Justine Cullen is a powerhouse in Australian media, as well as a wife and mother to 4 children.

In this conversation Justine talks candidly about:

The advice that helped her to see that her career and values were no longer aligned.

What she has learnt about her career, motherhood, and love.

How she knew she was in the wrong marriage, and the tiny signs that tell her she’s now in the right one.

 

Some of the books covered in this episode of TBTCML are:
Semi-Gloss by Justine Cullen
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Return to Love by Marianne Williamson 
Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
Love! by Zoe Foster-Blake

 

Semi-Gloss by Justine Cullen is published by Allen & Unwin and is available in all good bookstores!

For our final episode of Season 2 we chat to Wil Anderson, and what a way to end! Wil is extremely generous with his answers, giving us funny, frank, and thought-provoking responses. 

We talked about:

How he measures ‘success’ and manages his imposter syndrome. 

Losing 80% of his income from stand-up during Covid.

Supporting the next generation of comics.

 

Some of the books covered in this episode of TBTCML are:

How I Escaped My Certain Fate by Stewart Lee

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Good Omens by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman

Ciao Bella! by Kate Langbroek

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari

 

You can hear more from Wil via his podcast, Wilosophy (we highly recommend the episode with Andy Lee!)

How Wil Anderson overcomes regret

We catch-up with the inimitable Jamila Rizvi and talk about the darkest days and greatest lessons from her battle with a brain tumour, and what it’s like being a woman of colour, but also passing as white. This is one of our favourite chats with Jam to date, we hope you enjoy it too! 

 

Some of the books covered in this episode of TBTCML are:
45 & 47 Stella Street and Everything That Happened by Elizabeth Honey
Not Just Lucky by Jamila Rizvi
The Rosie Project Series by Graeme Simsion 
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid 
Wednesdays with Bob by Bob Hawke and Derek Rielly
Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

 

You can hear more from Jamila on The Weekend Briefing podcast, follow her at @jamilarizvi on Instagram, and get your hands on one of the incredible books she has written available at all good book stores! 

Our favourite chat with Jamila Rizvi!

Shayna Jack is a professional swimmer who has experienced a nightmare ordeal after returning a positive test to a banned substance in 2019 and has spent the past few years successfully clearing her name. We have been fascinated with Shayna for some time and we are so grateful to have her share her heartbreaking yet motivating story with us.

 

In this chat we talk about:

Finding a passion and career outside of swimming, in Criminology.

How it felt receiving ‘that call’ and how ostracized she felt from her swimming team as she fought to clear her name.

Who she is continuing to fight for – the people who go through the process after her, who might not make it through.

 

Some of the books covered in this episode of TBTCML are:
Zero Negativity by Ant Middleton
Beneath The Surface by Libby Trickett
Unsolved by James Patterson

 

You can watch the full Australian Story on Shayna called “Fish Out of Water” on ABC iView - https://www.abc.net.au/austory/fish-out-of-water/13215902

 

** Content Warning - we do discuss issues around mental illness and suicide, which may be triggering for some listeners **

Shayna Jack just keeps swimming

The team at Booktopia has a great podcast about all thing’s books! It’s called ‘Tell Me What To Read’ and here is a quick preview!

If you like what you hear, search ‘Tell Me What To Read’ wherever you get your podcasts.

Bonus preview: Another great podcast for book lovers!

Justine Cullen on knowing when to stay and when to leave

Liane Moriarty is one of the most prolific writers to ever come out of Australia, best known for her top-selling titles Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers.

 

In this episode we talk about:

The outrageous price paid for her first book deal, and the unlikely buyer!

What it was like experiencing meteoric success on a global scale.

The comedy of errors she made when meeting Nicole Kidman for coffee!

 

Some of the books covered in this episode of TBTCML are:
Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Playing Beatie Bow by Ruth Park
The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler
Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers
Liz Byrski books

 

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriartyis published by Pan Macmillan and is available now!

Liane Moriarty on writing best sellers and meeting Nicole Kidman for coffee

For fans of our Shameless podcast, you will know Annabelle Lee as our beloved producer, book clubber, and friend! 

This is the first time we have interviewed Annabelle, and in this chat, we went everywhere: From what it’s like growing up with a parent battling a significant mental illness, to being the only Asian-Australian in your friendship group, and recovering from heartbreak in your mid-20’s.

We ADORED this chat. If you’d like to follow Annabelle on Instagram you can: @annabe11e1ee

 

Some of the books covered in this episode of TBTCML are:
The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton
A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing by Jessie Tu
Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton
Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton
28 by Brandon Jack

Our first interview with Producer Annabelle Lee!

Lisa Wilkinson is one of the biggest TV journalists in the country.

In this chat, we talk about:

Lisa’s rise to the top of the magazine industry

How she’s tackled fear, shame, and judgment with the release of her new memoir, It Wasn’t Meant to Be Like This.

What the last few months have taught her about life, and crucially, about herself.

 

This was Lisa at her most candid and generous best and we hope you enjoy listening to this chat as much as we enjoyed recording it!

Listen out for the surprise message we organised that brought Lisa to tears.

 

Some of the books covered in this episode of TBTCML are:
It Wasn’t Meant to Be Like This by Lisa Wilkinson
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Becoming by Michelle Obama
The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

 

It Wasn’t Meant to Be Like This by Lisa Wilkinson is published by HarperCollins and is available now in all good bookstores.

 

** Content Warning: We do discuss an instance of sexual assault which may be triggering for some listeners **  

Lisa Wilkinson on owning your truth

Jock is best known as the Scottish judge on MasterChef, but behind the kilted man is a mind-blowing story of a teenage heroin addict who was given an unlikely yet life-changing chance by one of his culinary heroes. In this chat, Jock takes us back to where his deep love of food came from and talks openly about the book that brought him back from the brink. He also muses about the surprising book that gave him the courage to live the life he dreamt of. Jock also swears (a lot!) so maybe don’t play this episode with kids in the car! Jock is such a compelling, honest, and inspiring guest; we hope you enjoy this wild ride as much as we did!

Some of the books covered in this episode of TBTCML are:

Relae: A Book of Ideas by Christian Puglisi

Pour Me: A Life by A. A. Gill

My Autobiography by Charlie Chaplin

The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien (but not in a good way….)

 

 

Last Shot by Jock Zonfrillo (Simon & Schuster Australia $45) is available now!

Jock Zonfrillo

Delta Goodrem is a national treasure. She is a singer, songwriter, and actress who has been a big player in the Australian entertainment industry since she was 15. In this chat, she talks openly about the book that kept her company through some of the most tumultuous times in her life, including a cancer diagnosis at 18 and recent tongue paralysis.  Delta talks about the childhood book that she returns to repeatedly, and she describes the creative process she went through in making her first book, Bridge Over Troubled Dreams.

Some of the books covered in this episode of TBTCML are:

Joni: The Joni Mitchell Sessions by Norman Seeff

The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera

The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton

 

Delta's book & album Bridge Over Troubled Dreams are available now!

Delta Goodrem

Alex Dyson is a quirky, kind, and colourful comedian, podcaster, and young adult fiction writer. In this episode, Alex opens up about losing his mum at the age of 4, and the book series that provided comfort by allowing him to escape into his imagination. Growing up in Warrnambool where he played AFL football and studied tap dancing, Alex came across books by The Chaser and Shaun Micallef, which profoundly impacted his desire to be funny for a career. Here we get a glimpse into Alex’s empathetic and hopeful nature and are introduced to the books that changed his perspective on his place in the world.

Some of the books covered in this episode of TBTCML are:

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

The President’s Desk by Shaun Micallef

Humankind by Rutger Bregman

Alex Dyson

Flex Mami is a force to be reckoned with! She is an entrepreneur, VJ, podcaster, TV presenter, model, and recent author of The Success Experiment. Here she talks about the first book she fell in love with and how it started her on a path to sexual openness. She also shares the story of how a random chance encounter with a book, ended up changing her life. Flex encouraged us to do a personality test from one of the books she brought to the table, and in this chat, you’ll hear how the results sent us into a self-reflecting spiral! Flex Mami is smart, hilarious, and completely inimitable – we hope you love this chat as much as we did!

Some of the books covered in this episode of TBTCML are:

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

Personality Plus by Florence Littauer

The Wisdom of the Enneagram by Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Flex Mami

Laura Henshaw is the co-founder of one of Australia’s most popular fitness programs Keep It Cleaner. In this episode, she shares with us her struggles with Imposter Syndrome and how, as a woman, she often feels like she needs to prove why she’s at the boardroom table. Laura talks about the unlikely tough-love self-help book that has helped her manage her anxiety, and a beautiful book that came to her right when she needed it – during Melbourne’s grueling 112-day lockdown.

Some of the books covered in this episode of TBTCML are: 

Becoming, Michelle Obama

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, Mark Manson

The Happiest Man on Earth, Eddie Jaku OAM

Laura Henshaw

Hamish Blake needs no introduction. He is an all-round superstar human being, who also has a great love of books, which made him the perfect guest for this series! In this chat, Hamish talks about the formative book that made him laugh out loud and set him on a path exploring the ridiculous and hilarious. Hamish also discusses the book that made him think about the man he wanted to be and a book that helps him stay present to the important things in life. It’s no surprise that Hamish is very funny throughout this episode, but you’ll also hear a wiser, deeper side to the man we all love.

Some of the books covered in this episode of TBTCML are:

Letters From a Nut – Ted L Nancy

Tribe of Mentors - Tim Ferris

Tools of Titans – Tim Ferris

The Power of Now - Echart Tolle

The Examined Life – Stephen Grosz

Hamish Blake

Dr. Susan Carland is an academic, an author, and a social commentator. She is also a wife and a mother of two teenagers. Here, Susan talks us through the very real tug-of-war that women experience between wanting kids and having to make enormous sacrifices. In this chat Susan talks about her guilty pleasure reads - self-help books - and why self-help being a ‘guilty pleasure’ is problematic! She opens up about her Christian upbringing, and how she was drawn to Islam when she was a teenager. Dr. Susan Carland is such an inspiring and fascinating woman and we adored having her as a guest for The Books that Changed My Life!

Some of the books covered in this episode of TBTCML are: 

Atomic Habits – James Clear

Grit - Angela Duckworth 

The Forty Rules of Love - Elif Shafak

The Divided Heart - Rachel Power

Dr. Susan Carland

Kevin Kwan created an international best-selling novel while driving his father between cancer treatments. Here he talks about the book that made him fall in love with the glamourous side of life, as well as THE book that literally changed his life – Crazy Rich Asians. In this chat Kevin opens up about the grief he experienced moving from Asia to the US at the tender age of 11, the teacher who had a surprising impact on his writing journey, a childhood spent amongst royalty, and the moment he snuck into a cinema to experience fans reactions to his book on the big screen. Kevin is a kind and generous guest and the perfect person to kick off this new series, The Books that Changed My Life.

Some of the books covered in this episode of TBTCML are: 

The Stranger’s Child - Alan Hollinghurst

People Like Us - Dominick Dunne

Kevin Kwan

In this new podcast series, Zara and Michelle from the Shameless Podcast talk to influential people about the books that changed their life. Each episode will give audiences a window into great books new and old, and use these books as a window into the creators and artists we love.  

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