About book Candy And Me: A Girl's Tale Of Life, Love, And Sugar (2003)
I wasn't convinced that this book would work, especially as I've never heard of a lot of the sweets, let alone tasted them. Okay, I've had sugar, cocoa, ice cream, Flake, an assortment (I remember the 20 cent mix fondly), candy canes, Tic Tacs, fudge, Snickers, candy floss (cotton candy), and I think Starburst. And Jelly Belly is a recent comer here - they're the only gelatin-free jelly beans I can get for my son. Anyway, I read this book in one sitting (except for a short walk to the kitchen to get chocolate). It all ties together so nicely. Her life as narrated by candy. It works so well, and she's obviously thought about it a lot. Plus the pictures are perfect. The layers of the Earth and the layers of the Fireball, the candy-mint continuum, etc. I thought the cutesy pictures would be annoying, but they were a great part of the book, especially for some of the candy that I wasn't familiar with. I learned something, even - American Smarties are different to British (and by extension, Australia and NZ) Smarties! Completely different shape - what's with that?I actually think she might be my mirror image - chocolate is to me what candy is to her. I ate lollies as a kid, but it was always chocolate that was and is my downfall. I wouldn't steal my brothers' lollies, but a packet of chocolate biscuits in the cupboard wasn't going to last long (nobody wanted to be the one to open the packet, so I'd open it at the other end and eat the biscuits, the packet still looking unopened, until finally someone would open the packet at the front end and find one biscuit left). So the story of her eating her brother's ice cream from the other end connected with me. Actually, I could relate a lot more to the author than to her far more sensible brother - he just seemed odd. Mind you, what I've tasted of American chocolate is pretty bland and sickly (my only visit to America I was so excited to try Hersheys kisses and other treats that were mentioned in books, and none of them lived up to the hype), so maybe if she tasted some decent chocolate she'd convert from candylover to chocoholic.And it does show that the quality of your teeth is in some way genetic, that she hasn't had teeth problems despite her life-long addiction. And no great weight problem so far. Bitch.
I have to admit to being a sucker for a quirky memoir. A previous favorite of mine is Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, the author of Little Pea. Where she wrote her life story as a series of encyclopedia entries (in alphabetical order, of course), Hilary Liftin has looked at her life according to all the different types (and vast quantities) of candy she has eaten in her memoir Candy and Me.Liftin begins her book by describing how she would sneak cups of powdered sugar which she would mix with butter to make little powdery lumps to eat. She'd keep eating even beyond the point of her mouth feeling like chalk. She later pays her brother to buy her stashes of candy which she eats in bed. She hides the wrappers behind her bed.As she grows up she has money and greater access to candy. She prefers the sugary ones. I personally can't imagine being this addicted to sugar. My weakness if chocolate my consumption is no where near as high as the 12.1 pounds per year for an average American and I can't fathom eating 12.6 pounds or more of "non-chocolate" candy per year. I just can't. (For numbers see Allbusiness.com)So part of reading Candy and Me was the freak show aspect. I gawked at what and how much she was eating at any given point in her life. My husband can attest to me reading some of the descriptions out loud to him. The book fascinated me and horrified me at the same time.Despite her addiction to sugar, Liftin comes off as an otherwise normal, happy and well adjusted individual. Her writing style is charming and I'd probably love talking to her if we were to meet in person.I received the book through BookCrossing. It was not sent to me for review.
Do You like book Candy And Me: A Girl's Tale Of Life, Love, And Sugar (2003)?
Not surprisingly, this is a life told through the lens of candy. As a compulsive candy eater (I can't buy it for myself because I can't restrain myself from eating it all at once), it was a lovely little diversion. Lots of attention paid to the details, the precise sensations associated with each type of candy, the psychological aspects of candy eating and compulsion, etc. There's a bit of lip service paid to the fact that candy is not good for you, but really, every resource listed in the back is a candy shop or candy company website. Candy is a harsh mistress perhaps, but there's no question of giving her up anytime soon.More than anything, this book made me want a packet of peanut M&M's - to be sorted by color and then bitten carefully in half while keeping the peanut intact. Also some buttered popcorn Jelly Bellies. And a U.S. edition Mars bar (they've been gone for awhile but I just found out they're back!). And, weirdly, a few of those classic strawberry bon-bons. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm....
—Nicole
I could relate to Hilary's sugar addiction more than I would like to admit here, LOL! A quick & tasty read, I think it should really be read with your preferred candy in hand. I thought some of the pictoral depictions were quite clever and amusing. Like her, as an adult my tastes have somewhat become more refined and I have become more controlled (although I have never been quite at her level thankfully) in my eating however I will never lose my sweet tooth entirely I'm sure. I did enjoy reading this unusual but interesting book!
—Margaret
I buzzed through this book online for free, courtesy of Microsoft. If I'm going to read an e-book, I'd prefer something formatted for my Visor, as it's much more portable, but I'm never one to turn down free - esp since I'd wanted to read this book. Much like its main topic - it was light, fluffy and sweet, with a chewy center. Hilary discusses her obsessive relationship with all things sucrose-laced, and how, as love becomes more important in her life, candy becomes less important. Mostly humorous, with the occasional wistful look at an awkward adolescence and early adulthood. It's a quickie read, and as such, I'd recommend it as a library or other freebie read - I wouldn't buy it in hardback, unless I found it used.
—Tracey
