“I just finished reading 'World Without End,' by Ken Follett. It's about 13th century England, but I almost think I liked 'Pillars of the Earth' better.”

— Betty Henning, retired, Brownsville, Texas

“'The Grapes of Wrath.' It was recommended to me by my mom, and I've really enjoyed all of the other John Steinbeck I've read so far; always such beautiful description.”

— James Pillar, cashier, Lawrence

“'The Historian,' by Elizabeth Kostova. It's kind of a historical fiction about the background of Dracula.”

— Lisa Patrick, homemaker, Lawrence

“The last one I read was 'Moby-Dick,' by Herman Melville. I put that off for about 30 years, and it turns out it's a great book. I know more now about whales than I ever thought I would.”

— Matt Cahill, potter, Lawrence

“I'm currently reading 'The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,' by Edward Gibbon. I love history, but it's a lot to read. I actually started it last year, and I'm trying to finish the first three books by the end of the school year.”

— Alyson Smith, Kansas University sophomore, Overland Park