When i think of an American Read, I think of authors who are living in America when the book is written. TLOTR, Harry Potter, Pride and Prejudiced were written by British Authors..
There were a lot of books that were more appropriate to the dumpster than a recommended reading list. OTOH, the top 20 books were not bad company (disregarding their philosophy content.)
OTOH, the top 20 books were not bad company (disregarding their philosophy content.)