A Common Language by Rebecca  Have you ever experienced this as
a reader? Every book you’re reading over a short period of time
seems to be exploring the same issues, themes, or cultural
touchstones. Maybe it’s not all that uncommon. Perhaps, certain
readers tend to be drawn to books that explore specific themes.
Still, the serendipitous experience feels like you’ve enrolled
in a college seminar, with readings selected to help you
understand and reflect upon social and cultural issues. The last
few books I’ve read have converged—almost eerily—in my mind, and
their thematic issues have been rolling around in my mind for a
while now.  A couple of years after the events of September 11,
several authors began weaving the tragedy into their narratives.
The best did so in ways that not only illuminated the reader’s
understanding of the characters, but also captured the
collective sensibility of that time period. Books like Extremely
Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer, Falling Man
by Don DeLillo, and