BOOK COLUMN Autumnal reading

Fall has arrived – and with it, the cosy time of the year where you can snuggle up with a warm blanket and a good book. Martina Klaric and Ira Häussler have picked four more great books that match the theme of our issue. There are ones about fair fashion, the famous Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, letters between Rainer Maria Rilke and Franz Xaver Kappus and a story of a young girl in 1960s Paris. Enjoy!

Tip from Ira Häussler

HOW TO BREAK UP WITH FAST FASHION A guilt-free guide to changing the way you shop – for good

By Lauren Bravo, published 9 March 2020 by Hachette UK (304 pages), ISBN: 978-1472267740, €14,00

Fashion is power. Fashion is politics. Fashion is more than clothes. Some may have known this all along, others only begin to see it now: Clothes are directly related to identity and are an expressive status symbol. The textile industries have used this and have advanced to a globally powerful and lucrative production mechanism that is only about three things: cheaper, more and even more. Nowadays, the term »Fast Fashion« is used to describe this destructive development of the industry that produces throwaway clothes under inhumane conditions. The repercussions of it are now known, but how to handle the problem is still unclear. In »How To Break Up With Fast Fashion«, Lauren Bravo offers a witty yet insightful guide into changing the current culture of wasting fashion. The result is a gorgeous book of advice based on facts that, among other things, helps you to repair and recycle your clothes and update your wardrobe without contributing to the harmful repercussions of the fast fashion industry. This book can help guide anyone interested through the sometimes-confusing world of sustainable fashion and will make you feel good about the clothes you choose to put on your body again!

Tip from Martina Klaric

RUTH BADER GINSBURG: IN HER OWN WORDS

Edited by Helena Hunt, published 10 April 2018 by Agate B2 (336 pages), ISBN: 978-1572842496, €10,00

The right for our own decisions and equality of the sexes! Ruth Bader Ginsburg became famous for her relentless fight for women’s rights. Her signature piece of clothing – matching the theme of this issue – was an iconic blouse with an opulent collar that showed off her immaculate posture. The most famous justice in the world recently passed away, but her words and work live on. Her sharp wit, humour and impeccable courage remain unforgotten. The little book »Ruth Bader Ginsburg: In her own words« is a great collection of quotes that reflects Ginsburg’s attitude towards justice, women and the world. And the reader gets to know her as a person who always knew to say the right thing at the right time. »Of course safety is important , «one quote reads, »but we have to protect each individual’s right to freedom. If we don’t, we are no better than the powers against which we fight. «There’s only one thing left to say: Thank you, Ruth Bader Ginsburg!

Tip from Ira Häussler

LETTERS TO A YOUNG POET

Rainer Maria Rilke and Franz Xaver Kappus, translated by Charlie Louth, published 25 March 2014 by Penguin Random House (112 pages), ISBN: 9780141192321, €12,00

Between 1903 and 1908, Rainer Maria Rilke exchanged a number of letters with an aspiring young poet named Franz Xaver Kappus. Over 100 years later, the beautiful advice contained in these personal lines still rings true: Dealing with everything from love and work to passion and the true meaning of life, Rilke’s writing is timelessly comforting on days when the modern world we currently live in seems nothing but chaotic. Of course, the little book also features some not-so-timely views on gender among other things, but considering the temporal space we have from its origins, it is nonetheless easy to enjoy Rilke’s poetic optimism towards every question young Kappus has for him. The short letters make for a quick read while achieving what only great writing does: They make a time that seems so different and so far away feel incredibly close, showing that we as humans are really all so similar. What more could you want in times of social distancing?

Tip from Martina Klaric

IN THE CAFÉ OF LOST YOUTH

By Patrick Modiano, published 12 January 2017 by MacLehose Press (192 pages), ISBN: 978-0857055286, €10,60

His books are indisputable classics of world literate – not only because of French author Patrick Modiano’s 2014 Nobel prize win. »In the café of lost youth« can only be described as the pearl of his oeuvre. With typical French melancholy, the novel tells the story of young Louki, a girl in 1960s Paris. Every line that describes her fleeing into self-determination in the search for true love is imbued with a passion for life that inspires and will seep into your senses. A touching story that is told with French esprit by Modiano and ultimately shows what literature really is: a space for parallel worlds that don’t only reflect but make reality.