“'The Rum Diary,' by Hunter S. Thompson. It's a fictional account of him moving to Puerto Rico and working for a paper there.”

— Christine D'Amico, Kansas University junior, Lawrence

“'Blindness,' by Jose Saramago. It's simply fabulous - incredible.”

— Dan Harber, University of Heidelberg student, Heidelberg, Germany

“'The Friday Night Knitting Club,' by Kate Jacobs. I read it in two days because it's such a fun book. There are great characters. It's about all these women of different ages and backgrounds who happen to all stop by this knitting store.”

— Sarah Ireland, registered nurse, St. Louis

“'Fortunate Son,' by Walter Mosley. It's about a boy who had a really hard time with life growing up in poverty, but grew up to be a good man.”

— Wanda Reed, shipping/receiving, Lawrence