“'All Quiet on the Western Front,' by Erich Maria Remarque. World War II literature is ageless. We're still dealing with technological warfare and the breakdown of statesmanship. I'm hooked on it.”

— Bob Ford, minister, Baldwin

“'Choke,' by Chuck Palahniuk. I was looking on the Internet for a David Sedaris book and it said that people who bought his books also bought Chuck Palahniuk's. So I decided to try him out.”

— Missy Patterson, bartender, Lawrence

“'Hocus Pocus,' by Kurt Vonnegut. I've read seven or eight of his books lately. He writes satirical critiques of Western society. He tells his stories to make various points and draw attention to some overlooked aspects of our culture that we take for granted.”

— David Kihm, conference coordinator, Lawrence

“'The Last Cato,' by Matilde Asensi. It was kind of like 'The Da Vinci Code,' only it was about 'Dante's Inferno.'”

— Erin Anderson, Kansas University freshman, Lawrence

“'Overachievers: The Secret Lives of Driven Kids,' by Alexandra Robbins. The author follows high school students from Bethesda, Md., and what they go through to get into the college of their choice and the toll it takes on them.”

— Amanda Hanf, substitute teacher, Lawrence