Fave Books / Currently Reading

[Susannah]

"Candyfreak" is fantastic, and not only because there's a large discussion on the history of the PEANUT CHEW in it.

[Laurie]

Is the peanut chew a NJ/Philly thing?

[jed]

Is the peanut chew a NJ/Philly thing?

When I moved to Philadelphia I had to hear about how great Philadelphia is as evidenced by its distinctive products--Cheesesteaks, violent sports fans, Tasty Kakes, and Peanut Chews, Pork Roll--almost every day.

[Susannah]

Yeah, they are.  The great thing about "Candyfreak" is that not only does it discuss the author's personal obsession with candy, but it examines a bunch of regional candies, and the history of candy in America in-depth.  He visits factories all over the country and talks to their owners about the difficulties they encounter in trying to continue candy production when faced by competition from Hershey, Nestle, etc.  It's a really great read.

[PatrickChew]

Is the peanut chew a NJ/Philly thing?

The Peanut Chew is a universal treat.

[zonny the nun]

Two of my favorite contemporary writers are Amanda Filipacchi (Love Creeps) and Jonathan Ames (What's Not to Love?; Wake Up, Sir!).

I happen to be reading David Copperfield at the moment.

[Rainer]

Two of my favorite contemporary writers are Amanda Filipacchi (Love Creeps) and Jonathan Ames (What's Not to Love?; Wake Up, Sir!).

I loved "Wake Up, Sir!"  Read it in Baltimore last year. I lived in NYC in the early 90s and loved Jonathan Ames' columns in the New York Press. That was a very, very good newspaper for a five year period.

PS: As you read "Wake Up, Sir!" were you able to visualize Jeeves as something other than:



or



or



?

[zonny the nun]

For better or worse, Stephen Fry will always be my mental Jeeves.

Have you read What's Not to Love? It collects Ames's New York Press columns.

I hope this link isn't too explicit for a family-oriented message board, but here's a contest he organized to determine the world's most phallic building:

http://www.cabinetmagazine.org/phallic/contest.php

(I live around the corner from the winner.)

[John Junk]

Oh man, I hate Jonathan Ames.  Maybe I'm just a prude.  He's the guy that writes filth, right?  Like Filthy Laurie type stuff?

[Laurie]

Ooh, someone nominated the world's ugliest building, China Grill. That building is hiddy.

[zonny the nun]

He's the guy that writes filth, right? 

Well, he's no Dennis Cooper--also one of my favorites, by the way.

[Rainer]

Zonny,

Did you ever go see Ames do his "Octopussy" show?  Think that was the name ...

JWH,

Ames is nowhere near as potty-mouthed as Laurie. 

[Jason]

"What mighty ills have not been done by Woman?  Who was't betrayed the Capitol? A woman. Who lost Marc Antony the world?  A
woman. Who was the cause of a long ten years' war and laid at last  old Troy  in  ashes? Woman. Deceitful, damnable, destructive Woman."

I love Wodehouse, and Waugh and all that jazz.

Should I read that Ames book?

[bruce]

To add to my pile of to be read:

The New Destroyer: Guardian Angel - Warren Murphy & James Mullaney
Spy Wars - Tennent H. Bagley
Jack London's Tales Of Cannibals And Headhunters (the most un pc book cover in a long time)

[Sarah]

Should I read that Ames book?

I enjoyed it, but it ain't not no Wodehouse nor even not nor Waugh.

What do you think of Somerset Maugham, Mr. Crazy Foot?  And Trollope?