Podcasts & Books

Cashing in your AL and going on vacay might seem tempting, but these tips will help your craft a healthy foundation for dealing with burnout in the long run. 

We share tips on how to implement achievable goals, ahead of Reason Season with Rob and Lachlan from Funny Business. 

As part of the Evenings module for Reason Season, these our fave reads to unwind before bed to reap all of those relaxing rewards.

Join us for Reason Season to craft healthy daily habits and routines.

Enter the SBS Emerging Writers' Competition and you could win $5,000.

Autobiographies are a window into the soul and sometimes they are so powerful they can change the reader, so and here are our top picks of the 10 you should read at least once in your life.

If you, like me, were hopeful we had MIFF 69 in the bag, you’d also be feeling the weight of this morning’s announcement. And while the idea of having to wait another year to be ushered down the aisles of The Forum or The Capitol with popcorn and cocktail in hand isn’t a pleasant one to ruminate on, it’s not all bad news. 

You may recall those terrifying shipping container experiences, Seance and Flight, where you almost soiled yourself in fear. And then at the beginning of lockdown came Double, the audio experience from the same team—well, pull out some fresh pants because they’re back with another instalment called VISITORS.

Along with almost everything this year, Rone’s latest exhibition, Rone In Geelong, has been postponed indefinitely. While it’s likely we’ll be seeing the Melbourne-based artist’s evocative, large scale masterpieces in the flesh for the next while, you can get your hands on his just-released self-titled book.

There are all sorts of worldwide shenanigans to celebrate Batman's 80th anniversary, but most importantly, DC Comics has somehow managed to convince every major city to project a real-life Bat-Signal into the sky. That’s right: Batmania is actually getting a Bat-Signal for one night. 

Eyes starting to shrivel up? Might be time to ditch the screens and try something a bit more...analogue. We’ve got some crackerjack new release books in November.

The story of infamous backpacker murderer Ivan Milat.

Our favourite book-related event is back for its fifth instalment and it looks like it’s going to be a great one. Featuring various emerging and established local and international publishers, artists and writers, the Melbourne Art Book Fair 2019 presents a three-day program of ideas, discussions and book launches at the NGV.

Things are just getting worse in the Republic of Gilead.

The Melbourne Book Market is back and ready to sort out all your summer and autumn reading needs. With a curated collection of more than 5,000 new and pre-loved titles selected by Melbourne’s most experienced booksellers, as well as authors and illustrators, the book market will satisfy even the pickiest reader. 

Hate deep house music? Maybe you just never listened to it the right way.

If sleeping has become more chore than snore, it’s time you plugged in to switch off; these are the best slow lit podcast to help you hit the hay.

Like with anything entertainment-related, diving into the podcasting universe can take you on an information overload trip if you don't know where to start. Luckily we’re here to tell you what to plug into your ear holes and what to leave out of your binge-listening sessions as you hide from your extended family this holiday season.

Eamon Donnelly has spent the last 10 years travelling around Australia taking photos of milk bars. Why? Because they’re there. Or at least, they used to be there.

Chris Dawson has been arrested, and it’s all getting very real. 

We've already popped it on our reading list.

Got an entertainment buff you need to please? From retro arcade games to stylish sound systems, we’ve got something that will have them cancelling all their plans for 2019.

Showcasing the best of Neil Perry’s celebrated restaurant, the pop-up will bring award-winning flavours and feels for a fraction of the price.

When it comes to skylines, Melbourne has one of the best in the world. It might not rate as highly as New York, but it still takes our breath away any time we catch a cheeky look.

"I've listened to too many podcasts" said no one ever.

​Want to skip the queues and snag a private dining room at Sydney’s Chin Chin? How about a year’s free yoga in Brisbane? Maybe a private session at Bass & Flinders mixing you own signature gin? Well, they’re all up for grabs.

All your Sunday inspo wrapped into one handly lil' package.

The team spent an entire year within the criminal courts in Cleveland so you'll get to hear everything that happened on the inside.

All your Sunday inspo wrapped into one handly lil' package.

​We’re kicking off a new Book Club series today, so settle down and get comfy. Maybe pop the kettle on. Every month we’ll be checking out a handful of hyped new releases in the literary world, and September is looking like a bumper month. We’ve got J.K. Rowling’s new thriller, a Homeric saga from Pat Barker, and Lisa Brennan-Jobs’ scathing biography of her late dad, Steve. (You know Steve, right?)

Fashion moves fast, and quite frankly, keeping up can be a challenge. A very expensive and entertaining challenge. If you’re looking to max your knowledge of the farshun industry, but all that scrolling and reading makes your brain hurt, then a podcast is for you.

We’ve rounded up a list of the best books that will make you feel cultured, but also won't make you want to stab a fork into your eye. 

The recent success of shows like Call the Midwife, The Crown and good ol’ Downton Abbey proves that we all love a cheeky bit of historical fiction. Nothing captures the imagination like the secret dramas of the English court or the glitz and the glamour of the 1920’s. While a TV show is all well and good, actually reading a piece of historical fiction just takes things to a whole new level, letting you completely immerse yourself in a whole new world.

Now that the mercury has plummeted through the floor and triggered a mass deficit of electric blankets at Harvey Norman, the only thing left to do is snuggle up with a good book and a hot Milo (that’s one part milk, 6 parts Milo, 9 parts marshmallow). 

It came out two days ago and we’re already hooked.

Ready for it.

We’re absolutely wild for a podcast, and we know you are too. We’ve covered everything from true crime podcasts, those that’ll make your commute less crap, to the best for mindfulness—and now one of our favourite attractions in Melbourne has created their own with Zoos Victoria launching ‘Fauna’.

While there’s no quick fix to turning your life into a Disney movie, there’s something to be said for a good self-help book. Whether you’re struggling with money, motivation, relationships or just keeping your room tidy, here are some of our favourite books to help instantly make your life better: 

Shape, change and challenge your everyday life.

Let's be honest, your commute to and from work is unlikely to be an exciting time. You're just getting from point A—B and trying to avoid that guy with the serious coffee breath in the process. Fortunately, our Commuters' Guide To Podcasts is here with your solution, offering you bountiful recommendations to escape the monotony of that dreaded train trip. And all tailored down to the length of your commute.

If you’re absolutely wild about Melbourne like we are, you just want to consume the world’s most liveable city from all angles.

Yep, a new Game of Thrones book is coming.

Fire up those downloads and let the LOLs run wild with the funniest podcasts out.

Let Snoop Dogg catch you up on all things pop culture.

John Green once wrote great books help you understand and they help you feel understood. Naturally, reading is a subjective process, but whether it’s learning how to live your best life, facing adversity to striving for success, here are ten books that will change the way you think.

Not to drag any of the hot shots on Netflix right now, but sometimes you just wanna kick back, hit up something that’s spoiler-free, and literally chill. There’s zero chance Facebook will ruin it for you—which means you can genuinely be surprised when a plot twist hits, instead of pulling the ol, “So that’s what that meme meant”. #firstworldstruggles

​All right, you true crime pervs. We’re back for another month of watching shows about real things happening to real people in real time. And there’s plenty on the menu. We’ve got a couple of golden oldies (Man on Wire, Amy) and brand new docos on everything from Nora Ephron to guys collecting coral.

Here’s our round-up of the latest wave of thrillers you won’t be about to put down.

You could say soundtracks are the make or break of a film…or maybe we’re just being dramatic…like a good soundtrack would be. Seriously though, think of an iconic movie and right behind your favourite quote, an even more iconic theme is wiggling its way into your brain. 

Once upon a time you actually had to leave the goddamn house just to have talking animals trot around your 20” Panasonic flat screen. Now that Blockbuster has gone A over T and you don’t even need to leave the couch to cast something from your phone onto the 70” curved-mirror-3D-smart-HD-interactive TV that takes up a whole wall in your bedroom, it’s easy to forget about the cheeky flix that first made you fall in the love with the silver screen.

​We’re currently knee deep in awards seasons, but while everyone’s going mental for the latest film to hit the big screen, there’s plenty to watch on the small screen from the comfort of your couch as well. And the best part is, nobody is judging your snack choices at home.

It happens every year. The Oscar nom's come out and all of a sudden we're expert film buffs. The list of flicks to watch spirals out of control, and inevitably we don't watch them all before the big Red Carpet. But this year's gonna be different. This year we can all be winners with this comprehensive list of the movies you definitely need to see before the Oscars air on 4 March (mark it in your diary now). 

They say truth is stranger than fiction, but those people probably never watched Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone. Nonetheless, there are a stack of excellent docos around right now. Maybe it’s the whole true crime trend, or the fact the world is slowly melting, but people seem to care more about real stuff now. That’ probably a good thing.   

Even though us reading enthusiasts will often agree how good the movie was whilst secretly agreeing with ourselves that the book was better, we could not be excited.

Put down that damn Jodi Picoult novel because we’ve dug up the best Aussie true crime books on the market just in time for Christmas, and Jodi’s latest heartbreaking courtroom drama is going to have to wait. Hours of bookshop research have told us that Australia is home to some pretty insane, real-life murder mysteries, and paired with a hot cup of tea and a few choccie bikkies, they make for a delicious night in this festive season.

As we wave goodbye to another year in television, we look ahead to 2018 and all the Sundays we’ll spend in bed on Netflix, eating packets of Clinkers with the curtains drawn. Some of the most notable revivals of 2017 were Will & Grace, Prison Break, Twin Peaks and That’s So Raven (look it up, that shit happened), and in 2018 we welcome some even juicier revivals on our screens.

If you’re anything like us you’ve no doubt worked your way through every true crime podcast there is by now, and you’re on an endless search to fill the void left by Serial, Shit Town, and Dirty John.

Video stores have been on borrowed time for a few years, once people started downloading their favourite TV shows and movies—legally, or illegally—the writing was well and truly on the wall. Your local Network Video, Blockbuster, or Video Busters started disappearing quicker than a plate of doughnuts at The Urban List HQ.

While we struggle through this complete lull in reality TV, we’ve been buoyed by the news today that there’s about to be a tell-all Bachelor book hit the market—and it’s been penned by the most recent Bachelor villain.

If you've not yet gotten into podcasts (seriously, what have you been doing?), this holiday season is the perfect opportunity to come over to the enlightened side. Way less effort than reading a book (read: trashy mag) or watching Netflix (because series binging requires a surprising amount of effort), podcasts also have the added benefit of being insanely entertaining and often educational at the same time—so it's wins all round.

Ditch that pesky social life and curl up with a good book or unhealthily addictive TV series. After all, Netflix isn’t a hobby—it’s a lifestyle choice.

We are ready. 

It’s true, guys. Triple J just announced that they’re moving the Hottest 100 countdown to a less controversial date.

Ditch that pesky social life and curl up with a good book or unhealthily addictive TV series. After all, Netflix isn’t a hobby—it’s a lifestyle choice.

Goodbye French teachers everywhere.

Ditch that pesky social life and curl up with a good book or unhealthily addictive TV series. After all, Netflix isn’t a hobby—it’s a lifestyle choice.

You’re welcome.

Ditch that pesky social life and curl up with a good book or unhealthily addictive TV series. After all, Netflix isn’t a hobby—it’s a lifestyle choice.

We’re well and truly in winter-mode, so it’s the perfect time to ditch that pesky social life and curl up with a good book or unhealthily addictive TV series.

Podcasts are like videos, but for people who like to actually get shit done while learning new things or being entertained. 

Winter is here, so it’s the perfect time to ditch that pesky social life and curl up with a good book or unhealthily addictive television show. After all, Netflix isn’t a hobby—it’s a lifestyle choice.

Just putting it out there—book clubs are officially cool. And no, we don’t mean discussing Wuthering Heights with a group of middle-aged mums over egg sandwiches. You’ll be pleased to know you won’t even have to put on pants or leave the comforting confines of your bed, for these clubs. Whether you want to delve into an easy page-turner or are keen to expand you mind with a more challenging read, these clubs have got you covered for both books and great post-read convos. Our only regret—that there aren’t enough hours in the day to join all 10.  

Netflix isn’t a hobby—it’s a lifestyle choice.

Winter's on its way, and music lovers are clocking-up a heavy appetite for live entertainment: warm and cosy bars where they can escape the chilly weather and experience quality local acts (some with more quality than others). 

Record hunting can be thirsty work, and all crate-diggers appreciate sitting down after an arvo-long search with a refreshing beer and their personal pile of vinyl gold. 

Thinking of starting or adding to your collection? Here are Melbourne’s best purveyors of vinyl records, stocked to the eyeballs with the best in psych, prog, indie, punk, metal, jazz, soul, blues, soundtracks, hip-hop, electronica, dance and many more.

We’re heading into the cooler months, which means only two things: hot milos and frayed paperbacks. And accidentally dropping your housemate’s copy of Jodi Picoult’s Small Great Things in the bath. So, to save you all time you could otherwise we spending heaping tablespoons of Milo into your mouth mug, we’ve put together a list of this season’s best page-turners.

Here are 10 awesome books coming to life on the big screen in 2017.

From Fitzroy, through to the CBD and out to Cremorne, Melbourne is covered in glorious street art that makes us swoon. 

Serial’s new podcast, S-Town is here, and they’ve released all of the episodes in one drop because they know as well as we do that everything is better when binged. 

We’ve teamed up with Wilson Parking to bring you this neat little list of the best cultural events happening in Melbourne this March.

There are few people that truly leave a mark, a legacy that endures the test of time, changing tastes and passing fads—especially in the fashion industry.

If anything’s going to tear us away from our UberEats addiction, it’s the allure of a well-known face performing behind the pans. We’re suckers for a good celeb cook book—who knew they could cut veggies like us mere mortals?

Ah summer! You are here and we never, ever, ever want to let you go!

​Summer, the perfect time to head outdoors stay indoors, with remote in hand, keeping cool in the air-conditioning from the comfort of your couch. Amiright?

For stationary geeks like us, shopping for a diary is one of the mightiest of pleasures that comes when the clock strikes the New Year, so we’ve done you a solid and rounded up some of the best out there. Time to show 2018 who’s boss, and organise the hell outta it!

It’s no wonder mojitos are the most popular cocktail of summer, they’re just so darn refreshing. Made with white rum, lime, mint and soda water, they’re crisp and zesty—perfect to see you and your mates through the hottest of summer days.

​We owe a lot to podcasts—they make our morning commute bearable, educate us on how not to be murdered, provide loads of comic relief and generally make us better humans. What on earth did we do without them? Listen to the radio? Thank god those days are over (soz Kyle and Jackie O).

​We were vaguely aware that we were courting controversy with our first list of the Top 10 Songs About Melbourne. I mean, we deliberately didn’t include any by Paul Kelly and we brutally decreed that Frente! didn’t make the cut. But it’s kept us up at night (it hasn’t really) so now we’re back with Part 2 of classic Aussie songs about this fair city of ours.

Well, it’s time to roll off that couch and turn off Netflix – this year is all about ‘grammable home cooking. Here are the eight cookbooks you need in your life.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is a truth universally acknowledged that if you are living in Melbourne, you probably have an opinion about music. But did you know that over the years, tons of songs have been written about this fair city of ours?

There’s never really a bad time to curl up with a good book, but the middle of Winter does make it an extremely inviting prospect. With cold nights and weekends fairly frequent we thought it best to put together a list of good reads so you don’t even have to think about it. So grab that blanket, find a good spot by the fire and settle in.

Surely there’s something wrong with your life if tidying up is going to make it better. Tidying is a life necessity, a chore, a grind.

We've really taken one for the team this month and included a few bits and pieces that won't break the bank, and WILL see you enjoying a night in on the couch. Stay warm, peeps. And remember, saving is for boring people. 

When one of the worlds most magical florists heads to Melbourne to create a permanent instillation using 150,000 preserved flowers, you know you need to get snapping.

Stuck for a date idea, gagging for a boogie, or simply fancy getting some cultcha in ya? Here are our top hidden gems for music lovers, from gig venues to vinyl hideouts.

Anyone who said that money can't buy happiness is really bad at online shopping. 

We’ve partnered with Bose to bring you the summer playlists from some of Australia’s coolest kids: the sisters behind Sydney fashion label Macgraw, world beating electronica band mates Atlas Bound, and kick ass Judo Black Belt, Diego Barreto.

When it comes to buying for the dudes in your life, picking the right gift can be tricky. A toolkit? A drone? Another pair of god-awful socks? Luckily for you, dear Lister, we’ve rounded up a fantastic selection of men’s gifts, from the thrifty to the bank-breakingly expensive. Looking to buy for a guy this season? Read on for some of the best men’s gifts in Melbourne.

Success is a mindset; if you want it, you have to work for it.

A little away from the quirky, university student population of central Brunswick, we’re not going to pretend East Brunswick is an entirely different suburb. But perhaps a little more delicate, a touch more refined and a smidgen quieter, it’s more than worth the extra few blocks east. Here are the best East Brunswick cafes, shopping restaurants, bars, and things to do.

There’s one thing my 28 years on this planet have taught me: ‘Adulting’ is hard. Sure, you might want to eat cupcakes for dinner and ride a micro-scooter to work and glue feathers to your forehead and generally make-believe that you’re 3 years old forever, but sooner or later, adult life will require you to pull your (matching) socks up and take responsibility for yourself.

A man in a second-hand bookshop once said to me, “Bookstores, they’re like little sanctuaries, aren’t they?” I remember beaming back at him and thinking good sir, you couldn’t be more right. It’s no doubt Melbourne kills it when it comes to food, drink and the arts, and we’d have to say the same about the city’s bookshops.

We dug a little deeper at South Melbourne Market and were blown away by some of the gems we unearthed - really excellent finds that we weren’t expecting. Here are our top 10 discoveries at South Melbourne Market.

There’s no denying we love the digital world—a magazine just doesn’t cut it when you’re Googling the latest café that’s just hit Melbourne’s coffee-obsessed streets—but sometimes, curling up with a cuppa and a good paper-bound read is just the ticket. That’s where magazines come in; the smell of freshly printed paper, the glossy pages, those long-reads that invite us to discover our new favourite obsession… Magazines are as perfect for idly leafing through while waiting for your Uber as they are delving into for three hours on a Sunday over a home-poured long black.

Along with food and drink, artistic events and live entertainment, Melbourne’s market game is rather strong. While you won’t be hard pressed to find food, fashion and design markets throughout the year we’ve picked a list of ten market highlights to kick off with this spring.

A Bloody Mary has mysterious powers. Mixed right, it can redeem all Saturday night’s mistakes and act as a magical cure for your hangover. Legend has it, it was created out of curiosity in Paris in the 1920s, when the Prohibition-era delivered lots and lots of tinned tomato juice. Another theory — with a pleasurable gruesome streak  — is that the Bloody Mary dates back to the rule of the ruthless Queen Mary I of England and that the tomato juice represents the blood spilled. Either way, this bitchin’ breakfast juice is one of the few cocktail recipes that allows the person mixing it to translate it into whatever the hell they want it to be.

Melbourne is blessed with an abundance of fantastic homewares stores. So much so that this city can be a little dangerous for those of with a design-eye and a penchant for browsing. We’ve spent many a weekend dragging our significant others through the best homewares stores in Melbourne, whittling down our list of favourites to just five. Clear some boot space; here are our fave 5 Melbourne homewares stores.

From some of Australia’s best restaurants and bars that don’t require a reservation, to booking a hotel on a whim (we love Booking.com’s new Booking Now app for this!), The Urban List editors in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane have put together the ultimate itineraries in and around our fair cities to help you be spontaneous wherever you go.

A man of many interests, Pulitzer Prize-wining LA Times food critic Jonathan Gold, visiting Melbourne ahead of the Melbourne International Film Festival screening of Laura Gabbert’s doco about his career, City of Gold, has also written extensively about film and music.

This gem of the West may only be 10km out of the CBD, but Yarraville has the friendly, communal vibe of your favourite country town. With a bakery or cafe located in every second shop, Yarraville beckons you to indulge in its cosy corners, great coffee, and sweet treats. But it’s not all about cafe-hopping, they’ve got some excellent bars to boot, and a smattering of well-stocked bookshops and boutique grocers. Without further ado, here is our pick of Yarraville’s greatest treasures.

If there’s one thing that Melbourne knows how to do well, (other than food) it’s markets. For the thrifty, the food truck lovers, the whimsical and the all round bargain hunters, these Melbourne markets are the best of the best that August has to offer.

Melbourne has some particularly ambitious gluten-free menus and there are dishes to be found in every laneway and speakeasy in the city, but which are the ones worth perusing a menu for? Presenting the top 50 gluten-free meals in Melbourne—breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks—from all four corners of the grid.

This month, The Urban List Melbourne’s Communications Executive, Sophie Colvin, has whittled down the things she’s loving to a lust-list of ten things.

Whether it’s food, fashion, books or homewares that are on your lust list, North Carlton is the perfect mix of hidden gems and established names. Simply take a wander through Rathdowne Village on a bright, sunkissed morning and you’ll be stopping every ten paces to check out this buzzing café or that tiny bookshop. Heading there at night? There’s a hive of epic wine bars and great pubs that’ll serve you some of the best vino to be found.

Some of winter’s best seasonal produce is available right here in Melbourne, Listers! It would be an awful shame to let it go to waste. Luckily, we’ve put together a list of 10 of the best Melbourne markets in July (it’s not all food, don’t worryyyy).

To help you whittle down July's must-do’s to a manageable number, we’ve whipped up the MINI Edition, counting down our top 10 things to do in Melbourne this July! How many can you tick off?

The Urban List and Suntory Whisky are giving you the chance to win tickets for you and three mates to a 6-course whisky pairing dinner...

Looking for things to do in Melbourne this week? Of course you are! Get ready for a meaty, musical and, um, philosophical week in Melbourne, Listers. Diaries out, ‘cos here are our top five things to pencil in for the next few days.

Dogs are fine and dandy, but when it comes to the style stakes, cats are where it’s at. Behold 8 of the best cat lady buys, miaow and forever.