As a teacher who just started summer break, I'm trying to form a reading list for the next few months. While I love light fiction reads, I'm also looking for something heavy that can teach me a lot. I'll be applying to applied linguistics and TESOL programs soon, so I'm hoping to find something that makes me think differently about these topics than I have before. I'm also interested in anything with a flair of interculturalism to it, fiction or nonfiction, especially involving refugee stories (I'm a volunteer ESL teacher currently and I'm always trying to learn more about my students' backgrounds).
What are the essential books that a linguist should read?