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 She Kills Me by Jennifer Wright

Jennifer Wright’s collection of essays about terrible break-ups in history, It Ended Badly, remains one of the funniest and most entertaining non-fiction books I’ve ever read. Her second book, Get Well Soon, was an equally hilarious romp through history’s worst plagues and how they’ve shaped humanity. Wright’s third book (about murderous women) hit our shelves just before Christmas, so of course I snapped up a copy immediately to enjoy while I was on holiday.

Part history, part true crime, She Kills Me introduces readers to 40 pretty dreadful women including Elizabeth Bathory (16th century proto-vampire, literally bathed in the blood of virgins), Leonarda Cianciulli (20th century, murdered three women and baked their remains into cookies because she thought it would hep her son survive WWII), Tomoe Gozen (12th century samurai and war general). 40 murderers is a lot to fit into a slim little 176 page book and She Kills Me just scratches the surfaces of their stories, but the book offers a fascinating, witty, and fiercely feminist view of some of the most controversial women in history.

Gabrielle Williams is reading The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

I’m reading The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles, a road trip adventure novel with a bunch of charming, fascinating, real characters, flawed yes, but adorable nonetheless. I’ve hit the halfway mark and it pains me to put it down each night. This is magnificent. I don’t know a single person who hasn’t absolutely adored this book. Just … love!

Angela Crocombe is reading Once I Was a Nomad by Mona Bruchmann, illustrated by Samdol Lhamo Sichoe

I recently received a very exciting package from a very long way away and it included the beautiful picture book, Once I Was a Nomad. The story is written by Mona Bruchmann, who lives in Kathmandu and whose husband is a Tibetan refugee. Her business employs Tibetan refugees and local Indian women to sew dolls in traditional costumes and helps them gain skills and stay connected to their community.

Once I Was a Nomad is about a young girl who lives a traditional nomadic life on the rooftops of the world before being forced to leave Tibet and travel to India, where she starts a new life and meets the Dalai Lama. It’s a lovely refugee story as well as being a story about a traditional way of life that is so very different from ours. The illustrations are drawn by Mona’s teenage daughter and they are very beautiful in their depictions of this young girl’s life. It will be enjoyed by young children aged 3-7 and proceeds go to a very good cause.