“'Knowing God,' by J. I. Packer. It's a theological study, but it's also about knowing God as opposed to just knowing about God.”

— Lindsay Elliot, barista, Lawrence

“I just finished 'The Invisible Man,' by Ralph Ellison. It's about racial equality.”

— Sarah Richardson, firefighter, Kansas City, Mo.

“I just finished 'This Is Your Brain on Music,' by Daniel J. Levitin. He's a neuroscientist and composer. It's basically a scientific explanation of mankind's fascination with music.”

— Patrick Zelaya, Webster University junior, St. Louis

“'Journey of Desire,' by John Eldredge. It's Christian literature, Protestant I think, about finding oneself. But it's not new age at all. It's quite traditional - in a good way.”

— Bistra Pishtiyska, University of St. Thomas Aquinas graduate student, Sofia, Bulgaria

“I just bought 'Beloved,' by Toni Morrison. It's a Nobel Prize winner, so I'm really excited to read it.”

— Clare Higgins, Kansas University freshman, Lawrence