Booksellers' Recommendations

Funny Story

Read and loved! Emily Henry is the master of light reading, but she doesn't shy away from more unwieldy characters either. How something new can emerge from a completely ruined wedding and two totally shattered hearts is simply convincingly described. The right book for in-between times when you want to think about the good things in life.

Thinking, Fast and Slow

Easily the bible of the 21st Century - judging by our sales numbers, roughly every fifth person in the world has bought this book. And no wonder - there's no better book to teach us about clear thinking and making up our own minds in an ever evolving world.

James

Everett's new novel arrives so highly accoladed that the expectations are through the roof, which can be a disadvantage. Having never really read Twain, I kind of feel like "James" isn't for me and I disagree with other critics proclaiming that this retelling is fully enjoyable on its own. You might not have any troubles following the plot, but you will miss some of the more subtle hints and literary tricks. Having said that, I still had a great time reading it - Everett is a terrific storyteller, and he smoothly jumps between humour and the darker themes. Compared to his other novels that tend to be rather cynical in tone, with this one he really leans into a warmer, more human and ultimately life-affirming direction. For me, "James" works as a heartfelt adventure story that effortlessly tackles some very important topics (and I could not shake off Moon River for weeks).

Normal People

Once upon time, people spoke about Sally Rooney's second novel as a kind of cult hit or a hot tip for those in the literary know. After a ratings-smashing BBC adaptation (timed perfectly for the start of lockdown) and several years of impressive sales, virtually the whole world has now heard of, if not read this novel.

If you do belong to the few who have not yet got round to it, do believe the hype. Rooney has achieved something quite remarkable with this novel by writing something that expertly handles and describes the very real angst of modern life for young people in an intelligent and literary way, and in so doing has appeal to readers across a broader spectrum than perhaps any other book I can remember. It's a very modern love story told with all the tension, boredom, humour and tragedy that such things entail and a book that has established its author as one of the most important voices in the English-speaking literary world. Don't be bloody minded, just read it!

Just Kids

With "Just Kids" Patti Smith, the iconic punk poet of 70s New York, crafts an artistic Bildungsroman that is as transgressive as it is instructional. Deeply fascinating and full of insight into literature, music and art this has rightly become a modern classic.

The Guest

Alex is a guest in other people's homes and lives - she invites herself in, takes what she can get and then disappears. Through Alex, the reader of Cline's new book takes on the role of a spectator, observing wealthy people's lives on Long Island from the outside looking in. Cline does a great job in conveying the uncanny feeling of long, hot summer days spent at your leisure, but there is more to it: something rotten lurking underneath the surface of all that decadence, a profound sense of unhappiness and aimlessness. We never reach the end of that already fading summer, though - "The Guest" is, like the Long Island vacationers, completely sealed off in its own world. Alex has no existence beyond this space, her thoughts and actions are not explicable by her past and remain inexplicable all along. This might be the real mystery at the heart of Cline's rich novel (in any sense of the word).

The Bilingual Brain

Berlin is a bilingual city. Even despite writing this review in English, I am not quite anglo- or egocentric enough to mean its linguistic identity is split between German and my mother tongue. But it is a city in which an extraordinary number of people have proficiency in more than one languages (and many in many).
Costa's book, an excellent introduction to the neuroscience of what it means to be bilingual, is therefore a book for Berliners. In witty, digressive prose, he charts how bilingual people's brains are shaped differently (sometimes literally) from the moment of birth to old age. Although he is cautious not to claim too many pure benefits (as a Barcelonan, fluent in Spanish, Catalan and English that could be perceived as smug), he does say bilinguals may be more empathetic and less susceptible to dementia than monolinguals. A book for polyglots to feel more smug about themselves and to inspire monolingual, anglophone Berliners to finally sign up for that German course...

The Secret History

A must-read for every "Dark Academia" fan!
Donna Tartt describes the story of six young students from a Greek course, who are forced by a murder to deal with moral concepts and their future. In a nutshell: Dark Academia vibes meet structured lies, intrigue and fears. The individual characters and their actions are well thought out, making you feel part of the circle of friends and plot. Donna Tartt's writing style is sophisticated and thus sets just the right mood for the scenery she describes. Maybe I should re-dress and take a Latin/Greek class after all....

Somewhere Beyond the Sea

Wouldn't you like to be here?'
We've all been waiting so bad for this sequel!
Finally TJ Klune invites readers back to Mr. Parnassus Orphanage for magical Children at Masyas Island and offers a welcome reunion with the beloved Characters.
It'll definitely make you happy! Klune continues to spin the heart-warming tale and this book is just as beautiful to read and as captivating as the first volume!
Who wouldn't love to be part of this magical family?

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

A story about a lifelong friendship and the making of computer games.
I very much liked Zevin's previous novel "The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry" already, but in "Tomorrow, tomorrow and tomorrow" she really upped her game (pun intended)!
I recommend it to everyone who's interested in the interconnectedness of relationships in a millennial setting.
P.S.: No knowledge of gaming, IT or computers whatsoever required! ;)

Tom Lake

A Midwestern cherry farm in 2020, a family saga, the memories of a season at a summer-stock theatre full of love, loss and self-discovery... this book contains multitudes of family dynamics and lore, and all of them are wonderful - much recommended!

Not in Love

Ali Hazelwood never disappoints ... and finally we do get the man's POV in this STEM romance too - slow burni-ish, forbidden love, he falls first - in short do not miss this!

Talking at Night

I can´t even begin to describe how much I loved these characters. This is a stunning, emotional novel and I absolutely loved it!
And it might fill a Rooney shaped hole in your reading life ;-)

A Novel Love Story

She did it again, once more I could read a truly original romance with a blend of magical realism: Poston is my Rachel Flowers!

Nexus

Nexus falls in line with Harari's previous books: well-researched, immensely informative, and thought-provoking. In the age of AI, does accessible information necessarily contain the truth? An important contribution in our times of rapid transition.

Good Material

Jen broke up with Andy, a part-time comedian, and he is wrestling with this, he is kind of sweet, whiny, relatable, a man-child, annoying, funny ... and in then we do get Jen's point of view, which makes this a completely satisfying and diverting read. Dolly Alderton did it again!

The Life Impossible

Life affirming and somewhat magical, a tale of new beginnings, grief and guilt, friendship and wonder - HE DOES IT SO WELL!

The Burnout

Kinsella once more delivers the perfect mix of quirky, touching and relatable. Read this book now before you do have one more day of being overworked and under appreciated.

The Rachel Incident

This is a brilliant coming of age story that captures all the highs and lows friendship, dumb choices, ill-conceived romances, massive insecurity masked by over-confidence and alcohol. I raced through the never-ending drama of being in your twenties!
This is one for you if you love Dolly Alderton and Sally Rooney.

Baumgartner

This book is an engaging meditation on the twilight of our lives, how we confront our past, our future and our end, which might come sooner as expected. Reading it made me feel connected to Baumgartner and the author himself!

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