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Member Reviews
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Clare Pooley knocks it out the park with everything she writes, and this book is no exception! I love the way she manages to craft communities of characters all with their own distinct personalities and plenty of quirky souls to boot! This story brings together people from different walks of life - different ages and backgrounds and interests and personalities all in one unlikely place. I’m left feeling buoyed by the long lasting friendships forged in these pages, and wanting desperately to wrangle myself a place in the social club to play a round of truth or dare jenga and grab a slice of lemon drizzle.
Daphne felt like the stand out character in this book, with her bold personality and mysterious past, but really everyone we meet has their own draw, and pulled me in with their individual stories. We don’t know everyone in the social club well by the close of the book but we know enough to love them all and I was sad to reach the end and say goodbye to this wild bunch and their wilder adventures.
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How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley
I adored this book! This was such a fun, wholesome and engaging read. I loved how Pooley explored human relationships and human psychology in such depth and with real skill. This book was both hilarious and devastatingly sad at different points, meaning that the readers are taken on one heck of a rollercoaster ride. I laughed out loud at numerous points throughout this book, but the most memorable quote I have taken away from this is one said by the wonderful Daphne, "She appeared to have jumped out of the frying pan of sexism and into the fire of ageism. The final frontier of isms". I loved this quote, and how sexism, ageism, classism all played a part in this book and were explored subtly yet powerfully by the author. Although there are quite a few hard-hitting and gut-wrenching moments in this book (Art's rejection by his own daughter, Daphne's shady past, Ziggy's trouble with gangs, Lydia's awful home life, etc), the humour helps lighten the mood yet does not detract from the otherwise rather serious topics explored. I could go on forever, but I will just say that I LOVED reading this book. I have not had such a fun time reading a book in quite some time.
I loved the intergenerational theme in this book and how not only did the elderly characters impart their wisdom onto the younger characters, but also vice versa. In particular I loved the relationships between Ziggy, Daphne and Kylie as well as Art and the children from the nativity. Daphne, although I was skeptical at first, quickly became one of the best, most relatable and hilarious characters I've read about in a while. I loved her bluntness, her inner strength and her "dont give a f*ck attitude". It was really refreshing to read a book centered around elderly people that didn't follow the usual stereotype of portraying them as frail, boring people with no personality or passion in life. My favourite scene from the entire book (apart from the dog show, which was so heart-warming and wholesome) was when Daphne went on her first date since Jack. I think most women out there will have wished at some point in their life that they could be as honest as Daphne and tell a pompous man some hard-hitting home truths and then be brave enough to pour red wine all over his lap. I laughed hysterically! I must say I also quite enjoyed Lydia's character; or more so the personal growth her character showed throughout the book. The author explores the devastating effects of adultery on people's lives through Lydia, and this was simply heartbreaking to read. However, I enjoyed their (pretty harmless) revenge on Lydia's husband and cackled when I read about some of the things they did to him in retaliation - the knitted phallus made me almost cry laughing. He wholeheartedly deserved it! This hugely diverse group of characters were all so perfectly crafted, with each of them having personal struggles that, together as a group, they were able to overcome one by one. This book really highlights the power of friendship and how a chosen family can be just as important and fulfilling as blood relatives, if not more so.
Like I said, I could go on and on explaining every aspect of this book and why I fell in love with it, but I will instead just urge you to pick it up yourself and experience the rollercoaster first-hand. I cannot express enough how much I enjoyed reading this. I cannot wait to buy more books from this author as she writes beautifully. I rated this book 5 out of 5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and Clare Pooley for the ARC.
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Thank you to the publisher for my review copy, this was a fantastic read.
Take a group of Septugenarians, each with a secret to hide, a teenage single dad and a menopausal woman with a cad of a husband, blend with a dog called Maggie Thatcher and a race to save a community centre and you have a delightfully uplifting romp.
This is filled with the same humour and dry wit as other Clare Pooley books. The characters are all fantastically created; downtrodden Lydia and hard-nosed Daphne, although very different, were my favourites.
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This is another heart warming story which features a cast of characters you will fall in love with. As always her characters are such likeable and funny people to spend time with. It gives found family vibes with strong personalities which take you with them every step of the way.
Again, the age range of her characters bring generations together and the kindness and love of those in this story just warms your heart. I loved Daphne, what a woman who under all her layers rocks, she self assured and by the end I was in awe of her, she never wavered and found herself at the heart of the community where she deserved to be.
I can only say I will read anything Clare Poole writes, it just such a self soothing experience and you just need one of her books, a warm drink and blanket and the world is a better place to be. Brilliant.
Thanks to NetGalley for an e-arc in return for an honest review.
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Love Clare Pooley books. This is as good as the previous two. Engaging story that holds your attention. It’s a great fun read. Highly recommend
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Loved this book, Clare Pooley excels in writing books about the most unlikely relationships between a motley crew of characters. P.S. When I grow old(er) I want to be Daphne.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.
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Sometimes when books are advertised as 'laugh out loud funny' I don't...... but this book was a riot from beginning to end. What an amazing bunch of characters, each one different but all so likeable. It was a pleasure getting to know them. A great story full of fun, and also some sadness, but one I'm definitely happy to recommend. Thanks to the publisher, the author and netgalley for an advance copy of How to Age Disgracefully.
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My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my copy of How to Age Disgracefully.
As a seventy year old (who can't believe she's not still 28) my first introduction to Daphne was disappointed with the cliches involved in her description and I nearly called it a day but I am so glad I didn't. As time went on I grew to love all the characters who were so well drawn, and of course I totally empathasise with their 'invisibility'. I laughed out loud and that doesn't happen very often, and at times I cried but mostly I cheered them all on, great fun and recommended to all age groups, there's something for everyone.
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This story was beautiful in as much as it brought the majority of age ranges together and they all got on together superbly, the wonderful characters, so well written drew you into their lives with love, laughter and bad temper but always with a thread of sadness running through
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I just loved "How to Age Disgracefully" and I would love to be more like Daphne next year when I turn 70! This is a truly life affirming book which demonstrates how multiple generations can work together to make things happen. There are so many aspects of modern day society which are covered and this is a real page-turner of a book. Highly recommended.
Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.
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Another fabulous book from this author which was laugh out loud funny and at the same time poignant and sad. The characters were engaging and I wanted to find out more about them.
Brilliant writing, engaging characters and great plots for all of them. The central story of saving the community centre ties them all together and the author so cleverly makes them integral parts of each other stories, not all of which have a happy ending.
Highly recommended.
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Clare Pooley's books are always incredible and this was no exception! This was such an absolutely brilliant book! It had so many laugh-out-loud moments throughout. I honestly couldn't stop laughing.
It had some brilliant characters to boot and my favourite was Daphne. She was amazing and if you do anything in life #bemoreDaphne! Well, with possibly one exception.
If you want a laugh-out-loud book that will have you in absolute stitches, then this is the one! Go read it, you absolutely will not regret it!
Thank you to NetGalley, Clare Pooley and publishers Random House UK, Transworld & Bantam.
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A fun read about getting older, with characters whi are 70+, round 50 as well as youngsters . Set in London, the story is in and around the community hall where various activities take place (childcare, over 70s club). Although fairly lighthearted, there are also serious issues throughout the book. The characters are well described and their lives are gradually revealed as the book progresses. All in all good entertaining read, thanks to Net Galley for the ARC
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What a fantastic book - loved it! Couldn't put it down and raced through it. A great plot - who doesn't love a story involving the fight to save a community centre from being demolished, involving not only children but also septuagenarians.(oh, and a dog!). However, it is the characters that steal the show - what a group they are! From being complete strangers, it takes hardly any time before they are looking out for each other, helping and dealing with all sorts of personal issues. Daphne in particular, is a force to be reckoned with. You realise quite early on that she has a past but have no idea exactly what that included. She has a hand in everything, behind the scenes as well as out front. Oh, how I want to be like her and have her attitude!
Can't recommend this book highly enough - read it and you won't be disappointed!
Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review, which is what I have given.
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Delightful ageless story of a group of disparate olde citizens and their adventures. Heart warming and lovable characters
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I really enjoyed this book that gave me a wonderful found family and also showed that you shouldn’t judge someone because of their age. I laughed a lot and had a slight tear in my eye every now and then. A lovely book.
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This book is great fun, a great laugh just when I needed it be.
Clare Pooley has written a very entertaining novel about the older generation which had me totally captivated.
How too Age Disgracefully is riotously gripping, I just didn't want to put it down, yet at the same time I didn't want to finish.
I could read more and more of these characters with all their outrageous antics, their veiw on life and their carefree abandon as they go about their daily shenanigans.
The mayhem is served up by numerous characters including a kleptomaniac, a constant knitter of all things living, and Ziggy, an 18 year old dad whose 8th month old daughter attends the child care facilities at the community centre.
I must admit it is not my usual reading material but having grabbed me from the first page I just had to continue. Now finished I am bereft.
These characters have left the stage and I must move on, though I do wish I didnt have too.
Please can I have another filled with the British houmour that everyone has known and loved, just like this one.
The novel has been a great introduction to a new author for me and one I plan to follow.
My appreciation goes to NetGalley and the Publishers at Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and Bantam for my advanced copy for an honest review.
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I don't use star ratings on my blog but I gave How To Age Disgracefully five stars on Goodreads and I would absolutely give it more if I could. Clare Pooley has created some wonderful characters and I had a blast getting to know them all. The central characters, Daphne, Art, Ziggy and Lydia, all have their own chapters in the novel and this means the reader can learn more about how they came to be in the situations in which they find themselves in the novel. I warmed to them all really quickly and I had my fingers crossed that everything would work out for them.
It's quite rare that the characters from the demographics of Daphne, Art, Ziggy and Lydia are portrayed in novels, yet Clare Pooley has brought them to the forefront of their society and encourages us to think about them differently to the stereotypes with which we may be familiar. She writes with humour and frankness, and I love that whilst she recognises their vulnerabilities, she makes sure that they have agency and determination. It's almost inconceivable that they would be friendly with Ziggy, a teenage single father, but I love their relationship with him.
The novel begins with the characters travelling on a minibus, being stopped by the police. Many of the characters admit to previous crimes and I was intrigued to find out more about each character's back story. Through these stories, Clare Pooley is able to explore issues such as domestic violence, drug abuse and mental health issues. She does this in an extremely thought provoking and sensitive way and I finished this novel with a lot to think about.
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This was so much fun! Engaging and entertaining characters, our main character is an absolute joy to read about and I found myself heavily invested in her story. Such a quick and easy read and so thoroughly enjoyable I found myself so excited to come back and pick it up when it was time to settle down with a book on my work break / before bed etc!
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How to Age Disgracefully is another five star cracker of a read from Clare Pooley that I didn't want to end.
Like her previous books the characters are well drawn and a diverse and likeable lot. The storyline is realistic and heartwarming.
If you are looking for a feel good book then look no further.
Highly recommend!