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Sweet Nothings: Confessions of a Candy Lover
A taxonomy of sweetness, a rhapsody of artificial flavors, and a multi-faceted theory of pleasure, Sweet Nothings is made up of one hundred illustrated micro-essays organized by candy color, from the red of Pop Rocks to the purple Jelly Bonbon in the Whitman’s Sampler. Each entry is a meditation on taste and texture, a memory unlocked. Everyone’s favorites—and least favorites—are carefully considered, including Snickers and Trader Joe’s peanut butter cups, as well as the beloved Good & Plenty and Werther’s Originals.
An expert guide and exquisite writer, Sarah Perry asks such pressing questions as: Twizzlers or Red Vines? Why are Mentos eaters so maniacally happy? And in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, how could Edmund sell out his siblings for, of all things, Turkish delight? She rejects the dreaded "What is your favorite candy?" question and counters: "Under what circumstances?" The question itself is flawed—favorite under what circumstances? In what weather? On the road, or at home? In what mood?—because candy is tied to the seasons of our lives.
Sweet Nothings touches on pop culture, art, culinary history, philosophy, body image, and class-based food moralism. It challenges the idea of "junk food" and posits taking pleasure seriously as a means of survival.
An expert guide and exquisite writer, Sarah Perry asks such pressing questions as: Twizzlers or Red Vines? Why are Mentos eaters so maniacally happy? And in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, how could Edmund sell out his siblings for, of all things, Turkish delight? She rejects the dreaded "What is your favorite candy?" question and counters: "Under what circumstances?" The question itself is flawed—favorite under what circumstances? In what weather? On the road, or at home? In what mood?—because candy is tied to the seasons of our lives.
Sweet Nothings touches on pop culture, art, culinary history, philosophy, body image, and class-based food moralism. It challenges the idea of "junk food" and posits taking pleasure seriously as a means of survival.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published February 4, 2025
16 people are currently reading
5360 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Perry
2 books201 followersSarah Perry (she/they) is the author of Sweet Nothings: Confessions of a Candy Lover (Mariner/HarperCollins, February 2025), and After the Eclipse: A Mother’s Murder, a Daughter’s Search (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, September 2017), which was named a New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice and a Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers pick. Recent short work includes a Huffington Post Personals essay that reached 1M+ readers and an essay for Cake Zine that was a nominee for the James Beard Foundation’s 2024 M. F. K. Fisher Distinguished Writing Award. Other essays have appeared in Elle Magazine, and Off Assignment, and the Guardian. More updates can be found on her website and on Instagram at @sarahperry100 Perry holds an M.F.A. in nonfiction from Columbia University, has taught in the graduate programs at Columbia and the University of North Texas, and was the 2019 McGee Distinguished Professor of Creative Writing at Davidson College. She was a 2020-2022 Tulsa Artist Fellow and currently teaches in the MFA program at Colorado State University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
October 22, 2024
ARC for review. To be published February 4, 2025.
One hundred short essays, each about candy! This should be interesting….
Perry covers a truly impressive array of candy here, everything from all the usual suspects to things like Sixlets (which I guess I’m the last to know is a gross one that only I like,) Chili Nut M&Ms (um, WTF?) and an “unnamed Scandinavian candy eaten in San Pedro, Guatemala” (“sulfurous chunk of hell’s own stalactites.”)
You’ll also learn that the flavor of candy corn is “mellowcreme.” Doesn’t that make your little spooky season heart happy and don’t you love them 38% more now?
The essays aren’t all strictly about the candy themselves; some leads to various stories, like Lifesavers and Hart Crane and queerness, Andes mints and upward mobility and Aero bars and the Salman Rushdie connection. It’s all here.
This book was great fun, well written and really made me want to read the author’s first book which is about Perry’s mother’s murder (probably not the same good time.). If this sounds good to you I can highly recommend it…some delicious cotton candy wishes to Ms. Perry.
One hundred short essays, each about candy! This should be interesting….
Perry covers a truly impressive array of candy here, everything from all the usual suspects to things like Sixlets (which I guess I’m the last to know is a gross one that only I like,) Chili Nut M&Ms (um, WTF?) and an “unnamed Scandinavian candy eaten in San Pedro, Guatemala” (“sulfurous chunk of hell’s own stalactites.”)
You’ll also learn that the flavor of candy corn is “mellowcreme.” Doesn’t that make your little spooky season heart happy and don’t you love them 38% more now?
The essays aren’t all strictly about the candy themselves; some leads to various stories, like Lifesavers and Hart Crane and queerness, Andes mints and upward mobility and Aero bars and the Salman Rushdie connection. It’s all here.
This book was great fun, well written and really made me want to read the author’s first book which is about Perry’s mother’s murder (probably not the same good time.). If this sounds good to you I can highly recommend it…some delicious cotton candy wishes to Ms. Perry.
November 28, 2024
Full disclosure: I won a free ARC of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
I loved this book! Sarah Perry writes about all sorts of candies (though not actual Licorice All-Sorts, now that I think of it.) Some essays are barely a paragraph. Some run for pages. Each candy can be a jumping off point for a slice of autobiography, a review of the candy itself, a history of its manufacture, a poetic evocation of flavor and texture … sometimes all of these. As something of a candy-lover myself, I recognized a kindred spirit (I think I appreciate Necco Wafers more than she does, but nobody's perfect.)
Her prose is eloquent and evocative, and I found myself sorely tempted to read sections of it to various people, particularly her thoughts on Ferrero Rocher.
It reminded me in many ways of Steve Almond's classic, Candyfreak. And I found myself wondering if Perry was aware of the book or not? If you're looking for literary opinions on a ridiculously wide assortment of candy, both books are indispensable reading, and complement each other nicely.
I have a lot of books in the house–”too many” if you want to get negative about it--and Goodreads giveaways are often the first to get donated to the local library or friends. But Sweet Nothings is, I think, a keeper. I will definitely be rereading this one, probably back to back with Candyfreak. Should be fun, though it will almost certainly make me hungry. Highly recommended!
I loved this book! Sarah Perry writes about all sorts of candies (though not actual Licorice All-Sorts, now that I think of it.) Some essays are barely a paragraph. Some run for pages. Each candy can be a jumping off point for a slice of autobiography, a review of the candy itself, a history of its manufacture, a poetic evocation of flavor and texture … sometimes all of these. As something of a candy-lover myself, I recognized a kindred spirit (I think I appreciate Necco Wafers more than she does, but nobody's perfect.)
Her prose is eloquent and evocative, and I found myself sorely tempted to read sections of it to various people, particularly her thoughts on Ferrero Rocher.
It reminded me in many ways of Steve Almond's classic, Candyfreak. And I found myself wondering if Perry was aware of the book or not? If you're looking for literary opinions on a ridiculously wide assortment of candy, both books are indispensable reading, and complement each other nicely.
I have a lot of books in the house–”too many” if you want to get negative about it--and Goodreads giveaways are often the first to get donated to the local library or friends. But Sweet Nothings is, I think, a keeper. I will definitely be rereading this one, probably back to back with Candyfreak. Should be fun, though it will almost certainly make me hungry. Highly recommended!
December 8, 2024
4.25: sometimes funny and sometimes touching. Easy to read an essay but, like candy, hard to stop at just one
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher as a Goodreads Giveaway. A review was requested but not required and the content and star rating are both my own. The edition I received was an Advanced Reader Copy and may differ from the published version.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher as a Goodreads Giveaway. A review was requested but not required and the content and star rating are both my own. The edition I received was an Advanced Reader Copy and may differ from the published version.
May 30, 2025
such a fun read!! lots of reflections on nostalgia, grief, human connection, and the little joys of life lol, which the author describes with a witty yet sincere voice. some essays were a little slow, but I liked the majority - my favorites were the ones on swedish fish, bubble gum and warheads. the first collection of creative nonfiction essays I've read and it did not disappoint :)
February 6, 2025
An unexpected gem in more ways than one!
I should start by saying that I’m not a candy lover. I’ve been known to eat a piece occasionally, but my primary interest in candy is in its aesthetics.
Sarah Perry, a true candy lover but also an appreciator of its aesthetics, has written this lovely book that is part memoir, part history lesson and part sensory experience. You don’t need to love candy to love this, as it’s beautifully and evocatively written, and fascinating both in terms of Perry’s personal story and in how she equates candy to history, memory, nostalgia, and emotion.
Perry’s backstory is really something, and while she touches only occasionally on things like her mother’s murder in this one (read After the Eclipse if you want more on that), she does a wonderful job of blending personal experience with the kind of cultural memory we all carry for the taste, appearance, texture, and intangibles we associate with sweets.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
I should start by saying that I’m not a candy lover. I’ve been known to eat a piece occasionally, but my primary interest in candy is in its aesthetics.
Sarah Perry, a true candy lover but also an appreciator of its aesthetics, has written this lovely book that is part memoir, part history lesson and part sensory experience. You don’t need to love candy to love this, as it’s beautifully and evocatively written, and fascinating both in terms of Perry’s personal story and in how she equates candy to history, memory, nostalgia, and emotion.
Perry’s backstory is really something, and while she touches only occasionally on things like her mother’s murder in this one (read After the Eclipse if you want more on that), she does a wonderful job of blending personal experience with the kind of cultural memory we all carry for the taste, appearance, texture, and intangibles we associate with sweets.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
October 23, 2024
I received this tasty little book (an ARC) in a GoodReads giveaway and I savored it over a few days. The essays are well-written with imagery that made me feel like I was sampling every candy subject as I read about it. Each candy produces a memory for the author and for me as well. I wanted to go out and buy every one so I could experience again the wonderful flavors and textures. Sadly, a favorite movie theater candy of mine was snubbed. Not a word about Sugar Babies! The author can be forgiven, as many other favorites were addressed. Thank you HarperCollins and GoodReads for providing this book.
December 27, 2025
As a Very Opinionated Candy Connoisseur, I immensely enjoyed reading a book written by another Very Opinionated Candy Connoisseur. Strawberry hard candy IS infuriatingly pineapple shaped. Ferrero Rocher is ABSOLUTELY a textural abomination packaged in an unnecessary amount of waste. People who hate OR love candy corn as a personality trait are so annoying--they are a decidedly "mid" candy, AND THAT'S FINE.
For a book centered on something as famously colorful as candy (and whose structure is actually divided by candy color), I was disappointed that the illustrations were simple black pen. I also found myself less invested in the essays on candies which I have never tasted or even seen, even as Perry describes them so beautifully.
But the essays vary in length so that even the longest are (appropriately) bite-sized, so you're never on one topic for too long. Perry has a robust vocabulary that helps capture the sensory experiences both of eating candy and of living life. And though I have very little in common with her in terms of lived experience, turns out we eat all candies the exact same way. Swedish Fish lose their tails first. Lindt truffles' tops are bit off so we can see inside. We're never quite sure whether to try to stuff an entire peach ring into our mouth or awkwardly try to bite it in half, a task made exceedingly difficult by its gummy texture.
This was a delightful read that I recommend to any candy lover, best enjoyed with a bag or bowl of your favorites. Even as someone who barely reads nonfiction, this was, I'm pleased to say, short and sweet.
For a book centered on something as famously colorful as candy (and whose structure is actually divided by candy color), I was disappointed that the illustrations were simple black pen. I also found myself less invested in the essays on candies which I have never tasted or even seen, even as Perry describes them so beautifully.
But the essays vary in length so that even the longest are (appropriately) bite-sized, so you're never on one topic for too long. Perry has a robust vocabulary that helps capture the sensory experiences both of eating candy and of living life. And though I have very little in common with her in terms of lived experience, turns out we eat all candies the exact same way. Swedish Fish lose their tails first. Lindt truffles' tops are bit off so we can see inside. We're never quite sure whether to try to stuff an entire peach ring into our mouth or awkwardly try to bite it in half, a task made exceedingly difficult by its gummy texture.
This was a delightful read that I recommend to any candy lover, best enjoyed with a bag or bowl of your favorites. Even as someone who barely reads nonfiction, this was, I'm pleased to say, short and sweet.
Read
March 30, 2025Dnf. It was just too many and the tone got obnoxious after a while. Very edgy to compare so many candies to drug use. Often felt like the way older suburban moms who have never done more than smoke a joint will call some dip made in their crockpot "crack." (Also at one point the author mocked the idea of a loganberry "named after some guy named Logan" but that is in fact an actual berry that exists so that made the thing feel poorly fact checked)
November 25, 2024
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I dove into this book with a lot of hope for the bittersweet nature of remembering our favorite treats. The only issue is that "Sweet Nothings" left me wanting more in a not-so-yummy way.
When I went to dive into the story, I imagined pointed stories from the author's upbringing surrounded by candy. I thought it'd be more about distinct memories that the taste of a caramel candy brought up, maybe a sour recollection from a dropped Hershey kiss. Instead, I felt like I was being thrown around through thoughts that loosely connected to a deeper feeling. The parts tied to her mother were incredibly successful, though.
Unfortunately, I just don't think this book was for me. I really thought it could have been more impactful, so I just felt a little let down in the end. Some of the stories felt repetitive, and I just wanted to get closer to the center of a Tootsie-Pop.
I dove into this book with a lot of hope for the bittersweet nature of remembering our favorite treats. The only issue is that "Sweet Nothings" left me wanting more in a not-so-yummy way.
When I went to dive into the story, I imagined pointed stories from the author's upbringing surrounded by candy. I thought it'd be more about distinct memories that the taste of a caramel candy brought up, maybe a sour recollection from a dropped Hershey kiss. Instead, I felt like I was being thrown around through thoughts that loosely connected to a deeper feeling. The parts tied to her mother were incredibly successful, though.
Unfortunately, I just don't think this book was for me. I really thought it could have been more impactful, so I just felt a little let down in the end. Some of the stories felt repetitive, and I just wanted to get closer to the center of a Tootsie-Pop.
August 12, 2025
(4.5 rounded up)
I think reading this made me realize I don’t read enough capital-G Good Writing these days. For a book about candy, this was more like a decadent three-layer hot fudge cake of a literary work. Everything is candy these days — quick sugar rushes we get from checking our phones, paperback romances, everything mass-produced, even our literature, because it’s about sales. It’s nice to slow down and enjoy something that demands you savor it. That’s what this book is.
Really beautiful prose. I have not read Sarah Perry’s memoir, but now I feel I need to. But without that, going in totally blind, this is nevertheless a masterwork. In disguise! The cover is so cute, you might really think it’s only about candy. One of those cookbook-as-memoir type deals. Nope. This is the platonic ideal of what a book of personal essays should be: sweet, nostalgic, biting, painful, even disgusting at times, real.
I was only about 20 pages in when I thought, “this writer really has a sort of Nabokovian knack for language.” (The highest honor I can bestow on a piece of writing is to think this.) Imagine my glee a hundred or so pages later when Perry mentions “a preemptive Nabokovian nostalgia” — it felt like a wink of agreement, reassurance that my assessment of her talent was not baseless.
This is a really good book. I need to read more things like it — I’m learning that essays are really my thing these days. The flavor will stay in the back of my mouth for a while.
I think reading this made me realize I don’t read enough capital-G Good Writing these days. For a book about candy, this was more like a decadent three-layer hot fudge cake of a literary work. Everything is candy these days — quick sugar rushes we get from checking our phones, paperback romances, everything mass-produced, even our literature, because it’s about sales. It’s nice to slow down and enjoy something that demands you savor it. That’s what this book is.
Really beautiful prose. I have not read Sarah Perry’s memoir, but now I feel I need to. But without that, going in totally blind, this is nevertheless a masterwork. In disguise! The cover is so cute, you might really think it’s only about candy. One of those cookbook-as-memoir type deals. Nope. This is the platonic ideal of what a book of personal essays should be: sweet, nostalgic, biting, painful, even disgusting at times, real.
I was only about 20 pages in when I thought, “this writer really has a sort of Nabokovian knack for language.” (The highest honor I can bestow on a piece of writing is to think this.) Imagine my glee a hundred or so pages later when Perry mentions “a preemptive Nabokovian nostalgia” — it felt like a wink of agreement, reassurance that my assessment of her talent was not baseless.
This is a really good book. I need to read more things like it — I’m learning that essays are really my thing these days. The flavor will stay in the back of my mouth for a while.
September 1, 2025
I think I say this any time I read any book about food but here we are again: this book was written exactly and precisely for me. Thank you Sarah Perry for setting out to do such a thing, that was really kind of you!
Essays about a deep appreciation for and love of candy along with a love of goodness and rightness in the world and tenderness for other people and the self AND the history and culture of the various candies... honey, that's Jill Literature! I think this was so effectively done and gave me what I think I wanted from Jamie Loftus's Raw Dog (deep dive on a specific food mixed with reflections on culture and relationships) and elevated what I loved in Aimee Nezhukumatathil's World of Wonders (personal essays that delight in things in the world with good illustrations) by making it about a food I love, and even at times reminded me of my dear fav Hanif Abdurraqib with the lyrical writing and the way that to really reflect on what you love about something and what it evokes in you can be such a joy to read (as it is with Abdurraqib's writing on music and basketball).
I think Perry pulled this off brilliantly and I am also happy she got to write such a light and appreciative memoir after previously writing of her mom's untimely murder (which is absurd for me to say as any murder is by nature untimely). I appreciated how her love and grief about her mom was still woven into this though, and that love was maybe one of my favourite parts of the book and what emotionally resonated with me the most.
Essays about a deep appreciation for and love of candy along with a love of goodness and rightness in the world and tenderness for other people and the self AND the history and culture of the various candies... honey, that's Jill Literature! I think this was so effectively done and gave me what I think I wanted from Jamie Loftus's Raw Dog (deep dive on a specific food mixed with reflections on culture and relationships) and elevated what I loved in Aimee Nezhukumatathil's World of Wonders (personal essays that delight in things in the world with good illustrations) by making it about a food I love, and even at times reminded me of my dear fav Hanif Abdurraqib with the lyrical writing and the way that to really reflect on what you love about something and what it evokes in you can be such a joy to read (as it is with Abdurraqib's writing on music and basketball).
I think Perry pulled this off brilliantly and I am also happy she got to write such a light and appreciative memoir after previously writing of her mom's untimely murder (which is absurd for me to say as any murder is by nature untimely). I appreciated how her love and grief about her mom was still woven into this though, and that love was maybe one of my favourite parts of the book and what emotionally resonated with me the most.
Read
April 25, 2025This book was perfect for reading before bed, since it was 100 micro essays about candy. I love you short collections of essays I can read before bed
I think I enjoyed the book overall, but I do think the authors prose got a bit...pretentious? Stupid? Navel-gazey? I don't think any of those are the words I want to use, but I can't find a better one.
I think I enjoyed the book overall, but I do think the authors prose got a bit...pretentious? Stupid? Navel-gazey? I don't think any of those are the words I want to use, but I can't find a better one.
May 11, 2025
A genuine delight of a book that’s funny, insightful, heartfelt, and even informative. It’s unique in its goal and masterfully executed.
Perry seemingly effortlessly shifts between cultural commentary/critique, punchy one-liners, and heartfelt, tear-inducing reflection on love, memory, and pleasure.
The essays collected here certainly are sweet—100 sweet somethings.
Perry seemingly effortlessly shifts between cultural commentary/critique, punchy one-liners, and heartfelt, tear-inducing reflection on love, memory, and pleasure.
The essays collected here certainly are sweet—100 sweet somethings.
February 26, 2025
This was a really cool concept. I loved seeing candy through someone else's eyes. Some of these moments were tied to meaningful memories, others just memories that made me laugh, and if there was no memory or story it was just nice to get someone's in depth thoughts on certain candies.
May 5, 2025
a memoir through candy is just about as unusual as it sounds. made me nostalgic
July 19, 2025
Man I really struggled to get through this, and I usually love books centered on food!
April 8, 2025
For candy lovers! Perry leaves no wrapper unwrapped, no chocolate untasted, no sugary substance left behind as she writes movingly about candy. Although organized by color, she quickly moves on to smell, taste, texture, and structure of each type of candy. Needless to say, she's a fan of everything sweet, but is ready to tell if she doesn't think a candy is worth it. This is no innocent walk through the candy aisle, though; her essays are definitely for adults only.
January 10, 2025
This book was different from my normal reading, but a very pleasant and welcomed change. I really enjoyed the memories and educational history that each candy brought to the writer. It was inspirational to think about the memories I myself have when I think of certain ones. The contrast between some of the short essays is so intriguing as well!
I absolutely loved the green jolly rancher, it was hilarious and on point.
ARC
I absolutely loved the green jolly rancher, it was hilarious and on point.
ARC
March 18, 2025
I thought this book was purely going to offer bite-sized essays about candy, but there's more to it, both bad and good.
The book opens with Perry talking about her pussy... the vaginal kind... I'm not kidding. This goes back into what I mentioned about there being more than just essays about candy. While seemingly ridiculous, she does loop the pussy story into one about sweets (crazy sounding, I realize); this first encounter should be an indicator on how the rest of the book is going to go.
While Perry does have some interesting and thought provoking stories, memories, and views that can lead back to candy, other times, the stories are just nonsensical annoyances and feel like they're there just to shove some unimportant beliefs down the reader's gullet; just get back to the candy already!
I don't think I wasted my time reading this book, but I don't think I fully enjoyed it either. I would love to see a better attempt at someone breaking down all the candy out there and making it charming! It's CANDY for goodness sake!
The book opens with Perry talking about her pussy... the vaginal kind... I'm not kidding. This goes back into what I mentioned about there being more than just essays about candy. While seemingly ridiculous, she does loop the pussy story into one about sweets (crazy sounding, I realize); this first encounter should be an indicator on how the rest of the book is going to go.
While Perry does have some interesting and thought provoking stories, memories, and views that can lead back to candy, other times, the stories are just nonsensical annoyances and feel like they're there just to shove some unimportant beliefs down the reader's gullet; just get back to the candy already!
I don't think I wasted my time reading this book, but I don't think I fully enjoyed it either. I would love to see a better attempt at someone breaking down all the candy out there and making it charming! It's CANDY for goodness sake!
October 16, 2024
I recieved an ARC through a Goodreads giveaway, thanks Goodreads and Mariner/HarperCollins!
I was so excited to recieve this because I consider myself to be a lover of candy and a big sweet tooth (I'm the type of person that needs a sweet treat daily). Going into the book I thought it would be more like essays on the candies themselves and how they were made/introduced to the masses. Instead I got a little bit of that and also different memories that the candies evoke for author Sarah Perry. As I read on I enjoyed seeing what little bits of life Perry associates with a sweet, and also learning about some candies I've never heard of!
Though I disagree with some of their opinions on specific candies, I had a good time having my own memories come up as I read. Everything we do is connected to a memory or event in our lives and now when I eat any candy I'll think of this book too.
I was so excited to recieve this because I consider myself to be a lover of candy and a big sweet tooth (I'm the type of person that needs a sweet treat daily). Going into the book I thought it would be more like essays on the candies themselves and how they were made/introduced to the masses. Instead I got a little bit of that and also different memories that the candies evoke for author Sarah Perry. As I read on I enjoyed seeing what little bits of life Perry associates with a sweet, and also learning about some candies I've never heard of!
Though I disagree with some of their opinions on specific candies, I had a good time having my own memories come up as I read. Everything we do is connected to a memory or event in our lives and now when I eat any candy I'll think of this book too.
September 20, 2024
This was such a sweet read ;)
As a fellow sweet-toothed girl, I truly enjoyed the theme of this collection of essays. Each essay also has a lovely ink drawing of the confection it focuses on. The book is divided into sections which sort the sweets into color categories. Surprisingly to me, there is actually a lot of history and factual background info provided, too! I loved this learning opportunity!
The essays were filled with lightheartedness and not without heartfelt soul searching as well. I appreciate this glimpse into a human’s reflection of life through the memories and experiences of candies. A true delight.
On Skittles in the Rainbow Brights section was my favorite; it reminded me of my own love and our appreciation of each other for all of our unique selves.
As a fellow sweet-toothed girl, I truly enjoyed the theme of this collection of essays. Each essay also has a lovely ink drawing of the confection it focuses on. The book is divided into sections which sort the sweets into color categories. Surprisingly to me, there is actually a lot of history and factual background info provided, too! I loved this learning opportunity!
The essays were filled with lightheartedness and not without heartfelt soul searching as well. I appreciate this glimpse into a human’s reflection of life through the memories and experiences of candies. A true delight.
On Skittles in the Rainbow Brights section was my favorite; it reminded me of my own love and our appreciation of each other for all of our unique selves.
September 24, 2024
I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to William Morrow for choosing me.
This gets intimate real fast, the author shares quite a bit in the first 10 pages. The rest of the book is a mixture of candy history and reflections on her life. Each entry accompanied by an illustration of the candy/chocolate she's talking about.
It's different from what I'm used to, but it was a good read from beginning to end.
This gets intimate real fast, the author shares quite a bit in the first 10 pages. The rest of the book is a mixture of candy history and reflections on her life. Each entry accompanied by an illustration of the candy/chocolate she's talking about.
It's different from what I'm used to, but it was a good read from beginning to end.
August 16, 2025
Before you start in on this book, copy down all the candies listed in the table of contents and go source them. Most seem easy to find. It would have dramatically added to the reading experience for me.
This one was so nostalgic and sweet. We first met Perry when she published her first memoir, After the Eclipse, about her mother’s tragic murder. This memoir can also be heavy at times but it’s a very different flavor.
This one was so nostalgic and sweet. We first met Perry when she published her first memoir, After the Eclipse, about her mother’s tragic murder. This memoir can also be heavy at times but it’s a very different flavor.
March 19, 2025
There are just... so many candies.
I loved Perry's memoir about her mother's murder, but this collection was underwhelming for me.
I loved Perry's memoir about her mother's murder, but this collection was underwhelming for me.
February 24, 2025
Sarah Perry's first book, AFTER THE ECLIPSE, was a harrowing memoir about her mother's murder when Perry was 12. Although it might seem like she has chosen a topic (candy) in complete opposition to her debut for her sophomore effort, there's still more than a little sour and salt mixed into the sweet. And this wonderful essay collection is all the better for it.
Perry sets the tone with "On Root Beer Barrels," which is the longest essay in the book. Not only does it discuss the titular candy, it offers a brief history of her home state of Maine's favorite soda (Moxie), which then gets wrapped up in a hilariously detailed account of her largely failed attempts to treat the raging yeast infection she picked up while on tour for AFTER THE ECLIPSE. At the time, she was contending with resurgent grief dredged up by writing and publishing a book about her late mom. You get the idea right from the beginning; this might be a sweet book about candy, but it's not just about candy, and it's not always that sweet.
Candy gives SWEET NOTHINGS its structure, though. Well, candy and color, since after that introductory piece, the 100 essays making up this slim but surprisingly dense (surely there's a candy metaphor here?) volume are grouped by color and arranged like a rainbow --- from the "chewy reds" of Twizzlers, Pop Rocks and Swedish Fish all the way through to the pink of Starburst and cotton candy. And not to worry, chocolate fans (whom Perry certainly would count herself among), she also includes lengthy collections of candies that fall under "dark chocolate brown" (including York Peppermint Patties, her mom's favorite), "pale brown" (Payday, Werther's Original), and "milk chocolate brown" (Twix and Toblerone, among others).
Some essays are as brief as a short paragraph; others expand over pages. In some, the candy is the essay. Perry, a true aficionado, is remarkably adept at chronicling the most minute details of candy, from its appearance to the way it melts (or doesn't) in your mouth, to which candy wrappers are well designed and which are just annoying (yes, we're looking at you, Snickers!). In some cases, she offers scientific or historical context, or bits of trivia.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, even though she is an unapologetic adult candy lover, many of the candies prompt Perry to cast her mind back to her childhood. She thinks about her mom, her mom's boyfriend and other relatives --- both before and after her mom's death --- as well as candies that, inevitably like childhood itself, have been discontinued. Sometimes the juxtapositions are funny, sad, sexy or wild --- as when she writes about "unnamed Scandinavian candy eaten in San Pedro, Guatemala," comparing it unfavorably (and hilariously) to the orgy she had on that same trip.
I remember years ago, when my parents had just finished reading Steve Almond's CANDY FREAK, they became obsessed with tracking down a couple of the candies that he wrote about. SWEET NOTHINGS is a very different book, but I’ve had a similar reaction. I now have a short (ok, long) list of candies to find, ones that Perry describes so lovingly and either I've never tried or I’d forgotten entirely until she jogged my memory. Here's hoping that this thoroughly delectable essay collection prompts many readers to (re)discover their own sweet tooth --- and cherish their wild, precious memories.
Reviewed by Norah Piehl
Perry sets the tone with "On Root Beer Barrels," which is the longest essay in the book. Not only does it discuss the titular candy, it offers a brief history of her home state of Maine's favorite soda (Moxie), which then gets wrapped up in a hilariously detailed account of her largely failed attempts to treat the raging yeast infection she picked up while on tour for AFTER THE ECLIPSE. At the time, she was contending with resurgent grief dredged up by writing and publishing a book about her late mom. You get the idea right from the beginning; this might be a sweet book about candy, but it's not just about candy, and it's not always that sweet.
Candy gives SWEET NOTHINGS its structure, though. Well, candy and color, since after that introductory piece, the 100 essays making up this slim but surprisingly dense (surely there's a candy metaphor here?) volume are grouped by color and arranged like a rainbow --- from the "chewy reds" of Twizzlers, Pop Rocks and Swedish Fish all the way through to the pink of Starburst and cotton candy. And not to worry, chocolate fans (whom Perry certainly would count herself among), she also includes lengthy collections of candies that fall under "dark chocolate brown" (including York Peppermint Patties, her mom's favorite), "pale brown" (Payday, Werther's Original), and "milk chocolate brown" (Twix and Toblerone, among others).
Some essays are as brief as a short paragraph; others expand over pages. In some, the candy is the essay. Perry, a true aficionado, is remarkably adept at chronicling the most minute details of candy, from its appearance to the way it melts (or doesn't) in your mouth, to which candy wrappers are well designed and which are just annoying (yes, we're looking at you, Snickers!). In some cases, she offers scientific or historical context, or bits of trivia.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, even though she is an unapologetic adult candy lover, many of the candies prompt Perry to cast her mind back to her childhood. She thinks about her mom, her mom's boyfriend and other relatives --- both before and after her mom's death --- as well as candies that, inevitably like childhood itself, have been discontinued. Sometimes the juxtapositions are funny, sad, sexy or wild --- as when she writes about "unnamed Scandinavian candy eaten in San Pedro, Guatemala," comparing it unfavorably (and hilariously) to the orgy she had on that same trip.
I remember years ago, when my parents had just finished reading Steve Almond's CANDY FREAK, they became obsessed with tracking down a couple of the candies that he wrote about. SWEET NOTHINGS is a very different book, but I’ve had a similar reaction. I now have a short (ok, long) list of candies to find, ones that Perry describes so lovingly and either I've never tried or I’d forgotten entirely until she jogged my memory. Here's hoping that this thoroughly delectable essay collection prompts many readers to (re)discover their own sweet tooth --- and cherish their wild, precious memories.
Reviewed by Norah Piehl
May 8, 2025
What is your favorite kind of candy? I have so many, but one of my favorite kinds of candy is definitely bubble gum.
Author Sarah Perry has written hundreds of “micro essays” on just about every type of candy imaginable. They are organized by color of the candy. Perry philosophizes on the candy and its enjoyment, relates it to her life, and/or tells some of the fascinating history of the candy. Will your favorite candy be included?
My thoughts on this book:
• I loved the great drawings of the different types of candy that was included throughout the book.
• I didn’t realize there are SO MANY different types of candy . . . and that I have eaten most of them. I think I am a secret candy lover, although now as a middle-aged woman, I don’t each much candy at all besides gum. I may still dream of it.
• This book was funny, but informational. I loved the history on things such as bubble gum as well as exactly what defines chocolate.
• Candy as it is felt through all senses such as taste, flavor, feel, smell, and structure is discussed.
• The author also tells the story of her life through candy. She lost her mother at a young age, which deeply impacts her. Her mother was murdered, which is slightly alluded to in this book. I need to read her memoir, After the Eclipse.
• This is definitely a book for adults as the author does bring in her adult relationships and sex life.
• As this was a book of essays, I did notice a few things repeated at the end of the book. Each essay could be its own stand-alone story.
• The length of the essays really varied. Some were a paragraph long while others went on for several pages.
Overall, Sweet Nothings by Sarah Perry was a funny and heartful book filled with great essays on candy and life. It was entertaining and a unique read.
Favorite Quote: “What ever possessed the candymakers of the late twentieth century? It was an era when strange textures and intense physical sensations predominated, a sort of arms race to see who could devise the weirdest way to mainline sugar. By the 1990s we have Pixy Stix and Ring Pops and nerds and Fun Dip. Fun Dip! Just a bag of finely ground sugar, really, pastel cocaine.”
Book Source: Review Copy from @marinerbooks # morrowpartner. Thank-you!
This review was first posted on my blog at: https://lauragerold.blogspot.com/2025...
Author Sarah Perry has written hundreds of “micro essays” on just about every type of candy imaginable. They are organized by color of the candy. Perry philosophizes on the candy and its enjoyment, relates it to her life, and/or tells some of the fascinating history of the candy. Will your favorite candy be included?
My thoughts on this book:
• I loved the great drawings of the different types of candy that was included throughout the book.
• I didn’t realize there are SO MANY different types of candy . . . and that I have eaten most of them. I think I am a secret candy lover, although now as a middle-aged woman, I don’t each much candy at all besides gum. I may still dream of it.
• This book was funny, but informational. I loved the history on things such as bubble gum as well as exactly what defines chocolate.
• Candy as it is felt through all senses such as taste, flavor, feel, smell, and structure is discussed.
• The author also tells the story of her life through candy. She lost her mother at a young age, which deeply impacts her. Her mother was murdered, which is slightly alluded to in this book. I need to read her memoir, After the Eclipse.
• This is definitely a book for adults as the author does bring in her adult relationships and sex life.
• As this was a book of essays, I did notice a few things repeated at the end of the book. Each essay could be its own stand-alone story.
• The length of the essays really varied. Some were a paragraph long while others went on for several pages.
Overall, Sweet Nothings by Sarah Perry was a funny and heartful book filled with great essays on candy and life. It was entertaining and a unique read.
Favorite Quote: “What ever possessed the candymakers of the late twentieth century? It was an era when strange textures and intense physical sensations predominated, a sort of arms race to see who could devise the weirdest way to mainline sugar. By the 1990s we have Pixy Stix and Ring Pops and nerds and Fun Dip. Fun Dip! Just a bag of finely ground sugar, really, pastel cocaine.”
Book Source: Review Copy from @marinerbooks # morrowpartner. Thank-you!
This review was first posted on my blog at: https://lauragerold.blogspot.com/2025...
March 30, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the ARC!
Sarah Perry’s Sweet Nothings is a gently hedonistic delight, reveling in the pleasure and unexpected authenticity of artifice.
These are bite-sized essays, that, like the candy they exegete, are largely meant to be enjoyed and forgotten in a matter of moments. And, like the endless list of ingredients found in even the simplest candies, there’s an unexpected depth of emergent flavors throughout the collection.
Perry’s ingenuity here is that she never aspires to anything more than a loving, ekphrastic exploration of candy. Many of these essayettes simply tap into our collective nostalgia about, say, unwrapping a Snickers. It’s enough to celebrate pleasure that doesn’t “mean” anything. We read about the “raindrop percussion” of emptying out a box of Junior Mints in a movie theater, and the sensorial delight feels like enough to sustain the entire book.
That said, the author’s lack of pretense also allows for moments of rich insight and reflection that always feel earned and unadorned. When readers encounter the suggestion that candy necklaces seem erotic because of a capitalistic mindset that “body-as-consumable” is sexy, it feels right at home alongside a few disdainful sentences about how Trader Joe’s peanut butter cups are overrated. Likewise, when we read about Lemon Warheads as an antidote to the violence of American masculinity, Perry's tenderness feels resonant instead of saccharine.
If the book has an implicit thesis, it’s that confection is affection, and candy is often an avenue for expressing love, whether that is toward ourselves or others.
Who knew that processed sugar could help us process life?
Sarah Perry’s Sweet Nothings is a gently hedonistic delight, reveling in the pleasure and unexpected authenticity of artifice.
These are bite-sized essays, that, like the candy they exegete, are largely meant to be enjoyed and forgotten in a matter of moments. And, like the endless list of ingredients found in even the simplest candies, there’s an unexpected depth of emergent flavors throughout the collection.
Perry’s ingenuity here is that she never aspires to anything more than a loving, ekphrastic exploration of candy. Many of these essayettes simply tap into our collective nostalgia about, say, unwrapping a Snickers. It’s enough to celebrate pleasure that doesn’t “mean” anything. We read about the “raindrop percussion” of emptying out a box of Junior Mints in a movie theater, and the sensorial delight feels like enough to sustain the entire book.
That said, the author’s lack of pretense also allows for moments of rich insight and reflection that always feel earned and unadorned. When readers encounter the suggestion that candy necklaces seem erotic because of a capitalistic mindset that “body-as-consumable” is sexy, it feels right at home alongside a few disdainful sentences about how Trader Joe’s peanut butter cups are overrated. Likewise, when we read about Lemon Warheads as an antidote to the violence of American masculinity, Perry's tenderness feels resonant instead of saccharine.
If the book has an implicit thesis, it’s that confection is affection, and candy is often an avenue for expressing love, whether that is toward ourselves or others.
Who knew that processed sugar could help us process life?
August 28, 2025
*received as a Goodreads giveaway advance readers copy*
"Butterfinger is Bart Simpson and skateboards, its bright orange insides mocking any concern about processed foods. It's flannels and cigarettes and muddy guitars, it's Eddie Vedder's voice crawling deliciously up the back of your neck. Butterfinger is getting pelted with dodgeballs, then walking home in the rain, throwing your wet jean jacket on a pile of cassette tapes on the floor..." (pg. 159)
This book is an exploration of short poetic ruminations on different candies, and the author creates a sort of memoir-in-essays which is honestly refreshing and meaningful. I found myself wanting to read more of this author's work solely based on the way she crafts her writing. While this book took a while for me to read through, and there are a few rough spots (at one point she takes a turn into a political rant and it feels a little out of place in the middle of a love letter to pink Starburst candy), as a whole I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has made me think differently about some candies - although I have to say I violently disagree with her on chocolate oranges, her piece on Lindor chocolates is deeply funny and surprisingly layered. Overall it's one of those books you want to read in pieces, just like taking a piece of two of candy from the bowl, so that you can savor and appreciate it for what it is (and have some for future you).
"Cotton candy is a lovely taunt, a gossamee memento mori. It reminds me to enjoy whatever sweetness I can with those I love before it's too late." (pg. 282)
"Butterfinger is Bart Simpson and skateboards, its bright orange insides mocking any concern about processed foods. It's flannels and cigarettes and muddy guitars, it's Eddie Vedder's voice crawling deliciously up the back of your neck. Butterfinger is getting pelted with dodgeballs, then walking home in the rain, throwing your wet jean jacket on a pile of cassette tapes on the floor..." (pg. 159)
This book is an exploration of short poetic ruminations on different candies, and the author creates a sort of memoir-in-essays which is honestly refreshing and meaningful. I found myself wanting to read more of this author's work solely based on the way she crafts her writing. While this book took a while for me to read through, and there are a few rough spots (at one point she takes a turn into a political rant and it feels a little out of place in the middle of a love letter to pink Starburst candy), as a whole I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has made me think differently about some candies - although I have to say I violently disagree with her on chocolate oranges, her piece on Lindor chocolates is deeply funny and surprisingly layered. Overall it's one of those books you want to read in pieces, just like taking a piece of two of candy from the bowl, so that you can savor and appreciate it for what it is (and have some for future you).
"Cotton candy is a lovely taunt, a gossamee memento mori. It reminds me to enjoy whatever sweetness I can with those I love before it's too late." (pg. 282)
February 24, 2025
It's hard to describe this book in a way that does it justice since there's so much more here than one might expect. Yes—it's about candy. But it's also about nostalgia, love, loss, grief, childhood, explorations of how to experience joy while simultaneously recognizing and integrating more difficult life experiences, the impulse to organize and make meaning of experiences, along with the impulse to simply experience things sensually, and much much more...
In short, you don't need to like candy to love this book. Through her interest/obsession with candy, Sarah Perry reminds us to take pleasure in simple things. And, at the same time, she reminds us that there are no simple pleasures, as each essay unfolds into multi-layered connections, simultaneously stimulating the senses and the mind with unexpected insights.
The essays are the sort of short delights that you can unwrap and savor slowly, one at at time, (reading a quick page or two a day, and letting them melt on your tongue). Or you can dive into them like a kid on Halloween night, and devour a bunch at once (without a sugar crash afterward). Personally, I know this is a book I'm going to revisit throughout my life, as I've already returned to a few essays several times to savor them again.
PS: The layout of the book is also intriguing --with line drawings of different candies interspersed among the essays. A very inviting read!
In short, you don't need to like candy to love this book. Through her interest/obsession with candy, Sarah Perry reminds us to take pleasure in simple things. And, at the same time, she reminds us that there are no simple pleasures, as each essay unfolds into multi-layered connections, simultaneously stimulating the senses and the mind with unexpected insights.
The essays are the sort of short delights that you can unwrap and savor slowly, one at at time, (reading a quick page or two a day, and letting them melt on your tongue). Or you can dive into them like a kid on Halloween night, and devour a bunch at once (without a sugar crash afterward). Personally, I know this is a book I'm going to revisit throughout my life, as I've already returned to a few essays several times to savor them again.
PS: The layout of the book is also intriguing --with line drawings of different candies interspersed among the essays. A very inviting read!
February 23, 2025
On one level a trip down memory’s sweetest lane, full of tactile, tasty, sensual (even sonorous) and sometimes even instructional moments that can provoke a smile, even in these tough times. For me, it was JuniorMints. Sarah Perry remembers (with me) the sound of them shaking in that tidy white box with green letters, the feel of the waxy inside wrapper paper, the way your tongue would go to the little dent in the bottom.
Sarah Perry’s delicious candy bios are deepened with personal reflection on love and loss, on growth and discovery, on tragedy and triumph. Yeah! All that in a sweet book ostensibly around candy. (SEE: After the Eclipse, her earlier memoir on losing her mom to murder at age 12). Sweet Nothings is about candy, and life. All the crunch and cream and disappointment of it.
I want to recommend it to everyone I know. It creates a feeling of connection to know that you weren’t the only one who found red and white pinwheel peppermints to be dangerous to the tongue. And sometimes if we’re floundering, that feeling of connection can be a lifesaver.
Sarah Perry’s delicious candy bios are deepened with personal reflection on love and loss, on growth and discovery, on tragedy and triumph. Yeah! All that in a sweet book ostensibly around candy. (SEE: After the Eclipse, her earlier memoir on losing her mom to murder at age 12). Sweet Nothings is about candy, and life. All the crunch and cream and disappointment of it.
I want to recommend it to everyone I know. It creates a feeling of connection to know that you weren’t the only one who found red and white pinwheel peppermints to be dangerous to the tongue. And sometimes if we’re floundering, that feeling of connection can be a lifesaver.
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