“'Self-Made Man,' by Norah Vincent. It's about a woman who masquerades as a man for a year to study interactions between men and women in relationships, friendships and at work.”

— Jana Caffrey, admission counselor, Kansas City, Kan.

“Right now I'm reading 'Nobody Plays with a Cabbage,' by Meindert DeJong. It's a great children's story.”

— Brendan Corazzin, cook, Lawrence

“'Dance of Death,' by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. The protagonist is a reoccurring agent, Pendergast, and his brother is killing off all of his friends, but they are having trouble linking the murders to him.”

— Debbie Holloway, teacher, Tonganoxie

“'World Without End,' by Ken Follett. It's a sequel to 'Pillars of the Earth' and takes up the story of the same village about 200 years later in the mid-14th century. I think the first book was better, though.”

— Mary Gage, freelance writer, Lawrence

“'The World is Flat,' by Thomas L. Friedman. He was an economist who works for the Washington Post, and it's all about globalization and the future.”

— Steve Malin, architect, Baldwin City