“I just finished 'The World is Flat,' by Thomas L. Friedman. I waited until it came out on paperback, but I'd been hearing a lot about it and wanted to learn about some of the positive aspects of globalization.”

— Marian Hukle, lecturer, Lawrence

“I'm reading the third 'Twilight' novel, 'Eclipse,' by Stephenie Meyer. I heard really good things about the series from a number of friends, so I figured I would check it out. I'm sure I'll get the fourth one as soon as it comes out.”

— Lauren Musil, server, Overland Park

“'Sword Song,' by Bernard Cornwell. It's a historical fiction about an Anglo-Saxon warrior who served King Alfred the Great. I read a review about it in USA Today, so I read the previous three novels in the series before it as well.”

— Joe Alford, cook, Easton

“'The Conscience of a Liberal,' by Paul Krugman. I haven't finished it yet, but it's a discussion of the liberal political mindset and the current state of politics in America.”

— David Jimenez, retired, Lawrence

“Obama's 'The Audacity of Hope.' I enjoyed it very much. He's a very intelligent writer, and I thought it was a good complement to 'Dreams from My Father.'”

— Nancy Dietze, teacher, Lawrence