Why we still care about Kafka; FT readers recommend some top titles ahead of the UK election; the Silicon Valley wizardry that helps launder dirty cash; Lucian Freud’s daughter on life with the artist; what we lose when we give ground to AI; a tale
How Wagner’s Ring Cycle shaped the music of Star Wars and more; a sobering dive into the silliness and manipulation central to ‘reality’ TV; an enjoyable ride through 200 years of British rail history; a debut set amid the violence of 1970s Argentina