Blending irony and longing, Hinrich von Haaren brings to life the fragility and glamour of Germany's transition period leading to reunification.

Berlin before the fall of the wall, China before the massacre on Tiananmen Square – in a world full of irredeemable promises, a generation drifts along as it searches for a different life. Set in a wintry Berlin rich with dark taverns and opulent cafés, the narrator and his rag-tag circle of friends try to invent a new kind of freedom. At the heart of the clique is the dazzling Nina. She holds everyone in her spell, but is herself at the mercy of her inner voices and their dangerous insinuations. A one-way ticket to Beijing offers a way out. The narrator leaves everything behind and sets off to travel through a China in turmoil, but in this vast blue empire his attempt to forget remains futile.

Hitler's childhood and youth in a new light.

Going beyond psychological speculation, the authors close a gap in historical research by portraying Hitler's family, childhood and youth in its social and cultural context. Focusing on Hitler's time in Braunau through to his experiences in Vienna, they offer an insight into his character traits and ideological imprints. The book closely examines Hitler's personal background as well as his social environment. National fanaticism, race hatred and anti-Semitism had become firmly established in society long before Hitler and the National Socialists started their ascent. Hitler's radicalised rhetoric could only gain potency when his audience already knew what he was speaking of. Taking a fresh look, Leidinger and Rapp detail Hitler's childhood and youth from a new angle.

With a breathless intensity, Neumann takes the reader through the highs and lows of a remarkable woman in search of her own identity.

Clara has always been fascinated by flying. Or is it just the ability to flee that attracts her? Now, it seems she has achieved her aim. As a pilot working for a budget airline she asserts herself in a ruthless male world, conquering the skies from Bangkok to Berlin, Colombo to Cancun and Mombasa to Madrid. She can deftly steer a Boeing 777 through violent turbulences, but her own life is rapidly sliding out of control. Torn between two men and haunted by memories of early abuse, she restlessly roams through the faceless airports and foreign cities of her itinerary. It's only when she retreats to the tropical island of Sri Lanka, an island ravaged by civil war, that Clara manages to confront the ghosts of her past.

"Heaven Bound" combines lyricism with clear political statements to create an unusual and highly topical novel.

Everyone senses it – the space for those who think differently, act differently and love differently is shrinking once more, the threat is increasing. But for now the 'Heaven Bound' still exists. Its glitzy stage is the home of the drag queens and a refuge for outsiders and night birds. Tucked out of sight, the bar is the only place where even Sylvia feels safe. As a young vixen on the run, Sylvia plucked a human skin from a clothes line and has lived as a woman among people ever since. She shares her live with Jonathan, a dreamer and self-professed world saviour. When a feathered tumour grows on Jonathan's back and his transformation begins, it becomes clear that not everything with wings can fly. But the utopia of the 'Heaven Bound' will always be worth fighting for.

The great master's thoughts on hearing and understanding music.

The unique rationale behind Nikolaus Harnoncourt's practice of music brought him fame across the entire musical world. With his ensemble Concentus Musicus he broke established traditions and opened up new approaches to interpreting old music. This was in part the result of his intensive research into the sound produced by original period instruments, but more significantly came about as a consequence of questioning conventional hearing habits. What exactly is music? What effect does it have? And what were the intentions of its creators? Harnoncourt's writing on performance practices, baroque music and instruments such as the harpsichord reads like eloquent music making. A wondrous journey through the history of music.

Pause a while and open yourself to the magic of a special season with Harald Krassnitzer's favourite stories.

The twelve nights between Christmas and Epiphany are a mystical time – a time in which nature stands still and the boundaries between our world and the supernatural realm appear suspended. In Alpine regions and Nordic countries, the Twelve Nights are the source of numerous fables. People talk to animals, goblins populate human dwellings, wishes come true and the Wild Hunt rides across the land. This openness to magic and folklore, this moment of pausing and taking stock, have long been a source of fascination to Harald Krassnitzer – and hold a special significance in our hectic times. In this book, Krassnitzer brings together his favourite legends and tales relating to the Twelve Nights, accompanied by personal reflections

From Zen gardens and cherry blossom to video games and nuclear power stations.

For almost 270 years, Japan was an island state with no contact to the outside world. This enabled the development of a highly independent culture and society, of which Japan remains proud to this day. For many Westerners, Japan still appears exotic and foreign, yet the country also shares many traits with the industrialised nations of the West. What do Japanese society, economy and politics look like in the 21st century? Have attitudes towards nuclear power generation changed in the wake of Fukushima? Why do many young Japanese show little interest in starting a family? Japan specialist Judith Brandner follows the line from historic Japan to modern society. An engaging journey into a country which many Westerners still know little about.

A clever book about the explosive power of a tiny word – about the We that excludes and the We that can include us all.

Michael Köhlmeier's contemplations on We are a plea for an inclusive community. The We can soothe, because it offers the lonely I a home and a notion of where it comes from. This We can provide integration. It is close to the I, it tells stories. But We is also a uniform that can be worn. Anyone can become the enemy of this We, it turns us into opportunists and dogmatists. This military We generates myths to sanction ideologies. But how does one We turn into the other? How does intimate family history turn into an ardent desire to kill and die for something that nobody has ever seen? And what can be done to prevent this transformation? The great raconteur Michael Köhlmeier delves deeply into the two-faced nature of We.

Interrogate yourself – with the ultimate book of questions.

Should you judge a person based on the questions they ask or the answers they give? Sven Michaelsen's reply is unambiguous. Asking ourselves and others the rights questions decides whether our life is successful or wasted. It isn't opinions and assertions that lead us to truth and understanding, it's the curvy question mark. This book shuns run-of-the-mill wisdoms proclaimed by self-professed life coaches to focus instead on the art of smart reflection – on love and happiness, money and a high-flying career or sex and beauty. Michaelsen's writing is at times entertaining and humorous, at times instructive and sombre. Reading Michaelsen's book of 800 questions will teach you more about yourself than ever before.

The most important speeches and essays by this wonderful author, brought together in a single volume.

Her voice often attracts attention for its distinctiveness, so she might as well be heard in another sense – as the voice of an author and the 'person of public interest' that Erika Pluhar has become in the course of her life. Pluhar is a prolific writer of speeches, essays and articles, declaring her personal stance on political and socio-political issues, paying tribute to contemporaries or saying farewell to people she cherished. Her opinion is both sought and provided, and she speaks out when she feels it is necessary.