In this edition, The Good Oil has gathered recommendations from some of our readers and writers on what to read, watch and listen to over Christmas and the New Year.
There is something for everyone in this list of recommendations, which are sure to enrich your mind and spirit.
Recommended by Patty Fawkner
QBD Books.
Read: The Time of the Child by Niall Williams. Having delighted in Williams’ So This is Happiness, I eagerly read his next novel and loved it. The Time of the Child is written in Williams’ artful lyrical style. I warmed to the wise (but not always) Dr Jack Troy, the glue of village life, and his daughter Ronnie. As Ronnie’s maternal instincts flourish in caring for a foundling, our own deep empathy and compassion is evoked. The other villagers are real ‘characters’ drawn with sympathy and affection, and without a sniff of sentimentality. The memorable final scene of the Christmas Mass is Irish humanitas at its best. A Christmas treat, or simply a treat, awaits those who read this beautiful book. (QBD Books)
Watch: The four-part Netflix series, Adolescence is a searing story, superbly acted. It explores the moral complexities evoked by a toxic mix of social media, misogyny and the early sexualisation of children and teens. (Netflix)
Listen: Conversations with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski on ABC Listen. Each interview tells an extraordinary story, often of a very ordinary Australian.
Recommended by Bill Farrelly
ABC.
Watch: With the world seemingly saturated with depressing news this series, The Assembly hosted by Leigh Sales quite likely had God dancing around the Garden of Eden. A bunch of Macquarie University would-be journalists, each one on the spectrum, is given the opportunity to throw un-edited questions at famous people including Maggie Beer, Delta Goodrem, Amanda Keller, Steve Waugh, Adam Goodes and Anthony Albanese. None of the famous guests knows what is going to be thrown at them. It made me laugh and cry and, sometimes, both at the same time, which is a bit tricky. Television at its best. (ABC iview)
Listen: Eckhart Tolle: Findhorn Retreat: Stillness Amidst the World. If you can listen to this spiritual guru without laughing out loud you may be, with great respect, made of stone. And his wisdom astounds. A taste (this one not humorous): “There is nothing more beautiful in life than a failed story.” (Google Play Books)
Read: Teilhard’s Struggle: Embracing the Work of Evolution, by Kathleen Duffy SSJ, is the fascinating and moving story of Jesuit priest, scientist and mystic Pierre Teilhard de Chardin who laboured to integrate the insights of evolution with his Catholic faith, and who experienced ongoing conflicts with Church authorities. (Garratt Publishing)
Recommended by Fiona Dyball
Rufous Whistler.
Listen: National Panic by Victoria’s Rufous Whistler is a folk-inspired collection of striking original songwriting. From songwriter and lead singer Vinny Russell: “This record is about movement – internal and external. It’s about feeling unsteady in a shifting world, and the things we cling to when everything feels chaotic.” Music available on the band’s website, streaming platforms and YouTube.
Watch: The documentary Prime Minister follows former New Zealand leader Jacinda Ardern and her family from 2017-23. It’s a surprising and intimate portrait of leadership, and the web of human relationships that sustain beyond news cycles and headlines. (HBO Max)
Read: Inside a Blessing by Clare Locke is a collection of short prayers, poems and reflections with both Australian and universal resonances: there are echoes of Mary Oliver in Clare’s beautiful and spare writing. Clare opens a window on her world, while also inviting the reader to notice their own daily, ordinary, radiant blessings. Available from a range of Australian online booksellers.
Recommended by Walter Fogarty
The Golden Bay.
Read: The Golden Bay by Amy Chua. An impulse purchase when my holiday reading ran out, Chua’s debut novel takes you to Berkeley and San Francisco of the 1930s and 40s. A Yale law professor, Chua employs a clear engaging narrative, weaving intricate strands of crime, corruption, actual events and social commentary, without ever lecturing. Her mixed-race protagonist Detective Al Sullivan has ‘left behind’ his Jewish-Mexican background to ‘act white’, furthering his career. His resulting internal tension grows as Sullivan investigates the assassination of a former presidential candidate and industrialist, exposing social divisions and prejudice on all sides of the social divide, with a subtle critique of today’s society. (amychua.com)
Watch: Marcial Merciel. The Wolf of God (2025). A chilling and challenging docu-series on the founder of the Legion of Christ who, because of his rich conservative Catholic benefactors, had access to the Church’s upper echelons. His decades of abuse went largely unchallenged. What can we learn? (HBO Max)
Listen: Bach: 6 Partitas by Canadian pianist Angella Hewitt. Played on a modern piano with sensitive understanding and passion. (Hyperion Records)
Recommended by Lauren Thomasse
Matilda.
Watch: Matilda (1996). A joyful classic for the whole family, Matilda combines magic, mischief and heart. The film’s bright humour, memorable characters and feel-good triumph make it perfect summer-holiday viewing with kids of all ages. (Netflix)
Listen: The Deluge by Bernard Fanning and Paul Dempsey. Moody, atmospheric and richly layered, The Deluge blends introspective lyrics with sweeping indie-rock arrangements. Two of Australia’s finest rock musicians, Bernard Fanning and Paul Dempsey, create a dark-gold, melodic soundscape that feels both intimate and cinematic. Ideal for reflective summer evenings. (Youtube)
Read: The Elegance of the Hedgehog. Muriel Barbery’s novel follows the hidden inner worlds of a Parisian concierge and a precocious 12-year-old girl. Beneath its gentle humour lies a beautiful meditation on art, class, loneliness and the quiet brilliance in ordinary lives. Thoughtful, warm and subtly philosophical, it is the kind of book that lingers long after you close it. (QBD Books)
Recommended by Terry Fewtrell
The Cosmic Vision of Teilhard de Chardin.
Read: The Cosmic Vision of Teilhard de Chardin. If you ever tried to understand the writing of Teilhard de Chardin, and like most gave up, then read this book as John Haught unpacks his thinking and theology. Haught, one of a growing group of latter day Teilhard scholars, clarifies and explores Teilhard’s thought in very readable terms.
He applies the essence of Chardin’s theology to the world of contemporary science in an evolving cosmos. In Haught’s hands, Teilhard instructs us what it means to live in a universe that is not yet fully created and whose cosmic and biological evolution lead us to reconsider the idea of God. This book is about the future of a theology with irresistible relevance to humanity. (Pauline Books)
Watch: The four-part series Leonardo da Vinci unravels the mysteries and expansive talent of one of humanity’s most amazing minds. Like the man himself the series is deep, insightful and sensuous as it explains how and why the artist continues to influence and inspire generations. (SBS On Demand)
Listen: To any Sibelius symphony and be swept away as the big ideas of life contest for resolution and peace.
Recommended by Marie Mohr
A Room Made of Leaves.
Read: A Room Made of Leaves by Kate Grenville is a richly imaginative Australian historical novel that re-centres Elizabeth Macarthur, offering a sharp, witty and quietly subversive voice to a woman long overshadowed by colonial myth. Framed as a fictional memoir, it blends documented history with inventive storytelling to reveal a believable inner life behind Elizabeth’s polite façade. The writing is elegant and vivid, drawing out the textures of early settler society while critiquing its power dynamics. Rather than simply retelling history, the novel invites readers to question whose stories endure. A refreshing and thought-provoking re-imagining of an often-forgotten woman. (kategrenville.com.au)
Watch: Mr Burton is a portrait of how a rough Welsh schoolboy was transformed into the legendary actor Richard Burton. (Prime Video)
Listen: In her role as Founder and Chair of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership, Julia Gillard presents A Podcast of One’s Own. She hosts thoughtful, insightful and deeply engaging conversations with women leaders who are advancing gender equality across the globe, often highlighting remarkable work you may never have heard about. (Apple)
Recommended by Kevin Liston
The Afternoon of Christianity.
Read: In The Afternoon of Christianity: The Courage to Change, Tomas Halik brings a prodigious sweep of history, deeply perceptive theological knowledge and an ecclesiology of love to his analysis of the state of the Catholic Church today. He confronts the hard issues such as declining numbers among Catholics, the gap between Church teaching and the practices of its people, the turn from collective creeds to personal spirituality and the epochal changes of our times. Faith is the bedrock of Christianity but, ‘Is our Church adequately equipped and prepared in mind and heart for the task before us?’ He suggests that the future of ministry lies in accompaniment of seekers rather than reassuring dwellers. (University of Notre Dame Press)
Listen: The significance of Bernard Lonegan for theology today. Jeremy Wilkins, Professor of Theology at Boston College, claims that the central issue in theology today is the adequacy of theologians to their task. Current levels of theological literacy among Catholics are not sufficient to meet the questions of our times, let alone benefit from the opportunities. Theologians need to step up. Warning: This is not something to be listened to while watching the cricket. (Youtube)
Watch: Father meets his children’s killer | Extraordinary moment inside maximum-security prison. Go inside a maximum-security prison for an unforgettable meeting between two men – a father who lost his three children meets the man who killed them.
Samuel Davidson was three times over the legal alcohol limit, drug-affected and out of control when the ute he was driving mounted a footpath and mowed down seven children. Parents Danny and Leila Abdallah publicly forgave him. Now, Danny Abdallah’s forgiveness reaches even deeper. (7NEWS Spotlight)
This article was published in the December 2025 edition of The Good Oil.
