The Austrian Cultural Forum library is growing and new and older books are being acquired throughout the year. In the below segment, our new librarian, has picked the top 4 new books in our library, that are a must-read this autumn! If you are a fan of Austrian literature or want to discover new books and stories by Austrian authors, the below selection is for you.

Norbert Gstrein: Der zweite Jakob

In Norbert Gstrein's novel, a well-known actor is confronted with his past. A publisher is planning to write a biography about him, and his daughter asks him the question: „What’s the worst thing you've ever done?" Jakob remembers shooting a film near the Mexican-American border. He finds himself revaluating what counts in life as he revisits his trauma.

Irene Diwiak: Liebwies

In 1924, the well-known music expert Christoph Wagenrad falls in love with young Gisela Liebwies, who resembles his late wife, a famous pianist. Although untalented, she is to become a star. Through blackmail on Wagenrad's part, she gets a place in the music conservatory and even the lead role in the final performance. The identity of the true composer of the opera - Ida Gussendorff - stays hidden, since her husband took credit for it. A wonderfully malicious story about false glamour, the greed for fame and true beauty.

Mareike Fallwickl: Die Wut, die bleibt

Helene, a mother of three, gets up at dinner, goes onto the balcony, and plunges to her death without a single word. Her family are in shock. The lives of three women are being illuminated: Helene, Lola, their eldest daughter, and Sarah, Helene's best friend, who is drawn into the maelstrom of grief and chaos. Their fates interweave in this moving novel about what it means to be a woman.

Mieze Medusa: Du bist dran

Spoken-word performer and rapper Mieze Medusa presents a rousing novel in which she captures the voices of the present with humour and great immediacy. "Du bist dran" tells the story of three lovable outsiders who are looking for their place in life: 18-year-old Agnesa, a Viennese girl with an immigrant background and poor education; computer nerd Eduard, whose midlife crisis has turned him into a stalker; and feminist Felicitas, who at 69 is still rebellious. When their paths cross, they realize that they are better together.

To borrow any of the above books, please visit our library during opening hours and drop an email to hannah.kaip@bmeia.gv.at. More info on our library can be found here.