Cool People Reading

Obooko

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.

  1. Brandon Jack, former AFL footballer and author

    23.10.2025

    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. ++ 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. ++ Today’s reading list: ​28 by Brandon JackPissants by Brandon JackTrainspotting by Irvine WelshPostcards from the Edge by Carrie FisherA Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer EganLess Than Zero by Bret Easton EllisThe Shards by Bret Easton EllisIn Persuasion Nation by George SaundersTenth of December by George SaundersBoy Swallows Universe by Trent DaltonCrime and Punishment by Fyodor DostoevskyJust Kids by Patti SmithDusk by Robbie ArnottThe Rain Heron by Robbie Arnott

    32 Min.
  2. Ashley Kalagian Blunt, author

    15.10.2025

    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. ++ 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. ++ 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

    28 Min.
  3. Rose Hartley, author and bookseller

    01.04.2025

    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. ++ 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. ++ Today’s reading list: Maggie’s Going Nowhere by Rose HartleyDisGraced by Rose HartleyTime of the Flies by Claudia PiñeiroThe Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di LampedusaAll Fours by Miranda JulyBreakdown by Cathy SweeneyThe Dry Heart by Natalia GinzburgThe Coin by Yasmin ZaherMy Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa MoshfeghThe Most by Jessica AnthonyGlaciers by Alexis M. SmithThe Details by Ia GenbergWhat I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki MurakamiCreation Lake by Rachel KushnerRandom Acts of Senseless Violence by Jack Womack The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret AtwoodOutline by Rachel CuskThe Blind Assassin by Margaret AtwoodPersuasion by Jane AustenSense and Sensibility by Jane AustenPride and Prejudice by Jane AustenAnna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

    30 Min.

Info

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.