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Community Board
The New York Times bestselling author of The Last Romantics delivers a wise, timely, big-hearted novel of unplanned isolation and newly forged community.
Where does one go, you might ask, when the world falls apart? When the immutable facts of your life—the mundane, the trivial, the take-for-granted minutiae that once filled every second of every day—suddenly disappear? Where does one go in such dire and unexpected circumstances?
I went home, of course.
MURBRIDGE COMMUNITY MESSAGE BOARD
FREE: 500 cans of corn. Accidentally ordered them online. I really hate corn. Happy to help load.
REMINDER: use your own goddamn garbage can for your own goddamn pet waste. I’m looking at you Peter Luflin.
REMINDER: monthly Select Board meeting this Friday. Agenda items: 1) sludge removal; 2) upkeep of chime tower; 3) ice rink monitor thank you gift. Questions? Contact Hildegard Hyman.
Darcy Clipper, prodigal daughter, nearly thirty, has returned home to Murbridge, Massachusetts, after her life takes an unwelcome left turn. Murbridge, Darcy is convinced, will welcome her home and provide a safe space in which she can nurse her wounds and harbor grudges, both real and imagined.
But Murbridge, like so much else Darcy thought to be fixed and immutable, has changed. And while Darcy’s first instinct might be to hole herself up in her childhood bedroom, subsisting on Chef Boy-R-Dee and canned chickpeas, it is human nature to do two things: seek out meaningful human connection and respond to anonymous internet postings. As Murbridge begins to take shape around Darcy, both online and in person, Darcy will consider the most fundamental of American questions: What can she ask of her community? And what does she owe it in return?
Where does one go, you might ask, when the world falls apart? When the immutable facts of your life—the mundane, the trivial, the take-for-granted minutiae that once filled every second of every day—suddenly disappear? Where does one go in such dire and unexpected circumstances?
I went home, of course.
MURBRIDGE COMMUNITY MESSAGE BOARD
FREE: 500 cans of corn. Accidentally ordered them online. I really hate corn. Happy to help load.
REMINDER: use your own goddamn garbage can for your own goddamn pet waste. I’m looking at you Peter Luflin.
REMINDER: monthly Select Board meeting this Friday. Agenda items: 1) sludge removal; 2) upkeep of chime tower; 3) ice rink monitor thank you gift. Questions? Contact Hildegard Hyman.
Darcy Clipper, prodigal daughter, nearly thirty, has returned home to Murbridge, Massachusetts, after her life takes an unwelcome left turn. Murbridge, Darcy is convinced, will welcome her home and provide a safe space in which she can nurse her wounds and harbor grudges, both real and imagined.
But Murbridge, like so much else Darcy thought to be fixed and immutable, has changed. And while Darcy’s first instinct might be to hole herself up in her childhood bedroom, subsisting on Chef Boy-R-Dee and canned chickpeas, it is human nature to do two things: seek out meaningful human connection and respond to anonymous internet postings. As Murbridge begins to take shape around Darcy, both online and in person, Darcy will consider the most fundamental of American questions: What can she ask of her community? And what does she owe it in return?
272 pages, Hardcover
First published March 28, 2023
About the author
Tara Conklin
6 books1,403 followersTara Conklin was born on St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands and raised in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. She is a graduate of Yale University, the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and New York University School of Law. A joint US-UK citizen, Tara now lives in Seattle. Her first novel, The House Girl, was a NYTimes bestseller, #1 IndieNext pick and Target book club pick. Her second, The Last Romantics, was an instant NYTimes bestseller and chosen by Jenna Bush Hager as the inaugural read for The Today Show Book Club. Her new novel, COMMUNITY BOARD, is out March 28, 2023. Visit her at www.taraconklin.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,187 reviews
December 31, 2022
A Lovely Message
3.25 stars
Community Board is a quirky story about a woman trying to put the pieces back together when her world comes crashing down. She finds comfort in her hometown and learns through new friendships the value of a community, self-acceptance, healing, and growth.
When 29-year-old Darcy’s husband Skip leaves her for another woman, Darcy’s life implodes. She loses not only her marriage but also her friends and her job. Darcy flees to her childhood home in Murbridge, Massachusetts, to discover her parents have moved to Arizona. She fills her days eating her mom’s Y2K canned goods, reading 40-year-old copies of National Geographic, and scrolling through Murbridge’s community board postings.
Told through the eyes of Darcy, she annoyed me for a good portion of the book. She is approaching 30 years old but acts very much like 14. She can’t function on her own, whines nonstop, feels sorry for herself, and, worst of all, blames others for her problems.
Additional sections of the book are told through emails to and from Darcy’s parents, emails not sent to Skip, and messages on the Community Board. I enjoyed the CB messages the most, as they remind me of some of the ridiculous postings on my Neighborhood app.
In the first 70 pages, Darcy doesn’t do much but cry and whine about her life. This section of the book was a struggle, and I almost DNF’d because I couldn’t take Darcy anymore. However, once Darcy finally leaves the house and begins making connections in Murbridge, my enjoyment grew.
By the end, Darcy stops crying and faces her fears. The book ends with a positive message about embodying the joys of human connection.
This is a light, heartwarming read about one women’s journey of discovery. I especially enjoyed Conklin’s author’s note, and it adds another layer as to why she wrote this novel. It was a bit rocky at times while reading this, but it paid off in the end.
I won an ARC of this book in a Goodreads giveaway!!
3.25 stars
Community Board is a quirky story about a woman trying to put the pieces back together when her world comes crashing down. She finds comfort in her hometown and learns through new friendships the value of a community, self-acceptance, healing, and growth.
When 29-year-old Darcy’s husband Skip leaves her for another woman, Darcy’s life implodes. She loses not only her marriage but also her friends and her job. Darcy flees to her childhood home in Murbridge, Massachusetts, to discover her parents have moved to Arizona. She fills her days eating her mom’s Y2K canned goods, reading 40-year-old copies of National Geographic, and scrolling through Murbridge’s community board postings.
Told through the eyes of Darcy, she annoyed me for a good portion of the book. She is approaching 30 years old but acts very much like 14. She can’t function on her own, whines nonstop, feels sorry for herself, and, worst of all, blames others for her problems.
Additional sections of the book are told through emails to and from Darcy’s parents, emails not sent to Skip, and messages on the Community Board. I enjoyed the CB messages the most, as they remind me of some of the ridiculous postings on my Neighborhood app.
In the first 70 pages, Darcy doesn’t do much but cry and whine about her life. This section of the book was a struggle, and I almost DNF’d because I couldn’t take Darcy anymore. However, once Darcy finally leaves the house and begins making connections in Murbridge, my enjoyment grew.
By the end, Darcy stops crying and faces her fears. The book ends with a positive message about embodying the joys of human connection.
This is a light, heartwarming read about one women’s journey of discovery. I especially enjoyed Conklin’s author’s note, and it adds another layer as to why she wrote this novel. It was a bit rocky at times while reading this, but it paid off in the end.
I won an ARC of this book in a Goodreads giveaway!!
February 23, 2024
Twenty-nine-year-old Darcy Clipper returns to her childhood home in Murbridge, Massachusetts after her husband leaves her for another woman. An only child of loving parents, she is confident of their support and care while she nurses her broken heart. Much to her surprise she discovers that her parents have moved to a retirement community in Arizona. Darcy spends the first sixty-five days in self-imposed isolation in her childhood home, surviving on her mother’s stock of canned food, wallowing in self-pity, cyberstalking her husband’s new girlfriend, reading old issues of National Geographic, drafting cryptic emails to her husband (thankfully, not sending them), writing emotional messages to her parents trying to guilt them into returning (which she does send) and perusing the online community message board. The message board is a kaleidoscope of information – from notices for missing pets, Board Meeting notices, heated interactions between residents, proclamations of love, cries for help (literally!) and much more. When someone’s missing pet pig shows up at her doorstep, it is the nudge Darcy needs to finally step out of her home. What follows is an interesting sequence of events that push Darcy, albeit reluctantly at first, to engage with the people in her community of Murbridge - a small town that seems to have changed quite a bit since she last lived there.
In turn humorous, insightful and heartwarming with themes of community, family and friendship and an interesting cast of characters, the story is told through Darcy’s first-person PoV with her email correspondence (drafts and sent emails) and the community board messages interspersed throughout the narrative. I took some time to warm up to Darcy but I eventually did find her to be an interesting character. I can see why many might feel put off by the elongated period of Darcy’s exile and her attitude in general. She does come across as immature, self –absorbed and a tad selfish in the first part of this book but I believe it all boils down to the fact that everyone is different as are the ways different people cope with life-altering situations. After the initial 30% of the novel, the story picks up the pace and we follow Darcy as she gradually emerges from her shell and starts to pick up the pieces, effecting change in the way she perceives her own situation and the world in general. Her efforts aren’t always successful and there are quite a few bumps in the road, but her social awkwardness, her worldview (Darcy’s take on the National Geographic articles she reads made for some interesting reading!.) and her quirks make for some entertaining reading. I loved reading the messages on the community board and enjoyed meeting the different members of the community (even the unlikeable ones!). Overall, I found Community Board by Tara Conklin to be an entertaining read full of humor and heart.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
October 22, 2024
My first thoughts: Very on the fence about this one. It was very unique but also a bit weird. Full review to come.
Upon further thought, I did enjoy this novel. It's easy to read and funny. The MC is highly creative, and although a bit trepidatious at first, she does what is needed to accomplish her goals. Throughout, readers get an inside look at the community board, which, I guess, is something like Craigslist. We learn about the community's characters: some are hostile (like the one who doesn't like his neighbors using his trash bins for dog droppings), and some are funny and out of their minds at the same time too (like the neighbor who still communicates her toddlers' ages in months, even though they are years old).
So, while this book is a bit quirky, I thought it was fun. I did not rate it higher because it reads a little slow and sometimes didn't hold my attention. But it is a cute and easy read.
Upon further thought, I did enjoy this novel. It's easy to read and funny. The MC is highly creative, and although a bit trepidatious at first, she does what is needed to accomplish her goals. Throughout, readers get an inside look at the community board, which, I guess, is something like Craigslist. We learn about the community's characters: some are hostile (like the one who doesn't like his neighbors using his trash bins for dog droppings), and some are funny and out of their minds at the same time too (like the neighbor who still communicates her toddlers' ages in months, even though they are years old).
So, while this book is a bit quirky, I thought it was fun. I did not rate it higher because it reads a little slow and sometimes didn't hold my attention. But it is a cute and easy read.
March 25, 2023
Community Board is a quirky read and I enjoyed the offbeat humor at times. But my interest level in the main character and story took a nosedive in the second half. (It's worth mentioning, many reviewers think that's when the story really hits its stride.) Regardless, I'm appreciative of certain aspects even if I didn't love the book as a whole.
Darcy is married but her husband has left her for another woman. Trying to wrap her head around that life-altering news, she goes back to her hometown of Murbridge, Massachusetts.
From the get go I felt bad for Darcy and my mind was blown that the people in her life like her family and friends were kinda brushing her off. After awhile though it becomes apparent she's a hot mess and in general there's this over the top, outlandish vibe going on with the story. Once I realized that I was able to roll with it. Or at least for half of the book.
My issue came when more characters were thrown into the mix. While yes there is some heart to the writing, when you are already mentally checked out from the story, the good bits aren't going to make a big impact.
Credit to the author for showing a woman struggling with her marriage breaking up in a unique way. That's no easy feat as it's a fairly common subject explored in fiction.
Thank you to Mariner Books for sending me an advance copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
Darcy is married but her husband has left her for another woman. Trying to wrap her head around that life-altering news, she goes back to her hometown of Murbridge, Massachusetts.
From the get go I felt bad for Darcy and my mind was blown that the people in her life like her family and friends were kinda brushing her off. After awhile though it becomes apparent she's a hot mess and in general there's this over the top, outlandish vibe going on with the story. Once I realized that I was able to roll with it. Or at least for half of the book.
My issue came when more characters were thrown into the mix. While yes there is some heart to the writing, when you are already mentally checked out from the story, the good bits aren't going to make a big impact.
Credit to the author for showing a woman struggling with her marriage breaking up in a unique way. That's no easy feat as it's a fairly common subject explored in fiction.
Thank you to Mariner Books for sending me an advance copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
May 7, 2023
Thank you to the author Tara Conklin, publishers Mariner Books, and as always NetGalley, for an advance digital copy of COMMUNITY BOARD.
Darcy Clipper experiences a big breakup at the devestating age of 30, so she returns home, to Murbridge, to the place that has to take her in and always remain familiar. Only when she gets there, of course, things have changed. For one thing, the community board has moved online, and now she spends all her time reading about her neighbors' complaints and requests. Should she get involved? Could she help? She begins to see opportunity for her own fulfillment mixed in with the posts.
The town, Murbridge, Massachusetts, is full of wacky and charming characters who have nothing better to do than harangue each other on the online community board. And yet they pull together when they need to, I mean, when can I move there? In a way, the town is the main character.
The protagonist Darcy is the type I call the "delightful mess." She's heavily flawed, sometimes obnoxiously so, but sometimes those flaws wind up working out in her favor. She has minor conflicts with several other equally quirky residents of the towns in order to resolve the book's primary concern, which she discovers, of course, on the community board.
Speaking of conflict, the plot is a little flat. The story is exciting enough, but it's carried by all the individual characters' stories stirring things up.
Flat spots notwithstanding, this book is a sweet, cheerful little caper that made me appreciate small town life even though I know how annoying it can be💖
Rating: 📌📌📌.5 / 5 thumb tacks
Recommend? Yes
Finished: April 4 2023
Read this if you like:
💜 Elery Adams
🔎 Cozy mysteries
🏘 Small towns
🌄 Redemption stories
Darcy Clipper experiences a big breakup at the devestating age of 30, so she returns home, to Murbridge, to the place that has to take her in and always remain familiar. Only when she gets there, of course, things have changed. For one thing, the community board has moved online, and now she spends all her time reading about her neighbors' complaints and requests. Should she get involved? Could she help? She begins to see opportunity for her own fulfillment mixed in with the posts.
The town, Murbridge, Massachusetts, is full of wacky and charming characters who have nothing better to do than harangue each other on the online community board. And yet they pull together when they need to, I mean, when can I move there? In a way, the town is the main character.
The protagonist Darcy is the type I call the "delightful mess." She's heavily flawed, sometimes obnoxiously so, but sometimes those flaws wind up working out in her favor. She has minor conflicts with several other equally quirky residents of the towns in order to resolve the book's primary concern, which she discovers, of course, on the community board.
Speaking of conflict, the plot is a little flat. The story is exciting enough, but it's carried by all the individual characters' stories stirring things up.
Flat spots notwithstanding, this book is a sweet, cheerful little caper that made me appreciate small town life even though I know how annoying it can be💖
Rating: 📌📌📌.5 / 5 thumb tacks
Recommend? Yes
Finished: April 4 2023
Read this if you like:
💜 Elery Adams
🔎 Cozy mysteries
🏘 Small towns
🌄 Redemption stories
November 17, 2022
Oof, I had high hopes for this based on the title and premise, but it REALLY missed the mark for me. Darcy's husband announces he's leaving her, so she goes to her childhood home in Murbridge, Massachusetts to regroup - but ends up becoming a recluse, subsisting on her parents' oversupply of canned food and entertaining herself by reading the neighborhood online community board. And then... a whole lot of nothing happens. Darcy wallows for the majority of the book, and the stream-of-consciousness writing style made the conversations a bit hard to follow. I wanted to give up about a quarter of the way in, but reviews said it picked up; unfortunately, it really didn't. Darcy's dysfunction was really frustrating, and the narrative wasn't helped by the inclusion of dozens of National Geographic articles she was reading in her boredom, which I eventually started skimming over. The small town drama was interesting, and I wish the book had focused more on that / the community board for which the novel is titled, but Darcy was pathetic and frustrating and even the ending wasn't at all satisfying. My biggest regret is that I kept reading rather than giving up when I realized this wasn't my cup of tea.
April 13, 2023
It was meh. It was kind of hokey imo
April 2, 2023
DNF @ 26%. I picked this book up because I represented community associations for years and I thought this book might humorously convey some of the craziness that takes place in insular communities.
As harsh as it sounds, I’m not sure why this is a story worth telling. I read 100 pages that solely consisted of the unrelatable, whiny stream of consciousness of a privileged, codependent 29 year old child. The character has almost no dialogue with other characters. This wasn’t quirky or funny. It was straight up boring. And I would very much like to know why there are no quotation marks in this book.
As harsh as it sounds, I’m not sure why this is a story worth telling. I read 100 pages that solely consisted of the unrelatable, whiny stream of consciousness of a privileged, codependent 29 year old child. The character has almost no dialogue with other characters. This wasn’t quirky or funny. It was straight up boring. And I would very much like to know why there are no quotation marks in this book.
April 6, 2023
In Community Board Darcy returns to her hometown of Murbridge after her life implodes — She’s been dumped by her husband then loses her job. When she arrives, she finds her parents have taken off to give life a shot out in Arizona. Darcy spends a lot of time isolated in the house, consuming canned food, and wondering where to go from here.
Murbridge has changed since Darcy was last here, and the community message board is a constant flurry of activity — Monthly board meetings and maintenance reminders, babysitting inquiries, pet owner accusations and lost pets, mysterious messages to “Darling”, and more. Darcy engages with some of these posts, allowing her to connect with others in Murbridge.
Community Board started off as an amusing story but lost steam. While I could sympathize with the heartbreak and upending of her life, I found Darcy quite immature for a woman approaching 30 years old. I thought the community message board posts were entertaining but as a whole I hoped to enjoy the book more than I did.
Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for providing an advance reader copy of Community Board in exchange for an honest review.
Murbridge has changed since Darcy was last here, and the community message board is a constant flurry of activity — Monthly board meetings and maintenance reminders, babysitting inquiries, pet owner accusations and lost pets, mysterious messages to “Darling”, and more. Darcy engages with some of these posts, allowing her to connect with others in Murbridge.
Community Board started off as an amusing story but lost steam. While I could sympathize with the heartbreak and upending of her life, I found Darcy quite immature for a woman approaching 30 years old. I thought the community message board posts were entertaining but as a whole I hoped to enjoy the book more than I did.
Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for providing an advance reader copy of Community Board in exchange for an honest review.
May 25, 2023
Generally when I hear the term “quirky” my brain goes to one place and one place only . . . .
But there’s really no other way to describe Tara Conklin’s style (she is, after all, the person who wrote a romance about falling for a ghost).
This time around we get a “maybe you can go home again” story. After Darcy’s husband leaves her for a skydiving instructor and she’s put on sabbatical from her job, she decides to return to the comfort of her familial home in Murbridge, MA to lick her wounds. When she arrives, however, she finds she is not greeted by her parents’ loving embrace, but instead an empty house while said parentals try out retirement life in Arizona for a year. She does find a stockpile of Chef Boyardee that could get the entire fam through a zombie apocalypse and a seriously quality WiFi connection where she can peruse the “Community Board” while fully leaning in to her new hermit lifestyle, though.
Told via Darcy, the aforementioned community message board, draft emails and texts, this is a story about moving on, adapting to change and finding your people. It won’t be for everyone, because like I said . . . . quirky, but I like originality and Conklin delivers in that respect. 3.5 Stars and rounded down because at only 250 pages this one had a bit of drag in the flow. Don't let the low rating steer you away - I assume it's mainly because most people gave it threes rather than ones.
But there’s really no other way to describe Tara Conklin’s style (she is, after all, the person who wrote a romance about falling for a ghost).
This time around we get a “maybe you can go home again” story. After Darcy’s husband leaves her for a skydiving instructor and she’s put on sabbatical from her job, she decides to return to the comfort of her familial home in Murbridge, MA to lick her wounds. When she arrives, however, she finds she is not greeted by her parents’ loving embrace, but instead an empty house while said parentals try out retirement life in Arizona for a year. She does find a stockpile of Chef Boyardee that could get the entire fam through a zombie apocalypse and a seriously quality WiFi connection where she can peruse the “Community Board” while fully leaning in to her new hermit lifestyle, though.
Told via Darcy, the aforementioned community message board, draft emails and texts, this is a story about moving on, adapting to change and finding your people. It won’t be for everyone, because like I said . . . . quirky, but I like originality and Conklin delivers in that respect. 3.5 Stars and rounded down because at only 250 pages this one had a bit of drag in the flow. Don't let the low rating steer you away - I assume it's mainly because most people gave it threes rather than ones.
March 18, 2023
3.5 stars
I read Tara Conklin’s previous novel The Last Romantics and absolutely loved it! That book was so well-written, with characters that were memorable albeit not always likable, an emotional story arc, and a plot that unfolded slowly but still had a good balance of surprising moments that felt both poignant and genuine. Given the above, it should come as no surprise that, as soon as I found out Conklin would have a new book out this month, I jumped at the chance to read it. While there were aspects of her new novel, Community Board that appreciated and even enjoyed, I didn’t really take to the book overall as much as I did her previous one. Perhaps my expectations were too high going into this one, which I thought would be in the same vein as The Last Romantics , but of course, turned out to be entirely different.
The story revolves around main protagonist Darcy Clipper, who, driven by the heartbreak of her husband leaving her for another woman, returns to the small town of Murbridge, Massachusetts where she grew up. Expecting to be consoled by her parents, she is disappointed to find that they had left on a trip to Arizona without telling her. Darcy then shuts herself inside her childhood home in a self-imposed period of isolation where she shuns all contact with the outside world and subsists primarily on a diet of Chef Boyardee and chickpeas. During this solitary period, Darcy spends most of her time alternately feeling sorry for herself, blaming her friends and family for abandoning her, and reading decades-old issues of National Geographic magazine cover-to-cover. Her only contact with the outside world, for the most part, is through the community board where the residents of Murbridge post various updates and messages related to their little town. After a few months, Darcy starts to run out of food and, not wanting to ask her parents for money (because she is still mad at them for not being there to take care of her), she has to find a way to make money, which finally forces her to venture out of the house. She ends up working for a guy named Marcus Dash-Lagrand, who had just moved into Murbridge with his husband Dan and their 3 sons, and through increased interactions with the family (as well as a handful of others), she slowly emerges from her shell and, more importantly, learns that she can indeed survive on her own.
The format of the story consists of mostly a third-person narrative interspersed with Darcy’s emails (ones that she drafts but never sends out and ones that she actually does send) and posts from the Murbridge community board. I thought this format was interesting and effective — I especially enjoyed the community board posts, which I recognized as being similar to the quirky stuff I typically see on my local neighborhood’s community board. I also liked the humor that permeated much of the story line — sure, some of it was cynical and raunchy and borderline outlandish at times, but for some reason, it worked in this instance (which is saying something because I usually prefer more subtle humor — “slapstick”-type humor is generally a hit or miss for me).
With all that said, what didn’t work for me was Darcy’s self-imposed isolation and self-absorbed pity party taking up nearly half of the story. I’m not opposed to characters having to work out their feelings after facing a difficult situation, but the setup here was a bit too excessive in my opinion. Darcy essentially spends the first half of the story revisiting over and over again everything that is wrong with her life; alternating between blaming her husband (for having an affair), her friends (for abandoning her), and her parents (for coddling her and doing too much for her); and depriving herself of proper sleep, nutrition, and hygiene. At first, I did feel sorry for Darcy, but after having to spend page after page (after page after page) absorbed in her complaints, I started getting increasingly annoyed and frustrated. Luckily, in the second half of the story, Darcy finally ventures out and allows herself to interact with people in the community, which is when things actually started to get interesting.
Overall, I would say that, while I don’t regret reading this one, I wish I hadn’t gone into it with such high expectations. Definitely lesson learned!
Received ARC from Mariner Books via NetGalley.
March 22, 2023
Thank you NetGalley, Book Club Girl, and Mariner Books for the copy of Community Board by Tara Conklin. While I loved the postings from the community group, everything else was flat for me. A story about a 29 year old woman who can’t take care of herself is not my cup of tea, so I guess I am not the right reader for this book. Darcy was so helpless emotionally and physically it was insulting. If you’re looking for a light-hearted story about the trial and tribulations of a newly single woman you might really like this. It just wasn't for me.
May 5, 2023
Tough book to read without any quotation marks for dialogue.
May 14, 2023
4.5/5
I really have no idea why more readers haven't loved Community Board by Tara Conklin because I was here for it. I loved that there was a unified voice (Darcy) as well as nonstop messages from the community board. The community posts cracked me up and I definitely got Nextdoor vibes from this book since I have seen and had interactions on that app myself. While Darcy isn't the most mature character on the planet for her age, I actually ended up being a big fan of her and I did like that she seemed to mature over the course of the story. Being 37 myself and still rarely acting as the adult I am, I felt really bonded to this type of MC and I found her to be absolutely hilarious too.
Kristen Sieh has a commendable performance as the narrator for the audiobook and I am not even kidding when I tell you I could just listen to it over and over again. I think listening to Sieh is part of the reason I ended up loving Darcy so much despite her flaws, and I mean, everyone has flaws right? There are also a ton of secondary characters that I absolutely adored, and I wish that this was going to be a series instead of a standalone. The end also managed to make me shed a few tears, but the majority of the novel was rather light and 100% funny which was perfect for me when I listened to it. I would recommend Community Board if you appreciate characters with flaws and want something generally light-hearted that will make you laugh. Besides Darcy and the dash of mystery, this felt like reading a bunch of posts in my community Nextdoor, and I would recommend also checking out the Barnes and Noble special edition if you loved it as much as I did. 😉
I really have no idea why more readers haven't loved Community Board by Tara Conklin because I was here for it. I loved that there was a unified voice (Darcy) as well as nonstop messages from the community board. The community posts cracked me up and I definitely got Nextdoor vibes from this book since I have seen and had interactions on that app myself. While Darcy isn't the most mature character on the planet for her age, I actually ended up being a big fan of her and I did like that she seemed to mature over the course of the story. Being 37 myself and still rarely acting as the adult I am, I felt really bonded to this type of MC and I found her to be absolutely hilarious too.
Kristen Sieh has a commendable performance as the narrator for the audiobook and I am not even kidding when I tell you I could just listen to it over and over again. I think listening to Sieh is part of the reason I ended up loving Darcy so much despite her flaws, and I mean, everyone has flaws right? There are also a ton of secondary characters that I absolutely adored, and I wish that this was going to be a series instead of a standalone. The end also managed to make me shed a few tears, but the majority of the novel was rather light and 100% funny which was perfect for me when I listened to it. I would recommend Community Board if you appreciate characters with flaws and want something generally light-hearted that will make you laugh. Besides Darcy and the dash of mystery, this felt like reading a bunch of posts in my community Nextdoor, and I would recommend also checking out the Barnes and Noble special edition if you loved it as much as I did. 😉
January 23, 2023
I dunno, I mean... it was alright? I'm a sucker for character-driven stories, but I found Darcy to be incredibly difficult; despite her (limited) personal growth over the course of the book, at no point could I ever really summon the energy to root for her. Also, the plot was just bone-dry boring. There was a quirkiness to the narrative and the events being told that I think plenty of readers will connect with and identify as humourous, but it read as very inauthentic and try-hard to me, and it made it hard to tell whether Tara Conklin was actually celebrating the notion of community (which I think was the intention) or just parodying it and picking it apart.
March 21, 2023
first appeared: https://saschadarlington.me/2023/03/2...
I am probably (read: undoubtedly) an unconventional book blogger (in many respects). Like a good book blogger, I create a calendar of my upcoming reads along with the organization providing the ARC. And then I read–mostly–by chronological publishing date without regard to genre, author, etc., unless I’m really down and need a book-pill pick-me-up. There are times when I begin reading and don’t know what I am reading. Sometimes I’ll check the blurb, but other times, as was the case of Community Board by Tara Conklin, I will continue reading because it is so good that I just don’t care what it’s about. Which is kind of strange as I write it, but if you love books and stories and exciting voices, you probably won’t find it strange at all.
Community Board begins with Darcy Clipper, an actuarial analyst, being dumped by her husband Skip for skydiving instructor Bianca. Darcy, who is a mess because she was totally blind-sided, is given a seeming sabbatical from her job and returns to the loving home of her parents. Who are not there. The house is empty and she discovers that they are in Arizona and considering making it permanent. For weeks, Darcy lives on canned foods, chick peas straight from the can and Chef-Boy-R-Dee while reading the messages on the Community Board. Step-by-step, Darcy emerges from the doldrums, still battling anxiety, but discovering unexpected joys in a town she thought she knew.
This book is a delight. If I hadn’t been so hungry for such a delicious read, I might not have been so greedy, devouring it so quickly. (Too much food metaphor?) 😉
One element I very much appreciated was Conklin’s sense-of-humor–and sarcasm–that elevated Community Board from the typical literary/women’s fiction that frequently takes itself too seriously (albeit with good reason? I don’t know. We’ll think about that). Darcy is self-deprecating and kind and eccentric and loveable, although at the beginning I wondered exactly what kind of almost 30-year-old would pout and not speak to her parents. But if you start reading Community Board, don’t take that to heart. Take Darcy to heart.
While there is whimsy and magic and good heartedness in this novel, there are also blips of information. Pablo Nerudo. Marco Polo. What makes a democracy work–which should never be a divisive topic. And there’s a little interaction with a magic mushroom upon which the town of Murbridge was founded. Fascinating stuff.
So. I loved Community Board. I loved picking it up again and again and getting involved with Darcy and the folks of Murbridge. I loved the information, the moments of pause. And, I loved the fact that it made me so happy. A genuinely enjoyable read.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I am probably (read: undoubtedly) an unconventional book blogger (in many respects). Like a good book blogger, I create a calendar of my upcoming reads along with the organization providing the ARC. And then I read–mostly–by chronological publishing date without regard to genre, author, etc., unless I’m really down and need a book-pill pick-me-up. There are times when I begin reading and don’t know what I am reading. Sometimes I’ll check the blurb, but other times, as was the case of Community Board by Tara Conklin, I will continue reading because it is so good that I just don’t care what it’s about. Which is kind of strange as I write it, but if you love books and stories and exciting voices, you probably won’t find it strange at all.
Community Board begins with Darcy Clipper, an actuarial analyst, being dumped by her husband Skip for skydiving instructor Bianca. Darcy, who is a mess because she was totally blind-sided, is given a seeming sabbatical from her job and returns to the loving home of her parents. Who are not there. The house is empty and she discovers that they are in Arizona and considering making it permanent. For weeks, Darcy lives on canned foods, chick peas straight from the can and Chef-Boy-R-Dee while reading the messages on the Community Board. Step-by-step, Darcy emerges from the doldrums, still battling anxiety, but discovering unexpected joys in a town she thought she knew.
This book is a delight. If I hadn’t been so hungry for such a delicious read, I might not have been so greedy, devouring it so quickly. (Too much food metaphor?) 😉
One element I very much appreciated was Conklin’s sense-of-humor–and sarcasm–that elevated Community Board from the typical literary/women’s fiction that frequently takes itself too seriously (albeit with good reason? I don’t know. We’ll think about that). Darcy is self-deprecating and kind and eccentric and loveable, although at the beginning I wondered exactly what kind of almost 30-year-old would pout and not speak to her parents. But if you start reading Community Board, don’t take that to heart. Take Darcy to heart.
While there is whimsy and magic and good heartedness in this novel, there are also blips of information. Pablo Nerudo. Marco Polo. What makes a democracy work–which should never be a divisive topic. And there’s a little interaction with a magic mushroom upon which the town of Murbridge was founded. Fascinating stuff.
So. I loved Community Board. I loved picking it up again and again and getting involved with Darcy and the folks of Murbridge. I loved the information, the moments of pause. And, I loved the fact that it made me so happy. A genuinely enjoyable read.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 7, 2023
This had promise for sure, loved the charming small town setting. But OMG the main character was one of the most irritating people to me. And it’s written from her perspective. Bummer because I think this could’ve been executed much better, and I think the story would’ve been better had it centered around a different characters perspective.
April 11, 2023
Well, this book was definitely one of the more unique contemporary novels that I've read recently...if ever! In this character driven novel, we meet Darcy, right as her husband Skip is leaving her for another woman. It's nothing personal, k byeeee he offers as he hops into his mistresses car and drives off into the sunset, leaving Darcy shocked and alone.
She turns to the two people that have supported her and lifted her up for her entire life, Mom and Daddy, only to show up to her childhood home with her tail tucked between her legs, ready to let her parents make it all better, only....well, it's just the small matter of them having picked up and moved to Arizona without a word. Curses! What does a girl have to do to get some shoulders to lean on around here?!
So starts the beginning of Darcy's journey of solitude and canned food. She wants nothing to do with people, be they husbands, mistresses, parents, neighbors, exboyfriend's parents, policemen, nada. Just her and her cans and her black bedroom walls until the end of time...or until her self-imposed solitude starts making her mental walls come crashing down or she just eventually loses her mind, whichever comes first. There is also the matter of her dwindling can collection, her eventual need for funds in order to feed herself, and the fact that she's been talking to her old fern that doesn't even reside in the house anymore, and that can't be a good sign, now can it? And so, Darcy ventures out into the world again...
So, if you can't tell yet, this book was ridiculous and really funny at times. Darcy cracks me up just as much as I want to shake her, but I loved it. I don't mind a good character driven novel, and the fact that there are no quotation marks to signify conversation really just puts us more in Darcy's shoes and makes all other characters seem like a secondary part in Darcyland. I enjoyed reading for the most part, but this novel draaaaaaagggggged quite a bit for me. It look me much longer to finish than it should have because I had to keep putting it down, un-boreding myself, and then finally picking it backup again.
LOVED the emails from the Mom, Darcy's inner musings were hilarious and cracked me up, and I adored Marcus, Omar, and Franny. The abrupt ending didn't seem to have any point at all, unless that was an error with the uncorrected copy that I received. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!
She turns to the two people that have supported her and lifted her up for her entire life, Mom and Daddy, only to show up to her childhood home with her tail tucked between her legs, ready to let her parents make it all better, only....well, it's just the small matter of them having picked up and moved to Arizona without a word. Curses! What does a girl have to do to get some shoulders to lean on around here?!
So starts the beginning of Darcy's journey of solitude and canned food. She wants nothing to do with people, be they husbands, mistresses, parents, neighbors, exboyfriend's parents, policemen, nada. Just her and her cans and her black bedroom walls until the end of time...or until her self-imposed solitude starts making her mental walls come crashing down or she just eventually loses her mind, whichever comes first. There is also the matter of her dwindling can collection, her eventual need for funds in order to feed herself, and the fact that she's been talking to her old fern that doesn't even reside in the house anymore, and that can't be a good sign, now can it? And so, Darcy ventures out into the world again...
So, if you can't tell yet, this book was ridiculous and really funny at times. Darcy cracks me up just as much as I want to shake her, but I loved it. I don't mind a good character driven novel, and the fact that there are no quotation marks to signify conversation really just puts us more in Darcy's shoes and makes all other characters seem like a secondary part in Darcyland. I enjoyed reading for the most part, but this novel draaaaaaagggggged quite a bit for me. It look me much longer to finish than it should have because I had to keep putting it down, un-boreding myself, and then finally picking it backup again.
LOVED the emails from the Mom, Darcy's inner musings were hilarious and cracked me up, and I adored Marcus, Omar, and Franny. The abrupt ending didn't seem to have any point at all, unless that was an error with the uncorrected copy that I received. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!
July 31, 2023
This little book about nothing, about the minutiae of life, was exactly what I needed. Fabulous audio with a narrator who pulled you into the story, got you a plate of blondies and kept you listening. Not quite crying at the end, but definitely a couple gulps as the emo hit.
April 3, 2023
Perhaps this was supposed to be two separate books. Perhaps three. It reads as if it were scotch-taped together, not edited. For me, none of the characters were realistic to me. The story was second-rate. Perhaps this was written before this author wrote a better book? It’s a mystery to me that it was published.
April 3, 2023
Unfortunately, this book was a miss for me. I didn’t care for the humor and I struggled with the main character, Darcy. I’m sympathetic to her situation but her helplessness and immaturity was getting on my nerves. Yes, she eventually grows and learns some valuable life lessons but I think the people around her gave her way too much grace. Also, she refers to her father as daddy which I personally think is weird to do when you’re an adult. It does get better towards the end and I was able to tolerate Darcy more but overall, I did not jive with the humor and quirkiness of this book.
July 3, 2023
Community BOARD
Tara Conklin
Well, 29-year-old Darcy's husband has fallen in love with someone else and asked for a divorce. She is stunned and devastated... she takes time off from her job and then loses her job. She goes home but her parents are not there.. the whole thing is just a bit crazy and ridiculous.
I will say that it was entertaining and I did smile a couple of times. I won't say it was a great book, but it wasn't a terrible one either. I think it supports the idea that 18 to 26 is now labeled "emerging adulthood".
3 stars
Happy Reading!
Tara Conklin
Well, 29-year-old Darcy's husband has fallen in love with someone else and asked for a divorce. She is stunned and devastated... she takes time off from her job and then loses her job. She goes home but her parents are not there.. the whole thing is just a bit crazy and ridiculous.
I will say that it was entertaining and I did smile a couple of times. I won't say it was a great book, but it wasn't a terrible one either. I think it supports the idea that 18 to 26 is now labeled "emerging adulthood".
3 stars
Happy Reading!
June 1, 2023
DNF’d halfway through. Could not get a handle on the protagonist. Plus it was suuuuuuper slow to get off the ground. Also, I’m so completely tired of the assumption that if you’re not a raging liberal and you just might be a conservative, that you must be a racist bigot. Get some new material, please. I’m so tired of the funny, enlightened, self-important characters who deign to live among us.
May 1, 2023
COMMUNITY BOARD
By: Tara Conklin
💀
Ahh the lure of "bookstagram." This one was all over it seems, & when it arrived free from the Libby app, I dove in. The start was slow for me, but it did pick up once Darcy left the house!
💀
The "community board" messages were somewhat entertaining & reminded me of those in our "next door" app. But, Darcy's entire existence was lackluster.
💀
On a positive note, I will say that this was a very fast read & that it would make a great companion for the beach. It is light & fluffy & mildly engaging.
💀💀
By: Tara Conklin
💀
Ahh the lure of "bookstagram." This one was all over it seems, & when it arrived free from the Libby app, I dove in. The start was slow for me, but it did pick up once Darcy left the house!
💀
The "community board" messages were somewhat entertaining & reminded me of those in our "next door" app. But, Darcy's entire existence was lackluster.
💀
On a positive note, I will say that this was a very fast read & that it would make a great companion for the beach. It is light & fluffy & mildly engaging.
💀💀
October 27, 2023
Heartwarming & quirky.
April 26, 2023
I received an advanced copy of Tara Conklin's novel, Community Board. Had I seen this book in a bookstore, the title would not have drawn me in.
The novel starts off on a philosophical note about how the end of something can occur without warning. In this case, "the end" is the marriage between Darcy Clipper and her husband, Skip.
Apparently, Darcy, the lead character, has no life or identity outside her work and her husband. She is completely shattered that Skip has found someone else. Her friends treat her differently. Even her parents let her down. Eventually, she loses her job while on a sabbatical.
While all this sounds bleak, it is not. The situations Darcy gets mixed up in are nothing short of hilarious. I appreciated how serious topics were handled with great insight and humor.
The "community board" posts have elements of gossip, lost pets, and a mystery to be solved. Some of the novel is told in modern-day epistolary form using emails and internet posts on the community board. It definitely adds spice to the narrative.
There are so many elements in this novel I can relate to. I like Conklin's writing style.
Overall, I enjoyed the story. The weakest part of the novel was the title. In addition, I felt slightly misled by the intro thinking the novel was going to be more philosophical. Well, that was notion was quickly erased by the time I got to the second page.
Readers who enjoy happy endings will probably love this novel.
The novel starts off on a philosophical note about how the end of something can occur without warning. In this case, "the end" is the marriage between Darcy Clipper and her husband, Skip.
Apparently, Darcy, the lead character, has no life or identity outside her work and her husband. She is completely shattered that Skip has found someone else. Her friends treat her differently. Even her parents let her down. Eventually, she loses her job while on a sabbatical.
While all this sounds bleak, it is not. The situations Darcy gets mixed up in are nothing short of hilarious. I appreciated how serious topics were handled with great insight and humor.
The "community board" posts have elements of gossip, lost pets, and a mystery to be solved. Some of the novel is told in modern-day epistolary form using emails and internet posts on the community board. It definitely adds spice to the narrative.
There are so many elements in this novel I can relate to. I like Conklin's writing style.
Overall, I enjoyed the story. The weakest part of the novel was the title. In addition, I felt slightly misled by the intro thinking the novel was going to be more philosophical. Well, that was notion was quickly erased by the time I got to the second page.
Readers who enjoy happy endings will probably love this novel.
Read
December 28, 2023Catching up…
This is Darcy’s story, and it isn’t exactly pretty. Having been left by her husband, she retreats to a retirement community in Arizona where her only glimpse of the outside world is through an online community board.
And…
Although this is a pandemic novel at its heart, it doesn’t read overtly like one. Its acknowledgment of the necessity and messy complexity of community and expectation of relationships (even as it is safer to stay indoors) to maintain the safeness of bubbles back then, may feel more understandable now than it was when everything was at its height.
As readers…
We play witness to Darcy’s year of loneliness, self-isolation and fear of human interaction, which in many ways offers clear ideas to the pandemic mindset.
And…
I could certainly relate.
The author also gave readers the opportunity to see…
What was coming for Darcy and her community once 2020 dawned.
Having lived through it, and still processing it, does it make it easier, or not?
Or…
Even make this book readable or not? That becomes the biggest questions of all. Some of us are still processing and recovering and living through this pandemic. Thus, it is better for me not to even rate this book.
April 24, 2023
Darcy Clipper has been abandoned by the world. She has no job, no husband, no friends, no parents, no giant fern named Fred. Not anymore. Everyone in her life has abandoned her, and not even with any particular vindictiveness. But more like a shrug. "Oh, well, we have better things to do." And so Darcy is alone, lonely, and depressed. Her only contact with the outside world is the community message board and a handsome police officer who came by to make sure she wasn't a squatter. But that's what Darcy wants, isn't it? To be alone, in the dark, and try to figure out where her life went wrong and whose fault it was?
But thanks to that community message board, some lost pets, an offbeat job offer, and a mushroom festival, Darcy might start figuring some things out. Who she is, and who really loves her, for starters. What she wants from life, and what she deserves.
This book was so truthful and so charming! It dealt very openly and honestly with depression, bigotry, censorship, but was quirky enough that it didn't come off as being dark or preachy.
But thanks to that community message board, some lost pets, an offbeat job offer, and a mushroom festival, Darcy might start figuring some things out. Who she is, and who really loves her, for starters. What she wants from life, and what she deserves.
This book was so truthful and so charming! It dealt very openly and honestly with depression, bigotry, censorship, but was quirky enough that it didn't come off as being dark or preachy.
Read
April 1, 2023An easy read that I powered through in one afternoon.
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