City of stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett
I don’t think I would have picked this book up at all if it hadn’t been nominated for a Hugo this year. The trilogy The Divine Cities is nominated in the...
13 July 2018
Masterminds of the right by Emily O'Reilly
This is a short but fascinating book. Written in 1992 it details the growth of hard-line right-wing religious individuals and organisations and their efforts to keep Ireland Catholic. I’ll admit that...
9 July 2018
The History Thieves : secrets, lies and the shaping of a modern nation by Ian Cobain
In 1889, the first Official Secrets Act was passed and created offences of ‘disclosure of information’ and ‘breach of official trust’. It limited and monitored what the public could, and should,...
7 January 2017
Black Wolves by Kate Elliott
book 1 in The Black Wolves trilogy. First up, the blurb-y bit, stolen from Goodreads because I cannot condense what this book is about any better than they did : An...
11 November 2015
A most wanted man [based on the book] by John le Carré dir. by Anton Corbijn
The Sept 11th attacks were formulated and planned in Hamburg, Germany. Now, in an attempt to prevent terrorist cells, a small semi-illegal German spy ring operates there. Led by Gunther they...
15 September 2014
The Ghost by Robert Harris
Adam Lang, ex-Prime Minister, is writing his memoirs. Or to be more honest, he needs a ghostwriter. Someone to do some research, to rewrite Lang’s memories into a story. Enter our...
14 July 2014
Beasts of the walking city by Del Law
Book one in the Walking Cities series Blackwell is a Hugliev, a once powerful race that have been hunted to the brink of extinction across all known worlds. Often they are...
2 September 2013
On a red station, drifting by Aliette de Bodard
Ever since she arrived on Prosper Station Quyen has been welcomed by the Honoured Ancestress, the artificial intelligence that runs the station. Now that her husband has been called away to...
21 April 2013
Dune (round iii) by Frank Herbert
The final questions for the Dune group read are:
- What is your reaction to finally learning the identity of Princess Irulan? Do you think that her convention added to the story?
- Were you satisfied with the ending? For those reading for the first time, was it what you expected?
- On both Arrakis and Salusa Secundus, ecology plays a major role in shaping both characters and the story itself. Was this convincing? Do you think that Paul would have gone through with his threat to destroy the spice, knowing what it would mean for Arrakis?
- Both Leto and Paul made their decisions on marriage for political reasons. Do you agree with their choices?
- What was your favorite part in this section of the book?
- One of the things I noticed in the discussions last week was Herbert’s use of the word “jihad.” What do you think of Herbert’s message about religion and politics?
25 July 2011
Feed by Mira Grant
It is 2039 and Georgia & Shaun Mason are up and coming bloggers. Solid betas they are on the look out for the story that will enable them to break away and start their own site, their own identity. And they are about to get their big break, because presidential hopeful Senator Ryman is about to start campaigning for the Republican nomination. And the Masons are going to be part of his media circus.
Oh, and did I mention the zombies?
10 June 2011
Political Compass
Edit: What is a questionnaire without a graph? embiggen it So, where do you stand on the political compass? I’m Economic Left/Right: -5.88 Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.28 or somewhat similar to Gandhi...
13 March 2007
The tension is building
And hopefully once half five rolls around there’ll be no thought of politics or history, just rugby, and a win for us. B#5 seems to have found himself a ticket, he...
24 February 2007
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