A Very Scalzi Christmas - Scalzi
Audible performance with multiple narrators
3 stars

I’m a bit disappointed. I usually like Scalzi. This collection didn’t live up to my expectations given my previous experience. It was the perfect entertainment for errand running and most of the sketches made me laugh. But, even after only 3 hours of listening, I found the humor repetitive. I guess I just prefer Scalzi in a book length format. ( )

If you're looking for a humorous, seasonal book packed full of holiday comedy, you need to pick up A Very Scalzi Christmas by John Scalzi.

I am new to John Scalzi. I have been informed his writing is superb and he can be quite snarky, so of course I was in. To top it off, who doesn't want some Christmas cheer during a time like this?! Even if it is making fun of the whole holiday season! Honestly, this book was exactly what I needed in my life right now.

This collection holds fifteen short stories, poems and snippets that will leave you giggling and breathless. Here's just some of the lovely, little pieces of literature you'll come across (in no particular order):

1. An Interview With Santa's Lawyer - this one was by far the best of the bunch for me. Seeing this lawyer explain Santa's liabilities and how Rudolph screwed everything up had me chuckling the way no other book has managed. It's absolutely ridiculous while being funny at the exact same time. Santa's corporation, his billionaire coal master status, and the elves's union rights are just some of the wildly amusing topics brought up. Not gonna lie, I want an entire book just on this alone!

2. A Bitter November - I also thoroughly enjoyed watching the months go off at each other. Poor November is upset over December and it's shining glory. The personification in this little story could be used in a master class. I'm thoroughly impressed by John Scalzi's writing here, it's too good and too funny.

3. Christmas in July - this one had me guessing for a while what was going on. Why did Santa move Christmas up to July suddenly? We see a peek inside the government trying to figure out why there was a mass home invasion leaving everyone exactly what they wanted. The ending was quick, short and sweet, but I wanted just a little bit more out of it...

4. Interview with Santa's Reindeer Wrangler - the interviews are apparently the pieces of this collection that had me laughing the most. The conversations are so dumb funny and yet perfectly written. It's exactly what you're picture a reindeer wrangler complaining about if he had the job. Rudolph never existed and gave everyone a bad name, and the reindeer positions are actually jobs. It's a super witty take and I applaud John for the cool idea.

It's shocking this book has so many reviews and ratings, because I absolutely LOVED this book. Very rarely can I find a comedy book that keeps me interested the whole way through, and this one did just that. There's satire in here, pure comedy and so many great takes on holidays - and it's not just Christmas!

You don't need to celebrate Christmas to find joy in this book. Since it is so satirical, it's a great way to laugh at the holiday season in general and how ridiculous it can be. So, I highly recommend this book if you love or hate Christmas, if you love comedy and want a laugh, or if you just want a really well written book. Spice of your book shelf with this collection! Everyone will be able to find at least one story in this collection that will have them chuckling and chortling away.

Five out of five stars! ( )

If you're looking for a delightful and heart-warming collection of Christmas tales for the book lover in your life look no further than John Scalzi's A Very Scalzi Christmas. Filled with charming wit, this set of tales from Subterranean Press will have you thinking about the holiday season in a whole new light. You'll be providing the laugh track. In this collection you'll find:

Poor Cousin Chet.

November, who is quite depressed that everybody thinks Thanksgiving is the end of his month. He really deserves some proper respect for those forgotten days between Thanksgiving and December 1st.

Ten holiday specials that time forgot, but should be cherished like the Muppet Christmas Special with President Carter's National Security Advisor.

Interviews with Santa's lawyer, the Christmas Bunny (yes, it's a franchise ruled over by the Easter Bunny who seems like a lost member of the Corleone family), Santa's Reindeer Wrangler who has logistical difficulties with speed traps, and the Innkeeper at the Nativity.

Meet Jangle the Elf who is only trying to do what's right to fulfill Christmas wishes like swapping some PTA bake sale brownies around so a daughter's wish for her mother to be happy is granted in a perfectly practical fashion.

It wouldn't be a Christmas book without some of your favorite song titles like, "I Want a Colonoscopy for Christmas" and learning the true origins of Baby, It's Cold Outside.

Browse through the script notes on the birth of Jesus starring Ariana Grande and Charli XCX so that the story will be more marketable.

Amidst the humor there are heartfelt moments of spreading Christmas joy and kindness due to a scheduling change that brings us Christmas in July, a poetic lesson in learning that giving can be much more gratifying than receiving, and the poignant story of Sarah as her sister is brought into the world.

The book winds up with a helpful and pragmatic list of some New Year’s resolutions. Many of these have previously been published on Scalzi’s blog, but if you’ve not followed it or are looking for a few new tales only to be found here, then this is a stocking stuffer sure to please. ( )

This is a collection of short stories. A few of them are 5 star stories, especially 'An Interview with Santa's Reindeer Wrangler'. A few are 3 star stories and a few 4 star stories. It's a fun collection for Christmas, and there is one story which is very serious and heartwarming. If you like Christmas stories (and one poem) and if you enjoy John Scalzi's quirky and fun writing, this is a no brainer. ( )

“A Very Scalzi Christmas” contains a series of holiday and Christmas-related short stories and sketches, and a poem. Written in an off-beat style, each of them captures some aspect of Christmas, although not in a traditional manner. The sketches are short, taking just a few minutes to read each one. Most of the sketches are high quality, although I skipped a few of them.

The book features interviews with characters related to Christmas, such as the trainer of Santa’s reindeer, Santa’s lawyer, and the month of November. My absolute favorite was the interview with the innkeeper at Bethlehem, which brought forth tears of laughter. The short story “Sarah’s Sister” also brought forth sentimental tears at the poignancy of the story. While these short sketches might seem comedic and off-beat, they manage to capture both the culture of Christmas and its true meaning. Readers will find this collection to be a fun stress-reliever at this busy time of year. At the same time, the true message of Christmas comes through loud and clear.

I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own. ( )