Mamamia Book Club

What does Jane Austen have to do with crossfit and paleo diets? Nothing until now. Eligible is a modern-day re-telling of the Jane Austen classic Pride and Prejudice. While this contemporary, tongue-in-cheek retelling of Pride and Prejudice does follow the Bennet family, there are some updated differences from the classic. So, did it WORK? How does the modern day Elizabeth Bennet compare to the original? What’s going on with weirdo Mary? How believable is Darcy? And does the love story pack enough punch? Your hosts are Monique Bowley and Jacqueline Lunn with Holly Wainwright Eligible, by Curtis Sittenfeld, is published by Penguin Random House And thanks to BWS for sponsoring the show: use the offer code here and get 50% off. Join the conversation on facebook Tell us what you thought via twitter @mamamiapodcasts Or email podcast@mamamia.com.au This show is part of the Mamamia Podcast Network

Imagine being doubled over from laughing, only to stand up and be punched straight in the guts. This debut novel from one of the most exciting writers in the Australian landscape, Rosie Waterland, will do that to you. Famous for her hilarious Bachelor Recaps, her memoir is a huge departure from the sequinned world of Bachie mansion. This is a skillful and raw depiction of life growing up in a dysfunctional family. And whilst the humor is black, the writing is like a lightning bolt. There is SO much to unpack. Crack the Jatz and pour a wine or two... you're gonna need it. Show notes: Your hosts are Monique Bowley and Jacqueline Lunn with Jessie Stephens Follow Monique Bowley on facebook The Anti Cool Girl is published by Harper Collins Follow Rosie Waterland on facebook Tell us what you thought via twitter @mamamiapodcasts Or email podcast@mamamia.com.au This show is part of the Mamamia Podcast Network

It’s been dubbed 'The New Gone Girl'. A fast-paced female psychological thriller from an author who has twice won the Walkley award for investigative journalism. If you haven’t read this book, stop right there, thankyou very much. There is a big fat twist that we are busting to talk about it. Did it leave you throwing the book across the room, or throwing back a champers because you picked it a mile off? Does a book need to have likeable characters to be a good book? We’ll take a look at the plot devices and why this was quite a departure for Caroline Overington. Show notes: Your hosts are Monique Bowley and Jacqueline Lunn with Katy Hall. The One Who Got Away is published by Harper Collins  Caroline Overington's facebook page is here Join the conversation on facebook Tell us what you thought via twitter @mamamiapodcasts Or email podcast@mamamia.com.au This show is part of the Mamamia Women’s Network

It's chick-lit, but not as you know it. Big Little Lies is a brilliant take on schoolyard scandals, kindergarten cliques, with a death thrown in for good measure. This New York Times best seller is being made into a TV series with HBO, and with good reason. It's a wolf in sheep's clothing: dark themes masked with a pace and lightness that belies it's depth. But did everyone love it? Or was it too far-fetched for some?  Show notes: Your hosts are Monique Bowley and Jacqueline Lunn with Jo Abi. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty is published by Penguin Join the conversation on facebook Tell us what you thought via twitter @mamamiapodcasts Or email podcast@mamamia.com.au This show is part of the Mamamia Women’s Network

This tiny book has sold five million copies, spawned a music album, a TV show, and countless blogs, youtube channels and pinterest pages dedicated to the craft.  It's about more than just tidying up. Marie Kondo says her book will make you more successful, more confident, and more motivated to create the life you want. The ‘Konmari’ method has a cult following with devoted worshippers of tidy-home-mantras.  But what hidden messages are in this book? Is it really a tale of shame, of OCD tendencies, and of the moral highground that comes with minimalist living? Show notes: Your hosts are Monique Bowley with Jo Lauder and Gabe Lauder   The book we were talking about was The Life Changing Magic Of Tidying by Marie Kondo. Join the conversation on facebook Tell us what you thought via twitter  @mamamiapodcasts Or email podcast@mamamia.com.au This show is part of the Mamamia Women’s Network

It outsold Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code and has been sitting at the top of the charts since its release. A page turner for sure; a female psychological thriller that's easy, trashy, with a decent twist at the end.  But the question we ask is: if you hate the books characters, and detest the way it's written, does that neccessarily make it a bad book?  Show notes Your hosts are Monique Bowley with Jo Lauder and Gabe Lauder The book is The Girl on The Train by Paula Hawkins Check out our other great holidays reads here Contact the show via email podcast@mamamia.com.au tweet us @mamamiapodcasts or facebook.com/mamamiapodcastnetwork  This show is part of the Mamamia Women’s Network   

Do you want to live a more creative life? Elizabeth Gilbert, of Eat, Pray, Love fame says you can. And you MUST. But before you run out and enrol in life-drawing 101, stop right there.  It's not neccessary.  This is a no-bullshit guide on how to make space for more creativity in your life. She argues that anyone can be creative, at anything, and her advice on how to stop giving a shit about what people think of you will have you highlighting passages and booking in for ice-skating/guitar/mosaic lessons. A great read to start the new year. Show notes: Your hosts are Monique Bowley with Gabe Lauder and Jo Lauder Contact the show via email podcast@mamamia.com.au  Via twitter @mamamiapodcasts Or via the Facebook page: Mamamia Podcast Network This book was one of the top ten books of 2015, according to founder and content director of Mamamia, Mia Freedman.  Mia Freedman interviewed Elizabeth Gilbert on her podcast: No Filter. Listen here. Or Elizabeth Gilbert has her own pod

In my opinion, there is no greater discovery in 2015 than this book.  Despite its heavy themes, The Eye Of The Sheep is an eminently readable and joyous tale. Told through the eyes of young Jimmy Flick, it's a story about family dysfunction, social disadvantage and a mother's love.  It’s the most beautiful and skillful depiction of Australian domestic life since Tim Winton’s Cloudstreet. You can almost smell the cut grass and the sea. It won the Miles Franklin and you won’t have to guess why.   Show notes This show is hosted by Monique Bowley with Jo and Gabe Lauder.   Contact us via podcast@mamamia.com.au or via twitter: @mamamiapodcasts and via the podcast facebook page   This show is part of the Mamamia Women's Network.  

Would a man really stage an accident to murder his three children and get back at his estranged wife? That’s the question Helen Garner concerns herself with in this intimately observed court-house novel. The book follows the case of Robert Farquharson, accused of deliberately driving his car into a dam near Geelong. While the case captured, angered and horrified the nation, this novel is a meticulous study of character, of truth, and the reliability of memory.  It’s a brilliantly written, fly on the wall view of this tragic story. Show notes: Your host is Monique Bowley, with Gabe Lauder and Jo Lauder. Contact the show via email: podcast@mamamia.com.au, via twitter @mamamiapodcasts or via the Mamamia Podcast Network facebook page.

The Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction this year sounds more like something from a Mills and Boon novel. Orphaned children, a priceless magical diamond, a blind French girl and a German wunderkind who fall in love via a radio transmission? But Anthony Doerr's war time tome, ten years in the making, is masterful. Written from the child's perspective, the themes of light, love, and how against all odds people still try to be good to one another is stunning. Don't be put off by the 500-odd pages; Doerr's light touch means it's an easy read.  Your host is Monique Bowley with Jo Lauder and Gabe Lauder Contact the show via email: podcast@mamamia.com.au  Tweet @mamamiapodcasts For the full list of books in this series, go to the facebook page, Mamamia Podcast Network.