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Cool People Reading
Obooko
13 episodes
1 week ago
Your favourite footballers, chefs and influencers — but make it bookish. Steph from @stephanieshouseofbooks gets behind the mic to talk reading, recommendations, and the chaos of fitting books into busy lives with some of Australia's most creative and cool people. Smart talk, hot recommendations and hilarious stories.
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Books
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All content for Cool People Reading is the property of Obooko and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Your favourite footballers, chefs and influencers — but make it bookish. Steph from @stephanieshouseofbooks gets behind the mic to talk reading, recommendations, and the chaos of fitting books into busy lives with some of Australia's most creative and cool people. Smart talk, hot recommendations and hilarious stories.
Show more...
Books
Arts
Episodes (13/13)
Cool People Reading
Olivia Molly Rogers, podcaster, speaker and mental health advocate

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...?

++

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

Follow us on socials:

@Oliviamollyrogers

@Stephanieshouseofbooks

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

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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
Show more...
2 weeks ago
27 minutes 11 seconds

Cool People Reading
Brandon Jack, former AFL footballer and author

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

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
Show more...
3 weeks ago
32 minutes 11 seconds

Cool People Reading
Ashley Kalagian Blunt, author

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:

@stephanieshouseofbooks

@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
Show more...
4 weeks ago
27 minutes 40 seconds

Cool People Reading
Season Finale with Literature Lad

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
Show more...
6 months ago
28 minutes 57 seconds

Cool People Reading
Marc Pittonet, Carlton AFL player

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
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7 months ago
31 minutes 59 seconds

Cool People Reading
JP Pomare, author

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 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
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7 months ago
41 minutes 1 second

Cool People Reading
Rose Hartley, author and bookseller

I'm Steph from ⁠@Stephanieshouseofbooks⁠ and today I'm joined by Adelaide author, Queen of Matilda Bookshop and the person responsible for about 90% of my To Be Read pile, Rose Hartley.

Rose talks to us about what she did when COVID disrupted her debut novel's promo schedule, the book she told a customer was a 'nothing burger' and why she really loves a 'mean, selfish bitch.'

Fans of short books, make sure you check out today's reading list because you're not going to want to miss any of Rose's brilliant recommendations.

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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

@rosehartley

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

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Today’s reading list:

  • Maggie’s Going Nowhere by Rose Hartley
  • DisGraced by Rose Hartley
  • Time of the Flies by Claudia Piñeiro
  • The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
  • All Fours by Miranda July
  • Breakdown by Cathy Sweeney
  • The Dry Heart by Natalia Ginzburg
  • The Coin by Yasmin Zaher
  • My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
  • The Most by Jessica Anthony
  • Glaciers by Alexis M. Smith
  • The Details by Ia Genberg
  • What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami
  • Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner
  • Random Acts of Senseless Violence by Jack Womack 
  • The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
  • Outline by Rachel Cusk
  • The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
  • Persuasion by Jane Austen
  • Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
  • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
  • Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy


Show more...
7 months ago
30 minutes 29 seconds

Cool People Reading
Nathan Currie from Nine News Melbourne

I'm Steph from ⁠@Stephanieshouseofbooks⁠ and today I'm talking to Nine News Sports Reporter, former Sunrise correspondent and aspiring author Nathan Currie.

Nathan gives us a crash course in what Fourth Wing is actually about, how working with Jane Harper at the Geelong Advertiser inspired him, and how he balances his job as a reporter with fatherhood, his love of Stephen King, and writing his own books.

Plus, what Nepo Book Baby is Nathan never going to read again?

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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

@nathancurrie

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

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Today’s reading list:

  • Once There Was a Way by Bryce Zabel 
  • Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
  • The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
  • The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
  • Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling
  • It by Stephen King
  • The Shining by Stephen King
  • Misery by Stephen King
  • The Dry by Jane Harper
  • The Lost Man by Jane Harper
  • Force of Nature by Jane Harper
  • Dark Mode by Ashley Kalagian Blunt
  • Cold Truth by Ashley Kalagian Blunt
  • The Dark Tower by Stephen King
  • Prophet Song by Paul Lynch
  • Open by Andre Agassi
  • I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
  • Dracula by Bram Stoker 
  • The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
  • 28 by Brandon Jack 
Show more...
7 months ago
29 minutes 32 seconds

Cool People Reading
Shay from Tough Guy Book Club

Today we chat to Shay, the founder of ⁠Tough Guy Book Club⁠, a global book club for guys in pubs.

From humble beginnings in a Collingwood beer garden, find out how Tough Guy Book Club came about, how habit stacking has led to Shay taking paperbacks to birthday parties, and what a group of men really get up to when they go on book club camp.

Plus, what guest is never, ever invited to a chapter meeting?

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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

⁠@toughguybookclub⁠

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

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Today’s reading list:

  • The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
  • The Secret History by Donna Tartt
  • Neuromancer by William Gibson
  • Honeybee by Craig Silvey
  • Home by Toni Morrison
  • The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
  • Atomic Habits by James Clear
  • Still Life by Sarah Winman
  • On the Road by Jack Kerouac
  • Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky
  • The Gun by C.S. Forester
Show more...
8 months ago
27 minutes 22 seconds

Cool People Reading
Romina from Casa Capri

I'm Steph from @Stephanieshouseofbooks and today I'm chatting with Romina, the founder of bespoke Melbourne jewellery label Casa Capri.

Romy talks about how she fits reading into her life with three busy boys, the memoirs that inspire her and why she refuses to read fiction.

Plus we reminisce about the wonderful world of John Marsden and introduce Romy to 'book people' lingo.

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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

@casacapri

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

++

Today’s reading list:

  • Of Gold and Dust by Samantha Wills
  • Down the Drain by Julia Fox
  • Hanging by a Thread by Erin Deering
  • Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
  • Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden
  • Letters from the Inside by John Marsden
  • Dear Miffy by John Marsden
  • Grain Brain by Dr. David Perlmutter and Kristin Loberg
  • Mothering our Boys by Maggie Dent
  • From Boys to Men by Maggie Dent
  • The Sky so Heavy by Claire Zorn
Show more...
8 months ago
22 minutes 19 seconds

Cool People Reading
Sarah Jones from Fox Footy

I'm Steph from ⁠@Stephanieshouseofbooks⁠ and today I'm talking to Fox Footy and Fox Cricket commentator, avid bookworm and historical fiction devotee Sarah Jones.

Sarah shares her tips for fitting reading in during a busy day, how she considers reading her meditation, and her ultimate red flags when it comes to choosing a new book.

Plus Sarah shares her favourite tips for developing a love of literature in kids, beyond 'the cat on the mat' readers from school.

++

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

Follow us on socials:

⁠@stephanieshouseofbooks⁠

@sarahjonesfoxfooty

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

++

Today’s reading list:

  • Last Twilight in Paris by Pam Jenoff
  • Open by Andre Agassi
  • The Adventures of the Wishing Chair by Enid Blyton 
  • The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton
  • Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton
  • Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton
  • Beartown by Fredrick Backman
  • Us Against You by Fredrik Backman
  • The Winners by Fredrik Backman
  • Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
  • A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
  • Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman
  • Tully by Paullina Simons
  • The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons
  • Red Leaves by Paullina Simons
  • Light at Lavelle by Paullina Simons
  • Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
  • The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
  • Duck À L'Orange for Breakfast by Karina May
  • The Venice Hotel by Tess Woods
Show more...
8 months ago
30 minutes 53 seconds

Cool People Reading
Kimberley Allsopp, author and publicist

I'm Steph from @Stephanieshouseofbooks and today I'm chatting to author, book publicist and mum of two, Kimberley Allsopp.

Find out how Kimberley finds the time to read, the hilarious reason she hasn't seen Baby Girl, and if being a book publicist is just like being on our favourite TV show Younger.

Plus, what did guests at a late night book dinner let on about Anne Tyler's new book?

Kimberley is the author of ⁠Love and Other Puzzles⁠ (Harper Collins, 2022) and the soon to be released⁠ Rise and Shine⁠ (Harper Collins, 2025).

++

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

Follow us on socials:

@stephanieshouseofbooks

@kimberleyallsopp

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

++

Today’s reading list:

  • Love and Other Puzzles by Kimberley Allsopp
  • Rise and Shine by Kimberley Allsopp
  • Somebody Down There Likes Me by Robert Lukins
  • Water by John Boyne
  • A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne
  • The Echo Chamber by John Boyne
  • Earth by John Boyne
  • Fire by John Boyne
  • Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder
  • Fleishman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
  • The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
  • Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
  • Didion + Babitz by Lili Anolik
  • Three Days in June by Anne Tyler
  • Redhead by the Side of the Road by Anne Tyler
  • Happy All the Time by Laurie Colwin
  • Sandwich by Catherine Newman
  • We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman
  • Another Marvelous Thing by Laurie Colwin
  • You Be Mother by Meg Mason
  • Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason


Show more...
8 months ago
29 minutes 36 seconds

Cool People Reading
Pilot with Literature Lad

Welcome to our first episode! I'm Steph from @Stephanieshouseofbooks and today I'm chatting to the coolest man on bookstagram, Zack from @literaturelad.⁠


We discuss our mutual love of Bret Easton Ellis, what really happened at Dolly Alderton’s show, and the magic '50 page rule’.


Plus, which iconic author does one of us shamefully admit to never reading?


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


Follow us on socials:

@stephanieshouseofbooks

@literaturelad


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


Today’s reading list: 

  • Trust by Hernan Diaz
  • Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
  • The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
  • Coventry by Rachel Cusk
  • Outline by Rachel Cusk
  • Aftermath by Rachel Cusk
  • The Secret History by Donna Tartt
  • The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis
  • American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
  • The Informers by Bret Easton Ellis
  • Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk  
  • The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst
  • The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
  • Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton
  • The Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
  • Fleishman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
  • Cold Truth by Ashley Kalagian Blunt
  • Dark Mode by Ashley Kalagian Blunt
  • Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen
Show more...
8 months ago
34 minutes 57 seconds

Cool People Reading
Your favourite footballers, chefs and influencers — but make it bookish. Steph from @stephanieshouseofbooks gets behind the mic to talk reading, recommendations, and the chaos of fitting books into busy lives with some of Australia's most creative and cool people. Smart talk, hot recommendations and hilarious stories.