A book is sometimes the last present option before the holiday season starts but to me often the best. But which of the thousands of options should it be for loved ones and, of course, for your own reading time between the years? We asked the experts, and here are the tips from two of our favorite bookstores: Let’s start with books recommended by Coco, owner of Literaurensohn (see also our post about it here). Tip number one: “Das Wetter – Book for Text and Music” – made for those who want to combine input and sophistication; nearly 400 pages full of portraits, interviews, short stories, poems, essays, and more. A daring title for a gift, but an important message is “Hässlichkeit” (Translates to “Ugliness”) by Moshtari Hilal (Hanser). A very honest text that explains that ugliness is an idea meant to devalue and exclude people. For those who find this too close to reality, choose “Erkental” by publishers Buchfink: A fantastic story that offers absolute escapism. The story of Endri, the boy with magical powers, is for those who still remember how amazed they were by Harry Potter and want to experience that feeling again. And if one volume isn’t enough, opt for Marlen Haushofer’s “Die gesammelten Romane und Erzählungen“. Haushofer writes about the limitation of female spaces, the depths of repressed war experiences beneath a bourgeois surface, and cosmic natural disasters of unimaginable proportions. Back to the essentials with “Mensch sein” (Published by Rowohlt), where Carel von Schaik and Kai Michel help us understand being human. It covers what we call the normal state and what makes us sick. Their excursion ranges from sexism to religion, power, status, and the self-help industry. The team from the bookstore Geistesblüten also sent us their favorite tips.

We asked the owners of Geistesblüten, Marc and Christian, for books for various “Cs.” Here are their tips: For connoisseurs and art lovers, the duo recommends “Museum Bums – A Cheeky Look at Butts in Art“c(edited by Marc Small and Jack Shoulder) – pure joy for all observers, especially for readers of the intelligent and witty texts written by cultural scientists Mark Small and Jack Shoulder. While we’re on the subject of art and classics: Mr. Andy Warhol is as legendary for the two as the small books he illustrated with exclusive author contributions, which he gave to good friends in the 1950s. They are great testimonies of his flourishing imagination full of wit and self-irony (“Andy Warhol. Seven Illustrated Books 1952–1959,” published by Taschen). From the same time comes the novel “Gidget. Mein Sommer in Malibu” (Fischer Verlage) by Frederick Kohner, revolving around Kathy “Gidget” Kohner Zuckerman and her love for the surfboard. At nine, the daughter of the Jewish emigrant and screenwriter Frederick Kohner stood on the board for the first time. “The Little Californian Girl with Big Ideas,” as she was called, was to significantly contribute to turning her love for surfing into a mass movement, and who could understand her love for freedom better than her father, who wrote this enchanting novel for her in 1957. From screenwriter to set photographer: Julia Terjung and her “Still Life Photography” is a gift for cinephiles and photo fans alike. Last but not least: the Christmas miracle “Für jeden ein Licht” translated into German by Iris Berben, who thereby sets a sign against antisemitism.

Text: Nina Trippel / Photos: Savannah van der Niet & Johanna Rademacher-Flesland

Literaturensohn, Brunnenstr.34, 10115 Berlin–Mitte; map
Tues–Sat 11–19h

Geistesblüten, Walter–Benjamin–Platz 2, 10629 Berlin–Charlottenburg; map
Tues–Fri 11–19h, Sat 11–16h and with an appointment.

@literaturensohn
@geistesbluetenmag
@geistesblueten

You need one thing above all else for the upcoming holidays: a sense of humor. How else are you supposed to get through this crazy time between inflation and consumer mania, Berlin city life, and flashbacks at home, between “Last Christmas” and church bells? So, if you want to add a little wink to your festive greetings or New Year’s wishes, the greeting cards and postcards from Studio Tampopo might be just the thing for you. The stationery platform, run by Nozomi Horibe and Gregor Suchan, offers a hand-picked selection of postcards, greeting cards, posters, stickers, and calendars by various illustrators. Nozomi had met many talented and creative minds during her studies at the Weissensee School of Art. Studio Tampopo was founded in 2020 to stay connected with them and create the opportunity to show the diversity of their work without compromise and make it available for purchase. The webshop’s variety of styles now ranges from straightforward computer-drawn to softly brushed or quickly dashed. But they all have one thing in common: they are extra colorful and have wit. So, if you would like to send handwritten analog and humorous greetings this year or hand them over personally, take a look at the Studio Tampopo webshop. You still have plenty of time until the holidays… but even if the greetings don’t arrive until after the holidays, the recipients will certainly see it with humor—must be because of the cards!

Text: Nina Trippel / Photos: Becci Schatz

Studio Tampopo

@studio_tampopo