"Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison



“Song of Solomon” ends up on many to-read book lists because of the author's 1993 Nobel Prize for literature, and because the book itself won the prestigious National Book Critics Fiction award in 1977. Somewhat like the James Joyce classic “Ulysses”, this book combines historical elements, free association, and unanswerable questions in the life of its main character. Beginning with a suicide and a black child's birth into a Michigan hospital, Morrison explores the complicated role of black family life, its heritage and its possible future. Though the poetic style remains the same as some of her other works, such as “Beloved” and “The Bluest Eye”, Morrison stretches herself in this novel by using a male perspective.

"Self-Reliance" by Ralph Waldo Emerson



Although essays aren't as popular as when Emerson was alive in the mid-1800's, this essay has become one of the author's most notable achievements. Emerson's works have graced many other famous writer's reading lists, from Emily Dickinson to fellow poet Thoreau. Emerson's philosophy as expressed in “Self-Reliance” embraced a combination of non-conformity to social trends, and the belief that what made one's own heart beat faster was a universal trait. Also a great believer in the 'light within', Emerson gives continual nods to a divine Providence while holding fast to man's inherent goodness, and the necessity of holding to one's own convictions despite the inclinations and pressures of the crowd.

"For Whom the Bell Tolls" by Ernest Hemingway



One of Hemingway's most celebrated novels, “For Whom the Bell Tolls” is an adventure story of almost mythic proportions. It has made more than a few book lists, from the American Library Association's 'most banned classics' to the Modern Library's top 100 novels of the 20th Century in English. The protagonist, a teacher named Robert Jordan, finds love and battle in the Spanish Civil War. Pilar, one of the most influential and passionate characters (though not the love interest), displayed the 'Everyman' fierce peasant spirit and embodied the name of the author's fishing vessel. Hemingway wrote what he knew from his first-hand experience in that war, as well as World War I, in which he was injured while driving an ambulance.

"The Federalist" by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay



This book is made of a series of essays on the validity and necessity of the United States Constitution, though it is more commonly referred to as the Federalist Papers. To shield the authors from political backlash, the original publication showed Roman pseudonyms for Hamilton, Madison, and Jay. The reasoning behind political phrases in common use today, such as “checks and balances” and “bill of rights”, are worked out in 85 numbered works, from turf wars between states (8) and the economic advantage of unified states (13). This work has been making itself known on book lists since its inclusion in the New World Book List of 1890.

"The Power and the Glory" by Graham Greene



While the main character in Graham Greene's novel “The Power and the Glory” hasn't lived the pure life of Jesus, his experiences while on the run in Mexico provide an eery similarity to his Lord's sufferings. The nameless priest shows quite human flaws, with a daughter from a past love affair and a current drinking problem, while the antagonistic lieutenant (an atheist) appears more as a reverse Javier from Les Miserables. Greene personally suffered his way through a two-month research tour in Mexico, according to John Updike's New York Times review in 1990, but the result still shows up on must-read book lists, from Oprah's book club to one of Barack Obama's favorite books.

"FDR" by Jean Edward Smith



While many books have been written about Franklin Delano Roosevelt, focusing on his struggles with polio and foreign policy, not many have been written by professors at Marshall University or condensed into one volume. FDR's relationships with women, from his strong and confident mother to his secretary (to his love-interest, Lucy) are covered just as well as the Japanese internment camps and the dynamics of the New Deal. FDR shows up as a must-read on book lists, from the favorite book of interior designer Norman Kreiss to the Amazon best seller book list. Smith has shown up on the Pulitzer Prize nomination list, for a previous work on another former President (Grant).

"The Quiet American" by Graham Greene

Also recommended by Anderson Cooper

Partly a mystery, partly a social commentary. Greene's book belongs on mystery, history, and social commentary reading lists. Ostensibly, it's about a love triangle between an American, an Englishman, and an Asian woman. Behind the human tragedy is the tragedy of the French Indochina war, which served as a precursor to the Vietnam War. The first chapter describes Pyle the American as learned in books and political philosophy, in contrast to Phuong the Asian woman who is unaware of even the biggest movements of the outside world, and the underlying issue of the opium trade.