A mouth can water, but what does a brain do? I'm looking for a term that implies intellectual thirst, as when one has worked all day at a mindless task and only wants to read a novel, or essay, or weighty film.
Update
On further reflection, I realized that what I'm actually trying to find a term for is the sensation one gets when hearing that a favorite author is about to publish a new book, or when one sees a captivating title in a list of movies. The mouth "waters" when we're hungry and smell good food. But what does the mind do when we walk into a bookstore or art gallery?