Perfect for Lockdown

Really enjoyed The Authenticity Project. Community and friendships are at the heart of this book which are all too important in these unprecedented times.

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3 people found this helpful

Absolutely loved this book!

I am so sad to have just finished this book as I was totally caught up in the lives of the very believable characters.
The Authenticity Project is a brilliant concept and maybe we should all write our true feelings down in a notebook and see what happens.
Very well written and observed.

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2 people found this helpful

Fantastic book - a great read!

I absolutely loved The Sober Diaries when I read it a couple of years ago. When I heard that Clare had written another book, I decided to get this one on Audible. Really great storyline, thought provoking and some great twists and turns. I looked forward to my walks with doggies during lockdown just so I could catch up on the book. Will definitely look out for any more books by Clare.

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1 person found this helpful

Really loved this book

I thoroughly enjoyed every second of this book! I really liked the narrative...would definitely recommend!

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it wasn't terrible

I have a rule that i only stop reading a book if it is terrible. The only good thing I can say about this book is that it was quite clever how the characters were linked together. I didn't really like any of the characters, neither did I dislike them. This book provoked no emotion whatsoever. I did yawn and check how much longer I had to endure a few times.

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Just a pleasant, feel good story.

This isn't the kind of book I would normally read. I usually much prefer darker, twisted, macabre reads (I'm a tad unhinged) so I was hesitant when this was recommended to me but I'll admit I greatly enjoyed it. It's not filled with action or excitement, it's just a pleasant easy read from start to finish without feeling boring. The pace was nice, the characters are likable and the message was clear.
I found the narrator took a little getting used to, however, she feels like the target audience (older, well spoken, the kind of person who would read this style of book) She was engaging, creative with accents and in my opinion very well suited for the job.

I genuinely enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone just wanting a relaxing, feel good journey.

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Life-affirming and warm-hearted

This is a cleverly written book which is life-affirming and warm-hearted. The premise is that Julian, an old artist who had his bohemian heyday in swinging sixties London, leaves a notebook entitled The Authenticity Project in Monica's cafe. The book tells the truth of his life, as he sees it, and that he is now quite regretful and lonely. He leaves the book for someone else to find and to continue.

We then follow the book as it makes its way through a variety of characters who find the book, complete their own part and pass it on to the next person.

We see the lives of the six characters interweave, they each have different personalities and issues but their lives are brought together by the book. They support each other, fall out and generally interact around the journey of life.

The reader is gifted with greater insight than the characters so we learn life's wisdoms around love, friendship and loneliness. Indeed, Clare Pooley, brings the lived experience and reflective clarity of a recovering alcoholic to the book.

There are some touching and insightful moments and the book is always enjoyable. This novel is light, quirky and humorous whilst examining serious life issues.
Brilliantly narrated.

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A comforting read

This is a lovely hug of a story and easy to listen to. Not sure if I was completely satisfied by some of the endings for the characters though.

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Loved it!

I recently read The People on Platform 5, and loved it, so I was really looking forward to this book.
The characters were great, and very relatable. I thoroughly enjoyed listening and will miss the characters now I've finished. I'm looking forward to the author's next book, I'm a big fan now! highly recommend.

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Great story

I liked all of the book, found it realistic and liked the humour. Gave me a good giggle

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