Christmas Dodos by Steve Stack is a collection of ‘festive
things on the verge of extinction.’ It recalls the fading and faded things we
associate with Christmas; everything from traditions to Newberry fruits and
cheese footballs.
It’s a very easy going, light read. You can dip in and out
of it or read it from cover to cover. It is filled with a balance of humour and
serious points. I like the little quirks in the ‘by the same author’ page and
in the section about Steve’s book 21st Century Dodos. He says ‘-but if you do buy both then I get more
royalties and can afford a better class of biscuit to go with my many cups of
tea.’
Each ‘dodo’ listed in the book comes with a ‘dodo rating’
which indicates the rarity of the dodo. I was initially a little unsure about
this but it does work as you read on. It helps to identify the rarity of each
dodo.
Throughout the book, I like the way Steve writes. There’s a
nice flow and balance in the book. It’s divided well and no point is lingered
on too briefly or for too long. His humour is evident again, in a point about
inflation and under the section about ‘fairy lights on the blink’.
‘-and a stress-free Christmas is guaranteed.*’
‘*Not actually guaranteed.’
Overall, the book is a nice reminder of the going and the
gone. Something light for the festive season. I highly recommend it for the
laughs and the nostalgia.
Steve Stack has also written 21st Century Dodos
and It Is Just You, Everything’s Not Just Shit. You can check out the dodo Facebook page www.facebook.com/21stcenturydodos
and twitter feed @dodoflip .
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