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.

Chris Somerville is reading Train Dreams: A Novella by Denis Johnson

I was a big fan of Denis Johnson’s Jesus’ Son years ago when I read it, and possibly let it have a disastrous effect on my life. I’ve since followed Johnson’s career idly, not reading all his books but taking them up now and then. After having this particular one on my shelf for more than a year, and feeling bad about never reading it as it’s only about 116 pages, I finally picked it up last weekend.

In Train Dreams, Johnson covers a man’s unremarkable life, around the turn of the century, following his work on the railway line, then as a logger, then as a delivery man. There are no tricks here, although the events are sometimes presented in a straightforward, unadorned way. The times we actually get the protagonist’s opinion on things, which is only a handful of times, he comes across as a vaguely simple individual. Yet there are strange and wonderful visions too, with ghosts and wolf-like people, and touches of humour – especially the story of a man who was shot by his own dog, and our protagonist’s first flight on a bi-plane at a state fair. These moments are what make Train Dreams such a remarkable book, with moments of true beauty rising up out of the mundane.

Elke Power is reading A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

I have begun (barely) Hanya Yanagihara’s 2015 Man Booker Prize-shortlisted A Little Life. I’m not a terribly trusting reader, and with the number of books I need to read in my job I am on high alert for reasons to put a book down and move on to the next. I used to be one of those people who finish every book they begin reading, even if the book does not resonate on any level. Every now and then people suggested to me that finishing books I didn’t believe in might not be necessary; back then I ignored this sensible advice, feeling that to properly and fairly assess a book you had to read to the very end. Then, quite some years ago, I came across Estelle Tang’s blog 3000 Books and panicked.

I still think that opinions offered on books not read in their entirety ought to be openly qualified, but from the moment of realisation that my reading life is a race against the clock, I’ve taken the approach that there has to be enough merit, of one kind or another, in the first half of a book or manuscript for me to commit to reading to the end. Let’s face it, there are not that many books that, if they haven’t connected with the (subjective) reader in the first half, become rewarding in the second.

A Little Life is a huge brick of a book, a big commitment. It had me from the first page. Initially, I had no idea where the book was going – I had a few theories, but they seemed too obvious and insubstantial for a book of its size and ambition, I doubted them and I suspect I was right to do so, although it’s still too early to say. Despite my inability to predict precisely where I was being taken, I didn’t mind – indeed, I was glad – I trusted Yanagihara and cared about all the characters. So far this book has just pulled me further and further in – I love the writing, the humour, and the creeping sense of dread. There will be no bailing out halfway with this one.

Bronte Coates is reading The Diver’s Clothes Lie Empty by Vendela Vida

I started reading The Diver’s Clothes Lie Empty on a whim earlier this week and within about 20 pages, was completely caught up in the drama and mystery of the narrative. The novel opens with an unnamed woman travels to Casablanca and as soon as she arrives, her backpack (which contains her passport and other essential items) is stolen. From there, the plot becomes very twisty while the tension slowly, steadily escalates, making me squirm as I was reading. The story is in second-person which I usually find to be jarring but it works perfectly here. Vida skilfully deploys this use of perspective to increase immediacy but without straining believablity. Our reviewer told me this was possibly his favourite book of the year and it’s easy to see why – The Diver’s Clothes Lie Empty is an enthralling literary thriller.

Holly Harper is reading Mister Cassowary by Samantha Wheeler

I’m a few chapters into Mister Cassowary by Samantha Wheeler, and I can’t wait to read more. Flynn (not Flynnie as his dad insists on calling him) must help clean up his late grandpa’s neglected banana farm so the family can sell it, but in amongst the overgrowth he finds two baby cassowaries. With his new friend Abby, Flynn starts to unravel the mystery behind his grandpa’s death and why his father is so afraid of cassowaries.

I was a huge fan of Wheeler’s Smooch and Rose, and Mister Cassowary is shaping up to be another hit for readers aged eight plus.

Chris Gordon is reading Cornersmith by Alex Elliott-Howery and James Grant

I’ve been dreaming of long summer days where preparing dinner is as simple as turning on the BBQ, tossing together a salad and providing a variety of condiments. Then I started thinking about how virtuous I’d feel if the condiments were home-made by yours truly… And with this thought in mind, I took some time this week to concoct my great pickling plan. Using Cornersmith as my go-to bible, I kicked off my plan by following the authors’ very useful tips on preparing the jars. As veggies take around 3 months to fully preserve, now is the perfect time of year to clean your jars and fill them with brine and foods.

The first recipe I’ve made is ‘Pickled Fennel with Chilli’. There are no tricks here; it really is simply about slicing and stirring. It’s so simple that I moved on to beetroot, cucumbers and even apples. At the end of my cooking spell, as I was wiping the jars down and adding labels to them, I felt (justifiably) righteous. I’m sure I’ll be using some of these jars as sweet festive season gifts too.

Cornersmith – making it like my nanna.