Holidazed: Wrapping Your Brain Around Christmas: 3 (Humor Me)

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book, and I liked it so much I'm buying more as gifts. In a series of pithy, hilarious and often poignant essays, Curtis shines a light on the frantic weeks between late November and New Year’s Day. Facebook Killed The Christmas Card. Yep, that’s true. We see everyone’s gorgeous, perfectly dressed families within two seconds of anyone having a professional photo shoot these days; you don’t have to wait for the holidays. But hold on a sec…Video Killed The Facebook Card. This essay is about that irritatingly telegenic family from Raleigh who put out a video of themselves rapping in their cute coordinating jammies. Curtis’s clean sentences and dry wit perfectly capture the emotions of the rest of us when we realize the ante has been upped to the point of expertly choreographed dance moves on our “Christmas Card.” I’m nodding like a bobblehead doll as I read her words. Whoville or Bust…anyone who’s ever tried to lug a child and all 35,000 pounds of their travel gear through an airport can relate to this one. And best of all, there are two elf-bashing essays: Suffering From Low Elf-Esteem and Regaining My Elf-Control (you know you hate moving those stupid things, admit it.)Most of Curtis’s essays are funny enough to make you snort eggnog out of your nose. But a few of them will make you ache, too. I Kidney Not, about her sister donating a kidney to their mother is both amusing and sweet. And Love Now…A Tribute, written after the deaths of Curtis’s friend’s entire family in a plane crash is so touching I ran home after reading it and nearly strangled my family in a fierce hug.All in all, this a quick, delightful, engaging read.

Really enjoyed giving this book to several friends for Christmas. Was a great gift and resonated on so many levels!