Scenes from a Holiday: An Anthology

This is the first Laurie Graff book I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The book has three completely different stories in it by 3 different authors. I have only finished "Eight Dates of Hanukkah" to date, but I recommend the book just for that story. As a guy, I thought that Laurie's writings only appealed to women. I was wrong (and I can admit it? What's that all about). I found her writing highly enjoyable and as one who has been single for many years, I could easily relate to her humor. Laurie uses a surrealistic dream sequence to take her character through a singles journey; one that is funny and insightful, and one that we have all probably been on . . . just not condensed into 8 days. Get this book. It's a very enjoyable fictional read. But be careful. You might just learn something about yourself in the process.

The Eight Dates of Hanukkah by Laurie Graff is a fun and unusual story about a committment-phobic, workaholic woman. While working late on the first night of Hanukkah, trying avoid her boyfriend's proposal, she gets hit on the head by a menorah during a botched burglery attempt and falls into a coma. As her family rallies around her, she slips into singles fantasyland where she must date a different quirky guy on each night of Hanukkah. In the process, she learns valuable lessons about love, life and appreciating what (and who) she has. Although I am not Jewish, this was my favorite story in the anthology. I enjoyed accompanying Nicki on her journey of self-discovery while she was in the coma, and found that her spiritual awakening was something I could relate to and apply to my own life. Carrie Pilby's New Year's Resolution by Caren Lissner features a 20 year old intellectual genius who is socially inept. Her resolutions for January are to break out of her unsocialized predictament and to meet people who are more like herself, specifically a boyfriend. She attempts to "normalize" herself, with the help of a therapist and a delightful friend named Kara, who provide a refreshing balance to Carrie's issues with not fitting in and being different. While this story had very likable characters and an interesting concept, I was disappointed by its non-ending. The issues set forth in the plot were unresolved and Carrie was left pretty much in the same predicament as she started in, and it would have been more satisfying to have the loose ends tied up into a solid conclusion. Emma Townsend Saves Christmas by Melanie Murray is the funniest story in the collection. Emma is now a sophisticated New York lawyer determined to distance herself from her country upbringing on a Christmas tree farm in rural Vermont. Instead of heading to Aspen this Christmas with her upper-class boyfriend who is about to propose the her, Emma reluctantly returns to her hometown because she feels pressured not to disappoint her parents. She arrives to find that they've abandoned her to spend Christmas in Jamaica. She feel obligated to represent her parents in the town's hokey Christmas Faire, and with the help of her Nana and her childhood crush, she revitalizes the celebration for all, and rediscovers the charm of her roots. Although a highly enjoyable read, I found this story to be the least believable and realistic of the three. I could envision each of these short stories being featured in the holiday issue of a woman's magazine. Very entertaining, and hilariously written, they are sure to inspire the spirit of the season and chase away the humbugs!

this is super. i am in love with the colorful cover, to begin with. it's a seasonal gift for readers of ALL ages. i've already surprised many people with the gift early this season. A MUST=READ~

"The Eight Dates of Hanukkah" by Laurie Graff. Events planner Nicki Heller believes the first day of Hanukkah is God's vehicle to test her. As a kid, her new doll had its head twisted off; her marriage ended on another first day; and now Mark Baum proposes, but when she says no he drops her. That same night a thief enters her shop leading to a menorah crashing on her head. Unconscious Nicki believes she is trapped in Menorahville where she goes on a date from hell every night of the festival of lights. "Carrie Pilby's New Year resolution" by Caren Lissner. Having graduated from Harvard before she turned twenty, but receiving no social education in the process, Carrie Pilby vows to attend two events a week, one social and the other professional. She also swears she will talk to two strangers at these events, hopefully a male and if asked out will say yes. The genius actually has a friend Kara who she confides in that she thinks of returning to college so she can gain the social skills she never learned the first time around. "Emma Townsend Saves Christmas" by Melanie Murray. When she left her parents' Maine Christmas tree farm for New York City, Emma Townsend vowed to never return for the holidays. Yet Emma heads home thinking of White Christmas when Rosemary Clooney gave up Manhattan for Vermont. To her shock her parents are going on vacation to Jamaica leaving it to her with the help of her high school sweetheart Tim Latch to save Christmas. These three holiday novellas are fun chick lit tales that will bring good cheer to sub-genre fans. Harriet Klausner

Read You Have To Kiss Alot of Frogs. I can't wait to get to the end of this one. Just started reading and I'm hooked!