My list
1. The Foundation Trilogy of Isaac Asimov
2. 2001 by Arthur C. Clarke
3. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
4. The Count of Monte Christo by Alexandre Dumas
5. The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
6. Dune by Frank Herbert
7. Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
8. 1984 by George Orwell
I might add two more later on, but those are books I think everybody should read if they want to be able hold a conversation about books
