If you'd like to join our book discussions, you're always welcome inside the Between the Lines Book Club. The details are in the show notes. Join us for the next chapter.

You can join our bookclub here

BOOKCLUB SPECIAL: Someone Else's Child with Kylie Orr

Step into this thoughtful and engaging conversation as Chelle sits down with author Kylie Orr to talk about her debut novel Someone Else's Child and the long, winding road to becoming a published author.

Together, they explore the heart of the novel, female friendship, community generosity, moral grey areas, and the emotional complexity that emerges when a child is unwell and a whole town rallies to help. Kylie reflects on empathy, boundaries, and how easily good intentions can become complicated. The conversation also touches on her second novel The 11th Floor, writing trauma with care, and the persistence required to keep going through years of rejection.

You'll hear:

• How Someone Else's Child explores loyalty, power imbalance, and the limits of empathy

• Why community fundraising raises uncomfortable but important questions

• Kylie's seven-year journey from first draft to book deal

• What rejection taught her about resilience and backing herself

• How The 11th Floor differs in pace, structure, and psychological intensity

Discussion prompt:
This book asks us to reflect on generosity, trust, and judgement. When you donate or show up for someone in crisis, where do you think responsibility ends, and empathy begins?

P.S. Someone Else's Child is a compelling read for anyone who loves slow-burn psychological fiction that asks hard questions about friendship, morality, and what we owe each other in moments of crisis.

If you'd like to join our book discussions, you're always welcome inside the Between the Lines Book Club. The details are in the show notes. Join us for the next chapter.

You can join our bookclub here

Is This Still the Life I Want? Boogie Wonderland with Kate Halfpenny

In this Between the Lines episode, we're talking about Boogie Wonderland — a novel that captures that very specific moment many of us remember all too well: COVID-19 upheaval, career burnout, relationship strain, and the quiet (or not so quiet) question of "Is this still the life I want?"

Set against the backdrop of a sea change, Boogie Wonderland explores what happens when life feels out of control — and the pull to step away, reset, and start again. Kate Halfpenny writes beautifully about reinvention, midlife uncertainty, and the messy reality of relationships under pressure.

We talk about:

• Why "starting over" is rarely neat or simple

• The emotional weight many people carried during COVID — even long after lockdowns ended

• How place, community, and slowing down can shift perspective

• The difference between running away and choosing change

It's a thoughtful, relatable conversation — especially if you've ever fantasised about packing it all in and moving somewhere by the sea.

Dear Digital, We Need to Talk: Reclaiming Our Human Operating System with Dr. Kristy Goodwin

In this insightful and energising conversation, Chelle and Leanne sit down with digital wellbeing expert Dr. Kristy Goodwin to unpack her book Dear Digital, We Need to Talk — a science-backed guide to navigating technology in a way that honours how our brains and bodies are actually designed to function.

Drawing on neurobiology, peak-performance research, and years of working with high achievers, Kristy explains why so many of us feel constantly "switched on but powered down," and how small, realistic micro-habits can help us reclaim focus, energy, and calm in a digitally intense world.

From the story behind the book's title, to understanding chronotypes, stress responses, and our ultradian rhythm, this episode is full of practical takeaways and laugh-out-loud moments (including tech glitches that prove the point). Whether you're an executive, a business owner, or someone simply tired of feeling overwhelmed by screens, this conversation will reshape the way you think about digital life.

• Why digital detoxes don't work — and what actually does

• How to align your tech habits with your human operating system

• The role of ultradian rhythms and why breaks boost—not hinder—productivity

• Simple strategies like physiological sighs, tech curfews, and 30-second eye resets

• Why connection, "white space," and tiny micro-habits are essential for wellbeing

• How walking, nature, and even shower thoughts restore creativity and reduce stress

• The gender wellbeing gap and why women are facing higher levels of digital burnout

Discussion prompt:
Kristy says big changes come from small hinges — tiny habits that support our biology.
What's one micro-habit you want to try this week to feel more "powered up" in your digital life? Tell us on Instagram or in the book club.

Stories We Inherit: Reading "Cactus Pear for My Beloved" by Samah Sabawi

Step into this deeply moving conversation as Chelle and Leanne sit down with the book club to discuss Cactus Pear for My Beloved by Samar Sabawi — a poetic, powerful story born from exile, memory, and love. Drawing from her father's life and her own research on transgenerational trauma, Sabawi captures what it means to inherit both loss and hope across generations.

In this episode, the group reflects on the book's unique structure — part memoir, part fiction — and how it bridges history with humanity. From learning about Palestine through a family's eyes to exploring how storytelling preserves identity, this is a tender, thought-provoking chat about heritage, empathy, and the power of listening.

You'll hear:

• How Cactus Pear for My Beloved blends memoir, history, and imagination to honour a father's story

• Why reading about other cultures' histories helps us see our own family stories differently

• Thoughts on names, identity, and belonging in new lands

• The book's role as a gentle geography and history lesson — and a human one

• How stories can reconnect us with our parents, elders, and our shared pasts

Discussion prompt:
This book reminded us how easily family histories fade if we don't record them. Whose story in your life deserves to be written down? Tell us on Instagram or in the book club.