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annieb123's review against another edition
4.0
Originally published on my blog Nonstop Reader.
A Very Scalzi Christmas is a collection of 15 short pieces by John Scalzi. Due out 30th Nov 2019 from Subterranean Press, it's 144 pages and will be available in a signed limited hardback format. According to the author's website, there -will- be ebook and audio versions for sale at some point.
This is a mixed box. There are 3 short stories, a number of conversational blog type entries (some collected here from his online blog or other outlet), some freeform commentary, a couple of 'interviews' with important seasonal people (Santa's reindeed wrangler, and lawyer, specifically), and assorted other pieces. The book is pure Scalzi: snarky, humorous, surprising, poignant.
This would be an excellent selection for Scalzi fans. I personally am a fan of Scalzi's work, and more than half the book left me satisfied and entertained. What I enjoyed almost as much as the written content was the wonderful artwork by Natalie Metzger. She has a clean and whimsically wonky style which suits the writing very well. It reminds me a little bit of Rick Geary in some ways. Anyhow, it really works in the context of this book.
Four stars; an entertaining short read with lots of illustrations.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
A Very Scalzi Christmas is a collection of 15 short pieces by John Scalzi. Due out 30th Nov 2019 from Subterranean Press, it's 144 pages and will be available in a signed limited hardback format. According to the author's website, there -will- be ebook and audio versions for sale at some point.
This is a mixed box. There are 3 short stories, a number of conversational blog type entries (some collected here from his online blog or other outlet), some freeform commentary, a couple of 'interviews' with important seasonal people (Santa's reindeed wrangler, and lawyer, specifically), and assorted other pieces. The book is pure Scalzi: snarky, humorous, surprising, poignant.
This would be an excellent selection for Scalzi fans. I personally am a fan of Scalzi's work, and more than half the book left me satisfied and entertained. What I enjoyed almost as much as the written content was the wonderful artwork by Natalie Metzger. She has a clean and whimsically wonky style which suits the writing very well. It reminds me a little bit of Rick Geary in some ways. Anyhow, it really works in the context of this book.
Four stars; an entertaining short read with lots of illustrations.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
kitvaria_sarene's review against another edition
5.0
Quick and fun Christmas read!
I listened to this whole baking the first batch of Christmas cookies this year, and it kept me well entertained. It's a weird mix of short stories, funny (fake) Christmas facts, and interviews with all sorts of "Christmas people" like Santa's lawyer.
It had me smiling, snorting and even chuckling along a few times.
There's also one story (the author tells you in the foreword that he wrote one story especially to make his mother in law tear up, and if you could guess which one) that had me sniffling a bit, so it's not all only perfect good fun.
If you like your Christmas silly and a bit crazy, this is definitely Wörthpicking up!
I listened to this whole baking the first batch of Christmas cookies this year, and it kept me well entertained. It's a weird mix of short stories, funny (fake) Christmas facts, and interviews with all sorts of "Christmas people" like Santa's lawyer.
It had me smiling, snorting and even chuckling along a few times.
There's also one story (the author tells you in the foreword that he wrote one story especially to make his mother in law tear up, and if you could guess which one) that had me sniffling a bit, so it's not all only perfect good fun.
If you like your Christmas silly and a bit crazy, this is definitely Wörthpicking up!
henren's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
rdpulfer's review against another edition
4.0
This is a fun way to kick off the Christmas spirit . . . while Scalzi is best known for epic science fiction like "Old Man's War", he's also known for biting, often laugh-out-loud humor as seen in "Redshirts". "A Very Scalzi Christmas continues that tradition with interviews with the Christmas Bunny, a very blunt reindeer handler and the entire month of November. Most of the pieces are short, easy-to-read interviews interspersed with a few longer pieces that tug on the heart strings. This is by far one of my favorite Christmas reads this year - I just wish it was longer!
auntblh's review against another edition
4.0
I laughed out loud many times while listening to this. My favorite story was Interview with Santa's Reindeer Wrangler.
jenna_cross's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. Some of the stories were funny, some were interesting, some were silly, and the last one I didn’t enjoy. Good for the Christmas season for sure.
jasonfurman's review against another edition
3.0
Almost literally trifles, I started out listening to this short audiobook with my children but they tired of it so I ended up finishing it myself. This seems to be a collection of occasional pieces that Scalzi wrote on his blog (?) for various Christmases. Many of them are amusing, subjecting Christmas to a rational modern perspective (e.g., an interview with Santa's lawyer about the importance of liability protection or with the Christmas Bunny who bought the franchise with exclusive rights for Christmas from the Easter Bunny). Some are slightly longer stories (e.g., Christmas comes in July and the military gets to work figuring out why and whether it is a threat to the country). And at least one was a poem. I didn't like it as much as I liked the similarly funny, short and uneven [b:Miniatures: The Very Short Fiction of John Scalzi|31258177|Miniatures The Very Short Fiction of John Scalzi|John Scalzi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1471615154l/31258177._SY75_.jpg|51914336], but I would still re-up my comment from my review of that volume: "If there was another volume I would listen to it as well. "
metaphorsandmisc's review against another edition
4.0
If you want a stocking-stuffer guaranteed to produce roughly an hour or two of amusement and giggles for any of your family members, this book is for you. At just 144 pages, this is a quick read that will feel even quicker because you’re just enjoying it so much. Because this is a mini book, I think it’s fitting to give it just a mini-review, so here’s what you need to know:
John Scalzi has written a lot of humorous pieces about Christmas, and here, he has decided to gather them all in one place. Interspersed between the wacky and satirical narratives are “interviews” with Christmas-related figures, including Santa’s lawyer, Santa’s reindeer wrangler, the Christmas Bunny (a franchise of the same group that owns the Easter Bunny), and the nativity innkeeper, as well as some quick lists including “The 10 Least Successful Holiday Specials of All Time” and “A Personal Top 10 of Things That Are Not Titles to Christmas Songs and/or Lifetime Holiday Movies and Honestly I Don’t Understand Why.” Nothing is off-limits, and he lambastes both the religious and the commercial elements of the holiday season, creating a wickedly funny treat of a book that is just plain fun, without being too silly. Well, okay, sometimes it’s pretty silly.
As a whole, Scalzi’s writing is witty and highly readable. From absurd premises, he manages to wring both heart and humor, and it kept me emotionally engaged on every page. I do have to give him credit for including one particular tale near the end of the collection, entitled “Sarah’s Sister,” that was less about making jokes and more about love, capturing a child’s feelings of both joy and sorrow when a new sibling is about to enter their life, with a dash of a Christmas miracle.
Plus, the stories and interviews are filled with delightful lines like this one, on a certain Christmas carol:
Or this one, on Jesus being born in a manger:
My favorite piece from this collection (not counting the "interviews"): "Science Fictional Thanksgiving Grace," a hilarious (and oddly specific) list of sci-fi horrors that we can thank God for not causing to happen this year.
And my least-favorite--probably the only real "miss" in the collection--was "Jackie Jones and Melrose Mandy." It’s sort of in rhyme but the meter doesn’t always work, and it’s cute I guess, but feels kind of cliche. Not too funny, but not too heartwarming either.
Psst...if you want a couple more blurbs on the other stories in this collection, take a look at the post on my BLOG!
In short: Do your loved ones a favor: get them a gift they’re sure to love (and more likely to read, since it’s pretty short!). Get them this book.
Thank you to Subterranean Press for providing me with an eARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
John Scalzi has written a lot of humorous pieces about Christmas, and here, he has decided to gather them all in one place. Interspersed between the wacky and satirical narratives are “interviews” with Christmas-related figures, including Santa’s lawyer, Santa’s reindeer wrangler, the Christmas Bunny (a franchise of the same group that owns the Easter Bunny), and the nativity innkeeper, as well as some quick lists including “The 10 Least Successful Holiday Specials of All Time” and “A Personal Top 10 of Things That Are Not Titles to Christmas Songs and/or Lifetime Holiday Movies and Honestly I Don’t Understand Why.” Nothing is off-limits, and he lambastes both the religious and the commercial elements of the holiday season, creating a wickedly funny treat of a book that is just plain fun, without being too silly. Well, okay, sometimes it’s pretty silly.
“Santa doesn’t judge people for their kinks, but he does expect them to pay for them.”
As a whole, Scalzi’s writing is witty and highly readable. From absurd premises, he manages to wring both heart and humor, and it kept me emotionally engaged on every page. I do have to give him credit for including one particular tale near the end of the collection, entitled “Sarah’s Sister,” that was less about making jokes and more about love, capturing a child’s feelings of both joy and sorrow when a new sibling is about to enter their life, with a dash of a Christmas miracle.
Plus, the stories and interviews are filled with delightful lines like this one, on a certain Christmas carol:
Davis’ archives at Wellesley College feature early drafts entitled “Little Trumpet Boy,” “Little Ocarina Boy,” “Little Digeridoo Boy,” “Little Mime Boy,” “Little Public Relations Intern Boy,” “Little Gastroenterologist Boy,” and “Little Kid Who Just Wandered By and Was Confusingly Pushed Into a Barn Boy.”
Or this one, on Jesus being born in a manger:
“And then someone says, look, the animals, they are adoring the baby. And I say, adoring, hell. They’re wondering why there’s a baby in their food.”
My favorite piece from this collection (not counting the "interviews"): "Science Fictional Thanksgiving Grace," a hilarious (and oddly specific) list of sci-fi horrors that we can thank God for not causing to happen this year.
“I think I speak for all of us when I say that moistening aliens was not on the agenda for any of us at this table. Thank you, Lord, for sparing us that duty.”
And my least-favorite--probably the only real "miss" in the collection--was "Jackie Jones and Melrose Mandy." It’s sort of in rhyme but the meter doesn’t always work, and it’s cute I guess, but feels kind of cliche. Not too funny, but not too heartwarming either.
Psst...if you want a couple more blurbs on the other stories in this collection, take a look at the post on my BLOG!
In short: Do your loved ones a favor: get them a gift they’re sure to love (and more likely to read, since it’s pretty short!). Get them this book.
Thank you to Subterranean Press for providing me with an eARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!