For no particular reason (other than I was thinking about it), and in no particular order (just as they come to me) I proudly present my list of books and authors I highly recommend you read.  These are all things I have read or am reading:

Anything by Jack Kerouac, but particularly 'The Dharma Bums' and 'On The Road'.

'Slaughterhouse 5' - Kurt Vonnegut

'Plainsong' - Kent Haruf

'The Reader' - Bernhardt Schlink

'She's Come Undone' and 'I Know This Much Is True'  -  Wally Lamb

'Angela's Ashes' and 'Tis' - Frank McCourt

'Stones From The River' - Ursula Hegi

'Vinegar Hill' - A. Manette Mansay

Anything by Frank Kafka, Edgar Allen Poe or Ernest Hemingway

'The Canterbury Tales- - Chaucer (I personally think that everyone should at least give it a chance - it's actually very entertaining)

'Anna Karenina' - Leo Tolstoy (a hard read, but worth it)

'The Inferno' - Dante Aligheri (and if you're brave enough, The Paradisio and Purgatorio as well.  Again, a much talked about, seldom read book)

That's all I can think of for now....give me some of your recommendations, would you?  I'm running out of things to read (please, no Stephen King or Harlequin romances!)