How Putin and his entourage of KGB men seized power in Russia, controlling the economy through a fiefdom of oligarchs, and have used that wealth to extend their own influence.
This hardba... read more
First published in 1950, with hints - not surprisingly - of LB's delightful 'Madeline'. A music school, a music teacher, her dastardly landlord and a lot of umbrellas... A charming book for ... read more
A powerful novel about an idealistic couple who travel along motorways in a post-disaster era, with a child who questions their values as he grows older.
The inimitable QB, a delightul book about the Meadowsweet family, a bird called Octavia and a seed the saves the day; we didn't include this in our last list as it was stuck in a warehouse, ... read more
Picaresque escapism with Captain Clarke B: cigar-smoking daredevil adventurer, charlatan, Casanova and inventor of the world-famous life-saving inflatable suit.
Hugely successful in France, this autobiographical novel moves from the author's happy childhood in Algeria to Paris, where she navigates her own sexuality and the tensions of existing betwe... read more