Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
At times I found myself getting a little distracted from the book. But I have been unwell whilst reading this so that may explain why. The ending left my heart physically aching. It was poignant and moving, and felt like a great way to wrap up the novel. My authenticity project began in October 2019, when the end of a long-term relationship left me questioning “who am I?” One day, amidst the hurt and pain, I realised that I had the power to create my own happiness by reconnecting to the true self I had lost in the relationship. I began rebuilding but sometimes it felt a lonely process. So I created a community and space to belong.
This one has a quirky set of characters that somehow come together for new friendship, love, and happiness in London. One of the main characters is Monica. She’s finally gone out on her own to open Monica’s Café, but she’s struggling to keep the doors open and the money flowing. One day a mysterious green notebook is left behind in her café and the journey begins! The Authenticity Projectreads like a gorgeous box of chocolates: sweet, surprising and impossible not to love. I found myself cheering, cringing, laughing and crying as I read this book and – above all – remembering the true value of community and human connection.”Put down your phones, quit sitting in front of your computer screens, get out of your house, and enjoy the faces and company around you... The Authenticity Project has a very YOLO ( 'you only live once') vibe. It's a very sweet, cutesy, if somewhat implausible, story told from multiple perspectives.
The Authenticity Project is yet another book I’ve read of late which had a great premise but fell down when it came to the actual delivery. Things can't be all sunshine and puppies though so you know conflict and drama are coming to tear it all apart. I was a bit sad to see the friendships built in the first part of the book break down. You would think that with everyone baring their souls in the notebook that they wouldn’t be hiding too many secrets from each other but this is absolutely what happens and anguish ensues. In the end everyone has some sort of a conclusion to their story and it is for the most part positive and happy, but also bittersweet. I became emotionally attached to these characters and I admit I was a bit teary. Overall, I did enjoy this one and recommend it to anyone looking to read something that has heart and also restores your faith in humanity just a tad.
Social media proves that many people like to share their lives and inner thoughts, authentic or not. However, it’s either for family and friends, or, with the exception of celebs, shared relatively anonymously. No one would write what these people write and then leave it so near to home, when strangers could identify them. Riley is the only character in the novel who doesn’t have an obvious fatal flaw. Does this make him more loveable, or less? How does Riley act as a touchstone for the other characters? Clare’s talks include a TEDx talk - ‘Making Sober Less Shameful’, a talk for Radio 4’s Four Thought, and numerous podcast interviews.
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. Julian Jessop, an eccentric, lonely artist and septuagenarian believes that most people aren’t really honest with one another. 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 inauthenticity could be clever and meta. It came close with Alice, who realises her brand “was all about authenticity”, but knows her posts paint sunny lie after sunny lie. And a couple of other characters question the effect of the notebook. But overall, every paragraph felt utterly inauthentic to me. Julian is probably the one Pooley was counting on us finding the most charming. However, I found him to be a selfish git most of the time. His timeline also felt completely wrong. As in, a man his age would have been well into his 40s during the 80s and, therefore, his love for the clothes and music from that decade felt a little confusing and wrong. Described by Sophie Kinsella as 'a clever, uplifting book that entertains and makes you think’, The Authenticity Project is perfect for book clubs. What a quaint story, but beware: things are a not always as they seem! I liked the interesting plot twist with Julian. He got his comeuppance for his philandering and selfish ways, but also a second chance at life - redemption is probably a better word for this part of the story line.
Great Deal 
New Comment