Inspired by @hels, highly opinionated. Meant to be an open list with just a couple entries but I got carried away.
American Pastoral by Philip Roth
Roth is widely regarded as one of the great modern American novelists and this book is thoroughly engrossing and highly relevant to fractured American culture.
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
It is impossible not to love this book. Funny, moving, intimate, and breathtakingly sad. It is a must read for all modern humans and difficult to put down once you start.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Short, intriguing, fast paced, and a little cranky.
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
The classic children’s lit entry on this list and one of the most beautiful books ever written.
The Odyssey by Homer translated by Robert Fagles
This is a less-stuffy versified translation that makes the reading really fun. And of course this story, although it is ancient, could easily pass for a modern action film.
All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
McCarthy’s masterpiece Blood Meridian is the real must read but it probably doesn’t meet the “easy to get in to” requirement. So start here instead with this beautiful story of loss, love, and the vanished American west.
Catch-22 by Joseph Keller
I don’t actually like this book much but it’s an undisputed classic and an easy engaging read.
My Antonia by Willa Cather
This early 20th century classic novel takes as its subject lower class immigrant girls which the National Endowment for the Arts called “a radical aesthetic move.” It is also a touching story that’s easy to enjoy.
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
This perennial entrant on “best English language novels” lists is staggeringly moving, beautifully written, and deeply humane. It is most remarkable to realize that McCullers was just 23 years old when it was published.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Not everyone’s cup of tea but worth a shot. Despite its dated subject matter it is eminently readable and very funny. And Eliza Bennet is one of the truly great female leads in literature.
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
A short fast read that leaves you speechless. This is Vonnegut’s masterpiece and a perfect example of his signature meta-fiction, dry humor, and deep humanity.
The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan
Remarkable in part because of its historical significance and in part because of its modernity. You’ll be amazed how well Friedan’s characterization of feminism fits current thinking sixty years later, and a little disheartened at how long we’ve known better.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
If you didn’t read this in high school you must read it soon. And if you did, it’s worth another read later in life. Brilliant book plain and simple.
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
It’s a Hemingway classic you can read in a day. What’s not to like? And it is jam-packed with wisdom and beauty.
True Grit by Charles Portis
Maybe not a classic but a gem of a book, with such a distinctive and appealing voice that you can’t put it down. And of course it has a place in American culture by way of John Wayne.