Mel Campbell has a brilliant eye for popular culture, as anyone who’s followed her blog, A Wild Young Under-Whimsy, or her other writing will know. Her first book, Out of Shape, tackles the fashion industry on the issues of sizing, fit and feel, and is a smart, sharp mix of cultural anthropology, first-person journalism and online trawling.

Out of Shape isn’t a fashion glossy or a confessional. Rather, it’s a look at how the industry works on a social level: how what we’re offered influences what we wear, how what we wear makes us feel about ourselves and others, and what this signals to the broader social strata in return. It’s about bodies and ideals, reflections and distortions, gazes and doubts.

Most of all, it’s a fascinating examination of what popular culture and fashion actually are – a manifestation of both the lowbrow and the high. Campbell travels easily from dreamscapes of couture to Target’s latest 3D body scanning booth. She explores the evolution of standardised sizing, as well as fashion’s many waves, from Regency-era dandies to the queens of French gamine. From there, Out of Shape goes deep into the arteries of media storms and gossip rags – wardrobe malfunctions, slut shaming and plus-size modelling. There is as well a genuine love of materials and clothes, with savouring descriptions of garments and styles, films and fantasy: low-retro, mid-century glam, 1950s crinoline petticoats, rolled fringes and 80s excesses.

Throughout, Campbell is also savvy to the ironies and inequalities of where research can lead. The antique garments often housed and treasured in museums, for instance, will only ever represent the lives of a select privileged few, and not that of ethnic minorities or the working class. Stores often don’t stock larger sizes not because they aren’t aware that the majority of women aren’t a size 8, but because they deliberately want to restrict their clientele. This is exactly the type of writing that I love – intellectually charged, feminist and smart.

Jessica Au is the editor of the Readings Monthly and an occasional bookseller down at Readings St Kilda.

Now Showing is quick, punchy and pulls you from page to page like a series of explosions. That is, it takes you to the movies. Ron Elliott’s second book comprises of five long short stories – novellas, really – that depict a relationship drama in the desert, a botched mafia job, a post-office heist gone wrong, the mishaps of a gambler and a crazy sociopath who can’t handle not getting his way. All of this is peppered with sharp dialogue and plenty of guns – some of them homemade.

Elliott is a screenwriter by trade and these stories are the result, in his own words, of ‘adapting backwards’. That is, transforming his unpublished screenplays into prose. ‘They taste a little like films,’ he says in the introduction, and ‘if you don’t like movies, you won’t like these stories’. For Elliott hasn't just rewritten his film ideas in the short story form, he’s actually attempted to retain the cinematic nature of the original screenplays, focusing on the traditional three-act structure; short, crosscut scenes; a sense of immediacy; and the inscrutability of a character’s inner thoughts.

I confess, I was initially sceptical – but it worked. When I visualised the stories as if I were watching them on television, they really came to life. Dialogue and description that would've perhaps seemed wooden in a more traditional novel seemed incredibly vivid and convincing when I imagined it being enacted by the characters on my favourite TV shows.

Elliott states that the stories aren't for literary consumption, but are for reading while consuming popcorn, which I think is an apt description. The speedy, action-packed nature of the stories means you can read through them quickly without missing anything, and have clear, colourful imagery in your head at the same time. A very fun read

Julia Tulloh is a freelance writer and a PhD candidate in American Literature.

It’s the term of all terms for the year tens at Crowthorne Grammar as they embark on their school’s annual outdoor education camp, tucked away in the Victorian bush. As if it’s not enough to be surrounded by your classmates 24/7 and made to tackle the wilderness, Sibylla is also getting used to her newfound fame that stemmed from a perfume ad that she modelled for over the school holidays. Plus, there’s Ben Capaldi, and the kiss. Really, everything should be perfect, but as the term progresses and friendships and morals are questioned, Sibylla has to think about what and who is really important in her life.

Watching all this is Sibylla’s roommate Lou (from Fiona Wood’s first novel, Six Impossible Things). Lou is dealing with a death that has torn her apart, and she has decided to move to Crowthorne Grammar instead of going on exchange to France. Reserved and hiding in her own world, Lou finds herself slowly becoming more intrigued at the drama that is Sibylla’s life.

Wildlife is wonderful. Fiona Wood has once again created a quirky and intelligent novel for young adults, with characters that question friendships, learn that fitting in isn’t everything and tackle that scary thing called first love. Highly recommended for ages 14 and up.

Katherine Dretzke is a bookseller at Readings Hawthorn.

This is the first title in a new Australian series that focuses on children living in conflict zones around the world. Thirteen year-old Shahana is responsible for her younger brother Tanveer, the rest of her family having died in terrible circumstances. They live near the Line of Control, the border that divides the Pakistani and Indian-controlled parts of Kashmir. When Shahana and Tanveer rescue a boy who has come from the other side, they bravely choose to help someone their own age who is also their enemy.

Roseanne Hawke has lived in Kashmir and her first-hand experience of the region shines through in this evocative book. This is a challenging story for young readers, given its exotic locale and terminology, but the brilliant writing means they will quickly become invested in the story.

It’s also an excellent educational resource, with background details from the author, a timeline and a glossary, all of which makes for a more immersive the reading experience.

Angela Crocombe is the Children’s Book Buyer at Readings St Kilda.

Creating a recording like this is the work of a lifetime and I love that Pieter Wispelwey has included a DVD where he talks about the scholarly ideas associated with the project. It doesn’t matter if you already have a recording of Bach’s Cello Suites, or indeed six different recordings. This is one worth having on the shelf simply because Wispelwey is such an accomplished musician.

I have to confess I got very excited when I saw the selection of composers on this new album of Daniel Hope's. I mean, how do you create a line of musical ideas from Einaudi, Faure, Prokofiev, Jenkins and beyond? With the greatest of ease it seems. If you're familiar with any of these composers, you know generally what their style of composition is, but what is particularly sumptuous about these arrangements is Hope's mouth watering sound weaving magic in and out of each work. There is a very good reason he is insanely famous as a musician. I am completely hooked on this album and will have it on repeat as I travel to and from work each day.

What do you do when you've been on a DVD making spree? Somewhat like Opera Australia has been doing in recent years... Why make a 'best of' of course! This is great way to experience opera in bite sized chunks easily digestible after a long day at work or on the weekend inbetween doing all those things that need to be done on weekends. Beautifully presented, it starts with selections from the amazingly staged production of La Traviata which was on the Sydney Harbour – yes actually in the harbour. It feels like you're right there and then we move onwards and upwards into the realm of the gorgeous Lakme, through to the timeless La Boheme and more. What a gift to give to someone you really love or as a treat for yourself.