<p>There are a lot of great books on the list, and many that I would really like to read one day, but there are a few that are fairly easy reads that have a LOT of themes in them. I've been able to use these three consistantly on practice SAT essays because they can really be molded to fit the various vague character questions on the tests... </p>
<p>Lord of the Flies - William Golding
Macbeth - Shakespeare
The Awakening - Kate Chopin (some may say it's more of a girly book though, and I'm not sure about your gender, sorry!)</p>