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.

Jackie Tang is reading Kaleidoscope by Brian Selznick

There’s some strange alchemy at work at the heart of Brian Selznick’s latest middle-grade book, Kaleidoscope. For me, reading it felt like being submerged in wave after wave of emotion: love, grief, longing – all those huge feelings resonating through us in high frequency over the pandemic. It’s a collection of seemingly interlinked short stories or vignettes, each accompanied by one of Selznick’s trademark pencil illustrations. (Selznick is a master of understanding how the abstract nature of images can enhance the mystery of the story.) Names and images repeat throughout the book so I started it wondering how each story would relate to the others, trying to figure out the ‘key’ that would unlock its puzzle. There was always a boy, and someone – or something – named James. There were apples, angels, keys and ships. There was love, and also loss. By the end, I stopped my logical scrutiny and just succumbed to Selznick’s brilliance, feeling changed by its magic.

As a kid, I read a book of short stories by Margaret Mahy that has stayed with me all my life. Though it’s long out of print now, I can recall specific images from those stories with perfect clarity and the wonder they provoked in me. Kaleidoscope is that kind of book – one that will plant itself in younger readers’ imaginations only to flourish in surprising moments later in life. Some may be frustrated by the elliptical storytelling and the lack of clear answers, but for the right person, reading this will be a profound and glorious memory.

Aurelia Orr is reading Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

I recently read Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and I loved it so much, it got me searching for more horror (something I never thought I would do!).

Mexican Gothic is a breathtaking reimagining of a traditional haunted house story that I highly recommend to everyone! Moreno-Garcia seamlessly and expertly weaves together a grotesquely luscious story about the horrors of colonialism and eugenics that leaves you wondering just how far somebody would go to remain ‘superior’. It’s a frighteningly gripping read that leaves you awake long into the night.

Lucie Dess is reading How to Make Friends: A Bear’s Guide by Cat Rabbit

This week I read How To Make Friends: A Bear’s Guide and it has immediately jumped to the top of my favourite picture books list! I immediately fell in love with the quirkiness of Bear! She’s got lots of friends, if you count her toys… But she’s struggling to make ‘real’ friends. She wants to be friends with Koala and Lamb, but just doesn’t know how!

This is a story about learning to make friends without changing yourself to fit in or sacrificing your precious sticker collection! There’s some subtle jokes for the adults and plenty of funny moments for the kids. The writing rolls off the tongue when being read out loud and the images of the plush sculptures are unique and so much fun. This book was an absolute joy to read and needs to be on everyone’s Christmas shopping list!