Reading German Books in 2020 discussion

Ein Tipp oder zwei oder drei...

List your recommendations here

I Called Him Necktie

I loved this short little book by Austrian author Milena Michiko Flašar

Memoirs of a Polar Bear

A bit weird, but in a good way. And Susan Bernofsky is one of my favorite translators.

I liked this when I read it a couple of years ago

Insane Set in a mental institution shortly after the fall of the Wall.

Deutsche Welle (public broadcaster in Germany) created a list of the 100 German Top Reads in 2018, featuring novels published since 1900, and it has some great titles on the list.

https://www.dw.com/en/top-stories/100...

Download a PDF above, or check out the Goodreads List someone created:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

Two of my favorites are Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family (a big book, but I remember breezing through it) and The Reader (short but powerful).

Hi Chris Buddenbrooks is also one of my favorite book, more so that I know that Mann was 25 when he wrote it, which is astonishing. As A short novel I would advice to read Reunion from Fred Uhlman!

I loved this novel by Marion Poschmann, which was shortlisted for the Deutsche Buchpreis a couple of years ago.

Lots of her books are available in English, very, very dark humor

Alina Bronsky is terrific!

Nicole wrote: "Alina Bronsky is terrific!"

she is :)

Melanie wrote: "

I loved this novel by Marion Poschmann, which was shortlisted for the Deutsche Buchpreis a couple of years ago."

This one was one of my best reads in 2019. I loved it.

The Man Without Qualities
Diaries, 1910-1923
The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge
The Magic Mountain
Demian. Die Geschichte von Emil Sinclairs Jugend

Short stories by Heinrich Böll
Im Westen Nichts Neues/all Quiet on the Western Front
Die Verwandlung - Metamorphosis
I need to get more up to date with German literature!

The Mussel Feast by Birgit Vanderbeke

The End of Days by Jenny Erpenbeck

And by the same author: Visitation and The Book of Words

I love Jenny Erpenbeck's work (except for her last one Go, Went, Gone / Gehen, ging, gegangen which just didn't gel with me). Plus, again: my favorite translator: Susan Bernofsky

I agree totally with you Britta, Love Erpenbeck's early works. but Go Went Gone was pretty meh. Hopefully she ought to have a new one out this year maybe?

Sabine Friedrich - Wer wir sind

Does anyone know if Sabine Friedrich's novel "Wer wird sind" has been translated into other languages?
I would highly recommend her for this doorstopper novel about the German opposition in Nazi Germany.

This is not an easy read, because without knowing the historical context well enough you can easily lose track. But well suited as a real challenge. :)

Here is an english introduction by the author.

I was wondering if there are any kids books people could recommend as well? I’d like to read more in German next year (not yet New Year for me :P) and kids books seems like a solid place for me to start. I’ve already got Die kleine Hexe.

TheSkepticalReader wrote: "I was wondering if there are any kids books people could recommend as well? I’d like to read more in German next year (not yet New Year for me :P) and kids books seems like a solid place for me to ..."

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... is a beloved German children's book (but I have not read it yet) as well as
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

TheSkepticalReader wrote: "I was wondering if there are any kids books people could recommend as well? I’d like to read more in German next year (not yet New Year for me :P) and kids books seems like a solid place for me to ..."

This one's probably more of a young adult fantasy, but I remember loving it!
Inkheart

TheSkepticalReader wrote: "I was wondering if there are any kids books people could recommend as well? I’d like to read more in German next year (not yet New Year for me :P) and kids books seems like a solid place for me to ..."

"Die Kleine Hexe" is a really good start, actually, anything written by Otfried Preußler is. His books are mostly for children, with the exception of "Krabat", which is more of a teenage book, but really good.
Other authors I would recommend for kids books are Michael Ende, Erich Kästner (both are absolute classics) and Klaus Kordon (the latter is more for teenagers, especially his novels set during the Nazi regime). Happy reading! :-D

Nicole wrote: "TheSkepticalReader wrote: "I was wondering if there are any kids books people could recommend as well? I’d like to read more in German next year (not yet New Year for me :P) and kids books seems li..."

Another YA fantasy - not as long as Inkheart - The Book Jumper

Marc wrote: "I agree totally with you Britta, Love Erpenbeck's early works. but Go Went Gone was pretty meh. Hopefully she ought to have a new one out this year maybe?"

I’ll third that.

TheSkepticalReader wrote: "I was wondering if there are any kids books people could recommend as well? I’d like to read more in German next year (not yet New Year for me :P) and kids books seems like a solid place for me to ..."

Die kleine Hexe is great, much beloved by me and my daughter also loved it. Janosch's books are also great, they are short, beautiful uncomplicated language and are often quite profound (at least I think so). Der Sams oder Pumuckl - although a bit dated now - are also great easy reads.

Thank you so much guys! I’ve ordered 2 more kids books but I’m adding all titles to wishlist for future purchases. German language books are insanely difficult to find (even more so for a decent price) in US so it's going to take me a while. Michael Ende, Otfried Preußler, and Janosch are the 3 most popular names and even their books are mostly all unavailable to me.

I do want to read Inkheart but I might do that in English since it is happens to be very long. :P

Britta wrote: "

The Mussel Feast by Birgit Vanderbeke" this is an awesome book i read year b4.

For readers interested in short stories, an anthology of about a dozen short stories, each one prefaced by a short intro / bio.



Link to the book: German Women Writers of the Twentieth Century

The book is rather expensive but it's available on scribd.

I'll also, like TheSkepticalReader, start with children's books. I manage to get my hands on one of the Janosch's book and cd that has most of the stories that are in the book. Thanks everyone for suggestions :)

Just finished Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home by Nora Krug excellent read. Graphic memoir

Mary wrote: "Just finished Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home by Nora Krug excellent read. Graphic memoir

[bookcover:Belonging: A German Reckons with History an..."

I loved this one so much

TheSkepticalReader wrote: "I was wondering if there are any kids books people could recommend as well? I’d like to read more in German next year (not yet New Year for me :P) and kids books seems like a solid place for me to ..."

The Magnolia Steel series by Sabine Städing is wonderful. The first is Hexendämmerung :)

I’m recommending two books that won my much coveted (😂) Book of the Year Award in the year I read them.

1) An fabulous anthology of short stories

Tales of the German Imagination from the Brothers Grimm to Ingeborg Bachmann

2) For non-fiction and tree-lovers from Peter Wohlleben

The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate – Discoveries from a Secret World

Link to the book: Malina

Siebenkäs
Berlin Alexanderplatz
Die Insel des zweiten Gesichts
Fluß ohne Ufer. 3 Bde, in 4 Tl.-Bdn
Joseph und seine Brüder
Nichts von euch auf Erden
Die Gelehrtenrepublik: Kurzroman aus den Rossbreiten
Die Wolfshaut
Im Frühling sterben
Nekyia
Arbeit und Struktur
Winterbienen
Landläufiger Tod
Onno Viets und der Irre vom Kiez
Gockel, Hinkel und Gackeleia
Der Hexensabbat
Die andere Seite
Stadt der Engel oder The Overcoat of Dr. Freud
Engel des Vergessens
Am Rand
Miakro
Der Vogelgott
Die Schuldlosen: Roman in 11 Erzählungen
Der Schnee, das Feuer, die Schuld und der Tod
Die Hauptstadt
Die Blendung
Marbot. Eine Biographie
Lauf Jäger lauf!: Roman
Korrektur
Auf dem Turm. Roman.
Der Junge Mann

Link to the book: F

Mirko wrote: "I quite liked Beware of Pity and Chess Story by Stefan Zweig.

"

CHESS STORY is an amazing amazing story - all too tragic when you also consider Zweig mailed this manuscript to his publisher in Brazil moments before he and his wife committed suicide...