Books I Should Have Read in School Challenge

Much Madness is Divinest Sense

Books I Should Have Read in School...But Didn't Challenge

Last year I participated in, enjoyed, and completed the YA Decades Challenge where I was challenged to read one YA book from each decade 1930 (or before) to present.  As a relatively new librarian I took it as an opportunity to catch up on reading some of those books that I should have read, but hadn't, while I was in school.  When I went to the hosting site for that challenge in late December I didn't see any evidence that that challenge was being offered again this year.  Drats!  But now I discovered this book challenge and think it will fit my needs nicely.  Here are the rules and requirements for this challenge which is hosted over at Much Madness is Divinest Sense:

• The challenge runs from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011.
• You need not decide which books you will read at this time, and you may commit to any level with which you feel comfortable.
• You can determine whether a book meets the criteria for the challenge. If you think you should have read it in school and didn’t, then it qualifies. In fact, you can even define school however you like—elementary school, middle school, high school, college, grad school—the list goes on and could vary based on the educational system with which you’re most familiar.

Challenge levels:

• Literature Professor: Read 12 books you feel you should have read in school.
• Graduate Student: Read 6 books you feel you should have read in school.
• College Graduate: Read 4 books you feel you should have read in school.
• High School Graduate: Read 2 books you feel you should have read in school.

I will aim for the graduate level, 6 books.

These are a few books I'm considering, but please don't hold me to them in case other books pop into my head (I'm almost ashamed to admit I haven't read these):

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Brave New World by Aldoux Huxley

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Here goes....

Do you have any suggestions for me?  If you were going to do this challenge what are the titles of a few books you should have read in school but didn't?