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Hi Trilaksana,

A must-have in my opinion is Bhikkhu Bodhi's In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon.

I'd also want to have a good anthology of Zen writings, such as this one. As a general introduction to Zen, Dream Conversations by Muso Kokushi (written in the 14th century!) is clear and concise.

Thich Nhat Hanh's The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching is an excellent layman's overview of the basic Mahayana doctrines. If you're ready for something more scholarly, I'd recommend Mahayana Buddhism: the Doctrinal Foundations by Paul Williams.

Among the many other books by Thich Nhat Hanh, I particularly like his commentaries on the Heart, Diamond and Lotus sutras.

I'm currently reading Red Pine's book on the Heart Sutra, and would probably add that to the list as well.

If you're practicing Soto Zen, Dogen's your man, so you'll want a selection of his writings.

Hope some of this is useful!