Each week we bring you a sample of the books we’re reading, the films and TV shows we’re watching, and the music we’re listening to.

Declan Murphy is listening to Heroes to Zeros by The Beta Band

Finally available again on vinyl for the first time since 2004. This Britpop-era Scottish band produced brilliantly skewed pop music that set them both ahead and outside of their pack mates of the time. It goes without saying they sadly weren’t around for long…

Georgia Brough is reading Stone Girl by Eleni Hale

I’ve been reading our recent Readings Young Adult Book Prize winner, Stone Girl by Eleni Hale. It’s a heartbreaking first-person account from a teenage girl growing up in foster care and group homes – and an agonising detailing of how the system fails so many of our young people. But Hale handles this admittedly dark subject matter with grace and sensitivity. The characters feel as familiar as if they were there in front of you, and you can see so clearly how the main character, Sophie, is being shaped and affected by her circumstances. Stone Girl is a masterclass in empathy.

Ellen Cregan is reading The White Darkness by David Grann

I recently read The White Darkness by Davin Grann, which is an account of the life of Henry Worsley. Worsley was a former British special forces officer who died in 2015 after attempting a solo journey across Antarctica on foot. Ernest Shackleton was Worsley’s life-long hero, and Grann intertwines the stories of their adventures, drive and outlooks on life. This is a very beautiful book – Grann’s text is accompanied by photographs of the eerie landscapes of Antarctica, both from Worsley and Shackleton’s journeys across the continent. Worsley’s obsession with Antarctica was all encompassing, and Grann writes about this obsession in such a fascinating way. This is a moving tale of adventure and dedication that I can’t stop thinking about.