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.

Nina Kenwood is reading Harry Potter And The Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany

Like most of the world, I’ve been reading the new Harry Potter. I must confess: I’m enjoying it, but I don’t love it. I’m a huge fan of the original series, and it’s been a delight to get to spend time in the Harry Potter world again, but some parts of the book (play script) have made me rather mad.

I loved teenage Harry, Ron and Hermoine so much in the book series, but as adults in the play, only Hermoine remains awesome. Harry is tiresome, bratty and selfish, and Ron is immature, stupid and generally quite unbearable. Ginny is fantastic, but the real delight for me was Draco and his son Scorpious, who are both terrific and are the standout characters of the play. I am now #TeamMalfoy all the way (which, considering I’m a Slytherin, shouldn’t really be a surprise). I think the play raises some problematic ideas around relationships, time travel (IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE) and genetics, but those are arguments I’ll save to have with my colleagues and strangers on the internet.

Ed. note: You can find more thoughts from our booksellers on the new Harry Potter story

Leanne Hall is reading One by Sarah Crossan

I have just had my heart (willingly) ripped open by Sarah Crossan’s verse novel – which has won or been shortlisted for an inordinate number of awards this year, including being awarded the Carnegie Medal. One tells the simple and moving story of conjoined teenage twins, Tippi and Grace, as they attend high school for the first time. School delivers all the predictable terrors of judgement and spectacle, but also brings the possibility of greater freedoms and new friendships.

The fact that Tippi and Grace are literally joined at the hip is only one facet of a nuanced story told in beautiful and balanced free verse. Tippi and Grace have both separate and shared desires and identities, and their family of five is only very barely holding itself together. Crossan has managed to show the reader the specificity of being physically entwined with another human being, as well as exploring universal teenage experiences. I cried several times in public places while reading One (mostly on trams), and it’s likely you will too.

Bronte Coates is reading The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee

I’m halfway through Alexander Chee’s much-hyped new novel – an operatic mystery set in the Belle Époque era of Paris. When a legendary soprano is invited to appear in a new opera, she discovers the story is based on her own hidden past and must find out which of the four people who knew her secret has betrayed her. I picked the novel up thanks to my colleague’s rave review, and it’s exactly what he promised, which is to say that it truly is ‘stuffed full of plot, more plot, plot twists, melodrama, and lots of costume changes’. I’m having a lot of fun reading it and highly recommend to anyone who wants a big, juicy novel to hide inside of until winter is over.

Kara Liddell is reading The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis by Lydia Davis

I’m in the final weeks of my postgraduate study and have found that reading for pleasure is proving far more alluring than writing for academia. My procrastination tool/book of choice at the moment is this collection of stories by Lydia Davis.

Let me preface this by saying that for years I’ve had colleagues and customers recommend Davis’ work to me, and for no discernible reason, I’ve never read any of her writing. It hasn’t been for a lack of interest, she has always intrigued me, rather I’ve just been distracted by other authors. However, I’m currently experiencing excessive amounts of reader-regret. I feel as though Davis would have informed so much of my early- and late-twenties if I’d only read her work sooner. She has an innate ability to write about the awkward, uncomfortable, secretive thought processes we’ve all had in such a way that you don’t feel as though you’re alone with them anymore.

A majority of the stories in this collection are short (some only a quarter of a page long), often uncomfortable and always thought-provoking and strangely reaffirming. I’m taking my time with each story and I loath to finish this book. But, academia calls, I suppose…

Chris Gordon is reading Halliday Wine Companion 2017 by James Halliday

While it’s generally accepted that everyone is a critic, not everyone can critique with the knowledge and experience of the illustrious James Halliday. Move over Robert M. Parker Jr., we have our very own James the Nose that knows Best here in Australia.

The next instalment of Halliday’s Great Australian Wine Ranking Bible, Halliday Wine Companion 2017, has just been unveiled and this is very exciting news for those of us looking for advice as to the best wine on offer. My tip for trawling through the pages of wonders in this finely-tuned volume is to pick a budget for your wine purchase, whether it be $15 or $50, and keep it in mind while reading. The Halliday Wine Companion 2017 is also a brilliant travel reference for days when a drive to a vineyard seems the only task you could possibly undertake. It’s also marvellous for those hideous days when you’re in need of a glass of ‘full red’, with everything in abundance from tannins and alcohol to acid and fruit flavours. Mr Halliday, cheers!