Cool People Reading

Chantel Mila, also known as Mama Mila to her four million followers, joins Steph to chat about books, balance, and the mental load we don't talk about enough.

Known for her cleaning and home styling pro-tips, Chantel shares how she finds time to read in her day, why she can't say no to a suburban psychological thriller, and how we can hack our way to more reading time.

Plus, what happened when Chantel discovers Freida McFadden's new book is a choose-your-own-adventure?

And what's the book Chantel finished only to realise she'd read it somewhere before....

Plus, Chantel talks about her new book The Fair Share, and shares her advice on sharing the mental load and ways we can avoid shouldering it alone.

Chantel Mila is a best selling author of two lifestyle books, including The Dream Clean, a styling, cleaning and organising expert, and mum of two.

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Today's reading list:

• The Fair Share by Chantel Mila
• The Dream Clean by Chantel Mila
• None of this is True by Lisa Jewell
• Never Lie by Freida McFadden
• The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden
• The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
• The Housemaid’s Secret by Freida McFadden
• The Housemaid is Watching by Freida McFadden
• Atomic Habits by James Clear
• A Brain that Breaths by Jodi Wilson
• Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth
• The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
• Paris: the Memoir by Paris Hilton
• Like Follow Die by Ashley Kalagian Blunt

Breathwork facilitator, TV presenter and proud Warumungu/Yawuru woman Megan Waters joins Steph to talk about some of her favourite books and how she fits reading in within her busy life.

What are the huge (literally) books Megzy loves?

Has the Brick really changed her life?

And what happens when she applies the Let Them theory in real life?

Megzy also talks about why it's important the Stolen Generation is represented in contemporary literature and non-fiction, and why Archie Roach's book Tell Me Why means so much to her.

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@Megzzy

@Stephanieshouseofbooks

Today's reading list:

• Breath by James Nestor
• LeBron by Jeff Benedict
• Unmasked by Turia Pitt
• Verity by Colleen Hoover
• Tell Me Why by Archie Roach
• Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
• The Housemaid By Freida McFadden
• The Housemaid’s Secret by Freida McFadden
• The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins

We're back! After a few months of down time, Steph is joined by the perfect guest - author of A Brain that Breathes, Jodi Wilson.

Jodi talks about how to find your way back after burnout, ways we can find breathing space in our every day lives (and YES, it includes reading!) and shares some of her favourite books (think nature nature nature).

Plus, what makes the ultimate nightly cocoon? How do you put yourself to bed?

And what happened when Jodi decided to take the plunge and go for a walk without her headphones or her phone??

Jodi Wilson is a bestselling author, yoga teacher and postpartum doula. Her work has been published in the Guardian and ABC, and The Brain that Breathes is her fourth book.

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Today's reading list:

• A Brain that Breathes by Jodi Wilson
• Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash
• Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld
• Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton
• Consider Yourself Kissed by Jessica Stanley
• Writers and Lovers by Lily King
• Heart the Lover by Lily King
• Sandwich by Catherine Newman
• Wreck by Catherine Newman
• The Octopus and I by Erin Hortle
• A Catalogue of Love by Erin Hortle
• Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
• Are You There God? Its Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
• Forever by Judy Blume

Acclaimed restaurant owner, chef and author Ben Shewry, best known for his innovative approach to modern Australian cuisine and commitment to sustainability at his Melbourne restaurant Attica, joins Steph to talk about his love of books.

How on earth does Ben find time to read? And what's his perfect snack to accompany a book?

What did he do when he came face-to-face with Anthony Bourdain’s former assistant, after he bagged Kitchen Confidential in his own memoir?

And will Ben ever dare to skateboard with his long time friend Tony Hawk?

Plus which rock and roll front man's memoir could Ben not get past page one of?

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Today’s reading list:

• ​Uses for Obsession by Ben Shewry
• ​Care and Feeding by Laurie Woolever
• ​Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
• ​The Darkest White by Eric Blehm
• ​The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
• ​The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
• ​Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe
• ​A Different Kind of Power by Jacinda Adern
• ​A Lick of Fireweed by Erik Jensen
• ​The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

One of Australia’s most in demand media and digital personalities and host of Tell Me More, Olivia Molly Rogers, joins Steph from @Stephanie's House of Books for a chat.

Ever read your book in the shower? Perhaps while putting on makeup? Liv shares her clever reading hacks to get more in her day, the prolific author she has read 11 titles by this year, and how embracing her inner bookworm has helped her connect to her authentic self.

And will Liv finally convince Steph to move over to a Kindle...?

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Today’s reading list:

• White Oleander by Janet Fitch
• The Girls by Lisa Jewell
• Figuring Out Thirty by Bridget Hustwaite
• Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell
• Never Lie by Freida McFadden
• None of this is True by Lisa Jewell
• Unbreakable by Jelena Dokic
• Fearless by Jelena Dokic
• It’s on me by Sara Kuburic
• Untamed by Glennon Doyle
• Mothering on Our Own: 30 Stories of Love, Hope and Navigating Single Motherhood by Rachel Maksimovic
• We Love You, Bunny by Mona Awad
• Bunny by Mona Awad
• The Dry by Jane Harper
• Force of Nature by Jane Harper

Former Sydney Swans footballer and author of 2025's unhinged footy novel Pissants, Brandon Jack, joins Steph from @Stephanie's House of Books for a chat.

How did being an AFL player prepare Brandon for being an author? What hurts more - being critiqued by your editor or letting down your coach? And will Brandon actually reveal WHO the embittered fringe players from Pissants are based on?

Plus, Brandon shares his hot tips for perfecting your writing craft and we ask the big questions, like can you change the colour of track changes in Word?

Brandon Jack is an Australian author, journalist, musician and former Sydney Swans AFL player.

After retiring from football in 2017, he published his memoir 28 in 2021 and in 2025 released his debut novel Pissants, a chaotic and hilarious behind-the-scenes look into what actually goes on in a professional football club.

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Follow us on socials:

⁠@brandonjackk⁠

⁠@stephanieshouseofbooks⁠

Presented by  ⁠Obooko ⁠—your go-to spot for free e-books.

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Today’s reading list:

• ​28 by Brandon Jack
• Pissants by Brandon Jack
• Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh
• Postcards from the Edge by Carrie Fisher
• A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
• Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis
• The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis
• In Persuasion Nation by George Saunders
• Tenth of December by George Saunders
• Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton
• Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
• Just Kids by Patti Smith
• Dusk by Robbie Arnott
• The Rain Heron by Robbie Arnott

Queen of tech-noir, author Ashley Kalagian Blunt joins Steph from @stephanieshouseofbooks for a chat.

Find out what happened when law-abiding Ashley stepped into the dark web for the first time, what current true crime she's obsessed with, and how she single handedly re-defined an entire sub-genre of thriller.

Plus, how hitting rock bottom with chronic fatigue actually helped Ashley find the thing she was really meant to do.

Ashley Kalagian Blunt is the Sydney-based author of Dark Mode, Cold Truth and How to Be Australian. Her books explore how modern technology makes us vulnerable , and have inspired a new generation of thrillers about internet-based crime. Her new Audible Original, Like, Follow, Die, is out now, with the print and ebook editions coming in March 2026.

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Is there a cool person you’d like to hear on our podcast? Let us know in the comments!

Follow us on socials:

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@akalagianblunt

Presented by Obooko—your go-to spot for free e-books.

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Today’s reading list:

• ​My Name is Revenge by Ashley Kalagian Blunt
• ​Dark Mode by Ashley Kalagian Blunt
• ​Like Follow Die by Ashley Kalagian Blunt
• ​Cold Truth by Ashley Kalagian Blunt
• ​How to be Australian by Ashley Kalagian Blunt
• ​And Then the Darkness: The disappearance of Peter Falconio and the trials of Joanne Lees by Sue Williams
• ​The Wolf Tree by Laura McCluskey
• ​The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
• ​The Secret History by Donna Tartt
• ​Body Friend by Katherine Brabon
• ​Cure by Katherine Brabon

I'm Steph from ⁠⁠@Stephanieshouseofbooks⁠⁠ and it's our season finale!

I'm joined today by @literature_lad who has brought a small suitcase of Australian fiction to share with us.

Join us as we chat about some of our favourite moments from this season, reflect on Steph's latest favourite book Reservoir Bitches, and manifest the celebs we want to visit the pod next season.

Also, Zack announces there will be a Cool People Reading in real life book club, but stay tuned, because we need to work out the details first.

Thanks so much for listening to Season One! I hope you've loved it. See you in Season Two!

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Is there a cool person you’d like to hear on our podcast? Let us know in the comments!

Follow us on socials:

⁠⁠@stephanieshouseofbooks⁠⁠

@literature_lad

Presented by ⁠⁠Obooko⁠⁠—your go-to spot for free e-books.

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Today’s reading list:

• Reservoir Bitches by Dahlia de la Cerda

• Animal by Lisa Taddeo
• Australia Day by Melanie Cheng
• The Burrow by Melanie Cheng
• Diving Falling by Kylie Mirmohamadi
• Between a Wolf and a Dog by Georgia Blain
• Australian Gospel by Lech Blaine
• Ex-Wife by Ursula Parrott
• Colony by Annika Norlin
• The Thrill of It by Mandy Beaumont
• The Furies by Mandy Beaumont
• An Exciting and Vivid Inner Life by Paul Dalla Rosa
• Limber Lost by Robbie Arnott
• The Rain Heron by Robbie Arnott
• The White Girl by Tony Birch
• Women and Children by Tony Birch
• Love, Pamela by Pamela Anderson

I'm Steph from ⁠⁠@Stephanieshouseofbooks⁠⁠ and today I'm joined by avid reader and AFL player, Carlton ruckman Marc Pittonet.

Find out how Marc chooses what book to read the night before a big game, how he uses reading books like Fourth Wing as a wellness tool, and what book he's read eight times.

Plus, would Marc ever consider reading a book on field during the team warm up like Jack Ginnivan did in round one?

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Is there a cool person you’d like to hear on our podcast? Let us know in the comments!

Follow us on socials:

⁠⁠@stephanieshouseofbooks⁠⁠

@marc_pittonet

Presented by ⁠⁠Obooko⁠⁠—your go-to spot for free e-books.

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Today’s reading list:

• Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
• The Power Law: Venture Capital and the Making of the New Future by Sebastian Mallaby
• Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
• Red Notice by Bill Browder
• Shoedog by Phil Knight
• Ice Station by Matthew Reilly
• Seven Ancient Wonders by Matthew Reilly
• Harry Potter by JK Rowling
• Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman
• Intensity by Pep Lijnders

I'm Steph from ⁠@Stephanieshouseofbooks⁠ and today - by popular demand - I'm joined by the very funny, award-winning author of seven books, JP Pomare.

JP talks about the process of having his crime books adapted for the screen, how cancel culture becomes problematic, and what happened when his ex-girlfriend said her favourite book was Shantaram.

He also gives us a sneak peak into the book he's currently writing, a follow up to The Wrong Woman.

Plus, JP reveals that he wants to become a book reviewer on Instagram and needs help deciding on a name.

JP's psychological thriller In the Clearing was adapted into an eight-part series by Disney. His novel The Last Guests has been developed into an erotic thriller airing on Stan in late 2025.

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Is there a cool person you’d like to hear on our podcast? Let us know in the comments!

Follow us on socials:

⁠@stephanieshouseofbooks⁠

@jppomare

Presented by ⁠Obooko⁠—your go-to spot for free e-books.

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Today’s reading list:

• ​The Last Guests by JP Pomare
• ​In the Clearing by JP Pomare
• ​Harry Potter by JK Rowling
• ​Cold Truth by Ashley Kalagian Blunt
• ​The Hollow Girl by Lyn Yeowart
• ​Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
• ​Prophet Song by Paul Lynch
• ​Limberlost by Robbie Arnott
• ​The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry
• ​The Genetic Book of the Dead by Richard Dawkins
• ​Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
• ​Sons and Lovers by DH Lawrence