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.

Mark Rubbo is reading Madonna in a Fur Coat by Sabahattin Ali

I’m currently reading this novel from Sabahattin Ali, a Turkish writer and teacher who was murdered by the Turkish Secret Service in 1948.

When Madonna in a Fur Coat was first published in Turkey, back in 1943, it was largely ignored. Then, it was rediscovered by readers three years ago and became a bestseller. It’s the story of a shy young man who travels from Turkey to Berlin after WWI. He’s made the journey to learn German and to study the soap business – his family manufactures soap in Turkey. Even though he’s not the slightest bit interested in the work, he immerses himself in the life of post-war bohemian Berlin and ends up meeting a strange, powerful woman. This is a beautiful atmospheric book – think Elena Ferrante, Hans Fallada. It’s also a lovely production.

Amy Vuleta is reading Love Me Back by Merritt Tierce

I picked this book up first because I can’t resist a slick, small, new hardcover fiction with a nice spine; I opened it up and started reading after spotting the impressive array of puff-quotes by other writers and artists whose work I admire filling up the back cover: Roxanne Gay, Carrie Brownstein, St Vincent, and Jami Attenberg.

I’m only about 25 pages into this novel and am already feeling that familiar urgent heat that seems to be present in a lot of work by contemporary young women writing today. Think Lena Dunham, Abigail Ulman, Sheila Hetti. Merritt Tierce writes and shapes her characters in a way that promises to portray modern womanhood, and all of the problematic and loaded cultural, social, personal, and public expectations that comes with it, in an unflinching, honest and cutting way. I can’t wait to read on!

Robbie Egan is reading The Hand That Feeds You by A.J. Rich

I have just finished reading this eerie mystery, and it’s one that has a fascinating back story of its own. Author Katherine Russell Rich began writing the novel in response to the discovery of her lover’s shadow life – a life of multi-layered deceptions. Rich died from breast cancer before she could finish the novel, so two of her close friends decided to finish it for her and The Hand That Feeds You is the end result. The book was released last year but passed me by – I am unsure why, as one of the authors is the short story master Amy Hempel, a favourite of mine. The other author is Jill Clement, hence the amalgamated author name being A. J. Rich.

Now, as for the book itself… Creepy. Atmospheric. A page-turner. It reminded me of In the Cut, Susanna Moore’s creepy thriller that Jane Campion later adapted to film. I read it in a couple of nights and it got me thinking about victimhood, about men, about how we think about women. I also thought a lot about dogs, which you will find play a huge part in this book. It isn’t perfect by any means, but is far above the usual crime fare. Hempel brings a clipped, poetic drive to the prose which leaves room for the reader to ponder. My pulse quickened many times in the reading, and I stayed up way past my bed time to race to the ending.

In summation – an exemplary literary thriller.

Isobel Moore is reading Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

I recently started reading this forthcoming fantasy novel by Jay Kristoff. Illuminae (co-written by Kristoff and Amie Kaufman) was my absolute favourite novel of last year so I was pretty excited to check out his new one; I actually squealed a little when my lovely, amazing manager handed me an advance copy.

I’m not very far in, but I’m already really enjoying it. The main character and assassin-in-training Mia is tough as nails and takes no prisoners. Kristoff’s world-building is phenomenal and I’m pretty grumpy that I’m not reading it RIGHT THIS SECOND. Something hectic happened in the middle of the chapter I was reading on my way to work this morning and as much as I love my job, I’m still counting down the seconds to my lunch break.

Bronte Coates is watching Brooklyn

Colm Tóibín is one of my favourite authors, and Brooklyn was my gateway read – the one which sent me headlong tumbling into his full body of work. This story of a young woman, Eilis, who’s torn between her new home in Brooklyn and the small Irish village of her childhood, is one of Tóibín’s most famous works. And, like all of his stories, this one quietly and gently builds to stunning moments of vulnerability that left me gutted. I read it shortly after moving cities and the portrayal of Eilis’ homesickness was so acute it intensified my own feelings.

For all these reasons, Brooklyn has always been special to me and I was nervous to see the recent film adaptation in case it didn’t deliver what I was hoping for. Happily, it did. The film is beautifully-shot and the performances are deeply compelling, skilfully capturing the restrained quality of Tóibín’s prose. As I already knew the narrative, I wasn’t expecting to be moved by the film as much as I was by the book – but Tóibín’s story somehow managed to break my heart once again. Highly recommended.