Title: Life on Santa Claus Lane
Author: Darrell Bain
Genre: Biography/Humor
Publisher: Twilight Times Books
ISBN: 1-931201-19-6
Pages: 177
Price: $15.50

Yes, Virginia, there really is a Santa Claus Lane.  And for Darrell Bain, life at home is filled with more funny and unusual experiences than a stocking is filled with goodies on Christmas morning. 

Life on Santa Claus Lane is a collection of amusing stories detailing Bain’s life on a Christmas tree farm in East Texas along with his spouse, dog, and two cats.  You certainly won’t be disappointed with Bain’s down-home, tongue-in-cheek style and quirky perceptions of life.  (Per evidence of his definition of the actual use of a tape measure: “There is no actual use for this tool because it mysteriously disappears whenever anything needs measuring.”)  But don’t look for any talk about sex, because that topic is emphatically off limits.  Just ask Darrell’s wife.  The exploits of their dog, Biscuit, however, is fair game.

Through it all Bain spins a sequence of tales that provide smirks of familiarity, chuckles of amusement, or downright, out-loud laughter.  Wait till you read about “The Great Closet Expedition” or learn of his ironclad memory in “A Simple Errand.”  Even putting up a garden tent can be quite an adventure where Bain is concerned.

Whatever happens on Santa Claus Lane, you can be sure Darrel Bain will tell us about it in a fun and entertaining fashion.  This book is a great read, and I highly recommend it!

Reviewer: Gene Berger

*HIGHLY RECOMMENDED