Each week we bring you a sample of the books we’re reading, the films we’re watching, the television shows we’re hooked on or the music we’re loving.

Lian Hingee is reading Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link

I got Kelly Link’s Pretty Monsters from a mystery staff member as my Secret Santa gift last Christmas. This author is described as ‘a flat out genius’ by Holly Black and ‘almost certainly not human’ by Neil Gaiman. With such breathless endorsements from two of my favourite writers (plus illustrations from Shaun Tan) I had very high expectations. Pretty Monsters didn’t disappoint; the weird and wonderful stories about aliens and monsters and goddesses and ghosts are equal parts unexpected, funny, heartfelt and thought provoking. I’ve discovered that it’s impossible to leave a story half-read, and I’m sort of thankful that it’s not a novel or I would have been up until 3am last night polishing off the last pages of the book.

Isobel Moore is reading Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby

A few years ago I read three books on economics (a topic I have very limited interest in) and I enjoyed the experience a surprising amount. So much so, that this year I decided to pick out another topic that I’m not particularly interested in, read three books, and see where it takes me. So… sports!

Fever Pitch is the second of my three books. The first was Anna Krien’s Night Games. (Yes, this book does count as a sports book. I’ve thoroughly discussed – and argued about – this categorisation with my colleagues at St Kilda, and my final stance on the matter is this: if I have to google AFL to understand sections of the book, then it’s a sports book!)

I’m about half-way through Fever Pitch at the moment, and enjoying myself. This memoir of Hornby’s relationship with the football club Arsenal is easy to read and a lot funnier than I was expecting. I read High Fidelity when I was fifteen. I remember finding this novel a bit boring but looking back, I think I was too young to appreciate Hornby’s voice. The humour in Fever Pitch is very much appreciated now though. I think it also helps that I lived close to Arsenal for two years, and have vivid memories of catching the tube with tense fans on their way to games.

Nina Kenwood is reading The High Places by Fiona McFarlane

I’ve been reading two Australian short-story collections over the past week. First up, I read An Astronaut’s Life by Sonja Dechian. I have no idea why I didn’t read this collection when it came out last year, but I’m very glad I’ve found my way to it now. I so enjoyed Dechian’s stories; they were sharp, smart and wholly original, digging into interesting ideas from unexpected angles.

I’ve now moved on to Fiona McFarlane’s The High Places. I’ve only read one story so far, about a married couple who get into a car accident on the day of their wedding. I loved this story, and I can’t wait to read more over the weekend. McFarlane’s prose is so controlled and self-assured, I know I am in excellent hands.