Grownup Thanksgiving

Need something to get you in the mood for THE HOLIDAYS? Try staging an informal reading to celebrate Thanksgiving. From old-fashioned and heartwarming to cry-in-your-beer hilarious, there’s a story for every audience.

In The Thanksgiving Visitor by Truman Capote, seven-year-old Buddy has a problem with a school bully named Odd Henderson, so his cousin- a shy, retiring example of a 1930s spinster- invites Odd to her Thanksgiving feast in an attempt to help the boys become friends…  with interesting results. If you have young guests at your feast this year, treat them to the version illustrated by Beth Peck. This is a lovely classic that will never go out of style.

Another beloved and timeless classic is Erma Bombeck – anything by her is best enjoyed read aloud to turkey-stuffed relatives. In Forever, Erma, published in 1996 shortly after her death, Bombeck shares snippets from her columns – thirty years of wisdom in bite-sized chunks. Start with “No One Diets on Thanksgiving – November 26, 1981,” in which the author reflects on the true meaning of Thanksgiving, which for her has little to do with “turkey, prayers and homecomings.”

Ellen Degeneres counts “things to be grateful for” in her book The Funny Thing Is. Like many of us glass-half-empty types, Degeneres sometimes has difficulty identifying the things that matter most to her. Around Thanksgiving sometimes all we can come up with is negative thankfulness (“At least I’m not as fat as…”). Insights into realistic gratitude, small talk tips and canine communication abound in this little treasure. Don’t try to drink and read at the same time with this one.

Perhaps the funniest story I’ve ever read about a family Thanksgiving is Mama Makes Up Her Mind by Bailey White, when Mama decides to invite her nephew’s bride’s family over for Thanksgiving. Both her daughters cringe with embarrassment thinking of the worm garden Mama keeps in the kitchen and her experiment with fleas on the counter, not to mention the typewriter under the sink or the 1958 Porsche on the porch. Despite their cleaning and tidying efforts, trepidation rules on The Day until Mr. Mitchell and Mama discover a common interest: wasps. This story is sure to be the catalyst for a great party!