“'The Blood Meridian,' by Cormac McCarthy. It's about the cultural clashes in the new Americas. He has a way of describing the beauty of the surroundings in the midst of all the carnage.”

— Scott Dixon, self-employed carpenter, Lawrence

“'A Lick of Frost,' by Laurell K. Hamilton. It's about fairies battling for control of their throne.”

— Nichole Kennedy, Kansas University junior, Lawrence

“'Emma,' by Jane Austen. It's about the main character trying to be a matchmaker amongst her friends.”

— Rebecca Hinshaw, KU freshman, Lawrence

“'The Problem of Pain,' by C. S. Lewis. It basically questions why a loving god would create life with so much suffering.”

— Matt Wedan, banker/musician, Lawrence

“I'm currently reading 'The Gendered Atom,' by Theodore Roszak. It's about how the development of particle physics has been influenced by gender.”

— Angela Kordahl Rapp, KU graduate teaching assistant, Lawrence