Better Words

We've finally got our act together to share with you our favourite fiction, films, TV and audio of the year. Thank you for joining us in 2021 and supporting our wonderful authors.

(You can blame Michelle's full-time reporting contract for why this is going live in February and not January)

Season 8 will be in your ears in March!

We're keeping recommendations brief. If we've featured or discussed the book before, we'll link to the episode.

Listen to our Non-Fiction November wrap up to hear our fave non-fiction for 2021.

We'll mark any PR/review copies with *

Caitlin:

• Freckles by Cecelia Ahern* (listen to the interview)
• The Hush by Sara Foster* (listen to the interview)
• It's Been a Pleasure, Noni Blake by Claire Christian (original recommendation)

Michelle:

• Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane* (listen to Caitlin's recommendation)
• The Couple by Helly Acton (original recommendation)
• Home Stretch by Graham Norton - a touching exploration of the way one tragic event ripples out throughout so many lives.

Caitlin: Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney

Michelle: The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Oseman

Caitlin:

• Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli
• Social Queue by Kay Kerr* (listen to our book club)
• Henry Hamlet's Heart by Rhiannon Wilde* (listen to the interview)

Michelle:

• The Gaps by Leanne Hall* (listen to our interview)
• The Monster of Her Age by Danielle Binks* (listen to our interview)
• Margot and Me by Juno Dawson

Caitlin: Harry Styles: The Making of a Modern Man by Sean Smith*

Michelle: Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

Caitlin: One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

Michelle: Space Hopper by Helen Fisher (listen to our book club chat)

Caitlin: How to Be Perfect by Michael Schur

Michelle: People Person by Candice Carty-Williams

Caitlin: Still Life by Sarah Winman*

Michelle: Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

Caitlin:

• Superstore
• Morning Wars (aka The Morning Show)
• Ted Lasso

Michelle:

• Line of Duty
• Motherland
• I'll Be Gone in the Dark

Caitlin:

• Dear Evan Hansen
• Spiderman: No Way Home
• Tick Tick Boom

Michelle:

• Promising Young Woman
• Cruella
• The Mitchells vs the Machines

Caitlin:

• Taylor Swift: Evermore/Fearless/Red (music)
• Sentimental in the City
• Drama Queens

Michelle:

• RedHanded podcast
• You're Wrong About
• The Fred and Rose West Tapes

• Last Christmas (film)
• Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
• All Killa No Filla (podcast)
• I, Tonya (film)
• The Five by Hallie Rubenhold

Connect with us on Instagram: @betterwordspod

In this festive bonus episode, we share some Christmas reads. 

Michelle's recommendations

One Day in December by Josie Silver: A sweet rom-com about missed opportunities and love at first sight.

Dracula by Bram Stoker: If you’re experiencing a winter Christmas or dreaming of one, then experience the classic that inspired a thousand stories.

Caitlin's recommendations

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Leviathan: Cute YA rom-com set in New York. Delightful and magical!

The Gift by Cecelia Ahern: Did we mention we interviewed Cecelia Ahern? Listen here! Anyway, this is a lovely Christmas book to take your mind off the state of the world. 

Bonus recommendation: For the summer Christmas fans, check out What I Like About Me by Jenna Guillaume.

What we want to read this Christmas

• A Cornish Christmas Murder by Fiona Leitch
• The Secret Life of Albert Entwhistle by Matt Cain (recommended by Laura Kay when we interviewed her here)
•  This Winter by Alice Oseman (who we interviewed in 2020)

Movies we want to watch

• Planes, Trains and Automobiles
• The Santa Claus I, II, III

Books and other things mentioned

• The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Oseman
• The Appeal by  Janice Hallett
• Home Alone (film)

In this bonus episode, Michelle and Caitlin share some of their favourite non-fiction reads from 2021 just in time for #NonFictionNovember.

Before we get into our recommendations, here are some of the books we've discussed and featured on the podcast in 2021...

• Trivial  Grievances by Bridie Jabour (listen)
• The First Time I Thought I Was Dying by Sarah Walker (listen)
• Every Lie I've Ever Told by Rosie Waterland (listen) 
• Cultish by Amanda Montell (listen)

Michelle's recommendations

The Five by Hallie Rubenhold: This is a fascinating historical examination of the five women murdered by Jack the Ripper.  It is a vivid and intricate portrayal of the social issues in Victorian England. 

No Shame by Tom Allen: Delightful memoir from a brilliant comedic mind. 

Adventures in Opting Out by Cait Flanders: An alternative self-help novel about how we can walk a new path in our lives, one that others may not expect us to take, written through the lens of hiking. 

Caitlin's recommendations:

Love Stories by Trent Dalton: Believe the hype! This is a beautiful, sweet book that will revive your faith in humanity. (Note: Caitlin's work at Harper Collins Australia did not influence her opinion of this book). 

488 Rules for Life by Kitty Flanagan: Laugh-out-loud funny and relatable 'rules' for living (and not annoying the hell out of others)

The Office by Andy Greene: A fascinating oral history of the show from its beginnings to massive popularity. 

Books we want to read soon...

• How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question by Michael Schur
• Sex and the City and Us by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong
• Parsnips, Buttered by Joe Lycett
• A Class Act by Rob Beckett

Other things mentioned:

• Hallie Rubenhold was viciously trolled after publication of The Five
• More books about The Office: Welcome to Dunder Mifflin by  Brian Baumgartner and Ben Silverman, and The Office BFFs: Tales of The Office from Two Best Friend by Angela Kinsey and Jenna Fischer
• Joe Lycett takes on a Gumtree scammer

Sara Foster was born and raised in England but now lives in Perth with her husband and young daughters. She has previously worked as an editor in-house at HarperCollins UK and then freelance and has worked on many popular titles. She loves dystopian fiction so much that she’s studying the genre for a PhD at Curtin University. So it will come as no surprise that today we are discussing her somewhat dystopian book, and her latest novel, The Hush.

Our interview begins at 21 minutes. 

Mini book club: Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by Joya Goffney

A smart and addictive romantic YA novel that explores race, relationships and what it means to own your truth. 

In this interview, we chat about:

• How Sara developed the idea for The Hush and why the mother-daughter relationship was central to the narrative
• Why Sara chose to write something so close to our current reality, with a story set less than 10 years in the future, and why she set it in England
• The freaky ways the books has mirrored real events
• Exploring the nuances of the mother-daughter relationship within The Hush
• Sara’s writing career and working on other books alongside The Hush
• Blending genres and why Sara is so fascinated with dystopia - how does the genre evolve from here?
• Why Sara wanted to pursue a PhD and how the novel developed out of that

Books and other things mentioned:

• 100 Remarkable Feats of Xander Maze by Clayton Zane Comber
• The Hate U Give (film)
• The Hunger Games
• Divergent
• Only Ever Yours
• Help (film)
• The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
• The Book of the Unnamed Midwife by Meg Elison

Follow Sara @sarafosterauthor. The Hush is available now.

Follow us on Instagram @betterwordspod

Please note that Caitlin's job at HarperCollins Publishers did not affect our decision to invite Sara to be a guest, we're delighted to have her and hope you enjoy this episode. Michelle also read a PR copy. 

Alexis Nedd is a Senior Entertainment Reporter at Mashable where she writes about TV, movies and video games with a sci-fi and fantasy focus. Her writing has appeared across numerous online publications. Today we are pleased to be chatting about her brilliant debut young adult novel, Don’t Hate the Player. 

Our interview starts at 13 minutes. 

Michelle recommends

The Appeal by Janice Hallett

Told entirely through correspondence, this novel is SO addictive and perfect if you’re looking for something to get lost in.

Caitlin recommends

The Babysitter’s Club (TV show)

This sweet and fun series retains all the charm of the iconic books. A delightful show to watch!

In this interview, we chat about: 

• Why growing up in a house where video games weren’t allowed sparked Alexis’s love of gaming (and how this inspired Emilia’s secret life in the book)
• The world of esports and why Alexis was excited to set a book in this world
• The darker side of gaming, where women and girls are harassed and trolled
• The dual-perspective of the novel and why Alexis wanted to include both perspectives (plus those of his teammates)
• The advice Alexis gave to the students at her old high school
• How Alexis got the chance to write the concept of Don’t Hate the Player and the changes she made to the original concept/outline as she was writing

Books and other things mentioned

• The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Oseman
• Explained (TV series) – episode 'esports'

Follow Alexis on Instagram @alexisthenedd

Follow us on Instagram @betterwordspod

Don't Hate the Player is available now! 

Thank you to the team at Bloomsbury Australia for sending us copies of Don't Hate the Player in preparation for the interview. 

Sarah Walker is a writer, artist and photographer. She makes work about anxiety, control and intimacy in text, video and immersive installation across Australia and internationally. She is a Walkley-nominated essayist and critic, and co-hosted the podcast Contact Mic. Today we are discussing her beautiful book, The First Time I Thought I Was Dying. 

Our interview begins at 20 minutes. Please note that this interview includes discussions about body image and mental health and may be triggering for some listeners 

Mini book club: Social Queue by Kay Kerr

How many ways can we say "we love this book"?! Beautiful, funny, romantic and heartfelt, Social Queue is a brilliant exploration of an autistic woman on the cusp of her adult life. 

*Note: We received copies to read thanks to the team at Text Publishing. 

Listen to our previous interview with Kay here. 

In this interview, we chat about:

• How the pandemic has forced everyone, globally, to become more vigilant about their physical and mental health
• Why Sarah wanted to explore her experience with body image through the lens of photography and the ethics of photoshop
• Portraying trauma and graphic events/subjects in theatre and then damaging notion that art should be a thing that hurts
• The obsession with American-style ‘method’ acting and why it’s the worst
• Grief, anxiety, panic attacks and feeling like you’re going to die
• Caring for our bodies and our minds
• The reality of our bodies and the influence of shame
• The research Sarah put into The First Time I Thought I was Dying
• The lack of discussion around mental health for men and why Sarah wanted to incorporate this within the book
• What happens after you ask for help with your mental health?

Books and other things mentioned:

• Dear Evan Hansen (film)
• Cruella (film)
• Free Guy (film)
• Enjoy this group dance from Strictly Come Dancing 2021
• Normal People by Sally Rooney
• Sex Education (TV series)
• The Monster of Her Age by Danielle Binks (podcast interview)
• Deep Work by Cal Newport
• How to Do Nothing by Jenny O’Dell

Follow Sarah @sarahtakesphotos. The First Time I Thought I was Dying is available now.

Follow us on Instagram @betterwordspod

Thank you to the team at UQP Books for providing us with copies of The First Time I Thought I Was Dying.  

Danielle Binks was one of the very first people to join us on Better Words, but we’ll be honest the sound quality is pretty bad so don’t try to listen! Anyway, our guest has supported the show from the very beginning and is one of the biggest champions of Australian literature for young adults and children. She is a literary agent and editor - the person who helped several of our previous guests secure their publishing deals. In 2017, she edited the first #LoveOzYA anthology of short stories. Her debut middle grade novel, The Year the Maps Changed was  a CBCA Notable Book for Younger Readers 2021 and shortlisted for multiple awards. Today, though, we are discussing her debut young adult novel The Monster of Her Age. 

Our interview starts at 14 minutes. 

Just a note before you begin, this episode does include discussions of abuse in the film and theatre industry as well as grief and loved ones dying. 

Michelle recommends

The Murder Box by Olivia Kiernan

A  gripping psychological thriller about a murder mystery game that's being played IRL. 

*Note: Michelle read a PR copy from Quercus. 

Caitlin recommends

Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, Nicola Yoon

An innovative  and exciting YA where lives collide in a New York City blackout. 

*Note: Caitlin read a PR copy through her role at Harper Collins. 

In this interview, we chat about: 

• Danielle’s impressive journey from blogger to #LoveOzYA champion, agent, editor and writer
• How the Barrymore acting clan, old Hollywood and Danielle’s love of horror films inspired The Monster of Her Age
• Why Danielle wanted to explore the exploitation of children stars through the lens of the horror genre
• The beauty of Hobart and why it’s the setting for Monster of Her Age
• The exploration of grief in the book and waiting for a loved one to die
• Danielle’s journey from agent to publication and her top tips for writers looking to get published

Books and other things mentioned

• Only Murders in the Building (TV series)
• The Cleaner (TV series)
• Floored  by Eleanor Wood, Holly Bourne, Lisa Williamson, Melinda Salisbury, Non Pratt, Sara Barnard and Tanya Byrne
• Drew Barrymore Confirms Her Grandfather's Corpse Was Stolen for Final Party
• Just the Gist on Shirley Temple and The Blaire Witch Project (podcast)
• Judy (film)
• Meat Market by Juno Dawson
• The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• The Conjuring (film)
• The Exorcist (film)
• Zodiac (film)
• It Follows (film)
• Pan’s Labrynth (film)
• Devil’s Backbone (film)
• The Woman in Black (film)
• The Haunting of Hill House (TV series)
• Red Dragon (film)
• Scream (films)
• I Know What You Did Last Summer (film)
• Bridgewater (podcast)
• Radio Rental (podcast)
• Noble Blood (podcast)
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• Pet Semetary (film)
• It and It Chapter II (films)
• Social Queue by Kay Kerr
• Briar Rolfe (graphic novel coming soon)
• The Boy From the Mish by Gary Lonesborough
• Henry Hamlet’s Heart by Rhiannon Wilde (podcast episode)
• Are You There Budda? by Pip Harry
• Edge of Thirteen by Nova Wheetman

Follow Danielle on Instagram @dbinks

Follow us on Instagram @betterwordspod

The Monster of Her Age is available now!

Thank you to the team at Hachette Australia for sending us copies of The Monster of Her Age  in preparation for the interview. 

Eli Lee was born in Dorset and now lives in London. She writes fiction and non-fiction for a variety of anthologies, magazines and websites. She is the fiction editor and a contributor to the literary journal Minor Literatures and has also worked for Strange Horizons. Her debut novel, A Strange and Brilliant Light, has just been published.

Our interview begins at 15 minutes. 

Mini book club: Cultish by Amanda Montell

A thought-provoking  and compulsively readable exploration of how cult-ish language pervades our everyday life. 

*Note: Caitlin read a copy through her job with Harper Collins Australia. 

In this interview, we chat about:

• Why Eli describes A Strange and Brilliant Light as a ‘non-traditional sci-fi’ novel and why this was the key to finally writing the book which felt right
• The real-life relationship that inspired the novel
• Why Eli wanted to explore sexism and class struggles in an otherwise ‘advanced’ society
• Building the world of A Strange and Brilliant Light
• Eli’s top tip for writers working in any genre
• Exploring artificial intelligence and Eli’s research to make sure her alternate world was based on real AI possibilities
• Representations of AI in fiction and film
• How studying literature stole Eli’s confidence
• The strange magic of choosing a new book to read and the pleasure of re-reading

Books and other things mentioned:

• The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo
• The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
• Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
• Her (movie)
• Avengers: Age of Ultron (movie)
• Mitchell’s Vs the Machines (movie)
• Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
• This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
• Alice Monroe (author)
• Elena Ferrante (author)
• Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
• The Folded Clock: A Diary by Heidi Julavits 
• An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

Follow Eli @eli_lee_writes. A Strange and Brilliant Light is available now.

Follow us on Instagram @betterwordspod

Thank you to the team at Quercus Publishing for providing us with copes of A Strange and Brilliant Light. 

Tobias Madden has a special place in our hearts - a friend of the show and someone we are DYING to one day have a coffee with. Our guest grew up in Ballarat and worked for 10 years as a performer touring Australia and New Zealand with musicals including Mary Poppins, CATS, Singin' in the Rain, and Guys and Dolls. We first spoke to him for Better Words in 2019 when he edited and published Underdog, the first #LoveOzYA short story collection for previously unpublished Aussie writers. In 2019, he also wrote a cabaret show, Siblingship, which played to sold-out audiences and several cities. He’s a passionate member of the #LoveOzYA community and works in YA publishing. We have been very eagerly awaiting the publication of his debut novel, Anything But Fine, so we could once again welcome him to Better Words.

Our interview starts at 11 minutes. 

Michelle recommends

The Couple by Helly Acton (audiobook version)

A rom-com in a society where it's downright WEIRD to be in a couple. Thoughtful and delightful. The audiobook is especially good!

Caitlin recommends

The Deep End by Jenna Guillaume 

This is a super cute, summer YA short story published as part of the Australia Reads campaign. 

PS. You can support Caitlin's Steptember challenge for the Cerebral Palsy Alliance here. 

In this interview, we chat about: 

• Why Tobias started trying to write a full-length contemporary manuscript after spending many years writing fantasy and how it unconsciously mirrored some of his own experiences as he was writing
• Tobias’ experiences of homophobia growing up in a regional area
• The disparity between public and private schools
• The joy of writing Luca and Amina’s friendship in the novel
• Developing the relationship between Luca and his dad
• US publication and how much of the Aussie culture remained in the US edition
• How it feels to have feedback and kind reviews/quotes from your favourite authors
• Looking back on the Underdog #LoveOzYA short story collection and how it prepared Tobias for writing his own novel
• The musical Tobias co-wrote with his husband and sister-in-law

Books and other things mentioned

• On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
• Loveless by Alice Oseman (podcast episode)
• Untidy Towns by Kate O’Donnell (podcast episode)
• Social Queue by Kay Kerr (podcast episode)
• It Sounded Better in My Head by Nina Kenwood (podcast episode)
• Henry Hamlet’s Heart by Rhiannon Wilde (podcast episode)

Follow Tobias on Instagram @tobias_madden

Follow us on Instagram @betterwordspod

Anything But Fine is available now and will be released in the US in early 2022.

Thank you to the team at Penguin Teen Aus for sending us copies of Anything But Fine  in preparation for the interview. 

Cecelia Ahern almost needs no introduction. She is the best selling novelist at 21 when her first book PS I Love You was published and later made into a hit film. Since then she has published 17 other books, sold more than 25 million copies of her books in more than 40 countries. Her highly acclaimed collection of stories, Roar, is being adapted for Apple TV and stars Nicole Kidman and several other huge names. Her latest, and 18th novel, Freckles is out now. 

Our interview begins at 18 minutes. 

Mini book club: It's Not You, It's Me by Gabrielle Williams

A fun and unique time-travel/body switch story catapulting a 40-year-old woman from 2020 back into the body of a 1980s teenager. 

We’ve previously interviewed Gabrielle when her book My Life as a Hashtag was published. You can listen to that here (or search the podcast feed)

*Note: We both received PR copies from the team at Allen & Unwin. 

In this interview, we chat about:

• The conversation which sparked the premise for Freckles based on the idea that you are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with
• Why Cecelia felt drawn to developing a character who was a parking warden and how Allegra’s voice came to her
• Why Cecelia chose to set part of the book on Valentia Island in County Kerry
• How Cecelia knows an idea is worth being a book (and the high that comes with it)
• Cecelia’s writing process and  what she has to get right before she starts a draft (and the advice she ALWAYS gets from her editor even after 18 books)
• Reflecting on her debut novel PS I Love You and its wild success
• Why Cecelia re-visited the world of PS I Love You with Postscript
• The advice Cecelia would give to her younger self as a writer and person
• The Apple TV adaptation of her short story collection Roar

Books and other things mentioned:

• Australian Reading Hour (check them out on social media here)
• Space Hopper (which we chatted about in  episode 4 of this season)
• Friends
• Back to the Future
• Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín

Follow Cecelia @official_ceceliaahern. Freckles is available now.

Follow us on Instagram @betterwordspod

Please note that Caitlin's job at HarperCollins Publishers did not affect our decision to invite Cecelia to be a guest, we're delighted to have her and hope you enjoy this episode. Michelle also read a PR copy.