A basic reading list about Islam and relating with Muslims:

Islam Reconsidered, by Kenneth Oster

What Everyone Needs to Know About Islam, John Esposito
The Prophet and the Messiah: An Arab Christian’s Perspective on Islam and Christianity,
by Chawkat Moucarry
Muhammad, by Karen Armstrong
Islam: A Primer, by John Sabini

I suggest that you visit the local mosque and ask for a basic “primer” on Islam that is easy
to understand. You will be flooded with material. This will give you an “inside”
explanation of Islam that will be valuable for your study. Also, that is a good place to
obtain a Qur’an in Arabic and English. It is best to have both Arabic and English side by
side, since the Muslim considers the translation of the Qur’an as only a commentary on
the meaning of the Qur’an. Only the Arabic text is the true Qur’an. Therefore if your
copy contains both it lends to more credibility, even if you cannot read the Arabic script.

Arabic/English Qur’ans:
The Meaning of the Holy Qur’an, by Abdullah Yusuf Ali – this is the most widely used
and readily available English/Arabic copy.
Sources would be: www.Islimicity.com, www.Islamicbookstore.com, Tahrike Tarsile
Qur’an, Inc. PO Box 1115, Corona-Elmhurst Station, Elmhurst, NY 11373-1115.

Al Qur’an, a Contemporary Translation, by Ahmed Ali

Other books useful for your study:

The Place of Tolerance in Islam, by Khaled Abou El Fadl, ed.

Taking Back Islam: American Muslims Reclaim Their Faith, Michael Wolfe, ed.
Unholy War: Terror in the Name of Islam, by John Esposito
Ideals and Realities of Islam, by Seyyed Hossein Nasr
Islam and Democracy, by John Esposito and John Voll
The Islamic Threat: Myth or Reality?, by John Esposito
Building Bridges, by Fouad Accad
The Unseen Face of Islam, by Bill Musk
Touching the Soul of Islam, by Bill Musk