GenX Book Club: The Celebrants by Steven Rowley

The GenX Book Club is back! Paul, Del, and Suzanne reunite to discuss The Celebrants — a touching, funny, and deeply relatable novel about lifelong friendship, midlife rediscovery, and the pact to celebrate each other before it's too late.

In this episode, the crew dives into the book's themes of connection, mortality, and resilience — and why it feels especially relevant to Generation X. Along the way, they share laughs, personal stories, and a few tangents (including Paul's triumphant Marine Corps Marathon finish 🏅).

📚 About the Book:
After the sudden death of a college friend, five classmates make a pact: whenever one of them feels lost, the others will gather for a "living funeral" to remind them how much their life still matters. Years later, as they hit their 50s, the group reunites again — proving that it's never too late to reconnect, forgive, and start over.

💬 In This Episode:

• The unique premise of "living funerals" — and why it hit home for Gen X

• What the book says about friendship and second chances

• Our favorite scenes (no major spoilers!)

• The power of celebrating people while they're still here

• How The Celebrants could make a perfect Netflix series

• A few side trips: marathons, reunions, and even Ouija boards 👻

 

More from the GenX Book Club Crew

📖 Suzanne Mattaboni (Author of Once in a Lifetime)
🔹 Get her book anywhere books are sold, including Kindle Unlimited and onceinalifetimenovel.com
🔹 Visit her at suzannemattaboni.com
🔹 Follow Suzanne:

• 📷 Instagram: @suzannemattaboni80s
• 🐦 X: @suzmattaboni
• 📘 Facebook: Suzanne Mattaboni

🎙️ Del Roehling (Host of 80s at 8 on 91.1 WEDM FM)
🔹 Tune in to 80s at 8 for all your favorite throwback tunes
🔹 Get your daily dose of '80s news on the 80s at 8 Facebook page

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💡 Connect with GenX Journeys

🌎 Website: GenXJourneys.net
📩 Email: [e-mail]
📺 YouTube: @GenXJourneys