Betting, Books & Blokes, with Luke Bateman

Luke Bateman recently fronted a Senate Inquiry into the Government's gambling reform bill. I caught up with him while he was in Parliament House to discuss his experience of gambling addiction and recovery, his love of fantasy books, and the role reading can play in young men’s lives.Luke is a former professional rugby league player, writer and booktoker and talks about masculinity, vulnerability, and professional sports culture, and why strength doesn’t have to mean shutting down your emotions.Luke’s book recommendations:Fantasy: Ice Station and Seven Ancient Wonders by Matthew Reilly; The Painted Man by Peter V. Brett; and Magician by Raymond E. FeistRomance: The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger; The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons; and Into the Blue by Emma BrodieDave’s book recommendations:Fiction: Greenwood by Michael Christie, Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson, The Word for World is Forest by Ursula K. le Guin, Dirt Music by Tim Winton and Where'd you Park your Spaceship by Rob Bell Nonfiction: The Will to Change by bell hooks