Scenes From A Holiday

by Laurie Graff, Caren Lissner, Melanie Murray

The Eight Dates Of Hanukkah\Carrie Pilby's New Year's Resolution\Emma Townsend Saves Christmas (Red Dress Ink Novels)

The Barnes & Noble Review
No matter which holidays you celebrate -- Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year's, or all three -- this contemporary anthology has a little holiday romance for everyone.



In Laurie Graff's "The Eight Dates of Hanukkah," singles events planner Nicki Heller suffers a blow to the head and sinks into an unconscious hell -- eight days of Hanukkah, where she gets the world's worst date each night. In Caren Lissner's "Carrie Pilby's New Year's Resolution," the appealing Carrie, an agoraphobic genius, decides to fashion a new life for herself -- if only she can leave her apartment. In Melanie Murray's "Emma Townsend Saves Christmas," Emma, country bumpkin-turned-New Yorker, would do anything to avoid another day in flannels and work boots; yet here she is back in Vermont for a hometown holiday. In each case, the success formulas these women think are surefire turn out to be the impediment to their holiday dreams. Ginger Curwen

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Holiday, Romance, Short Stories, Ebooks, Anthologies

336 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2005

About the author

Laurie Graff, author of the bestselling You Have to Kiss a Lot of Frogs (reissue 11-12) that received multiple printings here and abroad (Italy, Australia, and Amsterdam), has also written the novels Looking for Mr. Goodfrog and The Shiksa Syndrome. A contributor to Complaint Box NY Times, Live Alone and Like It, It’s A Wonderful Lie and Scenes from a Holiday, her work is included in the upcoming anthology, No Kidding, (2013), and is represented in New Monologues for Women by Women and Best Men’s Stage Monologues of 1999. One-act plays All My Problems, Telephone Call for Francine Stein, Love in the Time of Recession, and Charlie & Flo (at PS NBC) have been produced at WorkShop Theater Company where she is a member. Her favorite acting role was “Frenchy,” in the Broadway hit Grease, she plays herself in the documentary, Mr. Right, and promotional appearances include Fox & Friends, Better TV, Joan Hamburg, SiriusXM, CNN Radio, and ABC World News Now. Laurie lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a collection of 3 novellas--all taking a look at the holidays (Hanukkah, New Year's, and Christmas) with young New York City women. I read this book because the New Year's story is a follow up to Carrie Pillby a year after the novel by that name. It benefits by my already knowing the character, and I was delighted to see her growth after a year. I found this story to be the best of the three although I don't know how it would read if one has not read the novel and/or seen the movie. If I had my druthers, I'd love to see more of Carrie Pillby--at least a story a year. She's young, has a unique perspective, and has some effortlessly funny scenes. Because of the insights Carrie has gained, I liked this even better than the novel (but I love character growth). The other two stories seemed more contrived to me. I did enjoy Emma Townsend Saves Christmas (because one can certainly argue that the holidays can be contrived which leads to all kinds of things during this time of year). Emma is a social climbing lawyer from small town Vermont coerced into going back to her hometown for Christmas to work for the Christ pageant. Somehow the "stench of sugar cookies" will always stick with me. This story too had its funny scenes. The Eight Dates of Hanukkah was imaginative as a young woman used her career to avoid commitment and finds herself in a place where the tables are turned.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A hanukkah story for adults at last. There are a couple Christmas ones as well. All about people who are hesitant to fall in love and go for the long haul when they do.

[Devon · Rating 4 out of 5]

'SCENES FROM A HOLIDAY' is a collection of three short stories from three of Red Dress Ink's most popular authors, Laurie Graff, Caren Lissner and Melanie Murray. Overall the book was a good way to kick off my holiday reading list but the stand out story in this book was clearly Laurie Graff's 'The 8 Dates of Hanukkah'.

'The 8 Dates of Hanukkah' - 5 stars

Graff delivers a strong and very likable main character in Nicki Heller (definitely a character I would like to see again!) and a very unique story line. Commitment-phobe Nicki Heller knows that her boyfriend of over a year is about to propose but she isn't so sure that marriage is in the cards for her, so she plans to avoid his proposal at all costs. She even manages to unwittingly knock herself out with her grandmothers old menorah sending her into a coma for several days. While in the coma Nicki travels to Menorahville, a town much like New York City but the only way out is to find a mate and get married. A determined Nicki refuses to stay in Menorahville but finds that finding a good man is much harder than she ever imagined!

'Carrie Pilby's New Years Resolution' - 3 stars

Possibly had I read Caren Lissner's hit book 'CARRIE PILBY' I would have found this story much more endearing. However, not having previously been introduced to the character I found the story of Carrie Pilby a young genius trying to fit in a bit pointless. When Carrie decides that she wants to meet someone just like her in the new year (preferably male) she sets out on various adventures to try to find this person, unfortunately Carrie finds that she needs to find herself before she can find a mate. This second story left a bit to be desired and seemed unfinished...maybe there will be a sequel to that hit novel?

'Emma Townsend Saves Christmas' - 4 stars

Emma Townsend is dreading going home for Christmas to her small Vermont town where Christmas is serious business. She has a new life in New York and does not want to trade in her DKNY suites and Ferragamo heels for flannel shirts and work boots but when her brother Jeff bails out first Emma is left holding the bag. Only when she arrives she finds the town in chaos, her parents are spending Christmas in Jamaica, the town is in an uproar over changes to the Christmas Faire and...is she just paranoid or does everyone in town seem to hate her?? Now with the help of her high school crush Emma must save Christmas while finding out that maybe tradition isn't so bad after all.

[Russina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I thought the book was a little better than just ok.

The first story was pretty boring, so I skipped to Carrie Pil'by.

The middle story about Carrie Pil'by is a better story if you've already read the book "Carrie Pil'by. I personally loved that book, so I also really liked this story.

The last story was better than I expected, but longer than it needed to be.

In general, I don't like short stories. So maybe that's the problem. ;)

[Sheri Radford · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book consisted on three novellas:
- The Eight Dates of Hanukkah, by Laurie Graff: This was the worst of the three stories. It was painful to get through and had a ridiculous ending. 1 star out of 5.
- Carrie Pilby's New Year's Resolution, by Caren Lissner: This story had definite potential but it went nowhere. 2 stars out of 5.
- Emma Townsend Saves Christmas, by Melanie Murray: This story was kind of cute, but totally predictable and forgettable. 3 stars out of 5.

[Charity · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 short stories:
'The Eight Days of Hanukkah' - Nicki spends the eight days of Hanukkah 'stuck' figuring out what she wants and how to get it.

'Carrie Pilby's New Year's Resolution' - Neurotic Carrie's quest to find someone just like her in the New Year.

'Emma Townsend Saves Christmas' - Emma finds out she truly CAN go home again and it is actually a pretty good place to be.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, a cute selection of short reads. There were parts that didn't seem realistic but I guess that happens when you have to write an entire story in 100 pages. Nice change of pace that the stories didn't all end like typical chick lits; in fact, it made me wonder if these short stories would continue in future books.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun holiday read. The book is made up of three holiday stories - one about Hanukah, one about New Year's, and the other, Christmas. It's a lighthearted read following three young women and they're love life!

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though I am usually not a fan of the short story compilations, I really found this one to be enjoyable. This is the first time in recent memory that I've actually wanted to find out more about the characters in said short stories. Super cute read!

[Carrie Flatt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I needed something to read. I liked the short stories, and it was an easy reader.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good for a bunch of short stories. Not into the whole short story thing though.

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring. None of the stories had anything interesting to say.

[Sherri Bryant · Rating 2 out of 5]

Out of the three stories, Carrie Pilby's New Year's Resolution was the best. I normally don't like anthologies because the stories are too short and seem rushed.

[Annice22 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading the three stories from Scenes From A Holiday because it really evoked that holiday feeling (even though I read the book in July). I would recommend reading this book.

[Melanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't actually finish it, to be honest, but I just couldn't read the first story. I really tried but just could NOT get into it... The other two were meh, too, but at least readable.

[Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

sort of hokey stories but not horrible