Tell me, is this you? At around 20 years old you felt healthy- maybe at an ideal weight, with lots of energy, and confidence in your body? And then you woke up decades later, nearly 40 pounds overweight, tired all the time, and uncomfortable in your own skin? You’re not alone. According to our guest Dave Sherwin, this is the most common form of wei…

Booker Prize shortlisted Nigerian author Chigozie Obioma joined Claire Nichols at Byron Writers Festival to discuss his latest novel The Road to the Country about civil war in Nigeria. Now based in the US, Chigozie Obioma's first two novels The Fishermen (2015) and An Orchestra of Minorities (2019) were shortlisted for The Booker Prize. His third n…

This week’s episode is a straight-up knowledge bomb. We go deep, skin-deep, into the world of skincare with Jade Shutes. Jade is basically a wizard when it comes to essential oils so she has a lot of knowledge to share. We talk about dry skin, acne, stretchmarks, dark spots, scars, redness, burns, blackheads, and everything in between! What makes t…

For Science Week, The Book Show goes intergalactic in a star themed episode. Ceridwen Dovey, Alicia Sometimes, Nardi Simpson, Max Barry and Emily St John Mandel explore how celestial tales reveal deep truths about our lives on earth. From the fabulously weird stories about space junk in Only the Astronauts (Ceridwen Dovey) to the star dust fuelled …

If a lavender bush and citrus tree had a love child, it would be Bergamot. This fantastic smelling oil boasts the calming properties of lavender and the mood boost of citrus oils. This “best of both worlds” quality is the precise reason that Dr. Danielle Daniel chose Bergamot for her thesis research on essential oils and PTSD. Dr. Danielle takes us…

Hollywood star Keanu Reeves and British science fiction author China Miéville reveal how they collaborated to to write the novel The Book of Elsewhere. Plus, Taffy Brodesser-Akner, author of Fleishman Is In Trouble and Indigenous Australian author, Anita Heiss. The Book of Elsehwere (Del Rey) is based on a comic book series that Keanu Reeves develo…

Alexis Wright is the 2024 winner of the Miles Franklin Literary Award for her novel Praiseworthy. She makes history as the only writer to have won both the Stella and Miles Franklin awards twice each. Alexis first won the Miles Franklin in 2007 for her epic novel Carpentaria. Like that novel, Praiseworthy (Giramondo) - which also won the 2024 Stell…

Ladies, this episode is specifically for you. Being a woman is hard sometimes, there are a lot of little moving pieces inside us and the truth is, they don’t always work right. So, this episode is all about supporting you as a mother, a wife, a woman, and honestly, just a human being. Samantha Davis, my guest, kicks us off with a recipe for the bes…

Samantha Shannon has such power as a bestselling writer that she's reissued her fantasy Bone Season series with new edits. In a revealing conversation she tells Claire Nichols what it takes to reach such heights. Samantha Shannon was just 20 when she won a six-figure publishing deal for this series. She also has another series on the go called Root…

If you are like me, then you might have started to think of plants as those little bottles neatly arranged on a shelf. My lavender is purple, eucalyptus is green, and frankincense is pink. How often do you think of the actual plant though? Do you know what peppermint leaves look like? How about geranium? If you’re struggling to picture them, then y…

'Flabbergasted' and 'surprised' — ahead of the winner announcement, the Miles Franklin shortlisted writers tell you about their books and what it means to be on the shortlist. The Miles Franklin is the most prestigious writing prize in Australia and is awarded to a novel of "the highest literary merit that presents Australian life in any of its pha…

I have a challenge for you. This year, I want you to have THE BEST summer of your life. That means no uncomfortable sunburns, itchy bug bites, or miserable flu caught while traveling. Of course, you could hide in your home all day but then you’d miss out on all the sunshine, BBQs, and warmth. No, the key to the best summer of your life starts with …

American author R.O. Kwon's novel, Exhibit, explores the taboo topic of female desire; Jenny Ackland exacts feminist revenge in Hurdy Gurdy and Jessie Tu's Honeyeater is a story of translation and miscommunication. Korean-born, American author R.O. Kwon is not afraid of topic topics. She's behind the bestselling 2018 novel The Incendiaries and is c…

What You’ll Learn: The consequences of undiagnosed thyroid disorders (30 seconds) Dr. Hedberg’s bio and background (1 min 30 sec) How Dr. Hedberg got interested in thyroid health (5 min 30 sec) The number one symptom of thyroid disease and other accompanying signs (6 min 30 sec) The link between thyroid hormone and energy production in the mitochon…

For NAIDOC week, Indigenous speculative fiction author Claire G Coleman chats to Dylan Coleman about her novel Mazin Grace republished as a UQP First Nations Classic. Also, Ali Cobby Eckermann and Graham Akhurst speak about their latest books. Ali Cobby Eckermann is a Yankunytjatjara woman, a member of the stolen generations, and one of Australia's…

What You Will Learn: Dr. Chesney’s bio and background (0 min) How Dr. Chesney became interested in specializing in Lyme disease and tick-borne illnesses (5 min) Why Dr. Chesney has a passion for prevention of tick-borne diseases(8 min) Why we should care about prevention of Lyme disease and tick-borne illnesses and who is most at risk (9 min) How t…

Australian writers Bri Lee and Liam Pieper's latest novels expose the unholy connection between money, art and power. Bri Lee is the author of the bestselling 2018 memoir Eggshell Skull and she's the author of two other works of non-fiction, Who Gets to Be Smart and Beauty. Her debut novel The Work is about two characters who represent old and new …

What You Will Learn: In this episode, I share how essential oils can support thyroid health. First, I provide a brief overview of the thyroid and why it is so vital for health. I also highlight how to determine if this endocrine gland is imbalanced. Finally, I focus on the main part of the show: essential oils and how they influence thyroid functio…

Weddings of the ultra-rich get the Kevin Kwan treatment in his novel Lies and Weddings, Siang Lu's ambitious and complicated novel Ghost Cities and West Australian author Annie de Monchaux's surprising link to Hollywood. Kevin Kwan is the author behind the juggernaut trilogy that began with Crazy Rich Asians which explored the lives of the ultra-ul…

What You Will Learn: In the previous show, I provided a brief overview on how popular tea tree oil is, its versatile uses, and a potential regulation that could impact our access to it. Now, it’s time to elaborate on its benefits and appealing characteristics. So, in this episode, I provide a general synthesis of tea tree oil’s properties, history,…

Two authors at the top of their game: Booker Prize winner Paul Lynch reveals how his award winning novel Prophet Song came into being and Booker longlisted author Karen Jennings' complicated love letter to South Africa. The Irish writer Paul Lynch is the reigning Booker winner and won the prize for his beautiful, brutal fifth novel Prophet Song. It…

What You Will Learn: In this episode, I discuss why tea tree oil is so popular. I also explain the latest regulatory scare surrounding this favored oil. For perspective, I then provide you with an overview of the literature and how it has been historically viewed by several skilled and esteemed aromatherapists. These points are important to underst…

Jeanette Winterson asks how AI will give new meaning to ghost stories and Kate Grenville reflects on a lifetime of writing and how accepting failure has been key to her success. Jeanette Winterson is best known for her novels Oranges are Not the Only Fruit, The Stone Gods and Frankissstein. Her long fascination with mortality, religion and technolo…

What You Will Learn: In this episode, I discuss the importance of liver health. I explore how the liver affects overall health, its main functions, how it interacts with our hormones, gut, and thyroid, and how to promote liver health using lifestyle tools and essential oils. Here are some of the key points discussed during the show: Why the liver i…

American author Celeste Ng shares how her latest novel Our Missing Hearts explores one of her deepest fears. Celeste Ng is known for her dark realist novels, Everything I Never Told You, and Little Fires Everywhere (which was adapted to the screen in 2020). Our Missing Hearts is set in a dystopian, near future America, where anti-Asian sentiment ha…

What You Will Learn: An introduction to Debrah’s background and Trifecta care (0 min) Some facts on Alzheimer’s disease (1.50 min) Debrah’s bio (2.30 min) How Debrah got started with aromatherapy and how her mother’s diagnosis changed her career path (5 min) How Debrah found the three specific modalities she uses to assist and holistically care for…