Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “The Christmas Cookie Club” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

The Christmas Cookie Club

(Christmas Cookie Club #1)

Ann Pearlman (Goodreads Author)

3.22 · Rating details · 3,564 ratings · 695 reviews

Mark your calendar. It's the Christmas Cookie Club!

Every year on the first Monday of December, Marnie and her twelve closest girlfriends gather in the evening with batches of beautifully wrapped homemade cookies. Everyone has to bring a dish, a bottle of wine, and their stories. This year, the stories are especially important. Marnie's oldest daughter has a risky ...more

Get A Copy

Hardcover, 288 pages

Published October 20th 2009 by Atria Books (first published January 1st 2009)

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about The Christmas Cookie Club, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Christmas Cookie Club by Ann Pearlman

Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies by Erin Dionne

Cookies on the Cover!

197 books — 25 voters

Twelve Days of Christmas by Trisha Ashley

The Night Before Christmas by Scarlett Bailey

Christmas at the Cupcake Café by Jenny Colgan

It Started With A Kiss by Miranda Dickinson

Christmas Chick Lit

308 books — 442 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 3.22 ·

Rating details

· 3,564 ratings · 695 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of The Christmas Cookie Club

Nov 11, 2009 Kori rated it did not like it

Shelves: abandoned

Ugh! I've been seeing all the new Christmas fiction coming out this time of year, and I was hoping for a light Christmas story to get me in the holiday spirit. This is not that book. Think cancer, dead babies, horrific accidents, family deaths, and domestic abuse. Each chapter starts with a recipe and tells the story of a club member. Between chapters are short histories of various baking ingredients (butter, sugar, flour, etc.) which are completely random and have nothing to do with the ...more

flag 16 likes · Like · see review

Sep 30, 2009 Jan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is possibly the perfect book club book.
Every year, on the first Monday in December twelve women get together to share cookies, recipes and stories. The past year has been very eventful for many of the members. Some express joy, others sadness, and one the terrible loss of a son. They listen, laugh and cry. Their bond strengthens each of the women as they get ready to move on to another year and look forward to another Cookie Club meeting.
I loved the format. Each chapter highlights one of ...more

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

Nov 16, 2019 Ivana Books Are Magic rated it liked it

With the Christmas season coming up, I feel like this is a good book to recommend. This book might have some flaws, but it also has a lot going from it, from touching stories to great recipes. It may not be a great work of literature, but it is a warm and a satisfying read. Moreover, The Christmas Cookie Club isn't exactly light reading. This novel deals with some serious issues and problems. I think I expected a light book and book about Christmas but this novel offered more than easy holiday With the Christmas season coming up, I feel like this is a good book to recommend. This book might have some flaws, but it also has a lot going from it, from touching stories to great recipes. It may not be a great work of literature, but it is a warm and a satisfying read. Moreover, The Christmas Cookie Club isn't exactly light reading. This novel deals with some serious issues and problems. I think I expected a light book and book about Christmas but this novel offered more than easy holiday reading. What I particularly liked about it was how it focused on female friendship and endurance. Many of the ladies in this book were there for one another and there was something comforting about getting to know women who care about other women. By that I mean there were some lovely female friendships in this book.

Some difficult situations were described in this one, such as experiencing loss, miscarriage and an end of a relationship, but at the same time there is something therapeutic about this novel. Maybe it has something to do with author’s profession. This book is about life just as much as about death. It shifts between funny and tragic, between happy and sad moments. Some themes and questions it deals with and perhaps even tries to answer include:
-How to deal with the death of a loved one,
- How to deal with the cheating and the lying of your loved ones (and yourself),
- How to deal with financial problems and other struggles in life,
- How to embrace yourself,
- How to deal with your insecurities.

I would even go as far as describe this one as a novel about women's friendship. The narrator and the protagonist of the book is the chief of the cookie club, the ones who tells all the stories (I have to wonder, though. How come she is the only one who knows them all?). Her narration isn't clean cut so it might be difficult to follow. There are a lot of digressions, really a lot. I normally don't mind them but as they happen as the new characters are introduced it can be confusing. When you add 12 characters whose stories we get to know, you can see how all of it can be difficult to take in.

It is not that I think twelve characters are too much. I've read book with much more characters and did not get confused. I think the part of the problem are dialogues that lack life, or perhaps better to say, they sound too much alike. All the characters seem the same in dialogues, filled with the same kind of witty remarks and sudden emotive love talk. The life stories of all the characters are great, there is attention paid to details but something is missing. Perhaps it is just that they aren't developed enough. I get that it is hard to develop that many characters, but maybe if the dialogues were more personalized, it would have made a difference. This way I felt like their voice is missing. At times it was hard to tell who is who. In a book like this, I think it is really important that all the women have a voice of their own. How are you to distinguish them otherwise? It is quite hard to tell them apart between all that information about food and infinite digressions?

It must be hard, writing about such relaxed moments as a casual evening with friends. I actually think that it is more difficult to write about an evening filled with love than with hate. To conclude, great ideas, great story...characterization? Unfortunately the characterization is definitely lacking in this novel. Nevertheless, I've liked it. It’s a nice mix of serious and funny. The culinary aspect of it is very fun as well.

How are you not to like a book filled with so many good receipts? Especially when one likes baking or cookies and I do like cooking. I'm definitely a foodie, a typical Taurus. No surprise then in my enjoying all that information about the history of food and spices that kept coming along as I was reading. The Christmas Cookie Club sound like a excellent idea, btw. I can imagine cookie clubs popping out.

On overall, I did enjoy this novel. The stories it features are touching and sometimes even inspiring. Even if we don't really get to bond with the characters, it was still nice getting to know their stories. Maybe the characters did sound all a bit too much like one another, but their stories felt genuine. Finally, the format of the book was interesting. All the recipes and food talk were quite enjoyable too. I can definitely recommend this one!

...more

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Dec 11, 2011 Nicky rated it it was ok

Shelves: chicklit, 2011-books, fiction

A true chicklit filled with heartwarming friendships between women and lovely cookie recipes. Even though I only awarded two stars, I enjoyed reading it. The reason that I found this book merely ok is because I did not feel the emotions of the characters. There are so many of them, it's difficult to create a mental picture for each of them (which I reckon is absolutely needed to be able relate to the characters).

However, it's a fun quick read and does get one in the christmas and baking spirit! ...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Nov 01, 2009 Megan rated it did not like it

I hate books that are about horrible people. This book could have been so uplifting, but everyone in it is either having an affair, thinking of having an affair, or their spouse is having an affair. Disgusting! It does come with recipes that I would like to try, though.

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Dec 21, 2009 Michelle rated it did not like it

I have no idea how this book made its way to "best seller" lists and the shelves of mass market media places like Target. The first 2 chapters were good, even promising...but after that it takes a very, very sharp turn. So much information about too many characters is thrown at you so quickly, it is nearly impossible to keep up...I likened it to what it would be like if a book threw up. I rarely part with a book, even if I know I'm not going to read it again...but this one is most definitely ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Dec 01, 2017 Debbie Evancic rated it liked it

Shelves: fiction, recipes

Marnie has an annual Christmas party with rules. She invites 12 of her friends and they are to bring a bottle of wine, a dish, and 13 dozen cookies. One dozen will go to hospice and the other cookies will be handed out to the other guests. If you cannot attend the party you must send the cookies. You must also bring the recipe and tell a story as to why you choose that particular cookie.

This has been their tradition. The ladies have shared so many joys in their lives and appreciate the passage Marnie has an annual Christmas party with rules. She invites 12 of her friends and they are to bring a bottle of wine, a dish, and 13 dozen cookies. One dozen will go to hospice and the other cookies will be handed out to the other guests. If you cannot attend the party you must send the cookies. You must also bring the recipe and tell a story as to why you choose that particular cookie.

This has been their tradition. The ladies have shared so many joys in their lives and appreciate the passage of time that has passed. Each of them has also endured disappointment, sorrow, self-disgust, addiction, and loss. One has even experienced the worse thing, the death of a child. They have shared many stories over the years and have grown closer with each passing year.

The book gives us the recipes of the cookies described in the stories and a little history of the ingredients. I tried a couple of the cookie recipes and wasn't thrilled with them. However, some of the ingredient information is interesting.

Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate was first found by the Egyptians in natural deposits and used as soap. When combined with moisture and an acidic ingredient, bubbles of carbon dioxide form that expand with heat. The reaction starts as soon as the ingredients are mixed so you need to bake recipes with soda immediately or they'll fall flat. Whereas baking powder contains sodium bicarbonate but the acidifying agent is included (cream of tartar) and a drying agent, (usually cornstarch). You can make your own baking powder if you have baking soda and cream of tartar. Cream of tartar is made from the sediment of wine production.

Dates were a staple food of the desert of Africa and the Middle East and the essential plant on which human life depended. They have been cultivated for over 8,000 years. Dates, along with olives, figs, pomegranates, and grapes were in the second wave of our planet's cultivated plants. It takes 4-7 years for a date to bear fruit and then they can reproduce for 7-10 years. The fruit we usually buy has been allowed to sun dry on the tree. In Islamic countries, dates and yogurt are the traditional first meal when the sun sets during Ramadan. When we eat dates, we eat the gift from the tree of life.

Many other stories of histories of food are included in the book, such as the story of flour, almonds, nuts, cinnamon, butter, vanilla, sugar, salt, chocolate, and ginger.

Loved the histories of the food and enjoyed the women's stories of their lives that were shared with their friends. It doesn't sound like a bad party! ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Oct 30, 2011 Cheryl rated it really liked it

It is that time of year again. Time for Marnie’s annual Christmas Cookie Club. There are eight rules but the most important one is number 7. Which states: It’s always on the first Monday in December (referencing to the annual Christmas Cookie Club). Put it on your calendar and count on it.

There are several new ladies joining the group this year. Marnie can not wait to visit with her friends, share memories, eat food, and of course munching on cookies. The only thing that would make this day ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 21, 2018 Ange H marked it as did-not-finish

Shelves: audio-books, christmas-2018-naughty-or-nice

Christmas 2018 - Naughty

No. Just no. DNF'd very quickly.

With a title like "The Christmas Cookie Club" one might be forgiven for assuming this would be a lighthearted holiday read. Not so much. Within the first few minutes I listened in horror to a litany of multiple miscarriages; premature death from leukemia; adultery; and a divorce.

Happy Freaking Holidays.

PLUS, when I read unnecessary boring details, I often joke about the author writing, "Then I inhaled. Then I exhaled." I shit you not, in ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 07, 2018 Lesley rated it did not like it

I gave up on this 2.5 chapters in, when I got a several page tutorial about flour at the start of chapter 1, and then a tutorial about almonds at the start of chapter 2.

After each of the tutorials, the book seems to get even more confused about its genre, as there were then several pages for the cookie recipes.

I can only assume that each chapter was the same, with 12 members of the cookie club - therefore 10 more of these tutorials and recipes to go.

The actual story seemed quite promising, but ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

May 25, 2010 Zohar - ManOfLaBook.com rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2009

"The Christmas Cookie Club" is a short novel which takes place on one December evening. The event is the annual Christmas Cookie party where twelve women exchange cookies and donate some for charity. Each cookie delivery comes with a story, a recipe and a few historical facts about the ingredients. The host of the event is Marnie, who started the club, created the rules and has had a complex life herself.

Even though each chapter is supposed to be about the woman presenting the cookies, it isn't "The Christmas Cookie Club" is a short novel which takes place on one December evening. The event is the annual Christmas Cookie party where twelve women exchange cookies and donate some for charity. Each cookie delivery comes with a story, a recipe and a few historical facts about the ingredients. The host of the event is Marnie, who started the club, created the rules and has had a complex life herself.

Even though each chapter is supposed to be about the woman presenting the cookies, it isn't since we hear the story through Marnie's ears and are privy to her thoughts. So basically Marnie goes on tangents, as we all do from time to time, when a word or a phrase reminds her of another event. This is a short novel which in turn is divided into twelve short stories. There are many characters but I didn't get vested in any of them and the narration is mainly done by Marnie. We find out about the ups and downs of the lives of these women, with some insightful comments which get lost somewhere in the narration.

I found this book a bit convoluted, but not hard to read. The many characters were not easy to keep track of, especially since their spouses, parents and children were all part of the interwoven story. I have to admit that the characters are personable and likeable (mostly) and each story is delivered passionately but due to the circumstances, where each woman has a tragic occurrence or a secret, the uber-drama seems to take over from time to time.
For me, melodrama only works if I can make and emotional connection with the character, but because Ann Perlman was trying to keep the book to a reasonable size (or even short) the depth and exploration of character wasn't there.

At the beginning of every chapter there is a cookie recipe and at the end Ms. Pearlman wrote a short history of some ingredient (chocolate, salt, etc.). I think that the recipes and the historical information were certainly a nice touch, if you don't like it then skip over them since they are in between chapters. I don't know why people complain about them taking away from the story since they are not part of the story in the first place - nor do they add any insights or information - they are "extras" and should be treated as such. Maybe if they were included as appendices less people would have complained but as I said, I thought it was properly done and a nice touch.

Please keep in mind, that as a man, chick-lit usually doesn't speak to me.
For example I find it ridiculous that one moment everyone is in tears and the next a "dance party" breaks out.
Does this really happen?
Do women really dance around the kitchen table like they are in some kind of Nora Ephron movie?

If this really happens, good for you and more power.
...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Aug 28, 2011 Shoshanah rated it really liked it

Each year Marnie hosts 11 other friend for a Christmas cookie club. There are rules about how many cookies they need to make (13 dozen- 1 for each member and 1 for charity), what types of cookies they can make (no chocolate chip cookies), and how they must be packaged (creatively, of course). Some women have participated every year of its existence. Others are only able to attend for a few years before moving on. The woman ages span several decades, difference finances, married, single, widowed, Each year Marnie hosts 11 other friend for a Christmas cookie club. There are rules about how many cookies they need to make (13 dozen- 1 for each member and 1 for charity), what types of cookies they can make (no chocolate chip cookies), and how they must be packaged (creatively, of course). Some women have participated every year of its existence. Others are only able to attend for a few years before moving on. The woman ages span several decades, difference finances, married, single, widowed, and divorced. Some are suffering due to affairs, others are involved in affairs. Some are dealing with death, whereas others have newborn babies, but they're all still friends.

The book takes place over a single night, obviously the night of the cookie party. Each chapter focuses on a different member and tells their story and the basic defining issue they're going through. In a way its format reminded me a lot of Joy for Beginners. For that reason I have some of the same likes and dislikes as I did then. I enjoyed reading each woman's story. But because of the way it was written, I had a hard time keeping track of all the woman. Each time a specific woman was mentioned I had to thumb through the chapters to see if I had read hers yet, and if I had, what her story was.

One thing I loved about this book was each chapter started with a cookie recipe. Of course if it was for example, Rosie's chapter, the cookie was the one she brought to the party. Each time I read a new cookie I thought about making it myself, and there's definitely some I'd love to try.

Another aspect I loved was that in between chapters there was a small history of a given ingredient. For example, they're be a page or two about vanilla, where it would describe how humans first started using it and how that changed over the years. It wasn't expecting this in the book, but I love this type of thing and I was glad to read the small glimpses of history.

I was a little skeptical starting this book in January. I had originally wanted to read this for Christmas, but didn't quite make it. Although to be honest it didn't really matter. Yes, the book does have somewhat of a warm-fuzzy feel to it. But I think if the book was renamed to only The Cookie Club, it would fit just as well. Overall it was a fun book, and I'm glad I found time to read it. ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Oct 25, 2009 Lisa rated it did not like it

The opening line of this book is pretty good, I have to admit:

I am the head cookie bitch and this is my party.

And the premise for the book is also not bad. Every year a group of twelve diverse women gather to exchange cookies that they bake along with the latest happenings in their lives. As can be expected with this kind of story each woman has something unique to bring to the table like: one has adopted a baby internationally, one has a father who is having an affair with her bestfriend, the ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 21, 2009 Stephanie rated it really liked it

Shelves: christmas, reviewed

3.5/5

This is the story of 12 women who meet up every December for a cookie exchange. Each brings cookies to exchange, as well as well as a year full of stories and (a lot of) heartache. The story is narrated by Marnie, the “head cookie bitch,” and the host of the annual party. A lot of the story is centered around her life. She has two pregnant daughters, one an unwed eighteen year old, and the other in her 20’s who has had a tough time with her pregnancies. Each chapter is about a different ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Sep 21, 2010 Dana Wright rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: christmas, baking, christmas-cookies, cookie-club

I love this book. The fun started for me last Christmas when I came across The Christmas Cookie Club by Ann Pearlman. It centers around a group of ladies that gather every Christmas season to make and exchange cookies. It sounds perfectly simple, but there are some rules for cookie club hopefuls. The publisher sent me this book in exchange for an honest review and I fell in love with it at first read. The warm of the authors, Ann Pearlman and Marybeth Bayer shines through the whole book.

This ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 07, 2010 Kristin (Kritters Ramblings) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own-and-read, kritter-reviewed-2011, bookclub

From the beginning, I fell in love with Marnie the main character and her group of friends. The friends were diverse and from all walks of life which gave the book a realism because we pick up friends in our lives through many different ways. As I prepare for my first cookie exchange this year, I loved reading how organized and committed these ladies were to this yearly tradition.

Marnie has quite a group of ladies that surround her. From a new co-grandma to a friend from high school, she ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 06, 2009 Kristen rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2010

There were so many things wrong with this book! I really wanted to love this book but it just fell flat.
1-The story is told about 12 women but only one woman tells that story. Somehow she is part of everything in everyone's life. Also, while she would be describing something important in another woman's life, she would wander into her own life and make it all about her. It was quite annoying.
2- I can't even count how many times she mentioned the little wine glass ornaments that distinguish ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 07, 2011 Katherine rated it liked it

Shelves: sisterhood-stories

After reading this book I can't wait for next year and start a "Christmas Cookie Club". The parts I enjoyed most about the book were the recipes, the rules and idea of the club, and information between each chapter regarding ingredients used such as sugar, flour etc.

The parts I disliked most were the telling of each persons history, the narrator always got side tracked and started telling her story again. This is a non-Christian based book but yet when difficulty entered into someones life they ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 10, 2012 Ellinor rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: iwantmytimeback, light-reading, christmas

The book is about a group of women meeting each year in a Christmas Cookie Club where they share cookies and stories. Actually a nice idea. But there were just too many characters for the lenght of the novel. None of them - except maybe for the narrator - was able to develop properly and it was a bit difficult to remember who was who.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 04, 2010 Stella rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, christmas-read

A very emotional and nice read, but don't be mislead by the bluish chick lit cover this is not a light HEA romantic chick lit, this is a women fiction drama novel, with lots of grief and tough lives (cancer, abortion, cheating, etc.), but very nicely done, a heartwarming, wonderful read for the holidays.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 11, 2013 Debra rated it liked it

This story reminds me of the book group I'm in, so that fact may "cause" me like the book more than some others. I just love the celebration of women friends. Btw, MY women friends are the BEST ever.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Mar 21, 2012 Helena rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

What a lovely read! I really thought this was a delightful book, filled with shared love, loss, death, life and the wonder of friendship. And I think the idea of a cookie club is deliscious!

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

May 08, 2011 Patti rated it it was amazing

Fun read. After reading this I was inspired to start an anuual cookie club and hope it may continue for years to come.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 31, 2018 Amy Pendergrass rated it liked it

I was pleasantly surprised with this book. The premise sounded good but I didn't really have many expectations going in. I actually thought it was just going to be a cute Christmas themed story, but I found it actually had more depth than that. I enjoyed how the recipes were interwoven in the story. I'm glad this ended up being my final book of the year as reading a book about strong female friendships is always a good thing.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Apr 29, 2019 Catherine rated it liked it

Too much!14 characters, all with some sort of problem or story. History of ingredients, recipes, take up a lot of the story. The bond between these women made the book worth reading.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 04, 2009 Chloe rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Every year, Marnie and her 12 friends meet for the annual meeting of The Cookie Club which happens on the first Monday of December every year without fail. The friends have been there for each other through a lot of ups and downs, and that’s not about the change any time soon.

During the meeting, lots of secrets are revealed that shock the friends to the core. Marnie is waiting to hear from her pregnant daughter Sky about whether the baby is viable, Charlene is still struggling to get over the Every year, Marnie and her 12 friends meet for the annual meeting of The Cookie Club which happens on the first Monday of December every year without fail. The friends have been there for each other through a lot of ups and downs, and that’s not about the change any time soon.

During the meeting, lots of secrets are revealed that shock the friends to the core. Marnie is waiting to hear from her pregnant daughter Sky about whether the baby is viable, Charlene is still struggling to get over the death of her son Luke, Tracey is hiding a huge secret from all but a few of her friends, Jeannie and Ruth are still enemies over the discovery of another friend’s betrayal that has torn their friendship apart, and Rosie has to decide which is more important – her marriage or her need for children.

Together the friends help each other get through their problems, and show each other how important it is to have friends who are there for you no matter what. Their lives are all woven together as they await anxiously for news of Marnie’s grandchild and pass around the cookies for another year, but what secrets are going to be revealed once and for all?

Although this is author Ann Pearlman’s debut fictional novel, Ann has actually written a personal memoir which was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize called Infidelity. Ann has now turned her hand to writing fiction, and this book was released in America under the title of The Christmas Cookie Club. Presumably, the publishers have had to change it because they couldn’t get it out as a pre-Christmas release, but due to the nature of the plot it makes it a good read all year round, even if the action does take place in December in the book. The bright pink cover is a little mis-leading I think, hinting at perhaps a lighter-hearted read that you will get from this book, so those of who aren’t a fan of pink, don’t let its overly girly cover put you off.

The book begins with the introduction of our narrator Marnie, and we get to know a little bit about her and the idea of the Cookie Club. I found the character of Marnie extremely easy to get to know, and I liked her first person narration as well. She is a likeable story teller, and her easy-to-read narrative allows the reader to warm to her and therefore want to read more about her and her friends. Marnie’s main story throughout the book is the wait for a phonecall from her daughter who is going to find out if her pregnancy is viable, but also the pregnancy of her younger daughter too. These are very emotive storylines, but Pearlman deals with them in a soft way and keeps it light and makes the reader want to know desperately.

There are quite a lot of other characters in the book so I shan’t bore you by discussing them all here! Some of my favourites included Charlene, who is Marnie’s best friend in the group. I found her story extremely tragic, and Pearlman has tapped into a mother’s grief perfectly, you are almost aching for Charlene because of her pain and I have to give credit for this to the author because she has written these tough scenes so incredibly well, and deals with a raw topic with dignity and compassion. I also liked the rivalry between Jeannie and Rosie, which is kept hidden from us for a while. It’s not what I expected which was great, and I think the progression of this part of the book was very good and I enjoyed it very much.

What I liked about this book was its ability to weave both the present and the past of the characters seamlessly into one book, yet keep both extremely fresh and interseting to the reader. The present part of the book takes place over just the one night of the Cookie Club meeting, yet the past goes back years, and is written alongside the present story, as a flashback almost to give a sense of background to the character who is the subject of that character. I liked this very much, and found it both an easy way to find out more about the characters, but also it kept me totally engaged and I was fascinated by the writing style. It wasn’t at all complicated despite the many characters, and it was a great way of handling as many characters as are involved.

At the beginning of each chapter, there is a recipe for the cookie that character is bringing to the club, and I’m very tempted to try some of these myself! Pearlman has really done her research because both recipe and method are included, making this almost a mini cookbook too! Also, there is information on a key ingredient at the end of each chapter, written by Marnie but weaving fact into a fictional story. It’s fascinating how she has combined fiction with real recipes and facts, and it just brings another dimension into an already brilliant story. I can’t recommend this book enough, it’s got everything you’d want from great chick-lit: great characters that you care about, interesting stories that keep you guessing until the end and a huge readability factor. It’s wonderfully written and a joy to read, any time of year! Highly recommended! ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 06, 2017 Claudia rated it liked it

the history/ info on the ingredients was informative and the story was good.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jan 11, 2019 Meg rated it it was ok

A little too saccharine for me

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Sep 08, 2010 Melissa Storm rated it liked it

Preview… "The Christmas Cookie Club" recounts the interwoven stories of Marnie and eleven of her closest girlfriends. Together they form the cookie club, a holiday institution. Our narrator, Marnie, tells us stories of each woman as she presents—stories of how Marnie first got to know her, stories of the troubles that each woman faces, stories of how she is working to overcome her setbacks. Our friends at the Christmas Cookie Club have all faced some pretty big problems in their day—lost jobs, Preview… "The Christmas Cookie Club" recounts the interwoven stories of Marnie and eleven of her closest girlfriends. Together they form the cookie club, a holiday institution. Our narrator, Marnie, tells us stories of each woman as she presents—stories of how Marnie first got to know her, stories of the troubles that each woman faces, stories of how she is working to overcome her setbacks. Our friends at the Christmas Cookie Club have all faced some pretty big problems in their day—lost jobs, husbands who are unfaithful or who just don’t want to have any more kids, children who have met their deaths in tragic accidents, daughters encountering a string of miscarriages and still-births or, on the flip side, are pregnant at eighteen thanks to an ex-con, rap superstar wannabe. Heck, 7 out of 12 of them have faced and overcome cancer! The vital element is that they don’t let these setbacks upset the ebb and flow of daily life. They just keep on living, keep on working towards a better life. They are always there for each other, to help each other through.

Largely, this book is about getting to know this delightful circle of friends. It’s about a party, about being entertained. This is why the entertainment value is given 4 stars and the depth of meaning 2. When it comes to life-changing lessons “C3” just couldn’t compete with the like of “Lolita”, “The Cider House Rules” and “Life of Pi”, nor should it. Lessons we do derive from this charming text are that we can make it through anything life throws at us, especially with the help of our girlfriends and that older women have a place in popular fiction.
Pearlman explains, older women are “not a group of people that we pay much attention to, period. I am hoping that the reader reads about the exciting lives these women do have.” The author also wants to let us know that older women can still be beautiful, sexual beings. There is a fun Sex in the City- moment when the chatting friends mention that older women still want sex, it’s just that older men aren’t always physically capable of it—they’re still good to go! Maybe that’s why a couple of the characters in this story take on younger lovers.

This is a great story to read during the holiday season. Not only will you be entertained by the tales told, but you will also garner some yummy cookie recipes and learn about the history of various baking ingredients. If you would like to use the book as a template for your own Christmas cookie club, you can participate in the national cookie club party taking place between Friday December 4 and Tuesday December 8.

You may like this book if… you enjoy glimpses into the lives of others, you like chick-lit and the feeling it gives you of being inside a circle of friends, you like stories that are interwoven with several threads, you like a narrator you feel you can trust, you enjoy reading about strong women, you enjoy reading about women of a certain age, you are looking for a good seasonal read, you are looking for some yummy cookie recipes, you have your own Christmas cookie club or are interested in starting one, you like the idea of little ingredient history lessons interspersed throughout the text

You may not like this book if… you do not like chick-lit period, you want to read a book that does not start out so depressing (even though the mood lightens by the end of the story), you would rather only have 2 or 3 main characters to keep track of, you find it hard to depart from either non-fiction or classics to read a more contemporary story ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 22, 2016 Beth Roberts rated it did not like it

Shelves: real-book-form, hardcover, used-book-sale, did-not-finish, major-price-drop, own, 2016-read

Ugh. I tried. I really did, but this is a dnf for me. I can't hack the last little bit, so at 85% I quit.

This was written by a Pulitzer Prize nominee, though not for this book.

I got this for $1 at a library used book sale. I would really like my $1 back.

I picked this up because the holidays were coming and I got caught up in a "sweet" moment of wanting to connect with other women and traditions.

Ugh. I could go on all day with examples of why I did not like this book.
It is so over-the-top in Ugh. I tried. I really did, but this is a dnf for me. I can't hack the last little bit, so at 85% I quit.

This was written by a Pulitzer Prize nominee, though not for this book.

I got this for $1 at a library used book sale. I would really like my $1 back.

I picked this up because the holidays were coming and I got caught up in a "sweet" moment of wanting to connect with other women and traditions.

Ugh. I could go on all day with examples of why I did not like this book.
It is so over-the-top in its clichéd stereotypes it made me want to scream. It's never good to be mocking a book in your head while reading. At first, I thought it was going to be hidden Christian fiction, but there is language and sex talk. Which was what kept me reading past the first chapter - the first whiff of Christian fiction and I'm gone. I never could decide what the purpose of this book was, but all its messages were so heavy-handed. Of course, there was sexual and racial blending. EVERY conceivable life problem was thrown in but embellished ad nauseum. One woman even tried to bring world peace by making two different batches of essentially the same cookie in both its Arabic and Jewish recipes.

Here's an example: one of the women's grown sons has died during the year. Like her, he possessed an ethereal otherworldly beauty. Like an Adonis Ken doll. And he was so daring and adventurous! He did all the dangerous things: motorcycles, jet skiing, ALL of it. He was also a construction worker who fell to his death just as he became engaged to the love of his life. But the fall didn't kill him. Oh no, not this guy! He was too strong for that! Instead, he was impaled through the chest on a rusty iron rebar for a long time, fully conscious, making wise life observations and summations. He was "crucified", just like Christ. I am not kidding. The author actually drew that parallel.

I can see a rich-bitch, holier-than-thou feel-good group of women loving this book. Sorry if anyone finds that offensive, but I found this book offensive. The cookie club also makes a big point of donating cookies to the local hospice because a little joy goes a long way. Hell, maybe their cookies saved all those lives in the end, I don't know. I can't read anymore to find out.

I need this book for a couple of challenges. I'm doing myself a favor and using it. I suffered enough. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
2017 Reading Chal...: The Christmas Cookie Club	1	20	Mar 04, 2015 11:01AM

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Videos About This Book

Add a comment

Add a comment

Genres

Holiday > Christmas

127 users

Fiction

92 users

Womens Fiction > Chick Lit

60 users

Holiday

30 users

See top shelves…

About Ann Pearlman

Ann Pearlman

117 followers

Ann Pearlman was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award for INFIDELITY which was also made into a Lifetime movie. Her first novel, THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CLUB has been translated into 6 languages and is a national and international bestseller. A GIFT FOR MY SISTER, following characters first introduced in The Christmas Cookie Club won a prize for best fiction. THE LOTTERY, the ...more