Books books books! Our top picks from 2024

Books books books! Our top picks from 2024

The FT’s books of the year special is out, and today, our literary editor Fred Studemann and outgoing deputy books editor Laura Battle join us one last time to talk about their top picks of 2024. This year has seen some huge releases from authors including Sally Rooney, Miranda July, Alexei Navalny, Al Pacino and Salman Rushdie. What trends did Fred and Laura notice this year? What books did they love?

-------

As you know, the show is ending in early January – we’re still collecting your cultural questions. What’s rolling around in your head? How can we help? Email Lilah at lilahrap@ft.com or message her on Instagram @lilahrap.

-------

Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

Books we mentioned: Orbital by Samantha Harvey; Patriot by Alexei Navalny; All Fours by Miranda July; Haunted Wood by Sam Leith; Rosarita by Anita Desai; There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak; Revolusi: Indonesia and the Birth of the Modern World by David van Reybrouck; A Voyage Around the Queen by Craig Brown; Killing Time by Alan Bennett; Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman; The Wizard of the Kremlin by Giuliano da Empoli; Hope by Pope Francis (2025); and Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2025)

– The FT Books of the Year are out now! Here is a roundup of the FT’s top columnists and editors’ book recommendations for 2024, including Fred’s top picks. Laura’s fiction picks are here.

– Food, drink and travel books are here. Music books here. Art and design books are here. Check out the full guide for more (paywall)


Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Avsnitt(370)

Best of: Why our fashion editor buys almost nothing new

Best of: Why our fashion editor buys almost nothing new

Today, we’re bringing you one of our favourite past episodes. Last year, the FT’s fashion editor Lauren Indvik made a pledge that surprised us. She vowed to buy just five new items of clothing and shoes all year long. The number comes from a study that says in order to stick to the Paris Agreement’s goals, five new items of fashion a year is the optimal goal for those who live in the world’s richest countries. Lauren tells Lilah how the experiment went and whether she stuck to five things. She also shares her tips for buying fewer new clothes. -------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. You can email the show at lifeandart@ft.com.Register now for the FT Weekend Festival, and claim £24 off your pass using promo code FTPodcast at: ft.com/festival-------Links (all FT links get you past the paywall): – Lauren’s article about the ‘five things pledge’ and how it went: https://on.ft.com/4aO1WV3– Lauren recommends using TheRealReal for second-hand luxury clothes in the US; in the UK she shops the Vestiaire Collective– The report from the Hot or Cool Institute that inspired Lauren: https://hotorcool.org/unfit-unfair-unfashionable/– Lauren also mentions the Ellen Macarthur Foundation: https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/– Lauren is taking a break from her Fashion Matters newsletter while she is on parental leave, but you can start receiving it when she’s back if you sign up now: https://on.ft.com/48QdvJv-------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/lifeandart Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 Sep 202418min

Culture chat: Watching ‘Emily in Paris’ despite ourselves

Culture chat: Watching ‘Emily in Paris’ despite ourselves

Today, Lilah’s back and we’re talking about Emily in Paris! The extraordinarily popular Netflix sitcom, which millions of people across the globe love to hate-watch, just dropped half of its fourth season. It’s about an American 20-something who moves to Paris to live out our Francophile fantasies. And while it's been ridiculed since it first came out in 2020, we're all still watching! Why? And what do we want out of comfort television? Lilah is joined by Adrienne Klasa, the FT’s Paris reporter on luxury and media, and Cordelia Jenkins, FT Weekend Magazine’s deputy editor.-------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and on email at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews on Apple and Spotify. And please share this episode with your friends!Register now for the FT Weekend Festival, and claim £24 off your pass using promo code FTPodcast at: ft.com/festival-------Links (all FT links get you past the paywall): – Episodes one to five of Emily in Paris Season 4 are on Netflix now. The next half of the season will air on September 12– We love this article by Jo Ellison – ‘Emily in Paris is as cheesy as brie’ – from 2020– Cordelia Jenkins is on X @CordeliaJ. Adrienne Klasa is @AdrienneKlasa– Lilah recommends American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld. For more on the value of reading old books, here’s a recent column by Janan Ganesh-------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/lifeandart-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Jean-Marc Ek and Sam Giovinco. Clip courtesy of NetflixRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

30 Aug 202423min

How ‘The Body Next Door’ gets true crime storytelling right

How ‘The Body Next Door’ gets true crime storytelling right

A new true crime series on Sky is getting rave reviews — and that’s big news in a genre riddled with criticism. It’s called The Body Next Door, and today we’re talking with its director, Gareth Johnson. After learning about an unidentified body found in a village in Wales, Gareth followed the story to reveal a decades-long family drama that spanned from the UK to New Zealand. Guest host Jo Ellison, editor of FT’s HTSI Magazine, discusses with Gareth how he approached the story and what he did to centre the victims’ stories.-------Register now for the FT Weekend Festival, and claim £24 off your pass using promo code FTPodcast at: ft.com/festival—--We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and on email at lifeandart@ft.com. 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 Body Next Door is out on Sky now– Jo is on Instagram @jellison22-------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/lifeandart-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam GiovincoRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

26 Aug 202420min

Culture chat: ‘Alien: Romulus’ is all horror, no guts

Culture chat: ‘Alien: Romulus’ is all horror, no guts

This week, we discuss Alien: Romulus, the latest instalment of the space-epic franchise. The film stars Cailee Spaeny, who, along with a group of friends climbs aboard an abandoned spacecraft only to find some very familiar murderous aliens. Is this new entry an evolution of the series or does it simply play the hits? And what do we want out of sci-fi franchise films? Guest host Topher Forhecz is joined by FT Weekend senior editor Horatia Harrod and political columnist Stephen Bush. -------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and on email at lifeandart@ft.com. 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): – Our review of Alien: Romulus by Danny Leigh is here: https://on.ft.com/46VyElE – Stephen recommends the album Bad with Names by corto.alto – Topher recommends Magnolia, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Here’s an interview with the director from 2018. – Horatia is on X @horatiaharrod, and Stephen is @stephenkb-------Register now for the FT Weekend Festival, and claim £24 off your pass using promo code FTPodcast at: ft.com/festivalOriginal music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. 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/lifeandart-------Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

23 Aug 202423min

‘The menswear guy’ on why clothing matters

‘The menswear guy’ on why clothing matters

Derek Guy has become ubiquitous on X as ‘the menswear guy’. With more than a million followers, he is the go-to advice giver for men trying to find their style or figure out what to wear to a wedding. Derek also writes a blog called Die, Workwear! And today, he joins FT men’s style columnist Rob Armstrong to talk fashion history and fashion tips.-------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and on email at lifeandart@ft.com. 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): – Rob’s most recent style column is here: https://on.ft.com/4dGlyLX– Rob also hosts our Unhedged podcast and writes the Unhedged newsletter: https://on.ft.com/3WWgUCm– Derek is on X as @dieworkwear, which is also the name of his blog. Rob is on X @rbrtrmstrng-------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.

19 Aug 202421min

Culture chat: 'Love is Blind: UK'

Culture chat: 'Love is Blind: UK'

This week, we discuss the TV show 'Love is Blind: UK'. It’s one of Netflix’s most popular reality series. The show follows singles as they flirt through a wall and fall in love without seeing each other first. They are only allowed to meet face-to-face once they are engaged. What does the show's popularity say about modern dating, and where reality TV is today? Why do we indulge in 'guilty pleasures'? Guest host Lulu Smyth is joined by HTSI deputy editor Louis Wise and the FT magazine’s food and drink editor Harriet Fitch Little to find out.-------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and on email at lifeandart@ft.com. 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): – Harriet’s guest host podcast about how to make the perfect martini is here.– Harriet’s recommendation is set dinners, and she recommends Quality Wines in Farringdon. – Lulu recommends a random literary pilgrimage. For John Milton fangirls, keep an eye out for Orlando Reade’s book 'What in Me is Dark: The Revolutionary Life of Paradise Lost', out in November 2024.– Harriet Fitch-Little is on Instagram @huffffle and on X @HarrietFL. – Louis Wise is on Instagram @louisquinze and on X @louismwise.-------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.

16 Aug 202423min

Why museums should keep their mummies and shrunken heads

Why museums should keep their mummies and shrunken heads

As a kid, FT associate editor Stephen Bush loved seeing ghoulish things: mummies, shrunken heads, supposedly magical severed hands. He credits these items with teaching him curiosity and a love for museums. So when he hears the argument that human remains do not belong on display, his answer is, unequivocally: if they weren’t stolen, they should stay. On today’s episode, Stephen defends his position to guest host Marc Filippino as they dig into questions of consent, ownership, and cultural context. -------Want to take our survey for a chance to win a pair of Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones? Here’s the link, and here are the terms and conditions.We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and on email at lifeandart@ft.com. And please share this episode with your friends!-------Links (all FT links get you past the paywall): – Stephen’s column about this is here: https://on.ft.com/4dtnTt0– Stephen is on X @stephenkb-------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.

12 Aug 202421min

Dinner SOS: What should I cook this summer?

Dinner SOS: What should I cook this summer?

If you like our food episodes, you may also like the Dinner SOS podcast from Bon Appétit. Host Chris Morocco is joined by senior test kitchen editor Shilpa Uskokovic, and the two share their hot takes on cooking in the heat (AC required, obviously) – plus what produce is overrated and what's under-celebrated. They also answer listener questions about using CSA produce, grilling, jaggery and non-dairy options for tender, juicy chicken marinades. You can find Dinner Sos wherever you get your podcasts. -------Want to take our survey for a chance to win a pair of Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones? Here’s the link, and here are the terms and conditions.We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and on email at lifeandart@ft.com. And please share this episode with your friends!-------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/lifeandart Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

9 Aug 202430min

Populärt inom Samhälle & Kultur

podme-dokumentar
svenska-fall
en-mork-historia
p3-dokumentar
rattsfallen
nemo-moter-en-van
skaringer-nessvold
creepypodden-med-jack-werner
killradet
flashback-forever
kod-katastrof
p1-dokumentar
vad-blir-det-for-mord
hor-har
historiska-brott
rysarpodden
p3-historia
aftonbladet-daily
dialogiskt
rss-ghip-googlare-har-inga-polare