David Sedaris’s beloved holiday collection is new again with six more pieces, including a never before published story.

Along with such favorites as the diaries of a Macy’s elf and the annals of two very competitive families, are Sedaris’s tales of tardy trick-or-treaters (Us and Them); the difficulties of explaining the Easter Bunny to the French (Jesus Shaves); what to do when you’ve been locked out in a snowstorm (Let It Snow); the puzzling Christmas traditions of other nations (Six to Eight Black Men); what Halloween at the medical examiner’s looks like (The Monster Mash); and a barnyard secret Santa scheme gone awry (Cow and Turkey).

I really couldn’t tell you why I picked up this audiobook, but I do know that I forgot about it for weeks. Then, I needed a book to listen to while I traveled so I picked this out — it’s short and, after many hot, muggy days, I was interested in a book set in winter.

I had no idea who David Sedaris is or what this book was about so I was pretty surprised when I started listening. I’m a pretty sarcastic person, though, so I laughed pretty hard, though some of it was a little too dark for me — I can’t really find anything humorous about children dying. If it hadn’t been for the two short stories involving dead children, I would recommend this book to a lot more people.

Overall, though, this was a great break in the midst of a busy summer. If you like sarcastic, irreverent humor (it sort of reminded me of Jennifer Lancaster), then I recommend this book.

PG-13/R-rated for dark themes and some swearing. Get your copy here!