Books

Europa Europa

I am not quite sure what genre you are looking for. Maybe you are only looking contemporary that will give you a look at what you going to see. However I can never pass up the opportunity to plug a great set of books that happen to take place in Germany.

A German Requim (Phillip Kerr)
It is a triology of books (March Violets, The Pale Criminal, A German Requim)

Set in Berlin during the rise of Hitler it is a detective noir series that gives a look at the rise of the nazi party. It gives insights without bogging down the reader of the polotics and tragedy. I neither a fan of detective fiction or that era but found the book in a hostel by chance on my travels and have never let it go.

Have fun on your trip.

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

I also enjoyed the movie Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others).

The Tin Drum (Grass), The Magic Mountain (Mann)

"A TRAMP ABROAD" by Mark Twain. (Abridged edition published by Harper & Row in 1977). The chapters on Germany : chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 21.

Jane, you can look at Rick's tours of Germany and Austria. At the bottom of the page you can find the link to recommended books and movies, most of them, I think, suggested by travelers.
Have fun planning and traveling!

"Stones from the River" by Ursula Hegi was great. If I remember correctly it took place during WWII along the Rhine.