrifying, with a past that constantly threatens to catch up with her.

Far-fetched? - absolutely, but a cracking good read, and as a fiftysomething woman myself I very much appreciated Clare Pooley's mission to shatter fictional stereotypes about ageing and what the future holds!

The Authenticity Project made it to my top books of 2022, The People on Platorm 5 was my top book of 2023, and How to Age Disgracefully will definitely be in my top 5 of 2024 and we're only in January.

I absolutely love Clare's writing style and the characters she creates. The unlikely friendships trope is one of my absolute favourites and Clare does it so well. I just know everyone is going to love this book.

I really (really) enjoyed Clare's first two novels. This one felt a bit different at first in terms of tone so I wasn't quite sure what to expect, though there are similarities to the previous books in that there is a heartwarming story and a great cast of quirky characters. But for me this book was on another level. Both moving and brilliantly funny, I devoured it in a couple of days. Special mention for Daphne who is now on my list of literary heroines.

Clare Pooley is an auto-buy author for me so I was delighted to receive this early copy through Netgalley (Thank you).

How to Age Disgracefully did not disappoint. This light, cross generational story tells of community coming together. You fall in love with all the characters and their little quirks.

An excellent heartwarming tale. Clare Pooley never disappoints.

Well I throughly enjoyed this book! I’m never going to look at a yucca plant in the same way again! I was intrigued from the first chapter! This group of people grew on me quickly and learning about them, their lives and all the misdemeanours made for a heartwarming and lovely read! So don’t age gracefully, play by the rules or be invisible! Be the characters in this book - loud and proud!!!

Many thanks to Clare Pooley, Penguin/Transworld Publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this wonderful book!

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. As always Clare Pooley has written a brilliant book, her characters are so real and the story has everything you want in a great book. It's full of humour and some sadness but overall leaves you feeling that you have spent time with people you would love to know in real life. I will be recommending it to everyone I know.

A police constable begging to 'please stop confessing,' what a way to start a book :)

And quite a lovely book, it had me laughing out loud every few pages. The cast of characters being feisty, yet flawed and vulnerable, and aren't we all? Whether we think of ourselves as a presumably dull wife, incognito yarn bomber, or someone who speaks without thinking. Put them together and you've got yourself a nice hodgepodge that somehow stick together.

And a very big plus: I was happy to see, without this being emphasized, this book was inclusive. I feel like adding an exclamation mark to that: diversity! Yay! All we need next time is a character being a chronic or disabled :)

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.

Lydia starts a new job running a senior citizens’ social club at a local community centre and thinks she will spend the day drinking tea. What she doesn’t expect are the unconventional members that turn up. When the council threaten to shut down the community centre Lydia, the social club members and the children from the nursery next door must work together to save the community.

When I saw Clare Pooley had a new novel out I jumped at the chance to read it, having loved her previous novels. I have now come to expect an uplifting read with characters you fall in love with and this is exactly what you get with How To Age Disgracefully. The characters really make this a stand out story. They all have their own quirks and personalities and you can’t help but root for them and the hilarious conundrums they find themselves in. I especially love Daphne.

The story flows nicely and has lots of little twists and turns. The overall story explores themes such as friendship, loneliness, community and what it means to get old, showing that just because you get older doesn’t mean you have to fit into the usual stereotypes. This was definitely another hit by this author and I certainly came away feeling uplifted! Definitely one I will recommend. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this copy in return for an honest review.

I love this! It’s so nice to read about an older generation and how you can still live live to its fullest. I look forward to sharing my full thoughts and review, but this reminds me a bit of the television series Mom. I love the tight friendship aspect as well.