Rating: 
Summary: Skipping Christmas
Review: For the first time since he published his first book 13 years ago author John Grisham has released two books in the same year and neither have anything to do with Law, the subject that he frequently writes about. This novel is very short as it has about 200 pages or less is a pleasant little diversion that doesn't require any ounce of thought. Luther and Nora Krank usually through the biggest party of the year at Christmas time, but this year things are different. Their daughter Blair has decided to become a missionary worker in a foreign country and won't be coming home for the holidays. Luther decides this year that he and his wife shall go on a cruise for the first time in their lives. Things get complicated when a series of unexpected events threaten to derail their holiday plans. Like most holiday movies you can tell what is going to happen long before you reach the end but it doesn't really matter. It's purely a fun story that Grisham had fun writing. Now he can get back to writing the REALLY good stuff.
Rating:
Summary: Too cute
Review: Skipping Christmas was a nice little story that I thought was just a little too cute. It was predictable and is written from the point of view that everyone except "the nice jewish couple down the street" is a Christian who simply must get into the Christmas Spirit. Sorry, I'm sure many people will think this is a great story, but it just didn't do it for me.
Rating: 
Summary: Skipping Christmas
Review: Could hardly believe this piece of fluff was writting by John Irving! The only reason it gets any stars from me at all is that I have always been a big fan of his.
Rating: 
Summary: Fun book for a plane ride
Review: Good book for a plane ride. Just about the right length to finish on a flight. Light entertainment.
Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely Hilarious and Wonderful Story!!!
Review: Skipping Christmas is a wonderfully humorous book, looking at our often and seemingly "materialistic" Christmas traditions. This is not your typical Grisham novel, in the sense that it is missing the incredible legal twist, detail and drama. Instead, this book is light, airy, hilarious, and pokes great fun at how most of America runs around crazy during the holiday season. I really liked this book, could not put it down, and found myself laughing at the antics of Luther and Nora Krank as well as their delightfully intruding close-knit neighbors on Hemlock Drive.With their daughter graduating from college and leaving to spend a year in Peru with the Peace Corps, Luther and Nora decide not to celebrate Christmas this year. Instead, they decide to take the money that they would normally spend on all the trimmings and take a Caribbean cruise. That means no tree, no card, no present, no office parties, no decorations, no donations, and no annual home party. Word quickly spreads throughout this small town that the Krank's are not celebrating Christmas and will not be participating in the neighborhood or town festivities. Instead their time is spent in tanning booths in preparation for the hot Caribbean sun. The neighbors harass them every chance they get and picket signs even appear on their front lawn. The neighborhood blames them for not winning the annual "best decorated street contest", as theirs is the only house not decorated! On Christmas Eve, the Krank's get a surprise call from their daughter that she will indeed being coming home for Christmas and will be there in six hours. Will the Krank's go on their cruise or will they "attempt" to celebrate Christmas? Read the book find out what the ending will entail! This book will have you laughing out loud at not only Larry Krank's antics and dialogue, but also at the dialogue and behavior of the neighbor's reactions to their skipping Christmas. The dialogues are just priceless! The pictures that Grisham paints in your mind will have you reeling on the floor! The ending will warm your heart and bring an appreciation to all of your own traditions - what a really great story!!!
Rating:
Summary: Too Many $$$ For Too Little Story
Review: I bought the book because I'm a sucker for Christmas stories. I thought that the premise sounded great because the older my husband gets, the more "bah, humbug" he also gets. I thought it would be fun to read about another household and their reasons for giving up Christmas for a year. While it's a cute story, I read it in about two hours. I wish that I had gotten it from the library and saved my money. The book is short, and you're paying close to $[money] per page to read it. Amazon has 20 pages of excerpts, which is about 11% of the book. In this case you could read the excerpts and have gotten a pretty good handle on the book. The story is more suited for a magazine like Redbook. There is very little development of the characters; 177 pages doesn't leave much room for that. It's a good summer day at the pool read if you borrow it from the library. But it's not worth $[money]. Save your money and buy the Mitford series or Cold Tea on a Hot Day. Both are lighter reads but with far more interesting and developed characters and plot.
Rating:
Summary: Must Read for the "experienced" Christmas-timer.
Review: I'm not a John Grisham reader, but was given this book as (you guessed it) a Christmas present. It was excellent, and while somewhat a little preposterous, very very funny and so true about our hectic lives we suddenly jump into around Christmas time. By the second third of the book, I wasn't sure what the end was going to bring, but it was very well done. I think everyone who is, oh, say, in their mid-thirties and older should read this book. You have to have gone through the hustle and bustle of Christmas and all its materialism and hype and excitement to thoroughly appreciate what he has to say. Read it and then pass it on!
Rating: 
Summary: Light, Formulaic, Predictable
Review: This book seems like something Grisham whipped together in a week to release just before the Christmas season last year. Granted it worked out wonderfully for him, another #1 bestseller, but this is a short one-day read, nothing groundbreaking. Grisham fans will likely pick this one up, but what you get for what you pay is a tragedy. At 176 pages this one may never see the light of paperback. It's not a bad book by any means, but certainly not the most stimulating.
Rating:
Summary: Skipping this Book!
Review: I picked this book up around Christmas 2001 & it is now May 2002 & I still can not finish it - I've suffered through the first 80 pages and just can not take anymore. I love John Grishman & everything's he's ever written - except this one. I will finish it someday - hopefully before next Christmas & perhaps revised this review at that time.
Rating:
Summary: Great Change
Review: What a great change of pace from John Grisham! I flew through the book in just 2 days! It was a delightful read. Very funny!
I was so disappointed when I finished because it was sooo much fun! Thanks, John! Keep the hits coming!
| 
