Are you curious about which novels were read the most last year (or at least bought and put on the SuB)? These are the top 3.
In 2024, my bookshelf was almost bursting at the seams - there were so many highlights that made it onto the bestseller lists from SPIEGEL, Thalia, Amazon and Co. that I could hardly keep up. These included thrillers, poignant romance novels, but also biographies and lots of non-fiction books.
But which ones?Romanwere the most popular and were bought the most in Germany last year? These three books have climbed to the top of the Thalia and Amazon bestseller lists.
1st place: Sebastian Fitzek – “The Calendar Girl”
Everyone agrees on this book: “The Calendar Girl” by Sebastian Fitzek (order here on Amazon*) is the best-selling novel of the last year in almost all shops. According to industry monitor BUCH, the thriller takes second place of all books sold in 2024, after the popular essay “Aging” by Elke Heidenreich (order here from Thalia*).
Eleven years ago, Alma was given up for adoption as a baby under mysterious circumstances. In hersstrictThe adoption file, which is kept under lock and key, contains the note: “The identity of the parents must not be revealed under any circumstances! Mother is in danger of dying!!!« But now Alma is critically ill and urgently needs a bone marrow donor.
To save her adopted daughter's life, Olivia Rauch starts a desperate search for her biological parents. The psychologist, who specializes in violent crime, comes across the legend of the “Calendar Girl”: a young woman who once retreated to a secluded house in the Franconian Forest at Christmas time. And who was haunted there by a psychopath who forced her to open an Advent calendar of horror...
Blurb from “The Calendar Girl”, Droemer Knaur
2nd place: Caroline Wahl – “22 lanes”
Between children's books, non-fiction books and more, “22 Lanes” made it to number 16 of the overall best-selling books on Amazon in 2024 (order here on Amazon*). At Thalia, Caroline Wahl's debut novel - which is currently being made into a film and is due to be released in cinemas this September - takes second place among the best-selling novels.
Tilda's days are strictly scheduled: studying, sitting at the supermarket checkout, looking after her little sister Ida and, on bad days, also looking after her mother. The three of them live in the saddest house on Fröhlichstrasse in a small town that Tilda hates. Her friends are long gone and live in Amsterdam or Berlin, only Tilda remains. Because someone has to be there for Ida, earn money, take responsibility. There are no fathers worth mentioning; the mother is an alcoholic. But one day things start moving: Tilda is offered the prospect of a doctorate in Berlin, and a future that promises freedom flashes into view. And Viktor appears, Ivan's big brother, with whom Tilda used to be friends. Viktor, who, like her, always swims 22 lengths. But when Tilda almost believes that everything could be okay, the situation at home gets completely out of control.
Blurb from “22 Bahnen”, DuMont Buchverlag
3rd place: Freida McFadden – “She can hear you”
“She can hear you” was also an integral part of the bestseller lists in 2024 (order here on Amazon*) by Freida McFadden - the second part of her successful Housemaid series. The surprising twists in the first part really captivated me and quickly made Freida McFadden a new favorite author. An absolute must-read for thriller fans and anyone who wants to become one.
Millie Calloway has a new job. In order to finance her studies, she helps a wealthy couple from Manhattan with their household chores. Her employer, Douglas Garrick, seems nice, and luckily he doesn't ask her too many questions about her past. But why isn't Millie allowed to speak to his wife Wendy? What do the crying she hears from the locked room and the blood stains on Wendy's clothes mean? Isn't Douglas really the caring husband he claims to be? Millie only knows one thing: she has to help Wendy. Even if it means risking her darkest secret coming to light.
Blurb from “She Can Hear You,” Heyne
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