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 The Stand-In by Lily Chu

I marked Lily Chu's debut rom-com The Stand-In as a 'must-read' as soon as it was announced in 2021, but I somehow managed to completely miss its 2022 release until seeing it in a round-up of great contemporary romance reads last week. I snapped it up immediately, carved out a few precious hours of free time, and proceeded to lose myself in this utterly enjoyable bit of escapist fluff.

Gracie Reed is a Chinese-Canadian woman with a predatory boss, a mother with Alzheimer's, an obsession with organisational apps, and a passing resemblance to Chinese film star Wei Fangli. When she finds herself suddenly out of a job and desperate for money, help comes from an unexpected source when a paparazzi mistakes her for Fangli, and the film star herself swoops in with an outlandish offer: to act as a stand-in for social events and promotions so that the actor can concentrate on the play she is in Canada to perform. With a wardrobe of designer clothes, an army of personal stylists, and Fangli's gorgeous co-star Sam Yao at her side no-one will be the wiser, right?

It's a wildly improbable set-up, but I'm a child of the 80's which means I grew up on this kind of parent-trap narrative, and I was in my element. The Stand-In is a fun, rollicking read with a pacy narrative voice, a big heart, a likeable cast of characters, and unexpectedly some pretty incisive things to say about the stigma against mental illness, about the bi-racial experience, and about what it feels like to be Chinese in a white society. It felt like the little sister to one of my favourite reads of 2021 – The View Was Exhausting – and it's perfect for fans of Crazy Rich Asians.

Angela Crocombe is reading City of Nightmares by Rebecca Schaeffer

During my recent holiday I picked up this YA debut set in a world where a terrible infection has ravaged the population. If you dream in your sleep you will most likely turn into your worst nightmare. Terrible monsters, mass murderers and vampires roam the streets.

An orphaned young woman is the central protagonist and I love that she doesn’t have any special powers – she’s actually terrified and haunted by her past, but she gets caught up in a plot that is much bigger than her. This is a clever, action packed horror story that I devoured in a couple of days. I’m definitely hoping for a sequel. 

Rosalind McClintock is reading Friday Barnes Undercover by R.A. Spratt

I am reading Friday Barnes Undercover with my child in preparation for starting the new book in the series, Friday Barnes Last Chance. If you haven't read any of these yet, please do! R.A. Spratt is a genius, she used to write for Good News Week, so knows how to keep the pace quick and the jokes coming, while remaining smart and engaging.

I truly love these books about the young detective as much as my child.