In Tuomas Kyro's Happy Days of the Grump, an 80-year-old man prepares himself for the end of his days while reflecting on his own life, his relationships, the state of the world today, smart phones, hard work, neighbors who borrow tools and never return them, and computers.

After a long and mostly happy life, The Grump has decided that it's time to write his will and build his own coffin. He doesn't cotton to those who sell coffins, It's just some wood and velvet; The Grump certainly doesn't need any special features on his, and he definitely doesn't want to have to pay for them. So he purchases what he needs to build his own and gets to work.

As he works, he finds old photos that bring back ancient childhood memories. His son visits, giving him much to be grumpy about, what with his son's interest in computers, his phone, and the GPS. That, and the fact that his favorite office supply store has closed and he has to drive much further to try to find ink just adds to his grumpiness about the current state of the world. A bad fall sends him to the hospital, where he has further time to reflect on his life and on the times he has found himself in.

A darkly comic novel, Happy Days of the Grump offers us a reminder of what life is really about. Although there are plenty of things out there to make us all grumpy, we still get to choose how we feel, how we live, and how we love. Although it can take a lot of patience to make it through all the grumping, this novel is a lovely reminder of all the things that take away our grumpiness every day. I didn't find this one laugh-out-loud funny, but I think it's because I relate a little too much to his complaints. I admit it--I'm a grump too! So this book has been a charming reminder to notice all the beautiful things in my life too.

Galleys for Happy Days of the Grump were provided by Bonnier Zaffre through NetGalley.com, with many thanks.