Who am I to ever say no to a hilarious Christmas book with dark undertones. I love Christmas don’t get me wrong but I’m terms of “the perfect” Christmas I don’t believe it. So to hear these stories of hilarious times around the holidays it just made me feel happy and I giggled a lot. Definitely a book for someone that may need a bit more joy at the time of the holidays.

When is the last time you really laughed? Side-splitting, tears running down your face kind of laughter? Read The Jolliest Bunch, Danny Pellegrino’s collection of Christmas stories, and you will know that kind of laughter. These are stories we can all relate to. There’s the annual Thanksgiving dinner preparation breakdown, descriptions of a Black Friday shopping con, the trauma of the Scholastic Book Fair and more. I don’t want to give anything away but I will say that my absolute favorite involves Jessica Simpson’s “dessert beauty line that was advertised as ‘lickable’” I don’t think I’ll ever be able to see her name again without laughing. Definitely 5 stars and a Merry Christmas for this one.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks and Danny Pellegrino for this ARC.

I love his podcast, I loved his first book, and this one did not disappoint. So wonderful, hilarious, and heartwarming! A must read for everyone!

I honestly probably shouldn’t have tried to read this one. I had no idea who Danny Pelegríno is but I liked the idea of holiday themed essays. I found it a bit boring since I didn’t know the background and author but I’ve mentioned it to patron who are familiar with him and excited for the book. We will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

I love a Christmas book. I love a collection of essays. So no one was more surpirsed than me about how uninteresting I found this book. I tried twice to read it, but both times I was bored - reading to complete it for review rather than enjoyment. Nothing was wrong, it just didn't catch me.

Whether you're reading one of his books, listening to his podcast, or watching his Instagram stories...when it comes to Danny Pellegrino you can expect endless laughs & a huge dose of nostalgia.

As I learned with his first book, How Do I Unremember This, not only is Danny hilarious but he has a vulnerable openness that makes him so relatable. This book is packed full of laughs & reminiscing on years past, but it also has some really serious conversations too.

The Jolliest Bunch is a collection of nostalgic holiday essays spanning his childhood, college years, and adulthood. The Scholastic book order forms were a huge part of my elementary years so the Now and Then chapter gave me life!! I too am a Now and Then stan from way back and loved hearing his take on the movie and how the book gave him a full circle moment as an adult.

I love the way Danny tells a story and cannot wait to hear the audiobook version of Jolliest Bunch. I feel like his books are something I can pick up any time and read over and over for a good laugh but also look forward to what he writes next. Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. 4 stars.

What a delightful book! I am a big fan of Christmas and, in particular, Christmas movies. But I'm always a little disappointed that there aren't more Christmas books - especially non-fiction, essay collections like this one. I've read David Sedaris' "Holiday on Ice" which is great, but was written in '97. Pellegrino's collection is fresh and funny. I found his stories (mostly) highly relatable and had some genuine laugh-out-loud moments. If you like Christmas (or any big family holiday, rife with traditions and expectation) and hearing stories about family dysfunction that help put your own in perspective, then I would grab an eggnog and a copy of "The Jolliest Bunch".

Big thank you to the publisher, SOURCEBOOKS, and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC.

The Jolliest Bunch by Danny Pelligrino is an entertaining look at the misadventures hiding behind the cheery facade so many of us put forth during the holidays. Some of the stories are funny, some are sad, and some are eye-opening, but they all are relatable and, above all, human.
Pelligrino's point of view is compelling as he describes various mishaps of Christmases past, and the ongoing challenges he and many others face over the holidays.
I too think it isn't Christmas until I watch the recording of The Muppet Family Christmas that I made when it first came out, and that I sing along to at the top of my lungs.
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC copy of #TheJolliestBunch.

This book will get you in the spirit for the holiday season. Cozy up by the fire this winter and enjoy this read, while feeling nostalgic at the same time. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Fans of Danny Pellegrino will certainly enjoy this holiday themed book of essays! It's a similar style of writing and story telling as his first book, this time all the stories are holiday themed. The great thing about essays is you can pick up and put down the book anytime since each story is not connected. Danny always finds himself in wild predicaments and he has a way of retelling the stories in the funniest manner. If you are a fan of him and his humor you will love this new book!

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for letting me read an advanced copy of the book.

If you're looking for stories that will make you chuckle while reminiscing about your own holidays past, definitely try this book. Pelligrino has the best sense of humor and a way with words.

Also, look for some excellent holiday advice:

"Be careful with your seasonal candles."
"If we wanted to get any deals at Target, we would have to get there early and wait in line."
"Dad was right. Food is something that brings us all together."

Also, check out page 207 for the list of gifts no one wants!

Best advice, though?
"Buy yourself a present this year. And if you don't know what to get, order something for the child you left behind."

Thank you for the EArc NetGalley and Sourcebooks. Danny Pelegrín’s does it again! This poignant and hilarious compilation of holiday stories will leave you smiling. I about fell off my chair laughing at the stories about his mother and father and quickly came to the realization that I am Linda on Christmas and I am proud of it, maybe my kid will write an amazing book one day. This book gets 10 stars from me with a pretty little star on top.

A fun collection of short stories for the holidays! Danny Pellegrino is funny as he is on his podcast, and the stories from his childhood and even recent past had me laughing. I also loved how honest he was with how the holidays have been hard for him over the years, especially when relating to Covid and his history with food issues. Overall, a delightful read and a must for any fan of Danny.

I didn’t read Danny’s first book, but maybe now I will. This book was hilarious. We are about the same age so I loved all the pop culture references from back in the day. Could’ve done without the dieting chapter though.

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Another hilarious Danny Pellegrino read, making me wish we could hangout and create our own memories! This book is a collection of holiday essays, from feeling lonely, to attending holidays with new people you barely know, your own family mishaps, etc. I think the Thanksgiving essay where Danny tags along with a friend whom neither barely know. Danny instantly recognizes the disfunction but decides to pour a glass and roll with it! Ultimately watching the matriarch crumble while having wine and calling out her family and eventually stabbing an inflatable turkey. There were so many essays that had me laughing out loud! Also loved the graphics and personal photos scattered throughout!

I received a temporary digital copy of The Jolliest Bunch by Danny Pellegrino from NetGalley, Sourcebooks and the author in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

If you have ever listened to Danny's podcast, Everything Iconic," you know when Danny goes on a detour to tell a story about his life - you are going to laugh until you cry. The Jolliest Bunch delivered some great stories and for the first quarter of the book, my face hurt from smiling so much. I really loved Danny's story to his best friend and his acknowledgment of his relationship with food. I thought both stories were extremely brave. I did rate it four instead of five stars because I found the format somewhat repetitive and some of the "stories" were clearly fillers.

I absolutely adored this book! The stories reminds me so much of my own family. All I have left now is my mom and some cousins so this took me back. I loved this so much! It felt like a big warm hug enveloping me as I read.
I just reviewed The Jolliest Bunch by Danny Pellegrino. #NetGalley
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I laughed so much while reading this. This book would be a perfect gift for Christmas. Stories from Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s and much more. Such a fun little read!

Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS for the arc of this book.

Super fun and full of excellent holiday-themed stories! I laughed a lot and could relate to some of the family craziness! Great to read and a good gift to give at Christmas this year. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Five stars!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a delight this book was! Like a warm hug of nostalgia. I laughed, I cried, I reminisced! Includes stories not just about Christmas, but about Halloween, Thanksgiving, New Year’s, and more. The perfect balance of pop culture references, LOL moments, and heart-wrenching sincerity. So proud of our Danster. 5/5 stars, no notes, will be purchasing for my library.