Each week we bring you a sample of the books we’re reading, the films and TV shows we’re watching, and the music we’re listening to.

Lian Hingee is reading The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

I’ve been in a serious reading rut lately, unable to commit the time and attention to finishing any of the many books sitting in an increasingly unstable pile on my bedside table. I was moaning to a friend about my predicament. I asked her what was the last book she’d read that she’d absolutely loved, and before I’d even had a chance to finish my question she’d recommended The Hating Game. I bought a copy on my way home and was texting her my thank-yous within an hour of cracking the cover.

This clever romantic comedy is the first novel from Canberra author Sally Thorne, and it’s already winning praise and accolades internationally. Lucy (red lipstick, cardigans, heir to a strawberry farm) is following her life’s passion by working at a publishing house. But when a company merger forces her into close proximity with the antagonistic Joshua (blue eyes, regimented wardrobe, terribly intimidating) the office turns into a battle ground… of the sexy kind.

The Hating Game is pure, unadulterated, fluff and I enjoyed every single minute of it.

Nina Kenwood is reading The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel

This book isn’t what I thought it would be. I was imagining a twisty, fast-paced thriller with lots of plot, but instead it is moody, thoughtful and filled with quiet horror. It takes the well-worn trope of Protagonist Who Has To Return Home To Their Small Town To Face Their Past And Solve The Mystery Of A Missing Girl, and adds a slightly new and disturbing flavour. It reminded me most strongly of Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects, with a touch of The Virgin Suicides, and a few big dollops of something really sick and twisted all of its own.

While it may not be a fast-paced thriller, it is definitely a page-turner and I devoured this book very quickly. I thought the flashback sections to the protagonist’s past were especially well-done, and I was deeply invested in getting to the bottom of the mystery. Highly recommended if you like tales of dark and demented families, and have a high tolerance for creepy relationships.

Bronte Coates is rereading Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy

Earlier this year Philip Pullman announced that he would be releasing a brand-new fantasy trilogy that would overlap with his highly acclaimed His Dark Materials trilogy. (The first book will be called The Book of Dust, and you can read more about the new series here.) Like a lot of people, I was thrilled by the announcement as I adored the original series. I first read it when I was 15 and a friend’s aunt unexpectedly gifted me a copy of Northern Lights – I was immediately sucked into the incredibly intricate and richly detailed world that Pullman had crafted. The series changed the way I thought about my own world. In anticipation of the new books, I’ve just read the series again and I recommend everyone do the same. His Dark Materials is dark, thrilling, imaginative and utterly compelling.