Reading for pre-masters students

Needing some advice on compiling a reading list for a pre-masters syllabus. As part of the course students must complete a reading log every week on a book they choose from a list of 3 (at moment) to get them into the habit of reading in English, as if they are left to their own devices in order to practice their reading skills we can pretty much assume that all bar the most diligent won't be turning any pages any time soon. At moment it is:
Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea
Itikame's The Whale Rider
George Orwell's Animal Farm
Although there hasn't been any problems with the texts so far, I was hoping to make the list a little longer and 'jazz it up', giving a wider choice in terms of genre. Not looking for anything 'academicky' but would like some advice from any teachers who are more 'read' than myself if they had any suitable suggestions. Would like to have perhaps a war novel (but something quite neutral so as not to offend or shock those used to government censorship), action/thriller (Mary Shelly's Frankenstein perhaps? or the Da Vinci code?), a romantic novel of the non Mills and Boon variety........
Any suggestions welcome!!!!!!
And many thanks in advance