Suggest a book that would be easy to read for a non-native English speaker

Hi hi,

My roommates and I (mid-20s, M, M, F) want to start a little book club. One of the roommates is from Russia and while he speaks English, he's said that the language barrier keeps him from reading. I've suggested buying a translated version of whatever book we decide on. He is open to reading in English, I just wanted to minimize anything that could discourage him.

What are some good, light reads to kick off a roommate book club? Probably 200 pages or less.

Roommate 1 likes: Fantasy (LOTR), science fiction (Jack Vance, Issac Asimov, etc), sea adventures

Roommate 2 (Russian) is open to: fantasy (perhaps with darker themes)

I am open to reading just about anything. Truly.

Thanks!