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July #ReadingBracket2025 Nonfiction update
Honestly neither of the books I read this month wowed me especially but this one was quirky and funny

Jamie sets off on a cross-country road-trip with her boyfriend, cat, and dog to try the iconic hot dog offerings in the south, the East coast, and a quick jaunt into the Midwest.
She also covers the history of everybody‘s favorite tubed meat and its rise in popularity in addition to its current role in American culture. Dealing with the Covid pandemic and personal trials adds a personal touch to the book.

This was the most fun I‘ve had listening to a book since some of Hunter S Thompson‘s work. This is part COVID travel memoir of the author‘s quest for the perfect dog and history of the cuisine. This was informative, foul, and absolutely hilarious! It was exciting to find another person who loves trashy food as much as I do. I created a travel list of hot dog stands and restaurants based on this book!

“I entered the building unconvinced that a hot dog could be a breakfast dish in the way her sausage father was so famous for, and left gladly corrected — breakfast has more to do with how you feel than what you‘re eating, and the people and dogs of the 4 Way make me feel awake, full, and not to be fucked with.”

“If that‘s all a little opaque to you, you can always subscribe to the second theory, in which the cofounder of Costco threatens to kill his own CEO over hot dog prices.
[…]
“ “I came to Jim once and I said, ‘Jim, we can‘t sell this hot dog for a buck fifty. We are losing our rear ends,‘” he said. Sinegal, a billionaire, replied: ‘If you raise the effing hot dog, I will kill you. Figure it out.‘”

🌭🌭🌭🌭🌭 One of the funniest books I‘ve read in a long time! Loftus and her boyfriend go on a mission to find the best hotdog in America. While sometimes eating 3-4 dogs in a day (ouch), she touches on the history and pop culture of this polarizing tubular meat. So many perfectly timed one-liners. Keeping this one in my back pocket for a revisit when I need some levity. Loved it! Thanks for putting this on my radar @Christine !

The Sausage Race 🌭⚾️

“Five people in 7‘3” mascot suits vaguely shaped like sausages in various cultural outfits, and named just as offhandedly. Each and every home game, this band of hastily constructed freaks comes down to the field during the 7th inning stretch to race against each other.”

Actual photo I took in 2010, not thinking of truly how preposterous this tradition is.

Follow Jamie Loftus as she travels across the United States, stopping at hot dog stands along the way. The history of hot dogs was interesting, but the book did get a little repetitive with every stop at a hot dog stand. Still a fun read.

This is the best book about hot dogs + pandemic-era road trip memoir that‘s deeply political and has tons of swears that you will ever read. 🤣 🌭 I enjoyed it.

My library haul. It‘s been awhile because I‘ve been trying to prioritize books I already own. First up is Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs.

@RamsFan1963
Err, definitions 3 & 4! I think Oscar Mayer still has a problem! 🧐🌭🍆😄

According to an article in Entrepreneur magazine, Oscar Mayer is changing the name of the iconic Weinermobile to the Frankmobile. They say it's to promote their new all beef frank hot dogs, but I wonder. Is anyone offended by the name Weinermobile?? Am I "unwoke" if I think you should leave the Weinermobile alone? #savetheweinermobile

55/150 I love hot dogs. More than pizza, burgers, fried chicken, Mexican, Chinese or Italian. To me, it is the perfect food that I would eat every day if my stomach would allow it. This hysterical book is part travelogue, part hot dog history and part social commentary. Listening to this made me hungry, and jealous I can't do my own cross country hot dog tour. 5 🌭🌭🌭🌭🌭
TW: Graphic language.

Comedian and writer Jamie Loftis goes cross country to learn about the history of the popular sausage from its origins, the product being part of a competitive eating contest, business, and a contributor to pop culture Americana that is part essay, commentary, and social science.

A book about hot dogs a travelogue a combination of reporting humor and lyrical writing by the comedian Jamie Loftus.