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.

Stella Charls is reading The Other Side of Summer by Emily Gale

I don’t read many books for kids and teens, but this gem by Emily Gale made me realise what I am missing out on. The Other Side of Summer completely stole my heart – I found myself caring so much for Summer, the novel’s gutsy 13-year-old protagonist, and was incredibly moved by her story.

There’s a lot to love about this novel. Gale weaves in storylines that involve music, mystery and magic, and you can read more about these beautiful elements in rave reviews from my colleagues Dani and Nina here and here. However, what really blew me away was Gale’s nuanced and heartfelt depiction of a family – their myriad relationships (complex and true), and the intricacies of their grief in the face of a tragic death.

Gale has written about the importance of books that tackle these heavy issues for kids and teens, and I highly recommend that anyone who finds themselves suggesting books for young people in their lives read her post here. I also highly recommend they pick up a copy of The Other Side of Summer, and enjoy getting lost in this heartbreaking but ultimately uplifting story.

Nina Kenwood is reading Music and Freedom by Zoë Morrison

Debut novel Music and Freedom is the beautifully told story of one women’s life. It’s also, as the title indicates, a book about music – specifically classical music – about which I confess to knowing nothing. This was not a problem when reading, as Zoë Morrison writes so well that I was swept up in her prose, and felt as though I myself were a pianist. But it’s not just a book about music – it’s also a story of a marriage, of power, pain, violence, hope, and opportunities lost and gained. I found myself furious at various points throughout this book, because I wanted the best for main character Alice so badly, and watching her life unfold in unexpected and painful ways was heartbreaking.

Music and Freedom is a moving, emotionally resonant novel, and an accomplished work of fiction. I highly recommend it for fans of Anna Goldsworthy, Anne Tyler, Stephanie Bishop and Elizabeth Strout.

Ed note: Come along to our Carlton shop on Wednesday 6 July to hear Zoë Morrison in conversation about her new novel with Alice Pung. Find more details including booking information

Chris Gordon is reading Wood Green by Sean Rabin

I’m currently enjoying getting stuck into Sean Rabin’s debut novel, Wood Green.

Set in a damp, isolated and woody Tasmania, the novel centres on the relationship between a young, quite strange aspiring writer and his literary hero. As their relationship develops, Rabin touches on identity and art – and all the big questions of what it means to live well and fully. I haven’t quite finished yet but am keen to leave my workplace right this very second and settle into those last few pages. The end is calling to me.

Fiona Hardy is reading To be Read at Dusk by Charles Dickens

For this month’s book club I sneakily chose something very tiny. To be Read at Dusk is a series of three ghost stories – tales of spectres, premonitions, and hauntings. There’s a woman who has nightmares of a man’s face before he appears in real life, a signalman who hears a warning bell ring that no one else can hear, and a juror on a murder trial who sees something he shouldn’t be able to see. While it took a while to get my head around Charles Dickens’ florid style, I found his stories genuinely eerie, unnerving and atmospheric – and I don’t want to go on any trains through tunnels any time soon.