It is somewhat surprising that so many people still buy “real” reading material despite increasing digitalization. On the other hand, it is also a good sign that so many readers still appreciate a good book. For this reason, you can now also find those who ordered the stern print editions, which are published every Thursday, online. Here are the fiction and non-fiction bestsellers from October 2023.
Writer Ken Follett leaves nothing to chance. The old master of the historical novel employs a large team of helpers and researchers, and his advisors sometimes include an ex-prime minister. He studies photos, documentation, maps, and explores the settings of his novel via Google Maps. His readers regularly reward this meticulous preparation with first places in the bestseller lists – as is the case with “The Weapons of Light”, the last volume in the great Knightsbridge series that once began with “The Pillars of the Earth”. Critics complain that Mister Follett’s books are a bit simplistic in structure and structure. Or maybe the Brit has simply found the best-selling recipe – and is smart enough never to deviate from it again. The book is available here.
According to his own statement, this man is Germany’s most successful sales trainer. He fought his way to the top with a secondary school diploma and never gives up. Kreuter now lives (according to his own information) in Dubai, on the 97th floor of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. In his seminars he preaches that anyone can become a millionaire with the right mindset. The 55-year-old capitalism guru says: “In life you have three options: give up, give in or give it your all!” We recommend avoiding this gross vomit primer. This saves time and promotes happiness in life. The book is available here.
It’s hard to believe that writer Elke Heidenreich is already 80 years old, as she seems so young at heart, inside and out. There’s still “a bit of a child” in her, she says of herself. She also loves stuffed bears and still has her Fritz, an endearingly worn teddy bear from her childhood. Fritz also has a part in the first chapter of her current book “Frau Dr. Moormann and I”, which is not just written for children. It tells the story of a perpetual complainer (“What kind of neighbor is that with whom you have to negotiate when you’re allowed to laugh?”) who makes friends with a pug and becomes softer in spirit as a result. The book is doubly worthwhile because it is illustrated with the wonderfully grotesque images by the painter and illustrator Michael Sowa. Pug hearts! The book is available here.
Life can be cruel, dangerous, sometimes incredibly boring, but most of the time: difficult. Everyone who makes their way between family, job, illness, love and grief knows this. So any guide is most welcome, especially if, like “Shaolin Spirit” by Shi Heng Yi, it comes with a big promise: “Master your life” is the ambitious subtitle of the Shaolin monk who runs a Buddhist monastery in the Palatinate. His motto: There are only two mistakes on the way to an easier life. Not to start. And not persevering. Does this book give more discipline? We don’t know, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed. The book is available here.
“Then soon only the wealthy men came, but I was too expensive for them, you have to be really rich for my lifestyle, and then came men who not only didn’t have any money, but also wanted my money, so what should I do then do it, because they looked the best and were funny and I had the most wonderful time, and then my money was gone too,” Daniel Kehlmann simply lets the silent film legend Louise Brooks tell us, and you’re not even far into it This story about the director G. W. Pope, who returns from Hollywood to Nazi Germany, but, as always with Kehlmann, very quickly in the middle of his fine language salon. Therefore: read slowly so that the 480 pages are not over so quickly. The book is available here.
There are stains that you can’t get out, no matter how often you wash a piece of clothing. First you try using normal detergent, the machine drums, groans and spins. Beep. The spot is lighter now, but you feel uncomfortable, has anyone noticed it? Second attempt: bleach. You leave it on overnight, do another wash, spin again. Now the stain is barely visible, but the fabric is rubbed, unsightly. You could now carry the piece or simply throw it away – like the book by Philipp Burger, singer of the band “Frei.Wild” and ex-neo-Nazi. The book is available here.
When most people hear the name Rossmann, they think of the drugstore chain. A few years ago, its founder Dirk Rossmann discovered three passions that one would have less expected from the entrepreneur: writing, fighting climate change and octopuses. With his two octopus climate thrillers he made it to number 1 on the Spiegel bestseller list in recent years. Now he follows up: In “The Third Heart of the Octopus” the fate of the world lies in the hands of an official and a millionaire. There is now also a children’s version of his books. Rossmann’s “Tintoretto and his friends” is not about an octopus, but about an octopus. The book is available here.
Stefanie Stahl is convinced that light and dark live in all of us. For many months now, her bestseller has captured the zeitgeist of a society that wants to understand itself better. The focus of the book is “Shadow Child” and “Sun Child”. The thesis: What experiences you had as a child influences how you see yourself as an adult. It’s about beliefs: Am I important? Am I lovable? If you know your beliefs, you can change them – says the author. The book’s greatest strength: Stahl’s language is understandable, but the content is not superficial. A low-threshold guide. The book is available here.
Tip: You can find more book recommendations from the editorial team on our topic page.
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