"Literary Criticism" reading list

Popped into Sutton Library to kick start the critical bit of my brain - it's a long time since I read a book to then discuss its merits (or not). Looked at some literary criticism books - the ones which are easy to read, and these appealed to me:
An Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory by Andrew Bennet & Nicholas Royle;
Rough Guide to Classic Novels by Simon Mason (overview of novel only, but gives some good key literary concepts/definitions)
The Art of Fiction by David Lodge
The Language of Fiction by Keith Sanger, aimed at A-level/beginning undergraduates & combines accessible commentories with practical activities.
Letts Revise A2 series, English Literature - a study guide written by examiners so pulls out key points.
But it's a personal choice. There's lots more! When I started reading "Emma" again I realised that it wasn't so much that it's difficult to read but that Austen writes so well, there is so much packed in a sentence or paragraph. It's therefore helpful to have an idea of how to discuss a novel in order to focus on some key themes and I thought the above list might give pointers in that direction without being too "academic". Will post up some thoughts about "Openings" and "Title". Worried that I am reading too slowly, only read about a third so far!