R U OK? Day comes around every September, and it’s a cause we can definitely get behind. So this ep, we’re chatting about our fave books that talk about mental health.

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS:

Happy Reading!

Melbourne Writers Festival often has one of the most incredible author line-ups year-in, year-out. And this year *was* no exception! Featuring the likes of Tony Birch, Helen Garner, Douglas Stuart, Behrouz Boochani, Alice Pung, Bruce Pascoe and Shaun Tan to name just a few.

Unfortunately, Queen Rona has continued their reign over all things fun and in-person, so most of the festival has been cancelled. There’s still an incred online program though - go check it out now: https://mwf.com.au/

So we wanted to dedicated this ep to such a rad festival and some of our books by authors on the line-up.

BOOKS MENTIONED:

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS:

Happy Reading!

In Australia, next week is Book Week. A week where school kids around the country dress up as their favourite characters from books and parade around the school yard. In some awful twist of fate, this tradition has never crossed the barrier into adulthood. We would LOVE to annually dress up as our fave characters! To celebrate book week and our inner nerd children, Jacinta and Emma are chatting about their fave kids books of all time.

BOOKS MENTIONED:

Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White

Goosebumps by R.L. Stine

Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS:

Books Fairs Were A Staple of Our Childhood. Their Impact Never Really Went Away from Refinery29

Regé-Jean Page Reads Rain Before Rainbows for CBeebies

Umbrella Academy on Netflix

Room 20 Podcast from the LA Times

Happy Reading!

Sometimes it feels like some books achieve cult classic status so quickly, thanks to online book clubs and recs (we’re looking at you Reese Witherspoon and Oprah!). This ep we deep dive into some recent ‘classics’ that we think are perhaps a tad overrated.

BOOKS MENTIONED:

RECOMMENDATIONS:

EXTRAS:

Rupi Kaur Articles 

Similar Poets You Should Read Instead

Happy Reading!

We gotta admit, we had a lot of fun recording this ep. We got to unpack the term chick lit and we have some different perspectives on if its a good term or if it needs to get in the bin. Plus, we recommend some of our favourite books that fit into that genre.

RECOMMENDED BOOKS + MATERIAL

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS

CW: bad baking puns ahead...

By popular demand, this ep we’re chatting about our favourite cookbooks. And may we say, this list is a batch made in heaven. It’s batter late than never to jump on the cooking or baking bandwagon, so if you’re a real whisk-taker and are ready to bake the world a better place, tune in for our top cookbook recs. You’re a legend in the baking! Okay, we’ll stop now…

BOOKS MENTIONED:

Beatrix Bakes by Natalie Paull

Rising Hope: Recipes And Stories from Luminary Bakery

Just Desserts: Good Things Come to Those Who Bake by Charlotte Ree

In Praise of Veg by Alice Zaslavsky

HONOURABLE MENTIONS:

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat

Flour and Stone: Baked for Love, Life and Happiness by Nadine Ingram

Julia Ostro’s cookbooks

Heartburn by Nora Ephron

RECOMMENDATIONS:

June is Pride month!! Pride month is held annually across the globe, with plenty of events and celebrations happening throughout the month. It’s celebrated during June in commemoration of the Stonewall Riots that took place in 1969.

To celebrate Pride, we’re chatting our fave books and stories by queer authors! We’re hitting all the genres again this ep - non-fiction, fiction, photography/history book, you name it!

BOOKS MENTIONED -

The Stonewall Reader, edited by the New York Public Library

Amateur: A True Story About What Makes a Man by Thomas Page McBee

The World’s Wife by Carol Ann Duffy

Growing Up Queer in Australia, edited by Benjamin Law

Articles about Stonewall:

https://time.com/5604865/stonewall-riot-uprising-rebellion/

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/01/an-amazing-1969-account-of-the-stonewall-uprising/272467/

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/amp-stories/stonewall-riots-50th-anniversary-lgbt-gay-pride-stories-resistance-resilience/

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/04/us/stonewall-riots-gay-pride.html

Growing up in Australia book series: 

https://www.blackincbooks.com.au/news/powerful-life-stories-growing-series

RECOMMENDATIONS -

@theaidsmemorial Instagram Account

Pose TV Show

May 27 is the beginning of National Reconciliation Week (NRW) here in Australia. It’s a time to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

The dates for NRW remain the same each year; 27 May to 3 June. These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey— the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively.

To celebrate NRW, we’re sharing some of our favourite books by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors.

BOOKS MENTIONED:

Songspirals: Sharing women's wisdom of Country through songlines by Gay'wu Group of Women

Songspirals - Wuymirri, the Whale (Audio 1) 

Songspirals - Wuymirri, the Whale, (Audio 2)

Songspirals - Wuymirri, the Whale, (Audio 3)

Songlines - The Power and Promise by Neale Margo & Kelly Lynne

Too Much Lip by Melissa Lucashenko

Warndu Mai (Good Food) Cookbook by Damien Coulthard and Rebecca Sullivan

The White Girl by Tony Birch

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Catching Teller Crow by Ambelin & Ezekiel Kwaymullina

The Boy from the Mish by Gary Lonesborough

Song of the Crocodile by Nardi Simpson

The Yield by Tara June Winch

Yanada by The Preatures 

Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe

Dropbear - collection of poetry by Evelyn Araluen

Happy Reading!

Sometimes, truth really is greater than fiction. This fortnight, we’re jumping in to chat about our current favourite non-fiction books. We cover the whole gamut this ep - biographies, history, memoir, science!

BOOKS MENTIONED:

Fire Country by Victor Steffensen: https://www.boomerangbooks.com.au/fire-country-how-indigenous-fire-management-could-help-save-australia/victor-steffensen/book_9781741177268.htm

Catch and kill by Ronan Farrow: https://www.boomerangbooks.com.au/catch-and-kill-lies-spies-and-a-conspiracy-to-protect-predators/ronan-farrow/book_9780708899274.htm

Dear Girls by Ali Wong: https://www.boomerangbooks.com.au/dear-girls-intimate-tales-untold-secrets-advice-for-living-your-best-life/ali-wong/book_9781760899127.htm

Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe:  https://www.boomerangbooks.com.au/say-nothing-a-true-story-of-murder-and-memory-in-northern-ireland/patrick-radden-keefe/book_9780008159269.htm

Victor Steffensen’s fire management organisation: http://www.mulong.com.au/index.php/mulong-portfolio-2-fire/

ABC article ‘New light in a land shaped by fire’: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-11/historic-photos-guide-indigenous-burning-great-sandy-desert/100083720

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Ali Wong Baby Cobra Netflix special: https://www.netflix.com/au/title/80101493

Ali Wong’s Hard Knock Wife Netflix special: https://www.netflix.com/au/title/80186940

Always be my maybe: https://www.netflix.com/au/title/80202874

Derry Girls: https://www.netflix.com/au/title/80238565

Shrill: https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/program/shrill

Shrill by Lindy West: https://www.boomerangbooks.com.au/shrill/lindy-west/book_9781784295547.htm

So, we have a confession to make. There are some absolute classics that we may, or may not, have ever read. So this ep we delve into the classic books we’ve each bypassed. And we’re not talking about the more obscure classics - this list includes a little old guy by the name of Shakespeare.

BOOKS MENTIONED:

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov: https://www.booktopia.com.au/lolita-vladimir-nabokov/book/9780141182537.html

Shakespeare:

Lord of the Rings trilogy by JRR Tolkien: https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-hobbit-and-the-lord-of-the-rings-j-r-r-tolkien/book/9780544445789.html

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis: https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-lion-the-witch-and-the-wardrobe-c-s-lewis/book/9780007115617.html

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Beatrix Bakes cookbook: https://www.booktopia.com.au/beatrix-bakes-natalie-paull/book/9781743795255.html

Killing Eve: https://iview.abc.net.au/show/killing-eve