Book Matters

Sam speaks with Canadian author and GP Kelly Anderson about her debut novel The Wild Beneath a fierce, haunting story of one woman caught between her first love and a mysterious stranger who upends everything—and the two worlds that won’t let her go. The Wild Beneath was chosen by Reese Witherspoon for her book club in 2026.   We hope you enjoy. Read Next Newsletter Connected Libraries Website Con...

Janine speaks with Sydney writer Tania Blanchard about her new Australian historical fiction novel The Paris Prize. We chat about all things Australian wool growing, the use of our wool in Paris, haute couture, Christian Dior and women living, growing and running sheep properties in Australia back in the day. The perfect book for History month. Read Next Newsletter Connected Libraries Website Conn...

Courtney speaks with Australian crime writer Vikki Petraitis and delves into her new novel The Reckoning which is the third in a series featuring Detective Antigone Pollard and her partner, Wozza. They talk about her writing and her true crime works of non-fiction as well as a screen adaptation of her first novel The Unbelieved. We hope you enjoy. Read Next Newsletter Connected Libraries Website C...

Janine speaks with Victorian writer Jock Serong in a Back to Chat episode where we talk about his biography 'A Suitable Man - the eccentric life of Fletcher Jones' We talk about how Fletcher transformed Australian menswear through manufacturing high-quality, ready-made clothing using Australian wool and pioneered employee ownership, by giving staff a significant share in the company.  It...

On this episode of Book Matters, Sam speaks with Ilka Tampke , an Australian award-winning author, academic and teacher about her latest novel "How to Love the World" How To Love the World is a story about the forest. But more than that, it is a story about motherhood, family, and generational trauma. How the lives of our ancestors continue to shape our own lives, and how our childhood i...

Janine speaks with Melbourne writer Victoria Hannan about her new novel - 'I Love The Whole World'  which is a celebration of life and self.   Hilarious, joyous and beautifully observed, it is a novel about friendship, ageing and the extra/ordinary act of deciding to begin again. Read Next Newsletter Connected Libraries Website Connected Libraries Facebook Page In a nook with a book Face...

Courtney speaks with Margaret Hickey who is an award-winning author and playwright from North East Victoria.  Margaret won the Ned Kelly Award for Best Fiction in 2025 for The Creeper. They chat about her new novel Cold River - a thought-provoking crime mystery set in Victoria's High Country. Read Next Newsletter Connected Libraries Website Connected Libraries Facebook Page In a nook with a b...

Janine chats with Australian writer Anna Johnston about her new novel 'When Lemons give you Life' - An enchanting, heart-stirring novel about rediscovering joy when life has lost its flavour, from the author of the bestselling novel ' The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife'. We hope you enjoy.  Read Next Newsletter Connected Libraries Website Connected Libraries Facebook Page In a...

In this episode Janine speaks with Perth writer Holly Craig about her new thriller Find Me, a terrifying survivalist thriller as two sisters navigate the eerie Tasmanian wilderness, in search of their missing brother. An emotionally charged and vividly written novel that is an exploration of complex family dynamics. Utterly chilling (in both its terror and temperature definitions) and tense, this...

Tim speaks with writer and illustrator Rebecca Lim based in Melbourne, Australia. She worked as a commercial lawyer for several years before leaving to write full time.  They chat about her new novel The Graduate - a tense and compelling legal thriller examining the lasting impact of historical wrongs and the courage required to confront them. We hope you enjoy. Read Next Newsletter Connected Libr...

In this episode Janine speaks to Petronella McGovern about her new novel 'Every Time She Wakes', a taut, time-bending thriller about family, identity and defying fate. We last spoke to her back in 2022, and if you want to know more about Petronella you can find this in our episode library. Read Next Newsletter Connected Libraries Website Connected Libraries Facebook Page In a nook with a...

In this episode Sam speaks with Georgia Harper about her new novel ' Dove' - a thought provoking, nuanced and utterly original psychological thriller exploring power and gender, set against the backdrop of 1990's small town Queensland. One day, after a row with her neighbour turns violent, Dove writes a provocative question on the wall of her property, ‘What would you do if you had...

In this episode Tim speaks with Melbourne author Fiona Hardy about her writing and her new novel 'Old Games' a pacey, off-beat Aussie crime story about two best female friends and investigators unravelling the private lives of Melbourne's celebrity sportspeople. Read Next Newsletter Connected Libraries Website Connected Libraries Facebook Page In a nook with a book Facebook Group Co...

Today we speak with two very different authors on the podcast.  Rachel Fox McLeod chats with Courtney about her debut novel ' Disgraceful' - a hilarious and moving debut novel about a woman who writes a ‘f*ck-it’ list to reclaim herself after her marriage unexpectedly implodes. Then Sam speaks with Hannah Gould  about her thought-provoking book 'How to Die in the 21st Century'...

Today we invite back Adelaide writer Victoria Purman onto Book Matters to chat about her new novel  The Marriage Trap - A charming but pointed look at the tumultuous extraordinary decade of the 1960s, and the effects of the pill, rebellion and new ideas on ordinary Australian women as alongside shorter skirts and the Beatles.  We hope you enjoy! Read Next Newsletter Connected Libraries Website Con...

In this episode we are bringing back one of our most popular writers to see what they have been up to since we last spoke with them. We spoke to Fiona Lowe in 2021 about her novel 'A Home Like Ours' so it was great to bring her back to chat about her latest novel 'The Drowning'. We hope you enjoy. Read Next Newsletter Connected Libraries Website Connected Libraries Facebook Pag...

On Book Matters today we have two amazing Australian writers. Janine speaks with Mercedes Mercier about her newest novel The Couple's Retreat, then Kiara speaks with Kathy Lette about her new novel The Sisterhood Rules. We hope you enjoy! Read Next Newsletter Connected Libraries Website Connected Libraries Facebook Page In a nook with a book Facebook Group Connected Libraries Instagram Page C...

On the podcast today Courtney speaks with Brisbane writer Shailee Thompson about her debut novel “How to kill a guy in ten dates” – a sharp and entertaining novel that blends humor, suspense and modern-day dating in unexpected ways.   Sam then chats to Courtney Peppernell about her new novel “The Last Poem” - a moving and heart-rending debut about a grieving woman who moves to a charming small tow...

In this episode Janine speaks with Adelaide writer Rebecca Heath about her latest novel 'The Last Encore' - a gripping, claustrophobic Australian thriller with a killer twist.   Kiara then chats to Victorian author Susi Fox about her new novel 'The Other Child', a compelling psychological suspense novel about mistrust, coercion and fear of betrayal. We hope you enjoy. Read Next...

Here at Book Matters, we are taking a well-earned break over the summer holidays but we have some recordings of our Live In Conversation events held at the library during 2025. We welcomed Chris Hammer to the library in October where he spoke to a large audience about his new novel Legacy  which sees the return of his popular character Martin Scarsden. The audio quality is a little compromised, bu...

During the year we hosted some fabulous live author events at Connected Libraries!  For our Summer Series we are proud to give you the recording of our event with internationally bestselling Melbourne author Jane Harper who chats with Courtney about her writing process and her latest novel Last One Out. We hope you enjoy! Read Next Newsletter Connected Libraries Website Connected Libraries Faceboo...

For our last episode of Book Matters for the year we have two great interviews for you. Both are Australian authors, and their books are ideal for Christmas gifts and to take away on your summer holiday. Courtney speaks with Libby Iriks about her novel "Home to the Heart Country" – a heartfelt small-town romance set in Western Australia exploring themes of belonging, social anxiety and n...

Welcome to Back to Chat, a special episode of Book Matters!  On today’s special episode we are celebrating five years of Book Matters with a familiar and much-loved guest. That’s right—we’re bringing back one of our most popular authors for a return visit! Please join us as we catch up, see what’s new and dive into their stories—both on and off the page—that continue to inspire our book world.  It...

On this episode of Book matters we have some interesting interviews for you. Kiara speaks with Melbourne author Toni Jordan about her new novel ‘Tenderfoot’ - an exquisite and bittersweet read that brings back memories of growing up in Australia in the 1970s wherein a 12-year-old girl from a family of gamblers and greyhound racers grapples with adulthood as her home life disintegrates. Then Sam ch...

On Book Matters this month Janine talks to Jessica Mansour-Nahra about her gripping gothic domestic thriller "The Farm" It asks confronting questions about women's bodies, what is expected of them, and who is really in control.  Then Kiara speaks with Jess Kitching about her novel "The Life Experiment" a poignant, life-affirming love story about two people whose lives are...