So, as Fianna Fáil abandoned the ragbag of right-wingers with whom they sat in the European Parliament in order to join a major group, the British Conservatives are doing the opposite. (Hat-tip to Tim Roll-Pickering, who unlike most Tories actually understands Europe and thinks, in my opinion a bit wishfully, that this won’t last.)
From the Heart of Europe
Books, politics, languages and life
Kraken has Mieville’s usual disappointing ending, but is good up to then.
I’ve stopped reading Banks, he ran out of things to say years ago.
Powers is very good, that whole sequence is great in a deliberately low-key way.
Thorns I can’t remember at all, but as gareth_rees says above it’s from Silverberg’s golden period.
The Cressida Cowell books are from a series, starting with How to Tame a Dragon, for 8-10 year olds.
Luther Arkwright is interesting weirdness, Queen Victoria and floating cities, I think? – I suppose it must be an important steampunk text.
I’m a little surprised you haven’t read the Sophocles already.
Hard Times… blah. I am Dickens-intolerant.
The Red and the Black – read this a couple of months ago in a book club and I think I was the only one who enjoyed it (and I found it interesting as a historical piece rather than gripping as fiction)
Dead Souls, good in parts but the short stories are better.
Vernon God little – threw against the wall before I got to page 50.