“'American Gods,' by Neil Gaiman. It takes a lot of the gods from mythology that are in danger of being extinct because no one believes in them and asks how they would vie for the attention of Americans to stay alive?”

— Skyler Slifer, dishwasher, Lawrence

“I just started 'Eat, Pray, Love,' by Elizabeth Gilbert. It's about a woman who travels to find herself.”

— Tonya Brenn, financial manager, Lawrence

“'The Great Gatsby,' F. Scott Fitzgerald. I thought it was a good critique of what I guess people would call the American dream in the sense that it shows how elusive it can be.”

— Rick Botkin, lecturer, Lawrence

“'The Witch of Portobello,' by Paulo Coelho. It's about many different people telling a woman's life story and how she impacted their lives, for better or worse, from their own point of views.”

— Tracie Revis, Kansas University law student, Tulsa, Okla.

“'The Swarm,' by Frank Schatzing. It's basically a science fiction novel about the ocean and the life therein rebelling against mankind.”

— Travis McDiffett, actor, Aspen, Colo.