Good morning/afternoon/evening, German(-language) literature lovers. It’s time to look through your TBR piles and hunt out all the German literature you can find. #germanlitmonth is returning for year four!
In years past Lizzy and I have structured the whole month for guidance, but now that a wealth of ideas and reviews exists in the blogosphere (see footnote), we no longer think that’s necessary. This year we’re each going to host a themed week, leaving the rest of the month for you to read as you please. However, to make things more playful, we’re incorporating an optional pick and mix!
The overall structure of the month looks like this.
Nov 1-2 Introductions and reading plans
Nov 3-9 Award Winners Week (hosted by Lizzy)
Nov 10-23 Read as You Please
Nov 24-30 Joseph Roth Week (hosted by Caroline, with the Literature and War group read, Flight Without End, on the 29th)
At any time during the month you can pick and mix by reading and posting about any of the categories listed below, Each review will receive at least one entry into a prize draw. If the review fits multiple categories, you will earn multiple entries. For example if you participate in my Literature and War read, you will get two entries: 1 for category 5 and another for category 6.
Pick and Mix Categories
1) Read and review an award winner.
2) Read and review a work that is not a novel.
3) Read and review a recommendation from German Literature Months 1-3. (See footnote)
4)To commemorate the 25th anniversary of The Fall of the Wall, read and review a work relating to the GDR or the Berlin Wall.
5) To commemorate armistice day, read and review a work relating to the First World War
6) Read and review a work written by or relating to Joseph Roth
7) Read a work published in German original or in translation during 2014
For the purposes of clarity, all reviews must relate to works originally written in German, regardless of the author’s nationality. The winner of the pick and mix prize will be announced during the first week of December.
Apart from that, there are no other rules. You can participate in the themed weeks and the pick and mix as much or as little as you wish. You can do your own thing too, if you so chose. If you don’t have a blog, you are welcome to review on librarything or goodreads or similar or even write a guest post for one of the host blogs.
The main focus of the month is to share and enjoy German-language literature. We hope you decide to join us.
*******
Footnote – Indices of reviews from previous years
German Literature Month 2011 (http://lizzysiddal.wordpress.com/2011/12/01/german-literature-month-2011-author-index/)
German Literature Month 2012 (http://lizzysiddal.wordpress.com/2012/12/15/german-literature-month-2012-author-index/)
German Literature Month 2013
(http://lizzysiddal.wordpress.com/2013/12/12/german-literature-month-iii-author-index/)
Beauty is a Sleeping Cat 
Count me in – happy to spend my month with German-language literature 🙂
Wonderful, Tony, I’m very happy to hear that. 🙂
I’d like to join in this year, and I can see two or three books on my shelves that should fit the bill. Looking forward to reading your posts.
Wonderful news. I’m very glad you’ll join us.
My German Lit Month has started early as my book group has been reading All Quiet on the Western Front, and I posted my review yesterday in time for this week’s discussion. Looking forward to November, and I’m planning to review another two or three books during the month.
Thanks for letting me know Jacqui. I’ll visit shortly. There will be a blogpost Mr Linky Site where you can add the review.
Many thanks for your comments, Caroline. What’s the Mr Linky site? I’m still learning about blogging 😉
Blogger blogs have the possibilty to set up link sites.
Like so
http://www.germanlitmonth.blogspot.co.uk
That’s why Lizzy set up a special GLM site.
The link taes you to last year’s site, there will be a new one shortly.
On wordpress all we can do looks like this (see at the bottom of the post):
https://beautyisasleepingcat.wordpress.com/2011/11/05/german-literature-month-effi-briest-group-read-week-i/
Ah, thanks. I’m sure I’ll figure it out!
That sounds quite an inclusive and relaxed challenge, so I will try and join in. Have a couple already on my shelves which might be suitable!
I’m very glad to hear this. Yes, it is relaxed. You are very free in your choices.
I’m not very good at joining these events, but I will bear it in mind as I choose books for the next few weeks. I think I have at least one book to fit each of your categories!
Plus I still have a previous GLM recommendation, Effi Briest, still unread. So this is a reminder.
I hope you’ll like Effi Briest. I hope you let us know about any book discoveries.
It will be great if you can follow our discussions.
Count me in as ever
Great. I’m looking foward to your finds.
Well have try and find a few got couple already
Can’t wait to see what it is.
I’m in. I have two books that I’ve saved for this event. 🙂
I’m really glad that you will join.
I was just going through my unread stack of Joseph Roth novels thinking that I should read at least one if you were holding German lit month again this year.
That’s good news. I’m curious to find out which one you’ll choose.
Excited to join this year.
I’m glad to hear that.
Very happy to know that it is back. Count me in.
That’s so great, neer.
There are so many that I’d like to include that a month just won’t be long enough! I’m thinking of re-reading one of my favourites from years back as I’ve been meaning to re-read it for quite a while…but I may change my mind…
I’m delighted to hear this and looking forward to hear which book that is.
Thanks for hosting again Caroline.
I really enjoyed participating last year and will try to get at least one post in this time around.
That’s wonderful, Brian. I hope you find something great to read.
Oh, Caroline, I’m so grateful and happy and full of bliss that you and Lizzie are hosting another year of the highlight of my year in reading authors of German literature. I will start planning immediately. So very pleased, Judith.
And I’m so happy that you will join, Judith. I’m looking forward to it as well.
I expect to be able to join, and have a few titles in mind already.
I’m so glad to hear this, Scott. I’m very curious to see what you’ll choose.
Yes, please, Caroline! Looking forward to reading more of this genre which is under read in my library.
How lovely that you will join as well, Bellezza.
Finally a chance to read something by Stefan Zweig! Can’t wait!
That’s a great choice. I liked everything I’ve read by him.
Can’t join in, but I look forward to the commentary!
I’m looking forward to it as well. I’ve such huge piles. 🙂
Count me in please. Will be glad to join…
That’s such great news. I’m very glad to hear it.
Last year I discovered several new to me writers I now consider esential read all I can of them writers, chief among them was Joseph Roth. Happy to join again. Thanks.
That’s great. I hope you’ll discover more of his writing. He’s such a wondreful author. And there are so many other German/Austrian/Swiss authors worth discovering.
Has it really been 25 years since the fall of the wall. I was recently in Berlin visiting Checkpoint Charlie and the display there. Seems like yesterday that the wall fell.
Time is flowing. I’m sad when I think of the hope that meant at the time and now . . . Back to the Cold War or worse?
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Oh dear, I was afraid you were going to do this…. 😉 Actually I was hoping you and Lizzy were planning another German Lit month. Even though I am meant to be catching up with my own piles (I think more than a few will end up back on my tbr piles to be attempted at a later date) I do want to read a book or two translated from German. I may not be able to manage more than that this year (but then you never know), I am definitely going to raid my books in translation pile! I’m curious which books published this year are out and interesting–hopefully you’ll have a list to share?
I know the feeling. :)Lizzy is going to wwrite a list on new publications. It’s not so easy for me as I look at the German market only. Stu’s usually good for that as well.
But I’ll see what I can do since it seems to be something people would like.
That would be great–I actually have several books in mind already that I want to read–that I had thought of picking up last year, so I have no shortage of ideas, but I am always on the lookout for something good!
Lizzy mentioned that there was a grew deal being published this year and I’ve discovered quite a few titles I’ve owned that now pop up in translation.
Watch out for my giveaway on Thrursday. It was my favourite German book in the last five or ten years.
I would be interested in participating, but I would like the names of hot new German authors, male or female, who are beginning to make a name in world literature.
I get you. See, that’s the trouble. A lot of what is translated isn’t as good as what exists in German only. Then there’s someone like Birgit Vanderbeke who’s been writing for decades and is now “discovered” in English with an older book.
I host a giveaway next Wedenesday of a contemporary female author who hasn’t been translted yet.
I think Lizzy is planning on writing a post on new translations. And I could dig around a bit as well.
Yes, That is exactly what I want, a list of newly translated fiction. Stefan Zweig and Joseph Roth and Irmgard Keun are fine, but I want to check out the more recent.
I’ll liaise with Lizzy to see how we’ll do it.
Fun! Count me in! I have just discovered the 19th century book Ekkehard: A Tale of the Tenth Century (von Scheffel), and I am thoroughly enjoying it.
I’m gald to hear it. It’s great that you will join.
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I’m giving another try to Berlin Alexanderplatz. I have a week off in October, I hope it’ll help. Wish me luck.
Otherwise I have a couple of Zweigs at home and Crimes by Ferdinand von Schirach.
I do wish you luck. I’ll see if I can join you. I wanted to finish Dos Passos first but that will have to wait.
I’ll let you know. Zweig and von Schirach are certainly good – and easy – choices.
‘Crime’ by Ferdinand von Schirach is so awesome, Emma! Hope you get to read it. Happy reading!
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I’ve chosen the books I want to read. Count me in. 🙂
Oh that’s wonderful. I’m looking forward to see your choices.
My time will only allow me read one short book for this, but I’ll join in.
I’m very glad you’ll join us, Miguel.
I am late in commenting, Caroline. I am sorry for that. But as they say here in my place ‘I am late. But I am the latest’ 🙂 I am so glad that my favourite event of the year is back with its newest edition. I am so excited and I can’t wait for November to arrive. I just ordered Joseph Roth’s ‘Flight Without End’. I loved your description of it in your Literature and War Readalong post. I can’t wait to read it. I am going to use October to plan for the event and increase my collection of German books 🙂 Maybe get a few German novellas published by Peirene press. I am right now toying wth the idea of whether I should read a German chunkster for GLM, but I am undecided yet. My reading speed has been so low this year that if I pick a chunkster, that might turn out to be the only book I read. Thanks a lot for hosting this wonderful event again this year with Lizzy. I can’t wait for November to arrive and to renew my acquaintance with my favourite German authors and their beautiful literary works.
I’m very happy that you will join. I’m tempted by a few chunksters as well but there are many new books by authors I like I haven’t read yet – so I guess they will come first. I’m struggling a bit too, and would maybe end up reading only one book, just like you say. I’ll definitely add another Roth novel to Flight Without End – one of the shorter ones.
I’m loking forward to see you choices and read your reviews. 🙂
c:)
Don’t know what happened. My previous comment didn’t get through. Posting it again…
I will look forward to finding out what the second Joseph Roth book you will be choosing to read. I am thinking that in addition to Roth’s ‘Flight Without End’, I will try to read some slim novels – a Marlen Haushofer (‘Nowhere Ending Sky’), an Elfriede Jelinek (maybe ‘The Piano Teacher’) and maybe a Birgit Vanderbeke (‘The Mussel Feast’). And then maybe I will check out what you and others are reading and get inspired and get more 🙂
I don’t know. Weird.
I highly recommend Birgit Vanderbeke. It’s a chilling book. A bit different from her other work but outstanding nonetheless. I might read one of her newer novels. As usual these days, I will not make any plans but pick whatever I’m in the mood for. I got a small pile of Cornelia Funke’s novels. That might be fun as well.
In any case, I’m looking forward to it.
Count me in. I’m kicking my blog back into action and I have an added incentive this year – I just started a relationship with a German boy and began German classes this week. 🙂
Now that’s some news. 🙂 Lovely to have you join. If you ever have any questions regarding German – just ask.
Thank you!
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I am way late joining in but I do want to participate. I plan on reading some Bertolt Brecht for the event. I was delighted to discover my new university has a sizeable German language collection, so this time around, I’ll try some new books and authors!
I’m so pleased that you will join. Good to know your library has a good selection. Brecht is certainyl a great choice. I look forward to find out which books you will choose.
Here is my introductory/ plans post
Thanks, Mel. I’m curious to see what you chose.
I’ve made my choice for German Literature month. It could fit into either the prize winner or ‘anything you want categories. It is ‘Momo’ by Michael Ende.
Now that’s a surprising choice. A lovely book though.
This sounds good! If only I wasn’t already committed to Nonfiction November and Sci-Fi November. I think one more would be too much for me. I will try to remember for next year!
Maybe you could find a German nonfiction or sic-fi (not that easy though) book?
But I know how it is …. It’s not possible to join every event.
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Report on the Venus in Furs Contest and much more
http://rereadinglives.blogspot.com/2014/12/gl-iv-post-event-observation-day-seven.html
Thanks, Mel.
Another treat.
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