What books do young boys really want to read?

Scott Stuart, a passionate children's author and advocate for inclusive stories, joins Luke to reveal the surprising truths about gender bias in reading, how to break free from it, and the simple (and often joyful) acts that can ignite lifelong love of reading - even for reluctant boys.

You'll learn how to model reading as a parent, the importance of diverse voices, and the power of engaging with children’s interests, whether it be Disney or sports.

Scott shares inspiring stories about on-the-ground literacy efforts, from author visits to library access disparities, illustrating the broader social impact of promoting inclusivity in literature.

And you'll hear about his response to censorship controversies - including having his books criminalised and called out by Donald Trump - how it only encouraged him to continue challenging societal norms and trying to create a safer, more welcoming, more empathetic and inclusive world for our kids.  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it really take to breathe life into a bestseller? To make another time come alive? To place us into a polyphony of perspectives?

In this candid conversation, acclaimed author Maggie O’Farrell joins Luke Bateman to unpack her extraordinary life story and highly intuitive creative process. From surviving a life-altering childhood illness at age eight that forced her to re-learn basic motor skills and embrace reading (and re-reading), to inspirations and insights into her most acclaimed works such as Hamnet, Land and The Marriage Portrait, and why Irish culture is uniquely built for storytelling.

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

'Becoming a man is a process of subtraction' - so says one of the leading experts in masculinity and men's mental health. But why? And what can we do to change that?

In this episode, Luke is joined by Dr Zac Seidler: clinical psychologist, Global Director of Research at Movember and Associate Professor with Orygen at the University of Melbourne.

Together, they dismantle the many stories men are told, and learn to tell themselves, about how they should be - from how the pressures of self-optimization culture creates isolated "lone-wolves", to the "perception gap" that keeps men from expressing themselves, and how reading, especially fiction, can serve as an antidote, and a path to empathy and authenticity.

What are your thoughts? Let us know and have your voice notes featured on the podcast: 
email [email protected].

Stay connected on our socials:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/inthegoodbooks_podcast/ 
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@inthegoodbooks_podcast 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're back to finish Luke's list of favourite books he's read this year - including an EPIC fantasy, a global best-seller smash, the end of a romantic trilogy very well known to listeners of this podcast, and Luke's absolute top pick which he now calls one of his favourites of all time!

Which of these have you read? What have your favourite book discoveries of the year been so far?
Let us know and have your voice notes featured on the podcast: 
email [email protected].

Stay connected on our socials:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/inthegoodbooks_podcast/ 
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@inthegoodbooks_podcast 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's the halfway point of the year and, surprise, Luke's read a lot of books so far! Here he takes us through some of his favourite discoveries - from a fantasy at the end of the world, sci-fi that takes you out of this world, a non-fiction that changes the way you see our world and more.

Which of these have you read? What have your favourite book discoveries of the year been so far?
Let us know and have your voice notes featured on the podcast: 
email [email protected].

Stay connected on our socials:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/inthegoodbooks_podcast/ 
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@inthegoodbooks_podcast 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let's be clear - this definitely isn't one to have on in the car with the kids. 

Luke is joined by his friend, the beautiful and brilliant Tierney Page, for an unfiltered, laugh-out-loud, and deeply insightful chat that might change how you see romance writing.
From her hilariously honest reading roots—recounting how A Court of Thorns and Roses and its "hot fairies" served as her ultimate gateway back into books —to spontaneously deciding to become a romance novelist, Tierney also dishes on her writing process, explaining how she crafts high-heat scenes that actually develop character relationships and progress the plot, and her secrets for penning the perfect male main character. 

Together, Luke and Tierney put some respect on the genre that underpins the entire publishing industry, exploring why romance novels are essentially the ultimate handbook for men on communication, consent and desire, about the cathartic, vulnerable reality of using books as a personal journal for healing, and much more.

Find more about Tierney's London Hearts Series here: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/series/tierney-page/london-hearts/ 

Thanks to Hachette

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the many years Georgie Tunny has graced our TV screens, and many others before, there was another dream she held: the dream of being an author, a dream she has now achieved with Over to You - her debut novel of fierce female friendships set behind the scenes of the high stakes chaos of the media world. 

In this episode, Georgie draws the lines between her own career and the inspirations for the book, she shares her very relatable early reading loves, how her writing process was far less peaceful than she expected, the truths she's had to face up to about sexism and ageism in her industry, and despite how much she has in common with Luke (which is a lot) there's one thing about how they like their books that couldn't be more different... 

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Charlotte McConaghy (Wild Dark Shore, Migrations, Once Were Wolves) is one of Australia's most acclaimed authors; known for her lush prose, fiercely emotional tone and environments so rich you feel instantly transported. And turns out, her process is every bit as wild as what it creates.

In this episode, Charlotte tells Luke all about how she practically skipped school homework after starting her first book at fourteen, how she intentionally channels her biggest emotions—from intense sadness and rage to deep fear—into her protagonists so they can fight their way toward healing, peace, and love, and how a wild research trip to a haunted island was the biggest breakthrough of her recent novel. 

Don't forget to check out the Good Books Club episode discussing Charlotte's work Migrations!

What are your thoughts? Let us know and have your voice notes featured on the podcast:
email [email protected].

Stay connected on our socials:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/inthegoodbooks_podcast/ 
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@inthegoodbooks_podcast 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How far would you go to find hope in a desolate world? Are we all just wild at heart? How can we accept and be loved for who we truly are?

These are just some of the questions that arise as you journey with Charlotte McConaghy’s breathtaking climate fiction masterpiece, Migrations (also published as The Last Migration).
In this episode, Luke breaks down McConaghy’s lyrical, screenwriting-paced prose while diving headfirst into the story's raw landscape of grief, environmental desolation, and the beautiful, unconditional love that still pervades through it all. 

What are your thoughts? Let us know and have your voice notes featured on the podcast:
email [email protected].

Stay connected on our socials:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/inthegoodbooks_podcast/ 
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@inthegoodbooks_podcast 

Thanks to Hachette - for the list of their expert readalikes for Migrations, go to https://www.hachette.com.au/news/in-the-good-books 

and for more, visit www.hachette.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if the collapse of everything we know isn't a catastrophe to fear, but an opportunity for our fullest humanity?

This is the idea explored by multi-New York Times and Amazon bestselling author and social philosopher Sarah Wilson in her latest book I Eat the Stars. In this conversation, she explains exactly what complex systems collapse means, the process of writing the book, including speaking to over 200 global thought leaders, why we must continue to create art no matter what, and what radical hope and love truly look like. 

Did this conversation spark something for you? Have some thoughts of your own?
Share them with Luke - email a voice note to [email protected]

Stay connected on our socials:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/inthegoodbooks_podcast/ 
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@inthegoodbooks_podcast 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.