My name is Amie Elliott. I have only lived in Evanston for 4 years but have been visiting from neighboring towns for many more. I teach high school photography and drawing and love almost every minute of it! Anyone who loves EVERY minute of teaching is either a first-year teacher or a liar. Gardening, cooking and sewing take up most of my free time.
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1) A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving (1989)
I reread this and still love it. Funny, charming and fairly gut-wrenching. Irving can be a bit long-winded sometimes (sorry to his devotees), but this is sharp and concise.
2) Doctor Sleep by Stephen King (2013)
The bar was high for the follow up to The Shining so I was a bit leery. I felt that the timing – as far as what age he made the main character and at what point the story takes up – was spot on and that the setting was fine but the characters were the standouts for me. Oh, and the premise… dark and twisted, with a degree of the supernatural but still within the realm of possibility if you believe that dark things lurk in corners.
3) Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan (2006)
Pollan’s writing packs so much information in such a clear, clever and readable way that I’m always surprised at how much I’ve learned. I also appreciate that his frankness has very little judgement and isn’t preachy; he just lays it out for you to make your own decision. Clearly he has an opinion, but hey, it’s okay if the reader wants to keep making wrong decisions, at least they have the facts.
4) Snuff (as an audiobook) by Terry Pratchet (2011)
All of his books are great fun, but his audiobooks are even better! The variety and character of the voices are fantastic.
