Episode 1

Watching TV the Y2k way and the upcoming releases we're excited for

Oh, hello! We're back and trying a new format. In short: we burnt out and lost the love for making the podcast (although we loved speaking to authors).

While we've not been recording podcasts, we have been sharing monthly recommendations on Substack. You can take a look (and subscribe!) here.

In this episode, we're chatting about:

  • Watching some classic 2000s TV and the joy of not binging
  • A preview of books we're excited for coming out in the last months of 2025
  • Our favourite read of the year so far

But for your convenience, here's everything we mentioned in this episode:

  • Veronica Mars (TV)
  • Supernatural (TV)
  • Charmed (TV)
  • The Summer I Turned Pretty (TV)
  • The Traitors UK (TV)
  • Married at First Sight Australia (TV)
  • The Americans (TV)
  • Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
  • Babel by R.F Kuang
  • Yellowface by Rebecca Kuang
  • Uncharmed and Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood
  • The Love Of Our Lives by Emma Steel (listen to our interview)
  • Paper Heart by Cecila Ahern (listen to our interview)
  • Sad Girl Hours by Anna Zoe Quirk (listen to our interview)
  • The Killer Question by Janice Hallett (listen to our interview)
  • When Gavin Met Stacey and Everything in Between by James Corden and Ruth Jones
  • Cat: On The Road to Findout by Yusuf/Cat Stevens
  • Wings by Paul McCartney
  • The Mushroom Tapes by Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper and Sarah Krasnostein
  • If you missed the 'Mushroom murder' you can catch up with this episode of Just the Gist
  • The Gingerbread Bakery by Laurie Gilmore
  • Gravity Let Me Go by Trent Dalton
  • Chosen Family by Madeleine Gray (listen to our interview)
  • This House of Grief by Helen Garner (which was picked for Dua Lipa's book club)
  • One Golden Summer by Carly Fortune
  • Consider Yourself Kissed by Jessica Stanley

Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a bookish friend to help spread the word.

We've got a Substack publication now! On the last day of the month, we share recommendations for two things we reckon you should read/watch/listen to. The beauty of Substack is you can revisit all our old editions and comment on our episode updates to share your thoughts. Come say hi!

Connect with us on Instagram: @betterwordspod

About the Podcast

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Better Words

About your hosts

Profile picture for Caitlin Toohey

Caitlin Toohey

Hi, I'm Caitlin! I've been on bookstagram since 2016, a podcaster since 2017, and worked in publishing since 2019. So books and reading are my entire life. When I'm not reading, I like listening to Taylor Swift, watching sitcoms, and generally being a theatre kid.
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Michelle Gately

Hi, I'm Michelle! I'm an Aussie living in the UK, working as a bookseller. I'm obsessed with storytelling in all its forms – I spend as much time watching TV or listening to podcasts as I do reading. Other hobbies include bouldering, hiking and generally obsessing about my pug Percy.