The best books to read this summer

What should you read on the beach this summer? What about if you’re stuck indoors, or if you need a break from kids? Each June, our literary editor Fred Studemann and deputy books editor Laura Battle put together the FT’s summer books special, and today they give us their recommendations, each with a different summer activity in mind. Their overall top picks are James by Percival Everett and Knife by Salman Rushdie.-------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and on email at [email protected]. We are grateful for reviews on Apple and Spotify.-------Links (all FT links get you past the paywall): – A few categories Fred and Laura drew on from the best books special: Best fiction: https://on.ft.com/3VH3WrnBest literary non-fiction: https://on.ft.com/3VI1kt9Best audio book: https://on.ft.com/3VM1W0U– Here are the other recommendations mentioned: More by Molly Roden Winter, Long Island by Colm Tóibín, Come and Get It by Kiley Reid, Maurice and Maralyn by Sophie Elmhirst, Beirut Station by Paul Vidich, You Are Here by David Nicholls, Memoir of My Former Self by Hilary Mantel, The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, Nuclear War by Annie Jacobsen, and Glowrushes by Roberto Piumini. Fred and Laura also recommend This Strange Eventful History by Claire Messud on audiobook, narrated by Cassandra Campbell.-------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandartRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we talk about the very disturbing new film ‘Kinds of Kindness’. It is directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, known for surreal movies such as ‘Poor Things’, ‘The Favourite’, and ‘The Lobster’. This film marks a return to dark, inaccessible weirdness for the Greek New Wave director. Is it grotesque in a bad or a good way? And do we like the ‘Lanthimos vibe’? Lilah is joined by film critic Nicolas Rapold and the FT’s Topher Forhecz to discuss. -------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and on email at [email protected]. We are grateful for reviews on Apple and Spotify.-------Links (all FT links get you past the paywall): – Here’s the FT’s review of Kinds of Kindness, by Raphael Abraham: https://on.ft.com/3xBo4De – An interview with Yorgos Lanthimos (2015), about ‘The Lobster’: https://on.ft.com/3VG7J8g – Nicolas Rapold is on X @NicolasRapold. Follow him and his podcast ‘The Last Thing I Saw’, here: https://rapold.substack.com/ – Our episode ‘Is Poor Things A Feminist Film?’ is available here or wherever you listen. -------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandartRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s a big year for voting! There are national elections in 64 countries, affecting more than half the world. And many of us are anxious about an uncertain future. FT Weekend columnist Nilanjana Roy had a good idea in the midst of her own election fever: to find perspective, she turned to literature. Today, Nila shares what she came away with, and recommends books that can help reframe how we think about elections, no matter where we live. -------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and on email at [email protected]. We are grateful for reviews on Apple and Spotify. And please share this episode with your friends!-------Links (all FT links get you past the paywall): – Nilanjana’s column on literature and elections: https://on.ft.com/3z9whiy– The books that she recommends in this episode:• Raag Darbari by Shrilal Sukla• A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth• Modi’s India by Christophe Jaffrelot• Quarterlife by Devika Rege• Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor• The Age of the Strongman by our own Gideon Rachman• Another England by Caroline Lucas• Infomocracy by Malka Older– Nilanjana is on Instagram @nilanjanasroy and on X @nilanjanaroy-------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandartRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Roger Federer is one of the world’s greatest tennis players – but is he dramatic enough for a full film? Today we discuss the new Federer documentary, just released on Amazon Prime. It’s called Federer: Twelve Final Days, and follows the tennis star in the run-up to his retirement. Does the film fully reflect his legacy well? Is Federer boring? And how do we feel about the next batch of tennis stars? Chief features writer Henry Mance and deputy arts editor Raphael Abraham join Lilah to discuss. -------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and on email at [email protected]. We are grateful for reviews on Apple and Spotify. And please share this episode with your friends!-------Links (all FT links get you past the paywall): – Raph’s interview with 22-year-old Italian Grand Slam winner Jannik Sinner: https://on.ft.com/4etUAro – Henry’s interview with tennis star Boris Becker on his money, marriages and what he learned in prison: https://on.ft.com/3VPUMKy – Henry is on X @henrymance. More or less: – Raph recommends the Julio Torres film Problemista. You can check out his stand-up comedy here– Henry recommends Creation Lake, the upcoming novel by Rachel Kushner publishing in September-------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandartRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Imagine a world in which the typical life arc isn’t one of studying for 20 years, working for 40 years, then sitting retired and lonely for 35. As people live longer than ever, our chief economics columnist Martin Wolf worries that this approach to old age is unsustainable and unaffordable. He thinks we can and should do better. Martin is one of the world’s most respected writers on economics and politics, and at 77, he’s a prime example of staying active later in life. Today, he joins Lilah to discuss what we can do to age better, individually and as societies.-------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and on email at [email protected]. We are grateful for reviews on Apple and Spotify. And please share this episode with your friends!-------Links (all FT links get you past the paywall): – Martin’s column, ‘Increased longevity will bring profound social change’: https://on.ft.com/4aX6FTg – His column on falling fertility rates, ‘From the baby boom to the baby bust’: https://on.ft.com/4ejtxip – Our earlier episode, ‘Martin Wolf on how to change one’s mind’.– Martin’s podcast series ‘Democracy in Peril’ is available now via the FT News Briefing feed. Click here for the latest episode, or search ‘Martin Wolf series’ wherever you listen– Lilah and Martin refer to Andrew Scott’s book The Longevity Imperative-------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners are here: http://ft.com/lifeandartRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shakespeare turns 460 this year, and this week we’re talking about why he’s still as important as ever. FT Weekend Magazine editor Matt Vella and deputy editor Cordelia Jenkins join Lilah to share what they learned while putting together their recent special, which features Shakespeare mysteries, lore, and some of the UK’s best known theatre actors. We also talk about the experience of watching his plays live. It’s summer, after all, and the outdoor Shakespeare festivals are on, and as the Magazine’s tagline suggests: Shakespeare Lives!-------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and email at [email protected]. -------Shakespeare links (all FT links get you past the paywall): – Cordelia’s interview with the four actors who played King Lear is here. – Explore 28 great Shakespeare mysteries here: https://on.ft.com/4ccEz7p – Unravelling the secret history of the red book of Hamlet: https://on.ft.com/3x5ZFFP– Who was Shakespeare? What do we really know about his life? https://on.ft.com/4cgvfzm– Here’s Cordelia’s column on Love Island being like the Elizabethan court: https://on.ft.com/3x6CkDT– Lilah recommends the new Bat for Lashes album, The Dream of Delphi. Here’s Arwa’s profile of her: https://on.ft.com/4ely8Rc– Cordelia Jenkins is on X @CordeliaJ. Matt Vella is @mattvella-------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandartRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is it like to build an Oscar-winning film set on one of the most meticulously-designed action movies of all time? Jacinta Leong did just that on Mad Max: Fury Road, and she’s back again as an art director on Furiosa, which is out now in theatres. Director George Miller’s prequel to Fury Road, starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth, is set in the same desert wasteland as the previous Mad Max movies. It also repurposes many of the same machines in Fury Road. Jacinta brings us behind the scenes, and tells us how the creative team built them. -------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and on email at [email protected]. We are grateful for reviews on Apple and Spotify. And please share this episode with your friends!-------Links (all FT links get you past the paywall): – The FT’s review of Furiosa is here: https://on.ft.com/4bRJue4-------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandartRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, in a first for our Friday chat show, we take on a video game! Two avid gamers join us to discuss What Remains of Edith Finch: novelist Naomi Alderman and FT political columnist Stephen Bush. The game follows the title character as she returns to her childhood home to discover what happened to her family. And it’s considered a model for what storytelling games can do. Naomi is the author of bestselling novels The Power and The Future, and a game designer herself. So does Edith Finch hold up? And what can games teach those of us creating in other mediums? -------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and email at [email protected]. -------Links (all FT links get you past the paywall): – Naomi Alderman is the author of novels including The Power (2016) and The Future (2023). You can find her games, including Zombies, Run! and Doctor Who: Borrowed Time, here.  – A recent FT magazine piece, ‘Are video games coming for the novel?’ by Imogen West-Knights: https://on.ft.com/4e8qIkk – Stephen Bush on why UK politicians should value video game designers: https://on.ft.com/4e1rGPc – Naomi is on X @NaomiAllthenews and Stephen Bush is @stephenkb. Stephen also writes the FT’s daily Inside Politics newsletter. Sign up here for witty, insightful UK election coverage– For those who are looking to get into games, Stephen and Naomi recommend Disco Elysium (2019), Flower (2009) and Citizen Sleeper (2022). – Naomi recommends Leech by Hiron Ennes-------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art listeners are here: http://ft.com/lifeandartRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Women’s basketball is having a big moment. Take this stat: the final game in the US women’s college NCAA playoffs in April had more viewers than the Academy Awards. And those college stars, such as Caitlin Clark, have just brought that rabid fandom to the professional league. The WNBA has seen a huge rise in viewers, ticket sales and fans. So what impact is this having on culture? The FT’s US sports business correspondent Sara Germano brings Lilah to a WNBA game to explore how women’s basketball became so popular, and what it all means.-------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and on email at [email protected]. We are grateful for reviews on Apple and Spotify. And please share this episode with your friends!-------Links (all FT links get you past the paywall): – Sara’s article about the WNBA and superstar Caitlin Clark: https://on.ft.com/457HTym– Here is the WNBA schedule in case you’re considering seeing a game in person: https://www.wnba.com/schedule?season=2024&month=all– Sara is on X @germanotes-------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandartRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The spicy Netflix series Bridgerton is currently the most-watched show globally on Netflix, after the first half of season three dropped this month. The period drama, produced by Shonda Rhimes, came out in 2020 with some wink-to-camera self- awareness. But this season feels more earnest. Why is the show so popular, and what are we craving from period dramas now? Lilah is joined by the FT’s US financial editor and historical romance expert Brooke Masters and work and careers writer/TV buff Emma Jacobs, to chat through it. -------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and on email at [email protected]. We are grateful for reviews on Apple and Spotify. And please share this episode with your friends!-------Links (all FT links get you past the paywall): – The first 4 episodes of Bridgerton season 3 are available now on Netflix. The next four will air on June 13.– The FT’s review of Bridgerton is here: https://on.ft.com/452Gs45 – Listen to our episode with Brooke Masters on Jane Austen here, or by searching ‘Jane Austen, forever’ wherever you listen.– Brooke Masters is on X @brookeamasters. Emma Jacobs is @emmavjMore or Less: – Emma wants to see fewer recipes with maple syrup on Instagram. Read more on the ‘maple-pocalypse’ here– Brooke wants fewer musicals based on classic films. Our Mean Girls episode is here– Lilah wants more cooking with eggplant 🍆. Her eggplant dip recipe: grill the eggplant whole, to an inch of its life (no tautness!). Grill some garlic, too. Peel the eggplant, chop it into cubes, add the garlic (minced), chopped fresh white onion, lots of salt, too much lemon, good olive oil, and some parsley. Let it sit for a bit, then eat!Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.