98. Christmas at the Vinyl Cafe (Stuart McLean)

It is not very often that I rate a book 5 stars, but this Christmas at the Vinyl Cafe is a fantastic collection!  The stories are heartwarming and made me laugh out loud at the antics of Dave, Morley, Stephanie and Sam… or really, mostly the antics of Dave.  Christmas at the Vinyl Cafe, written by the late Stuart McLean, will become an annual tradition for me and I will encourage you all to read it or listen to the podcasts.  It is sad to think that this brilliant storyteller has been silenced yet as I read each story, I could hear his voice telling the tale.

The book started off with Dave Cooks the Turkey, a story that is well-known and funny no matter how many times I have enjoyed it.  What could possibly go wrong when Dave is assigned this important responsibility?  The next story describes what can go wrong when Dave is asked to add the rum to the adult punch bowl at Polly Anderson’s Party.  Readers can certainly connect to Morley’s wish to make Christmas Gifts more meaningful with homemade presents and laugh along at the hilarious mishaps in the tale of Morley’s Christmas Pageant.  I was curious about The Christmas Ferret which reminded me of the time our hamster spent roaming the house night after night after its great escape.  The funniest stories were Rashida, Amir and the Great Gift Giving, Fire and Floods and The Christmas Cards.  I truly can picture an inept chef trying to speed up cooking using the self-clean function and Dave crouched up in a mail box.

I hope that everyone will take the time to read or listen to at least one of Stuart McLean’s stories.  He truly was a genius storyteller and these tales will make you smile, laugh and look forward to the holiday season – even with all its challenges, busy days and mishaps!

Click here for links to CBC’s Vinyl Cafe with Stuart McLean which includes many of these Christmas tales.  The whole family with laugh along!!

 

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