The ten best books 2022 for Christmas

2022-11-21T17:13:48.517Z

Spend Christmas with loved ones and enjoy quiet moments with a good book. Have a wonderful Christmas time with these book tips.

Spend Christmas with loved ones and enjoy quiet moments with a good book.

Have a wonderful Christmas time with these book tips.

Note to our readers:

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This changes nothing for you.

Whether cozy cozy crime, social study, biography or a stirring historical novel.

For many of us, the Christmas season means: get on the sofa, get into the armchair and read an exciting book that takes you deep into other worlds.

For example, Robert Harris does it with "Kingslayer".

But even the little ones don't miss out with a classic Christmas picture book.

Here are our individual recommendations for the holidays:

Jan Beinssen "The Winter Murder Club"

Every year in December, a group of former investigators meet in a small French hotel: police officers, detectives, a forensic professor and a coroner.

The hotel management always organizes a murder mystery dinner, where the grizzled pros keep their skills from rusting between punch and cookies. Even in retirement, these investigators solve any case! But when they find the supposed corpse in the wine cellar, it turns out that there is a real one dead lies!

The retired professionals leave no good hair on the work of the summoned police.

Clearly: you have to do it yourself!

Blurb Piper

Spending the Christmas days with a cozy crime and a cup of tea.

Is there anything more beautiful.

Jan Beinßen writes atmospherically dense and lets us readers immerse themselves in the Christmas story.

For lovers of quiet detective stories in the style of Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club.

Jan Beinssen "The Winter Murder Club"

2022, Piper ISBN-13 978-3-492-31826-6

Price: paperback €12, e-book €9.99, 352 pages (different format) – Buy now (promotional link)

Volker Klüpfel, Michael Kobr "The Despicable Ones"

A riddle that leads to the family treasure of a southern French noble dynasty hidden in the maze of canals in the picturesque seaside town of Port Grimaud?

That sounds too formidable to be true.

Casual crook Guillaume Lipaire finally sees his chance to make a lot of money quickly.

He gathers an unlikely team to help him solve the mystery: water taxi driver Karim, ice cream seller Jacqueline, ex-Foreign Legionnaire Paul, Delphine, who runs the local cell phone shop, and 84-year-old harlot Lizzy.

Together they are the diehards of the Côte d'Azur.

Too bad none of them knows how to pull off a big coup and the nobles are slowly but surely finding out.

A turbulent game of cat and mouse through the picturesque holiday resort begins,

blurb Ullstein

The successful crime duo Klüpfel and Kobr strike again.

The setting: southern France.

This brings exciting variety to the entertaining crime thriller market at Christmas time.

Accompany the amusing dilettantes through the south of France.

The big plan that doesn't work.

Reading recommendation!

Volker Klüpfel, Michael Kobr "The Despicable Ones"

The Great Heist of Monsieur Lipaire (The Despicables Book 1)

2022, Ullstein ISBN-13 978-3-550-20144-8

Price: hardcover €24.99, e-book €19.99, 491 pages (different format) – Buy now (promotional link)

Volker Kutscher "Transatlantic"

Spring 1937: The Rath family is scattered.

Charlotte Rath, née Ritter, had actually wanted to be abroad for a long time, but circumstances kept her in Berlin.

Her former foster son Fritze has been put in the closed ward of the mental hospital in Wittenau, her best friend Greta has disappeared without a trace and is suspected of murder.

Meanwhile, Gereon Rath, who was in hiding and believed to be dead by the authorities, is getting too dangerous in Germany. He boards the zeppelin to escape to the USA.

While Charly is trying to get Fritze out of the clinic, to clarify Greta's disappearance and to solve the murder case, things happen on the other side of the Atlantic that she never thought possible.

Blurb Piper

With almost 600 pages, it seems a bit overwhelming at first, but Kutscher once again brilliantly forms an exciting thriller, which this time illuminates the year 1937 in an atmospherically dense manner.

A must for all "Babylon Berlin" fans!

Volker Kutscher "Transatlantic"

The Gereon Rath Novels, Volume 9

2022 Piper, ISBN-13 978-3-492-07177-2

Price: hardcover €26, e-book €19.99, 592 pages (different format) – Buy now (promotional link)

Alex Beer "Felix Blom"

Alex Beer "Felix Blom" - The prisoner from Moabit

Berlin, 1878: The crook Felix Blom is released from prison after three years in prison.

But in freedom, nothing is the same as it used to be: His belongings have been confiscated, his fiancée is in a relationship with someone new.

All attempts to get money or work fail.

But then Blom has a brilliant idea: Why not team up with your new neighbor?

The former prostitute Mathilde runs a private detective agency, but the orders are rare because, as a woman, she is not trusted for this work.

Their first case immediately leads the two on the trail of a mysterious murderer who sends his victims letters with the message: "In a few days you will be a corpse." When Blom gets such a card slipped under his door, the thing becomes personally …

blurb Limes Verlag

Set around 60 years ago by Volker Kutscher's "Transatlantik", the Austrian Alex Beer takes us to Berlin.

Her novels have been nominated for various crime awards.

In 2017 and 2019 she received the Leo Perutz Prize for crime literature.

With "Felix Blom" she kicks off a new series about the crook and master detective Felix Blom.

The first volume offers an interesting duo of characters and great descriptions of the milieu.

Alex Beer Felix Blom.

The prisoner from Moabit"

2022, Limes ISBN-13 978-3-8090-2759-1

Price: Paperback €17, e-book €14.99, 368 pages (different format) – Buy now (promotional link)

Javier Marias "Tomas Nevinson"

Javier Marias "Tomas Nevinson"

Actually, Tomás Nevinson has finished with the secret service.

But his former boss seduces him with a new assignment: Nevinson is to track down and eliminate a terrorist in a small Spanish town who took part in earlier attacks by ETA and the IRA.

When he begins a relationship with a woman who is a possible target, he experiences conflicts of conscience.

Can guilt and innocence be recognized without a doubt?

And can one kill a human being to prevent a greater crime?

Cover text S. Fischer Verlage

In “Tomás Nevinson”, Javier Marías skilfully bundles exciting moments and philosophical considerations.

The result is a deep and haunting spy novel that is second to none.

The author, who died in September 2022, shows once again in an impressive way what made his stories so special.

Javier Marias "Tomas Nevinson"

Translated by Susanne Lange

2022, S. Fischer ISBN-13 978-3-10-397132-3

Price: hardcover €32, e-book €25.99, 736 pages (different format) – Buy now (promotional link)

Perfect for New Year's Eve: Malin Stehn "Happy New Year"

Malin Stehn "Happy New Year"

Dense fog lies over the city: 17-year-old Jennifer disappears from a party.

Across town, her mother Lollo is toasting the new year with her old friends Nina and Malena.

They don't have much in common anymore, but the families' New Year's celebrations have a long tradition.

When the parents wake up after a night of too much alcohol and too little honesty, the nightmare is real.

Pure panic follows.

Dark secrets surface.

How well do we know our friends and loved ones?

And what really happened that New Year's Eve?

blurb joke publisher

Malin Stehn "Happy New Year"

Translated by Maria Poets

2022, Scherz Verlag 978-3-651-00116-9

Price: Paperback €16, e-book €4.99, 464 pages (different format) – Buy now (promotional link)

Negar Djavadi "The Arena"

Benjamin Grossman made it, he believes: Having grown up in a problem area in Paris, he returned to the city as European head of the American streaming provider BeCurrent, comparable to Netflix.

A small, banal mistake has ludicrous consequences: He loses his precious mobile phone - with George Clooney's private number!

- or was it stolen from him?

The boy, whom he suspected of being a thief and pushed against an iron fence, is found dead the next morning.

Was it his fault?

Blurb CH Beck

Published in early summer, but still an exciting book for the Christmas season.

A small deed that can trigger a conflagration and a portrait of Paris at the same time.

For a journey to the city of love with exciting characters and a scenic presentation.

Negar Djavadi "The Arena"

2022, chbeck ISBN-13 978-3-406-79126-0

Price: Hardcover 26 €, 463 pages – Buy now (promotional link)

For lovers of historical novels: "Regicide" by Robert Harris

Historical novel "Kingslayers" by Robert Harris

England, 1660. King Charles II issues a general pardon with an act of pardon.

Excluded are the regicides, those high traitors who signed the verdict for the beheading of his father Charles I.

These include Colonel Whalley and Goffe, who fought on Oliver Cromwell's side in the Civil War.

You can escape to the new colonies in America in time.

The refugees encounter a society that is characterized by pietistic fanaticism and is currently breaking away from the motherland on the other side of the Atlantic.

Here the two could feel safe among like-minded people if they weren't followed by the same fanatical captors.

blurb Heyne

With “Königsmurder”, grandmaster Robert Harris presents a historical novel that takes you back to the deep Middle Ages.

In the vein of Ken Follet's books, you get lost in the characters' story in a good way in 1660. Awesome.

Robert Harris "Kingslayer"

("Act of Oblivion" - Translated from the English by Wolfgang Müller")

2022, Heyne ISBN-13 978-3-453-27371-9

Price: Hardcover €24, e-book €18.99, 544 pages – Buy now (promotional link)

For music fans: "Surrender" by Bono

Bono "Surrender - 40 songs, one story"

Bono is one of the most internationally renowned musicians.

In SURRENDER Bono writes for the first time about his life and about the people who are close to him.

He talks about his childhood in Dublin, the sudden death of his mother, who he lost when he was 14, U2's incredible rise to become one of the most influential rock bands in the world, and his commitment to fighting AIDS and world hunger.

Sincere, profound and also self-deprecating, Bono gives an insight into his life - how his family, his friends, his music and his faith support, challenge and shape him.

Publisher information Droemer

Some biographies may be boring, but Bono's autobiography is exciting like a thriller.

Shaped by fears and self-doubt, Bono writes openly and from the bottom of his heart about what makes him special and what has shaped his life.

This book should be under every Christmas tree.

Bono "Surrender - 40 songs, one story"

Translated by Charlotte Breuer and Norbert Möllemann

2022, Droemer ISBN 978-3-426-27805-5

Price: hardcover €32, 696 pages – Buy now (promotional link)

Excitement for the youngest

Mauri Kunna's Where Santa Claus Lives

The classic of the Christmas picture books: Mauri Kunna's "Where Santa Claus Lives"

Far up in Lapland, where the winters are long and cold and dark, lies a small village that every child would like to learn more about.

It is the village where Santa Claus lives with his elves.

All year round, from early morning to late at night, there is hammering and sawing, printing and gluing, turning and planing, so that the shavings just fly.

Because Santa Claus and his elves are responsible for making sure that the Christmas wishes of all children are fulfilled.

And the children today have many wishes!

blurb Oetinger

Mauri Kunnas is an indispensable part of Christmas books for young first-time readers.

Whether reading for the first time, reading aloud, or simply looking at the atmospheric pictures: the story about Santa Claus in "Where Santa Claus Lives" belongs under the Christmas tree at the latest.

More great books for children for Advent and Christmas - here.

Mauri Kunna's Where Santa Claus Lives

1982, Oetinger ISBN-13 978-3-7891-6090-5

Price: hardcover 15 €, 48 pages – Buy now (promotional link)

With our book tips for Christmas, we wish you a wonderful time.

Here are our tips for great Christmas movies.

And if you are still looking for a recipe for homemade red cabbage with apples, take a look here.

At the end, allow me a small side note: with hardcovers that are not so easy to read in one go, ribbon markers make it easier to continue.

I don't understand why there are often none.

I would have wished for some of the Christmas titles.

Source: merkur

All life articles on 2022-11-21