The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley **Book Review** @cpooleywriter @transworldbooks @annecater

Happy Friday y’all!

This book you guys was so so good! The perfect uplifting pick me up that I needed!

My Thoughts

LOVED THIS BOOK!

This was the absolutely perfect, feel good, uplifting story that I needed. Clare Pooley poured her heart and wisdom into this exceptionally delightful story. I know I am gushing, but this is just one of those books you want to shout from the rooftops about, it really was that good. Julian is a lonely 79-year-old who realizes he has made some mistakes in his life. So he decides to confess his truth in a green composition notebook with the words “The Authenticity Project“ on the cover. Monica is the owner of a café. When she finds the notebook she decides to share her truth about her desire to be a wife and mother and how she’s afraid she will never find real love. She is also touched by Julian story and decides she’s going to bring a little joy and purpose into his life. Monica also leaves the notebook in a bar for someone else to find and continue what Julian has started. As the notebook is passed from one character to another and authentic thoughts are shared, these characters lives begin to intertwine.

Such a lovely story packed with so many quirky lovable characters. I loved how even if implausible this notebook brought this diverse cast of characters together. Each additional character added a little something more to the story. Although I have to say my favorites were definitely flamboyant Julian and Type A Monica. The audiobook was narrated by Anna Cordell Who did a wonderful job with all the accents and this large cast of characters. She gave each character a unique voice and I was never confused as to who’s perspective the story was being told from. This book is absolutely going on my favorites shelf, a definite possibility for my best of 2020.

This book in emojis 📓 ☕️ 🎨 🏖 🍼 📱 🚆

About the Book

“A warm, charming tale about the rewards of revealing oneself, warts and all.” (People)

The story of a solitary green notebook that brings together six strangers and leads to unexpected friendship, and even love.

Julian Jessop, an eccentric, lonely artist and septuagenarian believes that most people aren’t really honest with each other. But what if they were? And so he writes – in a plain, green journal – the truth about his own life and leaves it in his local café. It’s run by the incredibly tidy and efficient Monica, who furtively adds her own entry and leaves the book in the wine bar across the street. Before long, the others who find the green notebook add the truths about their own deepest selves – and soon find each other In Real Life at Monica’s Café.

The Authenticity Project‘s cast of characters – including Hazard, the charming addict who makes a vow to get sober; Alice, the fabulous mommy Instagrammer whose real life is a lot less perfect than it looks online; and their other new friends – is by turns quirky and funny, heartbreakingly sad and painfully true to life. It’s a story about being brave and putting your real self forward – and finding out that it’s not as scary as it seems. In fact, it looks a lot like happiness.

The Authenticity Project is just the tonic for our times that readers are clamoring for – and one they will take to their hearts and read with unabashed pleasure.