If you follow me on Twitter, you probably already know that I absolutely LOVE black licorice candy!  I guess that makes me a rare specimen because it would seem that only a handful of people in  the world actually like it too! I’ll admit, it does taste pretty funky. I honestly can’t eat more than four pieces at a time. So why do I like it?

I love black licorice because it reminds of my childhood. One of my father’s favorite candies is Good & Plenty, which is essentially pink and white, candy-coated, black licorice. Every time my family and I piled into the car for a road trip to Grandma and Grandpa’s house, my father would always be sure to have a box of Good & Plenty handy and, of course, he’d always share. When I eat licorice, it feels just like going back to my little, 5-year-old self strapped in the backseat, looking out the passenger window with a handful of those pink and white candies melting in my hand. So thanks, Dad, for making me a black licorice fan!

NOTE:  Consuming excessive black licorice can be bad for your health! I only eat Twizzlers licorice, which only uses small amounts of licorice extract.

Anyway, nostalgia aside, I finished watching the film, Les Miserables today! I’ve often heard stellar reviews of the novel by Victor Hugo (It was my high school history teacher’s favorite book!) and I’m sure we’ve all heard the song “I Dreamed a Dream,” a song from the musical version,  at least once (Thanks, Susan Boyle!). However, I’ve always been wary of reading the book since it’s, like, THIS thick! *sticks thumb and and forefinger apart as far as they will go* So I  thought I’d try to watch the movie first, just to see if it would be worth the 1,000,000+ pages of reading. My final verdict:

It was FANTASTIC! I watched the 1998 version  with Liam Neeson as the main character, Jean Valjean, an ex-convict who seeks a peaceful life, but must constantly escape the clutches of the relentless police inspector, Javert. The film is on the longer side, a little over two hours, but it’s well worth it. As soon as I can find a copy of the book that divides the book into easy-to-swallow volumes, I’ll likely read it.

So, lovely readers, I ask:

Have you ever read/watched Les Miserables?

And, what was your favorite candy when you were growing up?