I'm a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the Geography Department, and an avid reader in my free time. Before I started grad school I was a chronic bookstore employee, which is an activity I've had to give up in favor of research. I review my books on Amazon.com, and love reading others' reviews. Favorite fiction authors include David Mitchell, Margaret Atwood, Cormac McCarthy, George R.R. Martin, John Irving, Naguib Mahfouz, Richard Adams, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Phillip Pullman. My nonfiction interests include the biological and earth sciences, history and anthropology, philosophy, sociology, nature writing, political science, travel narratives, and interesting memoirs.