Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
By Jonathan Safran Foer

This struck me as a totally modern book. It's written from the perspective of a little boy who lost his father on September 11. The two had a history of playing a game in which they found clues around the city, and this is about the son's search for signs of his father. I love Foer's clear voice. One passage I always remember: "I have no need for the past, I thought, like a child. I did not consider that the past might have a need for me." I think that's a beautiful idea.