The Jolliest Bunch by Danny Pellegrino
The book we’re going to talk about today is one that I’ve had on my to be read list for a while. I first heard about it last year when I was browsing on Amazon and it got recommended to me. I added it to my cart and then marked it as “save for later”. And friends, I’m happy to say that “save for later” is now. It’s now! So today we’re going to be discussing a humorous Christmas book called The Jolliest Bunch by Danny Pellegrino.
In this hilarious collection of unhinged holiday stories, Danny Pellegrino reminisces about Christmases past. He covers themes like holiday traditions, dealing with holiday stress, being with family, and how to spend holidays when you’re away from your family.
I loved this hilarious collection of essays and I think you will too. So keep reading for my full of The Jolliest Bunch by Danny Pellegrino
And if you’re looking for more great Christmas reads, I wrote about more Christmas books here.
What is The Jolliest Bunch by Danny Pellegrino about?
From the New York Times bestselling author of How Do I Un-Remember This? and host of the hit podcast Everything Iconic with Danny Pellegrino comes a collection of tragically hilarious holiday mishaps.
For many families, the holiday season is—quite frankly—unhinged. Whether that involves inappropriately improvised monologues at the children’s Christmas pageant, gifts that land someone in the emergency room, or just sitting through the emotional rollercoaster of a Hallmark movie marathon, the holidays are a chaotic and magical time. And nobody knows this better than Danny Pellegrino.
For Danny, the holidays are always accompanied by both merriment and mayhem. And like the gay Ghost of Christmas Past, he’s here to take you on a nostalgic trip through his most festive memories in a collection of stories that are heartfelt, hilarious, and (unfortunately) true.
So grab your favorite winter beverage, snuggle up by the crackling fireplace, and turn up the holiday tunes from the pop diva of your choosing. The Jolliest Bunch is a healthy dose of holiday cheer to prepare you for the unhinged season ahead and remind you of the moments that make all the chaos worth it. (from Amazon.com)
Who is Danny Pellegrino?
Danny Pellegrino is a comedian, writer, and podcast host. He is the host of a pop culture-focused podcast Everything Iconic with Danny Pellegrino. On his podcast, he interviews celebrities and discusses reality TV, particularly shows like The Real Housewives.
His first book called How Do I Un-Remember This?: Unfortunately True Stories, is a collection of humorous essays about his life and experiences. The Jolliest Bunch: Unhinged Holiday Stories is his second book. He’s known for his wit, nostalgic takes on pop culture, and relatable humor. (Seriously, if you like pop culture references there are tons of them in The Jolliest Bunch!)
My Initial Thoughts
I love memoirs. And I especially love humorous memoirs. Add in the fact that this book is about Christmas and I just knew I had to check it out.
And after finish this book I’ve realized that if you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the holiday season, this book is for you.
Right off the bat Danny’s stories felt very relatable. He talks about being from the Midwest and living with his parents and two older brothers. His first story discusses how stressful Christmas is for his mother as she plans her annual Christmas Eve party. It makes her completely miserable during the preparation and the rest of the family is scared of her, and yet by the time the party rolls around she’s drinking wine and telling everyone it was “no big deal” to prep everything.
I don’t know why but that story just felt so relatable to me. My family didn’t host a ton of parties growing up but when the grandparents came over my mom went into cooking and cleaning overdrive. So this story made me laugh and feel at home.
Some of the stories were more relatable than others, but Danny has a very readable writing style and his stories are so funny.
I Would Recommend This Book to you if:
- You love Christmas
- You like pop culture references
- You enjoy honest and humorous memoirs (my other favorite Christmas memoir is Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris)
- You’re a fan of the author
- You want a fun book to read. While Danny does talk a lot about Christmas, he also mentions other holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving. This book entertained me for a variety of reasons.
In Conclusion
Thank you for checking out my book review of The Jolliest Bunch by Danny Pellegrino. This book has been on my mind for a couple of years now and I’m so glad I picked up a copy on my most recent trip to Browseabout Books.
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- More Christmas book reviews here
