This is the first David Sedaris for me. I understand that these stories have previously been published except for one, so I can see how that would be disappointing for those who wanted more original stories to read. I listened to this which was a great idea since Sedaris reads the stories himself. The best story for me was Santaland Diaries. Such a fun and hilarious story of his experiences and observations working as an elf at Macy’s. The other stories we’re a mixed bag of fiction and not all having to do with Christmas. Many of the rest were dark humor and not for some who might easily be offended. It’s humor and some of it shock worthy. You’ll know what I mean if you read or listen to this.

So it might be a little cruel of me to review a book about Christmas when Christmas is off most of our radars, but, hey, there's still snow on the ground where I live so I'm allowing myself this review.

Like most people, I have often laughed at the strange humor David Sedaris illuminates in his past books, Naked being the funniest, IMO. When I was given a copy of HOLIDAYS ON ICE I knew what I was about to get into, so it sat on my shelves for a few months. On a whim, I plucked it from the mass of unread books of mine and flipped to the front page. There was an inscription: For Lindsay in Japan, Christmas 2000 Love, Mom and Dad. For some reason I found this hilarious. I guess I never saw HOLIDAYS ON ICE as a book to give someone for Christmas; it is the type of book that is better gotten at a used bookstore or through a Secret Santa that is the workplace scrooge. Giving this to a loved one thousands of miles away struck a chord with me.

I proceeded to read The SantaLand Diaries and almost fell off my chair a few times because I was laughing so hard. Water came out my nose once. I think we've all been in a situation during the holidays were we needed some extra cash. I've had the pleasure of working three or four holiday jobs, mostly at warehouses or with UPS. I've never thought about becoming one of the unlucky ones to actually work as a department store Santa or as one of his minions. And after reading this humorous essay, I am inclined to say that I am going to push this opportunity onto my children when they come of age. Not because I don't love them, I do. I just want them to experience what it is like to work this type of job.

The other really good essay is Season's Greetings to Our Friends and Family!!! Sedaris nails the parody of Christmas newsletters perfectly. I would love to receive a letter like this one. Instead, I will most likely continue to receive the banal information of my friends and family: Little Billy is doing this; we redecorated our pantry; Joe sure likes college. I want something more. I want: Helen has finally beaten her meth addiction; Gary finally decided to start paying that overdue child support. I want real life. I want the details of what the year was really like. If I wanted Hallmark, I’d buy a card.

Sure these essays and stories are misanthropic and sometimes course, filled with crude humor and bleak holiday cheer, but they are funny. And funny is never out of season.

Oh, by the way, Lindsay, who was in Japan in 2000, if you’re on GR, Merry Christmas!

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After reading the first short story, I thought this was going to be a delightful book. "SantaLand Diaries," after all, had me rolling down the isle of the plane on which I was reading it... Okay, I was just giggling constantly with frequent bursts of loud laugher interspersed. No rolling, but still very humiliating on the whole. At any rate, I came home in a dither to read the other stories as well. Ugh. Appalling. Not a single chuckle among them. Worse, they were gross, often offensive (and I don't get offended!), and even horrific at times. It was beyond black humor, to just being black... dark, dismal, disgusting. No humor there. I was most sincerely disappointed.

The only other story that had even the slightest bit of resonance was "Dinah, The Christmas Whore," and that was likely because it was also written from a personal experience. Sedaris, in this girl's opinion, should stay very far away from writing fiction. Can you say "smug?" That's what I kept feeling about the author when suffering through the fiction stories. I gave this two stars only for "Santaland Diaries" - otherwise it'd be a solid one (for lack of a worse ranking).

A new tradition created this year to get me through the holidays! Amazing.