2 Books

Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut (considered a classic)
Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel (the most recent work of the author who wrote 'Life of Pi', which is a real good read)

Finished these books one right after the other and was stuck by how symmetric they were. Here is a comparison:

1. S-5 is about the Dresden bombing during the WW-2. In a couple of nights, the US Air Force and RAF destroyed the city of Dresden and killed about 25k people. This book is written from the perspective of a US POW who happened to be at that time
1. B&V is about the holocaust in WW-2, again about civilian causalities in war time, only this time, by Germany

2. Both use juxtaposition of the past and the present as a story telling tool.

3. In S-5, the writing style is gritty, like Hemingway. Except that Hemingway glorified war, and this book paints a more stark picture of war
3. In   B&V, the writing style is lyrical and more contemplative

4. Both use allegories and fantasy to drive points. In S-5, aliens gift the protagonist the gift of time travel and also give a contrast to human society.
4. In B&V, Beatrice and Virgil represent a donkey and a monkey respectively, who are gentle and sensitive beings that have suffered cruelty and are trying to come to terms with that experience

5. Both are Ok to read, but also something is missing

You may not want to buy them,but certainly worth adding to the library list.