“I just finished 'The Kite Runner,' by Khaled Hosseini. It's about a boy who grew up in pre-war Afghanistan. It gives you a whole new look at the culture and how they didn't suppress women until the Taliban came to power.”

— Keil Ahlbrandt, Kansas University sophomore, Lawrence

“'Servant Leadership,' by Robert Greenleaf. It's a philosophy based on leaders who serve by helping others reach their goals.”

— Heath Harding, HIV educator, Lawrence

“I'm reading 'Back When We Were Grownups,' by Anne Tyler. It's about a woman in her 50s who's wondering what her life would be like if she had married her high school sweetheart instead of the man she married.”

— Darby Lohrding, preschool teacher, Lecompton

“Charles Frazier's 'Thirteen Moons.' It's about a man on his death bed recounting his life near the turn of the century.”

— Travis Hasler, construction manager, Lawrence