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.

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.

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

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.

Delightful ageless story of a group of disparate olde citizens and their adventures. Heart warming and lovable characters

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this e-arc!

Clare Pooleu does it again. I fell in love with these characters. I hope I’m half as cool as Daphne when I’m 70, she was the backbone of everything in the story. It was empowering to read.

The narrative story flowed so well and it was good to follow such different character, it was such a delight to read. Everything about it made me for such easy reading and I wanted to know what was happening with the different characters. They were all really interesting.

I’m so glad Lydia got what she deserved in the end, they all did. The story played out well and I would definitely recommend it go all readers, I felt all the emotions whilst reading!

A solid 4.5 stars!!

Sometimes, all we need in life is a purpose, especially for the elderly. Many of them feel invisible and unappreciated, and sometimes small gestures can make a big difference.

But we also need to make an effort to change how people see us. If we just sit at home and mope, we'll stay invisible.

As the saying goes, "You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take."

And there's another saying that fits this group of characters who meet at the Mandel community centre: "The invisibility of ageing is the best disguise."

From a feisty 70-year-old on the run from her past to a lonely washed-up actor with a sad story, and let's not forget the talented Yarnsy who can knit anything for any situation.
The common thread that unites them is the impending closure of the community centre. Their efforts to preserve it provide them with a sense of purpose, not only in terms of saving the centre itself but also in terms of supporting and assisting one another.

This story will make you laugh and cry.

I loved all the characters. None of them were perfect; they all had their flaws, but isn't perfection born out of imperfection?

And let's not forget: "Where's the fun in ageing gracefully?"

A great author and another good book. Lots of different characters of different ages bring the story together. Clever writing with a witty slant makes it a fun read. Everyone is a star!

What a breath of fresh air! I howled my way through this book. It is just so funny. From the first page I was hooked!

It has an exciting start with a whodunnit feel? But that is not what this book is about. This is human nature at its very worst - and best! The characters are well drawn out and develop beautifully across the course of this story; they could have felt stereotyped or even caricatured, but Pooley manages their development masterfully and I am unable to choose a single one as my favourite.

I would definitely want a Daphne in my corner - though I did not think I would have said that when I started to read. She seems like spiteful old busybody, but she has guts and heart. Ziggy and Kylie are brilliant - what a cute pairing and unusual situation...and then there are the rest, all of whom I could picture perfectly!

A brilliant fun summer read. Do not miss this comic tale with a punch.

Absolutely brilliant.

This is my third book by this author and it was just as good as the previous two novels. I was a little concerned that a group of people trying to save a club was going to be a little pedestrian to say the least. But with the cast of diverse characters in age and background, who all had such interesting storylines and a point of view in the story, it was amazing.

Witty writing and great one liners made this a joy to read. There were some hard hitting parts too but they were cushioned with the funny parts. Even when someone died it had a funny side. It kept me gripped until the end.

I'll admit I had the wrong idea about Daphne from the beginning. As the book progressed I started to realise she was definitely hiding her light and for disturbing reasons. When I grow up I want to be Daphne and get a walking stick and channel her. You need to read the book to find out why. She really was the star of the book closely followed by Ziggy and really everyone else!

Clare Pooley never disappoints! This book had a bit of everything, humour, emotional and heartwarming all at the same time. Great characters within a brilliant storyline. This is another one not to be missed.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I absolutely delighted in reading this book and devoured it in two days. This is a story that challenges a lot of stereotypes around people in different groups - the elderly but also those in poverty, those with trauma and much more. This is a story with a sense of humour I enjoyed so much I kept sending photos of pages that made me laugh out loud to my partner. The story primarily revolves around Daphne who decides at 70 it is time she finally has a life and gets some friends but it is so much more than that. This is found family in some of the truest forms. I cannot wait to reread when I need a laugh.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

I don’t know what to say to do this book justice. I really enjoyed it. I think we all need to be abit Daphne. A few sad parts mixed into this heartwarming funny story. Pooley has a great writing style. I’m not a very quick reader and I finished it in less than a week.

Highly recommend. Definitely one of my favourite reads from the last 13 months. If you like Richard Osman books you’ll love love love this tale.

Well if I had of realised that this book was by the same autor of The Authenticity Project and The People on Platform 5 then I would have known I was going to love it. As it was it took me a few chapters before I fully got into this one and realised what a cracking bunch of characters Clare Pooley has once again conjured up. I love how she gives older characters the spotlight and their backstories are always weaved into the story so cleverly. Given that their are mentions of criminal pasts, child deaths, un happy marriages and drug running along with many other varied stories, its suprising just how funny this story is. As with all Clare Pooley books I give this 5 stars!

A fun, playful and sassy comment on ageing with an enjoyable diverse cast of stereotype-smashing seniors and the community members that they interact with, support and - in some cases - stick a middle finger up to. This light, highly readable page-turner is a perfect holiday read - paced to perfection, touching on important themes but deftly and with charm, and a lively, rollicking plot that pulls you barrelling along. Lots of fun. Many thanks to Netgalley & the publishers for the opportunity to read.