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.

Bel Monypenny is reading Single, Carefree, Mellow by Katherine Heiny

Katherine Heiny’s first book Single, Carefree, Mellow is the most hilarious read I’ve had in a long time. This collection of short stories examines the complexities of love, betrayal and loss through the mundane absurdities of modern life: the logistics of an affair, the death of a pet, hosting a child’s birthday party, the loathing of a neighbour. These all-too-familiar moments are rendered sublime by that particular sense of the ridiculous that American authors can pull off so well. Her tight control of the comedic and tragic moments is so skilful it appears effortless. She cleverly makes you believe you’re reading something light, but hits you with such profundity that you want to laugh and cry at the same time.

Heiny’s wit is sharpest in the candid descriptions and discussions of sex, which playfully contrast the simplicity of the act with the complexity of its emotional ramifications. So don’t be fooled by the title – the stories show how sometimes our yearning to be ‘single, carefree, mellow’ can often make us anything but. They show how sometimes the more we seek freedom, the more we behave without regard for consequence, the more we tell ourselves everything’s fine, the messier our lives can become.

Heiny’s rare combination of wit and wisdom sees her characters juggle the mundane and momentous with heart-breaking results. This is a laugh-out-loud delight, and absolutely deserves a place on your summer reading list. And if short stories aren’t your thing, she also released her first novel, Standard Deviation, this year, which I can’t wait to get hold of.

Bronte Coates is reading Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado

In this exquisite story collection, Carmen Maria Machado blends horror, pop culture, fairy tales, science fiction and more to craft something that is tender yet brutal, surreal yet painfully real. Her stories explore the lives of women and the violence inflicted on their bodies in ways that are startling and provocative, often turning familiar stories on their head. In ‘Especially Heinous’, Machado reimagines every episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, while in ‘The Husband Stitch’ a woman refuses her husband’s entreaties to remove the green ribbon from around her neck – a reference to the popular campfire ghost story. This is such a gripping and immersive book, I want everyone to read it.

Chris Gordon is reading Hong Kong Food City by Tony Tan

Whenever I feel aspirational I start dreaming about travelling to various countries where I plan to eat and drink my way around. This is when treasures like Tony Tan’s wonderful new cookbook, Hong Kong Food City, come in handy.

Filled to the brim with stunning pictures of meals, cityscapes and busy streets, Tan takes you on a completely immersive journey into a city of dumplings, curries and seafood. His book has everything you need to ‘travel’ to Hong Kong without leaving good old Melbourne town. You will need a few small but important items: soy sauce, ginger, rice wine and loads of spring onions; a rice cooker and a wok; a chopping board and a knife. Invite friends and family over to enjoy the meal, and crowd them around your table as your home fills with aromatic smells. And I suspect that, like me, you too will be transported to a city surrounded by lights and mountains and seas.