Me and My Reading World

About Me
Emily Hunteman, a 34-year-old single gal who grew up on a quasi-farm one hour west of Indianapolis, got a bachelor’s in English literature from DePauw University, and has worked for nearly 10 years (nonconsecutive) as a writer/editor at Purdue University. (Picture the array of colorful brochures that prospective college students receive in the mail from universities. Some of those are written/edited by me!)


My Reading World
Genres that I most enjoy reading:

· Nonfiction

I’m a sucker for quirky nonfiction titles focused on someone doing some “crazy” experiment like trying to read the encyclopedia all the way through or trying to eat only food that came from within 50 miles of home. Or like The Pluto Files, which focuses on the history of Pluto and the giant uproar in the United States generated from its demotion from planet status. I read about it on a blog and thought it sounded hilarious. As for more serious (meaning nonhumorous) nonfiction, I enjoy American and European history works -- especially when they have a strong narrative – and biographies/autobiographies of famous singers, chefs, and other people I find interesting. My favorite is probably Girl Singer by Rosemary Clooney.

· Graphic novels

I’m ga ga for this genre and have felt that way ever since I first heard about graphic novels. My favorites of the few I’ve read so far are American Born Chinese, Persepolis, French Milk, and To Dance: A Memoir. I think the use of both text and pictures to tell a story really heightens the clarity of a work. And among other benefits, the genre somehow enables and catalyzes discussion about serious topics such as ethnic/cultural differences.

· Christian spirituality books

I like reading true stories about people’s relationships with God and their efforts to reach out to people. Good examples are Blue Like Jazz and Traveling Mercies.

· Classic works of fiction, especially those that would be called chick lit if written today.

I don’t want to over generalize, but it seems that most women love a good love story, and I am one of those women. So books like Persuasion and Jane Eyre have a “Calgon, take me away” type effect on me. I also like clever revisions of classic stories, like Bridget Jones’s Diary.

· Food books

I love to cook and to read about food. Thus, I have a subscription to Bon Appetit and a small bookshelf full of cookbooks, plus a handful of food narratives that I’ve fallen in love with, ranging from Cooking for Mr. Latte (a light love story told through food) to The United States of Arugula, a richly detailed history of the rise of gourmet food in America since World War II.