* This suggestion is part of our Sweater Weather Reads series. On Twitter @BSPLibrary #sweaterweatherreads, we’ll be posting cool suggestions to snuggle up with all winter long. Got a frosty favorite? We’d love to hear from you. *
Holidays on Ice is a hilarious collection of short stories, most previously published material, by David Sedaris. Most of the stories are autobiographical in nature. “SantaLand Diaries”, which chronicles Sedaris’ stint as an elf at Macy’s department store, is often produced on stage during the holidays. In fact, the American Stage in St. Petersburg, Florida is putting on a production starring Brian Shea from December 22-28, 2014.
Other stories in the book help make light of the holidays and the stress that comes in tandem; in “Christmas Means Giving”, two neighbors fight over who has more holiday spirit, and “Front Row Center with Thaddeus Bristol” reviews a holiday play put on by a local school. Sedaris does a great job navigating family obligations, holiday hijinks, miscommunications, and bad weather while still keeping the holiday spirit close to the surface.
When you finish this collection of short stories you’ll wish you were a part of Sedaris’ family so you could spend the holidays with such a complicated and comedic group of people.