“‘Eat, Pray, Love’ by Elizabeth Gilbert. It’s about her journey through Italy, India and Indonesia, and she’s just getting a divorce and she decides to travel and learn about life.”

— Jackie Berra, graphic designer, Lawrence

“‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ by Alexandre Dumas. It is about a man who was sent to jail, falsely accused, and about how he escaped and is taking revenge on the people who sent him to jail.”

— Amanda Maes, accounting major, Denver, Colo.

“‘A Passion for Nature: The Life of John Muir’ by Donald Worster. He, John Muir, was very instrumental in getting Yosemite Park as a national park”

— Paula Gilchrist, county treasurer, Coldwater

“‘New York’ by Edward Rutherfurd. Like James Michener, he’s covered several generations here, and it goes from New York ... when Henry Hudson first landed there all the way through to 9/11.”

— Michael Massey, ministry coordinator, Topeka

“‘First Strike’ by Eric Nylund. It’s part of the Halo series. ... Mankind has expanded into a bunch of worlds, and it’s come against an alien force that is constantly taking in new groups and subjugating them — like a rigid caste system — and humans don’t really get along with that.”

— Tyler Fry, geology major, Wichita