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.

Ann Le Lievre is reading Megan Jacobson and Kirsty Eager

The year for OzYA is exploding with some wonderful talent, and I have just finished what I’m sure is one of the best OzYA books ever! That’s a big call, but it’s a call I am very happy to make. Summer Skin by Kirsty Eager was fast-paced, challenging and unputdownable. The story is set in and around a Brisbane uni campus, with two central characters Jess and Mitch. Their relationship unfolds in fits and starts, there is no ‘normal’ progression of a sexual relationship here. It is lustful from the outset, however peer group pressure, alcohol, social media, all intertwine to cause complications and havoc. Eager has such a talent for portraying sex and lust in a blunt, realistic way. This is so refreshing and what I loved most of all is that Jess, the girl, is taking the lead.

From there (after a few day’s break where I couldn’t pick up a book) I launched into another gem. An OzYA debut, Yellow by Megan Jacobson. The fragile central character is Kirra, her life is a whirlwind of problems, huge pressure from both home (her mother is an alcoholic) and school (bullying). Kirra emerges slowly to find her own intrinsic strengths through a friendship with another girl, and a boy too, and interestingly, with the encouragement of her year 9 teacher. Some beautifully descriptive writing evoking a sense of place, a small coastal town, and capturing the tentative nature of young friendship.

Bronte Coates is reading Faces in the Crowd by Valeria Luiselli (translated by Christina MacSweeney)

I recently read, and loved, Scot Gardner’s new YA novel, The Way We Roll. Like so many of the best books that end up on my shelves, I was recommended this author by a work colleague. She lent me a copy of The Dead I Know, and I raced through it in one sitting, leading me to seek out more of his books immediately. Gardner’s stories of boys moving from childhood to adulthood, are subtle and realistic, often gently delving into tough subjects such as homelessness and domestic violence. (Gardner formerly worked as a counselor and youth worker before becoming a full-time writer.) The Way We Roll is no exception and the same colleague who recommended Gardner to me has written a rave review of this novel here. I hope she convinces even more readers to seek this author out.

I’m now reading Mexican author Valeria Luiselli’s debut novel, Faces in the Crowd. This story of translation, motherhood and ghosts is brilliantly strange and compelling, and has me quoting passages out loud – much to my partner’s annoyance. I’m looking forward to getting stuck back into it this weekend.

Chris Gordon is reading The Dry by Jane Harper

I’ve just finished an early copy of local author Jane Harper’s debut novel, The Dry, which is due for release June. What a tremendous, evocative read. The book’s plot is intriguing, even chilling at times, and Harper’s depiction of the Australian outback community is completely believable. Think crime – but not straightforward. Think bush – but not with long descriptions of gum trees. Think romance – but not with happy endings. I’m already wanting a follow-up story.

Ed Moreno recommends all three of his most recent reads

Dom Casmurro is a brilliant classic of Brazilian Literature. It’s a sharp, smart and witty mix of nineteenth-century social commentary and postmodern, authorial commentary. The first-person narrator’s voice and rambling storytelling style is rich and lyrical, tending towards excess at times, but only in the most lighthearted way. The plot revolves around a lifelong love story, friendship and jealousy. A+, 5 stars, top-notch, must-read.

Sergio Y. is an excellent, slim volume that I read in two sittings. This is fantastic fiction, and honestly one of the best pieces of writing I’ve come across. The writing is spare and strong, the details perfect, the pace measured and steady, the ideas rich. A psychiatrist relates the story of a transgender patient who transitions after leaving the doctor’s care. This is a great book about identity and the search for happiness.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is compulsive reading, a riveting piece of nonfiction that reads like a novel. This fantastic piece of research combines biography and medical science while dealing with issues of ethics and race. This is the true story behind one of the most important tools in medicine (cell culture), and the people affected by it.