Books and Other Items for Expats and Travelers

In our German Way Store you’ll find books, DVDs, travel items, and other products related to living, working or traveling in Germany, Austria and German Switzerland. Below are the personal recommendations from Erin, one of our German Way Expat Bloggers.

Book Tips

This is one of several guidebook tips from Erin.

Non-Fiction
111 Places in Berlin That You Shouldn’t Miss by Lucia Jay von Seldeneck (Paperback)
Erin’s take: “I can’t get enough of this city. I want to know all about it. Explore the best currywurst stands, walk the length of the Wall and touch every building. I am working my way through this book and hope I’ll never be done. For German speakers, check out the original German version.” From Amazon.de.
NOTE: This title is also available from Amazon.com.

Ich bin kein Berliner: Ein Reiseführer für faule Touristen by Wladimir Kaminer (Paperback or Kindle)
Amazon.de: “Es fällt schwer, ihn nicht zu lieben: Wladimir Kaminer, der russische Lakoniker aus Berlin, sucht nicht, sondern findet das Besondere.” (Welt am Sonntag)

100 Favourite Places by Slow Travel Berlin by Slow Travel Berlin (Kindle)
Erin’s take: “Slow Travel Berlin has been carefully documenting every inch of the Hauptstadt for years and every good expat Berliner regularly checks out their site. This round-up of the best of the best places in Berlin takes you off the beaten path and deep into the heart of the city.” From Amazon.com.

Kindle edition.

How to Be German in 50 Easy Steps: A Guide from Apfelsaftschorle to Tschüss by Adam Fletcher (Kindle)
Erin’s take: “This study of all things German is a semi-serious, completely hilarious, checklist of How to be German. Obey the red man!” From Amazon.com.

What I Know About Germans: 101 Observations by Liv Hambrett (Paperback or Kindle)
Erin’s take: “Liv, an Australian blogger in northern Germany, started a list of “What I Know About Germans.” It climbed to about 70 items before going viral with the endorsement of popular Berlin bloggers, überlin. Now you can find out everything you need to know about the Germans in one easy list.” From Amazon.de.

A Year in the Scheisse: Getting to Know the Germans by Roger Boyes (Kindle)
Erin’s take: “Writing incisively, hilariously, and almost without prejudice, a British journalist describes the peculiarities of everyday life in Germany. ‘The three of us were the backbone of the British press corps. No cliché about Germany left the country without us having given it our seal of approval.'” From Amazon.com.

Really learn the language!

Scheisse! The Real German You Were Never Taught in School by Gertrude Besserwisser (Paperback or Kindle)
Erin’s take: “You’ll never fit in until you can swear properly. For a shortcut just throw a lot of Schwein (pig) around.” From Amazon.com.

Fiction
Look Who’s Back by Timur Vermes (Paperback or Kindle)
Erin’s take: “Before I moved to Germany, I never knew Hitler could be funny. And he’s not really. But this satirical re-imagining of history makes something oh so wrong, right.” From Amazon.com.

Children’s Books
Berlin Wimmelbuch: Ausbruch aus dem Zoo by Judith Drews (Paperback or Kindle)
Erin’s take: “I just saw this find-the-____ Berlin picture book at a friend’s and am now lusting after it.” From Amazon.de.

Stapelspiel Fernsehturm Berlin
Erin’s take: “I am fascinated by the Fernsehturm and love this set of colorful blocks more than my daughter does. Hopefully that will change as she grows older, but if not I will still play with our miniature Berlin TV Tower.” From Amazon.de.

Struwwelpeter by Heinrich Hoffmann (Paperback or Kindle)
Erin’s take: “For my first Christmas in Germany, I was gifted Struwwelpeter. Finding the deranged nursery rhymes amusing, I put it on our bookshelf and promptly forgot about it…until our first German visitor saw it and shrieked “Struwwelpeter!” And then another had the same reaction. And another. This book of morals for bad little boys and girls certianly leaves an impression.” From Amazon.com.

The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson (Paperback or Kindle)
Erin’s take: “Similarly, I had never heard of The Gruffalo before coming to Germany. But this sweet-natured tale from UK authors is wildly popular with German children. We now own the full set for our little German.” From Amazon.com.

More Books in our Store.

Film Tips

Films on Blu-ray/DVD

DVD in German with English subtitles.

Barbara DVD or Instant Video
Erin’s take: “We know a celebrity! It’s crazy when you move to another land and have no frame of cultural reference. My husband works at a KiTa where the daughter of one of these actors attends, and we had no idea till this film came out.” In German with English subtitles. From Amazon.com.

Funny Games DVD or Instant Video
Erin’s take: “This disturbing little horror film is creepy, in a senseless, violent kinda way. The Austrian director meant it as a commentary on violence in the media. Watch the original and don’t bother with the pointless shot-for-shot re-make by the Americans.”

Good Bye Lenin! DVD or Instant Video
Amazon.com: “Winner of six prestigious European Film Awards, including Best Picture and 2004 Golden Globe nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, this coming-of-age adventure blends the fall of Communism with the salient emotions of a family’s love. – In 1989 Christiane Kerner has lost her husband and is completely devoted to the Socialist East German state. A heart attack leaves her in a coma, and when she awakens eight months later, the Berlin Wall has fallen and it’s a whole new world. To protect her from the shock, her son Alex hatches a plan to keep her in the dark.” BBC Films: “Destined to become one of Germany’s biggest international hits.”

For Mom and Baby
Also see more titles recommended by Erin and Jane as part of their “Having a Baby in Germany” advice:

• For Mom and Baby – Recommended books and products from Amazon.de, based on these German Way articles: Having a Baby in Germany: Prenatal Care and Having a Baby in Germany: Giving Birth

German Way Expat Blog: View all blog posts by Erin »

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