

#3877
Mentioned in 11 episodes
The Season
Book •
Helen Garner's "The Season" offers a poignant exploration of family, aging, and masculinity through the lens of her grandson's amateur football league.
Garner's signature unflinching style reveals intimate details of her own aging process and her evolving relationship with her grandson.
The book transcends the sporting context, delving into broader themes of generational differences and the complexities of human connection.
Garner's keen observations and witty prose create a compelling narrative that resonates with readers of all ages.
The book's emotional depth and insightful reflections on life's transitions make it a memorable and thought-provoking read.
Garner's signature unflinching style reveals intimate details of her own aging process and her evolving relationship with her grandson.
The book transcends the sporting context, delving into broader themes of generational differences and the complexities of human connection.
Garner's keen observations and witty prose create a compelling narrative that resonates with readers of all ages.
The book's emotional depth and insightful reflections on life's transitions make it a memorable and thought-provoking read.
Mentioned by




























Mentioned in 11 episodes
Mentioned by 

as her most recent memoir about a year spent celibate after 20 years of nonstop monogamous relationships.


Melissa Febos

138 snips
How To Rewrite Your Story, Make Peace with the Past, and Break Old Patterns | Melissa Febos
Suggested by 

for people struggling with old dating patterns.


Melissa Febos

41 snips
What a break from sex can teach you
Recommended by ![undefined]()

, ostensibly a memoir about celibacy, and also a memoir about self-reflection.

Rebecca Schinsky

38 snips
UPDATED - Our Favorite Books of 2025
Recommended by 

as an enjoyable read, despite some of its content being lost to time.


Russ Roberts

38 snips
Ian Leslie on Being Human in the Age of AI
Recommended by ![undefined]()

as a memoir about what she learned about herself and about love through a year of abstaining from sex and from dating.

John Williams

16 snips
What to read this summer
Mentioned by ![undefined]()

as 

’ newest book that examines the solitude, freedoms, and feminist heroes she discovered during a year of celibacy.

Lindsay Trout-Hughes


Melissa Febos

13 snips
#151: Melissa Febos — The Art of Memoir: Turn Life Into Art, Undoing Shame, and Choosing The Artist’s Life
Mentioned by 

as a book with a funny moment where Melissa Phoebus writes about her ability to turn on her charisma.


Elise Loehnen

12 snips
Chasing Love (Elizabeth Gilbert)
Mentioned by 

as one of the books written by 

.


Dan Harris


Melissa Febos

12 snips
How To Rewrite Your Story, Make Peace with the Past, and Break Old Patterns | Melissa Febos
Mentioned by ![undefined]()

, who quotes Melissa Febos' therapist about endless hunger.

Tara McMullin

11 snips
EP 498: Breaking The Validation Spiral
Mentioned as Helen Garner's most recent book, a story about her youngest grandson's Aussie rules football team.

The savage suburbia of Helen Garner: ‘I wanted to dong Martin Amis with a bat’
Mentioned as a memoir exploring pleasure in a year without sex after the author recognized her addiction to romance.

We Get the Non-Fiction We Deserve: From AI Empires to Wokeness Critiques to a Year Without Sex
Mentioned by ![undefined]()

as the book the episode will focus on.

Andrew Limbaugh

In 'The Dry Season,' Melissa Febos chronicles a transformative year of celibacy
Mentioned by 

as the book 

was writing in the early stages during the recording of the podcast.


Michael Williams


Helen Garner

Read This: We Went to Helen Garner’s House
Mentioned by ![undefined]()

as 

's book, which she describes as a nana's book about footy.

Sarah Kanowski


Helen Garner

Encore: Helen Garner's love letter to her grandson, and football
Mentioned by ![undefined]()

as a book capturing community-run sporting groups.

Judith Brett

Australia votes — what message should we take from this election result?
Mentioned by 

as the author of a memoir they will be discussing on the show.


Dan Savage

Savage Lovecast Episode 978
Mentioned as 

' new memoir exploring her relationship with love.


Melissa Febos

Should Romantic Love Be at the Center of Our Lives? (Melissa Febos)
Mentioned as Garner's most recent book, telling the story of her youngest grandson's Aussie rules football team.

Best of 2025 … so far: The savage suburbia of Helen Garner: ‘I wanted to dong Martin Amis with a bat’
Mentioned by ![undefined]()

as a difficult to read (due to it's homophobic nature) book about the Broadway musical being in crisis.

Isaac Butler

One Banger After Another Edition
Mentioned by 

when discussing the debutante ball and the limited career options for wealthy women in the late 19th century.


Waylon Wong

How American heiresses became Dollar Princesses



