Reading for pleasure has fallen by the wayside, with the mad dash for completing course requirements and the rush toward professionalism. But we found a few intrepid dawdlers who found the time to wander through the byways of unrequired reading. So take an exit off your express highway to your professional degree and check out what they’re reading.

Jonathan Leung, Engineering ’03
“If you don’t count HTML guides for fun, my answer would be ‘The Path of Daggers’ by Robert Jordan. Or, if you count rereads, ‘Salem’s Lot’ by Stephen King.”

Dan Shu, College ’02
“The best book I’ve read recently is ‘Fatheralong’ by John Edgar Wideman.”

Rob Olson, College ’00
“‘Secrets, Lies and Democracy’ by Noam Chomsky.”

Claire Nguyen, College ’01
“E.M. Forster’s ‘A Room with a View,’ most definitely. And it was funny to boot!”

Bill Ulmer, College ’01
“A Nobel Prize winner called ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ by Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez. I picked it up one day at Barnes & Noble on a table of recommended summer readings. Being a bio major, I wanted to expand my knowledge of literature and world cultures by choosing a novel outside of the European canon.”

Kathryn Allen, College ’02
“I have a few best books. ... ‘Ender’s Grave’ by Orson Scott Card, ‘1984’ by [George] Orwell, ‘The Fountainhead’ by Ayn Rand and ‘Breakfast of Champions’ by Kurt Vonnegut.”

Jane Hill, College ’00
“Mitch Albom’s ‘Tuesdays with Morrie.’”

Steve Fenn, College ’01
“‘Angel Fire East’ by Jerry Brooks.”

Srida Joisa, Wharton/Engineering ’01
“I’m reading ‘Snow Crash’ [by Neal Stephenson] and it’s pretty cool.”

Paul Caron, College ’01
“I’m reading ‘Picnic, Lightning’ by Billy Collins.”

Lyandra Retacco, College ’01
“The best book I’ve read recently is ‘Mother Night’ by Kurt Vonnegut.”

Jill Belli, College ’02
“‘1984’ by George Orwell.”

Lisa Chu, Wharton ’02
“‘Pet Semetary’ by Stephen King.”

Anjali Wagle, College ’02
“‘Memoirs of a Geisha’ by Arthur Golden. It’s really good.”

Alan Saltz, Wharton ’00
“‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ by Alexander Dumas.”

— Katie Alex