Helpful Score: 4
From the title of this book you would think it has angry overtones...not in the least! In fact it had moments in it that made me laugh out loud. What a delightful book. I'm sure I'll be looking for more from this author.
Helpful Score: 4
Title: On Strike for Christmas
Author: Sheila Roberts
ISBN: 9780312370220
Protagonists: members of the Stitch 'n' Bitch knitting group
Setting: present-day, town of Holly
Standalone Fiction
Rating: B+
First Line: Glen Fredericks slapped the back of his last departing Thanksgiving dinner guest.
Glen Fredericks is one of those hail-fellow-well-met types who thinks he's contributing to holiday preparations by inviting tons of people, putting the extra leaf in the dining room table, and sitting in front of the television to watch the game while his wife Laura runs herself silly trying to get everything done. Joy Robertson is almost the polar opposite of her husband Bob ("Bob Humbug") during the holidays. Christmas season spent with all her family and friends makes her light up like Rockefeller Plaza. Bob would rather spend the holidays alone with his wife on a remote beach and hates spending any time with Joy's extended family and large circle of friends. When Laura and Joy attend the next meeting of their Stitch 'n' Bitch knitting group and mention their holiday hassles, it strikes a chord with almost all the other members. They decide to boycott Christmas. They are going to do exactly what their husbands do every Christmas season, and if their husbands want to celebrate Christmas...well, they'd better get off their duffs and get to work! The local newspaper gets wind of the story, and it's not long before they're all celebrities.
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I liked the premise but thought it might be too "chick lit-ty" for me. Granted, the storyline is going to resonate with a lot of women; it did with me although not as something I live with today. I love Christmas and put up tons of decorations every year. My husband, Denis, does all the outside decorations--something that was never done before because I don't do ladders--and he also does anything else that I ask of him. (I know exactly where I want things, so he knows it's best to stay out of the way until I require help.) I enjoyed reading of the husbands' attempts to circumnavigate the rules of the strike, their abysmal failures, and their successes. More than a few scenes tugged at my heartstrings without going overboard.
If you're not like me and prefer to read some holiday fiction closer to the actual holiday, On Strike for Christmas would be a very good choice.
Author: Sheila Roberts
ISBN: 9780312370220
Protagonists: members of the Stitch 'n' Bitch knitting group
Setting: present-day, town of Holly
Standalone Fiction
Rating: B+
First Line: Glen Fredericks slapped the back of his last departing Thanksgiving dinner guest.
Glen Fredericks is one of those hail-fellow-well-met types who thinks he's contributing to holiday preparations by inviting tons of people, putting the extra leaf in the dining room table, and sitting in front of the television to watch the game while his wife Laura runs herself silly trying to get everything done. Joy Robertson is almost the polar opposite of her husband Bob ("Bob Humbug") during the holidays. Christmas season spent with all her family and friends makes her light up like Rockefeller Plaza. Bob would rather spend the holidays alone with his wife on a remote beach and hates spending any time with Joy's extended family and large circle of friends. When Laura and Joy attend the next meeting of their Stitch 'n' Bitch knitting group and mention their holiday hassles, it strikes a chord with almost all the other members. They decide to boycott Christmas. They are going to do exactly what their husbands do every Christmas season, and if their husbands want to celebrate Christmas...well, they'd better get off their duffs and get to work! The local newspaper gets wind of the story, and it's not long before they're all celebrities.
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I liked the premise but thought it might be too "chick lit-ty" for me. Granted, the storyline is going to resonate with a lot of women; it did with me although not as something I live with today. I love Christmas and put up tons of decorations every year. My husband, Denis, does all the outside decorations--something that was never done before because I don't do ladders--and he also does anything else that I ask of him. (I know exactly where I want things, so he knows it's best to stay out of the way until I require help.) I enjoyed reading of the husbands' attempts to circumnavigate the rules of the strike, their abysmal failures, and their successes. More than a few scenes tugged at my heartstrings without going overboard.
If you're not like me and prefer to read some holiday fiction closer to the actual holiday, On Strike for Christmas would be a very good choice.
Helpful Score: 2
Thhis book is not a romance novel. It is women's lit and it is an interesting story. It is about a group of wives who go on strike against their husbands during the Christmas season. It is well written; it tells a good story and it even ends with happy ever after.
Helpful Score: 1
I loved this book! The characters were realistic as were the situations - I can only imagine the bedlam here if I went on strike for Christmas (or any day for that matter!) Lots of chuckles, yet warm hearted and satisfying. A great holiday read.
Helpful Score: 1
Loved it. And dont miss out on the great recipes at the end
Helpful Score: 1
Grade B
On Strike for Christmas begins with Joy Robertson deciding that she is going on strike for Christmas because her husband Bob doesn't appreciate that all the baking and decorating she does makes Christmas... well Christmas. She is hoping that by not doing anything Bob will come around to her way of thinking. When Joy goes to her knitting group and explains what she is doing the rest of the ladies decide that they are going to go on strike too. To make things even crazier, the newspaper decides to do a series of articles following the movement.
The fun thing about this book is that there are several story lines all going on at once. Different women have different issues with their husband and are trying to prove different points. Joy is an empty nester who wants her husband to be an active participant in the holiday festivities. Laura is a mother of two young children and her husband is a happy go lucky guy who invites all his friends and family over but what ends up happening is that Laura is doing all the cooking and cleaning. Then you have Carol whose husband died and she can't understand what these women are complaining about.
I thought that this book was very entertaining to read and that a lot of women are going to easily be able to sympathize with the characters in the book, both the men and women. I really liked that not only did the men learn a lesson, but the women did too. I must admit that at the beginning of the story I was a little bit annoyed with Laura's character. I felt like she created her own situation by never asking her husband for help. I think that if she had just asked, Glen would have been happy to help out. The good thing is that eventually Laura comes to this realization. All in all this was a cute book that will put you in the holiday spirit. Oh and a bonus is that there are recipes in the back of the book that were mentioned in the story!
On Strike for Christmas begins with Joy Robertson deciding that she is going on strike for Christmas because her husband Bob doesn't appreciate that all the baking and decorating she does makes Christmas... well Christmas. She is hoping that by not doing anything Bob will come around to her way of thinking. When Joy goes to her knitting group and explains what she is doing the rest of the ladies decide that they are going to go on strike too. To make things even crazier, the newspaper decides to do a series of articles following the movement.
The fun thing about this book is that there are several story lines all going on at once. Different women have different issues with their husband and are trying to prove different points. Joy is an empty nester who wants her husband to be an active participant in the holiday festivities. Laura is a mother of two young children and her husband is a happy go lucky guy who invites all his friends and family over but what ends up happening is that Laura is doing all the cooking and cleaning. Then you have Carol whose husband died and she can't understand what these women are complaining about.
I thought that this book was very entertaining to read and that a lot of women are going to easily be able to sympathize with the characters in the book, both the men and women. I really liked that not only did the men learn a lesson, but the women did too. I must admit that at the beginning of the story I was a little bit annoyed with Laura's character. I felt like she created her own situation by never asking her husband for help. I think that if she had just asked, Glen would have been happy to help out. The good thing is that eventually Laura comes to this realization. All in all this was a cute book that will put you in the holiday spirit. Oh and a bonus is that there are recipes in the back of the book that were mentioned in the story!
Helpful Score: 1
This is a fun book to read about women who are doing too much at Christmas. I enjoyed the dilemmas of the women and the ultimate solutions to those problems. A great book to read before Christmas so we don't fall into the same traps.
I enjoyed the strong women and the men too, and the solutions were well thought out.
Enjoyable to read.
I enjoyed the strong women and the men too, and the solutions were well thought out.
Enjoyable to read.
Helpful Score: 1
Nice holiday story about wives who go on strike over the Christmas holidays to "prove a point" to their uninvolved husbands. Each character brought her own strength to the story that, of course, ends on a happy note.
A delightfully funny book in which the women of the town go on strike during the Christmas holidays refusing to bake, decorate, buy presents, cook for the parties and Christmas day. Therefore, the men decide to do it their own way and learn a valuable lesson along the way as to how much their wives actually do.
Really good book. Made me think of all I do at Christmas time.
Every woman should go on strike for Christmas - it would be a blast!
Sheila Roberts is a new author to me. This is the 3rd book I have read by her. Loved it. It made me laugh in many places. Highly recommend.
This book had its moments, but I had a difficult time relating to the characters as a whole. The story line was good, so I read on despite the irritation over characters.
I'm not sorry I read it and it was a good way to kick off my own holiday traditions.
I'm not sorry I read it and it was a good way to kick off my own holiday traditions.
This book is soooooo good and I can picture myself in Joy's place. Most women are the one's who decorate, shop, cook, and do so many other things to get ready for Christmas. I think probably all of us women who fit in that category have thought about striking.....but how many of us have done it? This is a very funny book and really puts some things in perspective.
This is definitely a Hallmark movie type of book. Kind of sappy and goofy in places. It has a predictable ending too. BUT I read it in the rush of Christmas preparations and found myself enjoying it just a little bit. It is a fluffy, light and quick read that could offer a few smiles during a busy holiday.
Cute story! It's a comedy that makes you take a second look at how petty some problems really are. Enjoyable read!
