Cool Story with Bri & Bridie

This week there is a huge and sad announcement, Bri makes an uncharacteristic mistake and Bridie and Bri go through the reading cornerstones of their lives at 5, 25 and 35. Thank you so much to our listeners for all of your support over the journey of Cool Story. It is with heavy hearts that we have to say goodbye, but stay subscribed to the feed as you never know what the future may hold. Books referenced int his episode: Babysitters little sister series by Ann M Martin The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende Idiot Pride by Matt Zurbo Women, Race and Class by Angela Davis Stet by Diana Athill Instead of a letter by Diana Athill Eragon by Christopher Paolini The First Stone by Helen Garner Caoilinn Hughes: Orchid and the Wasp, The Wild Laughter, and The Alternatives See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Bridie is in her TV era, with two great shows to discuss, and Bri has a brilliant new history podcast she wants everyone to listen to. Then they discuss the recent piece in The Cut about parents getting obsessed about creating "core memories" for their children. Articles/TV show references: Being Roman with Mary Beard Why Are Parents Fixated on Core Memories? Mr and Mrs Smith Feud: Capote vs The Swans See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Bri and Bridie are back together! While Bri was adventuring around Egypt Bridie had some high highs (three Taylor Swift shows) and low lows (you'll find out). Bridie has an epic family saga in books to rave about, and Bri has a great nonfiction book recommendation from her Egypt reading too. Articles/Books referenced in this episode: The Sisters by Mary Lovell Wait For Me by Deborah Devonshire Sex and the Citadel: Intimate Life in a Changing Arab World by Shereen El Feki The Pursuit of Love (2021) watch on Prime Video See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Cool Story with Bri and Bridie; Bridie talks about friendship with Gyan Yankovich. What's the worst thing you've ever heard a friend do to another friend? What's the biggest mistake people make in friendship? Bridie and Gyan discuss all of this and more, as well as Gyan's three books to get you out of a reading rut. Gyan's book is Just Friends. Books discussed in this episode: The Guest by Emma Cline Department of Speculation by Jenny Offill Writers and Lovers by Lily King See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Cool Story; Bri and Bridie answer some personal questions left over from the December live show at The Vanguard in Sydney. There were so many incredible questions from the audience that they couldn't possibly all be answered on the night. Did Bri consider writing her first book under a pseudonym? What's Bridie's most underrated Taylor Swift song? Tune in to hear them all. Books referenced in this episode: https://www.booktopia.com.au/bird-by-bird-some-instructions-on-writing-and-life-anne-lamott/book/9781921372476.html See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bridie is joined by debut author James Colley. They discuss books to get you out of a reading rut, burying your most honest thoughts in fiction and how to figure out how to write a novel. James is the author of The Next Big Thing. Books referenced in this episode: https://www.booktopia.com.au/what-we-talk-about-when-we-talk-about-love-raymond-carver/book/9780679723059.html https://www.booktopia.com.au/mike-nichols-mark-harris/book/9780399562242.html Song of Spiderman: The Inside story of the most controversial musical in Broadway history by Glen Berger See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Bri has read one of the best books she's picked up in months, while Bridie has a fantastic debut on maternal ambivalence. They discuss the best career advice from people over 30 after a tweet with some extreme responses goes slightly viral. And when it is okay for a politician to lie? Bri and Bridie dissect the question as parliament returns for the first sitting week of the year in which stage three tax cuts will dominate. Books/Articles/Shows referenced in this episode: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/202733783-thanks-for-having-me?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=cQV17P8VXM&rank=1 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57693584-if-an-egyptian-cannot-speak-english?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_10 https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-series/fargo/season-5 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Bri and Bridie catch up on each others' summer breaks and compare their plans for 2024. They discuss the great books they read, fight about Shane Warne, and finish with a tricky question about climate change deniers. Books/Articles referenced in this episode: https://www.booktopia.com.au/nothing-special-nicole-flattery/book/9781526612137.html https://www.booktopia.com.au/grand-days-frank-moorhouse/book/9780143790907.html https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65215109-the-upstairs-delicatessen https://www.booktopia.com.au/on-warne-gideon-haigh/book/9780143569176.html Ipsos 'Perils of Perception' climate change study: https://www.ipsos.com/en/ipsos-perils-perception-climate-change When my dad and brother died I denied my grief the way we deny the climate crisis. But it didn't make it go away: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/jan/20/when-my-dad-and-brother-died-i-denied-my-grief-the-way-we-deny-the-climate-crisis-but-it-didnt-go-away How "that Octopus Book" won over a million readers: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/30/books/remarkably-bright-creatures-shelby-van-pelt.html See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this special episode, Bri and Bridie each share their summer reading guides! A combination of what their favourites from summers gone by, and the books they're taking with them on holidays this summer. Need a book? We got you! Books referenced in this episode: Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons https://www.booktopia.com.au/cold-comfort-farm-stella-gibbons/book/9780241418895.html Too Much Lip - Melissa Lucashenko https://www.booktopia.com.au/too-much-lip-melissa-lucashenko/book/9780702263040.html Song of the Crocodile - Nardi Simpson https://www.booktopia.com.au/song-of-the-crocodile-nardi-simpson/book/9780733643743.html Love Match - Clare Fletcher https://www.booktopia.com.au/love-match-clare-fletcher/book/9781761046803.html Matrix - Lauren Groff https://www.booktopia.com.au/matrix-lauren-groff/book/9781594634505.html Green Dot - Madeleine Gray https://www.booktopia.com.au/green-dot-madeleine-gray/book/9781761068614.html The Golden Enclaves - Naomi Novik https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-golden-enclaves-naomi-novik/book/9781529100938.html The Shape of Dust - Lamisse Hamouda https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-shape-of-dust-lamisse-hamouda/book/9780648795117.html See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this special episode, Bri and Bridie take a look at the year that has just ended, sharing some of their highs and achievements, but also some of their and lows and challenges. Then they discuss the two biggest stories that defined the news in 2023. Articles/charities referenced in this episode: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/11/06/israel-gaza-war-hamas MSF Gaza-Israel fund: https://donations.msf.org.au/donate/e2310isrpalga Palestine Red Crescent society: https://www.palestinercs.org/en Palestine Children's Relief fund: https://www.pcrf.net/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bri and Bridie's first live show at the Vanguard in Newtown! The show was recorded on the 19th of December 2023. In this very Xmas themed special; they each go through their top 3 books of the year, some surprise gifts for each other, as well as their 2024 predictions and resolutions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week was Bri's birthday so Bridie read her astrology chart with... mixed results. Bridie shares a book you should read if you liked 'Yellowface' by R.F. Kuang and Bri raves about her favourite film of the entire year. Then the two of them get into a discussion about the developing ethics of reality television and whether or not we like watching people suffer. Articles/Books referenced in this episode: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/dec/12/viewers-enjoy-seeing-people-suffer-reality-tvs-desperate-struggle-to-be-more-ethical Erasure -Percival Everett: https://www.booktopia.com.au/erasure-percival-everett/book/9781555975999.html See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Bridie's book recommendation is a beautiful family saga by a Palestinian-British author and Bri's book recommendation argues that online creators have shaped the last decade of culture. Then the two of them have a big fight about gift-giving. Finally, newspaper headlines are asking: are we dumb? Because Australia's education system is segregated and worsening. Articles/book referenced in this episode: https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/education/2023/11/25/exclusive-less-than-half-albaneses-cabinet-went-state-schools https://7ampodcast.com.au/episodes/why-private-school-kids-run-the-country https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/full-story/id1482061243?i=1000621531126 The Parisian by Isabella Hammad: https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-parisian-isabella-hammad/book/9781784705701.html Good Material by Dolly Alderton: https://www.booktopia.com.au/good-material-dolly-alderton/book/9780241523674.html Extremely Online - Taylor Lorenz https://www.booktopia.com.au/extremely-online-taylor-lorenz/book/9780753560792.html See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Bridie sits down with journalist and author Gina Rushton who has just had her book reviewed in the New Yorker! They discuss horny books to get you out of a reading rut; the different things freaking women out about becoming mothers in Australia, England and America; and what Gina changed her mind about since publishing her book. Her book was published in Australia as The Most Important Job in the World and in the UK and US as The Parenthood Dilemma. Articles/books referenced in this episode: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/11/27/the-quickening-elizabeth-rush-book-review-the-parenthood-dilemma-gina-rushton Mrs S by K Patrick: https://www.booktopia.com.au/mrs-s-k-patrick/book/9780008561000.html Vladimir by Julia May Jonas: https://www.booktopia.com.au/vladimir-julia-may-jonas/book/9781529080476.html Big Swiss by Jen Beagin: https://www.booktopia.com.au/big-swiss-jen-beagin/book/9780571378562.html See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Bri and Bridie step out of the news cycle for a moment and bring each other bigger topics and phenomenon they're dying to chat about: recommendation and review culture getting out of control; Masterclass; Anna Wintour; and talking to children about weight and food. Articles/Books referenced in this episode: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/jul/23/parenting-kids-weight-virginia-sole-smith https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/10/magazine/stale-culture.html See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Bridie talks about a book she couldn't put down even with one of her kids throwing up in the bed. Together they discuss Anne Helen Petersen's 'Culture Study' newsletter edition about why people are obsessed with Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's new beginning, and how to possibly navigate the whiplash we're all experiencing on social media right now. They finish with a chat about whether or not university is 'worth it' anymore. Article/Books referenced in this episode: https://annehelen.substack.com/p/you-only-like-the-beginning-of-things https://yourbookstore.io/p/the-work?barcode=9781761069390&search_key=bri+lee https://www.sydneytheatre.com.au/whats-on/productions/2023/oil https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/education/have-young-australians-lost-faith-in-the-value-of-uni-20231101-p5eglz https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15771916/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Bri and Bridie disagree on almost everything! Whether or not religion and ethics should be taught in public schools, whether or not the things they like are 'common', and then they fight about lip fillers. Bridie read Glossier, the book and story behind the biggest millennial brand ever, which led to a discussion about hustling and women in business. They finished by comparing what they're afraid of in this new era of deepfakes proliferating online. Articles/Books referenced in this episode: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-11-06/celebrity-crypto-scams-kochie-wilkins/103061608 https://newsandreviews.substack.com/p/teaching-ethics-to-children https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/no-grieving-no-podcasts-no-aperol-spritz-the-new-rules-t6f8d3zgn https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/see-also/id1613072110 https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/dolly-alderton/id1465937091?i=1000633028164 Glossy - Marisa Meltzer https://www.booktopia.com.au/glossy-marisa-meltzer/book/9781668058114.html See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Bridie discovers that historical fiction can actually be amazing, and recommends a book about the first ever written character being a woman. Bri has read the new Britney Spears memoir, which leads to a discussion about the gross misogyny of the paparazzi era. Then the two discuss the ethics of David Sedaris using other peoples' stories after a complaint piece was published in Slate. Articles/Books referenced in the episode: https://variety.com/2023/film/columns/killers-of-the-flower-moon-leonardo-dicaprio-martin-scorsese-1235772356/ The Woman in Me - Britney Spears: https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-woman-in-me-britney-spears/book/9781761107627.html Inanna - Emily H Wilson: https://www.booktopia.com.au/inanna-emily-h-wilson/book/9781803364407.html How David Sedaris Turned Me Into One of His Freaks: https://slate.com/human-interest/2023/10/david-sedaris-tour-live-books-ethics.html See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Cool Story announce that tickets go on sale for our first ever live show! It's going to be a COOL STORY XMAS EXTRAVAGANZA. In this week's episode, Bri and Bridie compare their notes on cinema etiquette after seeing The Killers of the Flower Moon together (Bri was very mad) and they wonder whether or not Martin Scorsese has ever met a human woman. In the news, some large employers are trialing four day working weeks, Bridie shares some fascinating history about that movement, and they finish on how and why all the women in Iceland went on strike for a day. Ticket link for the live show: https://moshtix.com.au/v2/event/cool-story-with-bri-bridie-xmas-xtravaganza/157690 Bridie's playlist of bangers: https://spotify.link/KNgFwDL8bEb Articles/books referenced in the episode: https://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace/it-s-a-privilege-not-an-entitlement-medibank-to-trial-four-day-work-week-20231020-p5eds5.html https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/23/icelands-first-full-day-womens-strike-in-48-years-aims-to-close-pay-gap See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this author special Bri Lee interviews Rebecca Makkai about her latest novel, 'I Have Some Questions For You'. It's a boarding school literary thriller for the post #MeToo world. Makkai shares her theories on why women love true crime, the challenges and rewards of writing in second-person, and what she was most surprised to hear from readers on her tour. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.