insideKENT Magazine Issue 76 - July 2018 | Page 37

ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT
SUMMER READING
READING IS ONE OF THE MOST PLEASANT ACTIVITIES ANYONE CAN INDULGE IN. YOU CAN DO IT
FOR FREE BY JOINING A LIBRARY AND BORROWING SOME FABULOUS BOOKS, YOU CAN DO IT
ANYWHERE AND AT ANY TIME, AND IT CAN TEACH YOU ALL SORTS OF THINGS THAT YOU DIDN’T
YET KNOW ABOUT THE WORLD. THERE ISN’T ALWAYS A LOT OF TIME FOR IT, OF COURSE, AND
THE LURE OF THE TV IS A PRETTY POWERFUL ONE. SO WHY NOT MAKE A PACT WITH YOURSELF
THIS SUMMER? WHY NOT PROMISE YOURSELF THAT YOU’LL SWAP TV FOR READING ON AT LEAST
ONE NIGHT A WEEK. ESPECIALLY WHEN THE WEATHER IS PLEASANT, LITTLE BEATS THE COMFORT
OF SITTING OUTSIDE IN THE FRESH AIR WITH A GOOD BOOK.
HOWEVER AND WHENEVER YOU CHOOSE TO READ THIS SUMMER, HERE ARE SOME OF THE
BEST BOOKS AROUND TO KEEP YOU OCCUPIED FOR MANY A HAPPY HOUR.
LULLABY BY LEILA SLIMANI
LESS BY ANDREW SEAN GREER
Less won the Pulitzer Prize
and although that doesn’t
always guarantee a good
summer read, in this case
it most certainly does. Less
revolves around Arthur
Less, a gay man about to
turn 50 who sees himself
as a rather tragic failed
novelist. He escapes his
problems by setting off
around the world, but
nothing goes according to
plan and his misadventures
are hilarious.
MEATY: ESSAYS BY SAMANTHA IRBY
Myriam and Paul are a
couple on the up and their
work demands that they
find good childcare for
their two children. They
hire Louise, an au pair, who
seems the ideal match.
Louise is efficient, polite
and absolutely devoted to
the children. But soon the
questions begin. Perhaps
she’s just too good. Perhaps
there is more to Louise
than meets the eye.
Perhaps it’s all in the mind
and the petty jealousies and
resentment don’t need to
exist at all…
THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW BY A.J. FINN
Samantha Irby has
established herself as
something of a comic
genius who is able to add
both pathos and honesty
to her stories. Meaty: Essays
is a collection of essays
about the writer’s rather
hectic childhood, and there
is sure to be something that
rings true with everyone
who reads it. If you’re
looking for nostalgia
topped with humour, this
is the book to choose.
Anna Fox is a recluse,
choosing to stay in her
New York townhouse. She
hasn’t stepped out of the
door in 10 months and
prefers to watch the world
go by from her window.
When her new neighbours
move in, she observes
them, assessing who they
might be – judging them
secretly. But then she
witnesses something that
no one was meant to see,
and her world instantly
changes.
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