That’s a fine list. My only comment would be that I don’t think you need two Jack London

I’d consider adding, Paradise Lost, Lolita and In Cold Blood

“Keep my wife’s name out your goddamn mouth” -Will Smith

I studied English literature at university and I used to have this same issue and I think it was largely caused by the pressure of feeling like I had to complete and understand the text in a short time. I would treat books like a puzzle, I’d be half writing the essay in my head as I read it, would focus on key words without reading the sentences.

The best advice I could give you is to step back and give yourself plenty of time. Read the text like a book and try and divorce it from being a ‘school assignment’ if, by the end, you can’t make sense of it in the context of the essay you have to write/questions you have to answer you can go back an reread sections or the whole thing. You’ll find it easier for having already known the story, plot and charactersz

I think the writer was a sincere Catholic.

Kindle is useful for this as well where you can look up word and footnotes without having to flick back and forth

One of those spark notes website that breaks it down page by page can also be useful if you hit a section that you can’t make sense of

Remember the good times
They're smaller in number
And easier to recall.
Don't spend too much time
On the bad times.
They're staggering in number
And will be heavy
As lead on your mind