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.

Lian Hingee is reading Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett

It’s been so many years since I’ve read Terry Pratchett’s earlier Discworld novels that there’s a few that I’m not even sure whether I actually have read, or if I only think I have. This one was published when I was nine, so there’s a good chance I did miss it and when I saw this gorgeous hardcover version on the shelves I felt compelled to grab a copy.

Equal Rites tells the story of Eskarina Smith, a young girl who accidentally becomes a powerful wizard and must fight to be allowed entrance to the all-male Unseen University. It’s a natural precursor to Pratchett’s series with Tiffany Aching in the way it puts a strong female character front and centre in a story about challenging gender roles and sexism. The novel also features the first appearance of Granny Weaterwax (RIP, sob) who is one of my all-time favourite Discworld characters, though Equal-Rites-Granny bears only a passing resemblance to the powerful and self-assured force of nature that is the Granny Weatherwax I’m more familiar with. Equal Rites was the third Discworld novel, and while it’s wonderful (of course it is) it’s clear that Pratchett was still finding his feet with the world. Like Granny herself, it’s gentler and less acerbic than later Discworld novels.

Sharon Peterson is reading Three-Martini Lunch by Suzanne Rindell

I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, or even by its title, but sometimes it pays to go with what looks or sounds good. It just so happens that I couldn’t resist picking up a book with a title like ‘Three-Martini Lunch’ and fortunately it’s turned out to be a great read. This second novel by author Suzanne Rindell is set in New York in the late 1950s and follows the lives of a group of young 20 somethings as they try to make it in the world of writing and publishing despite the constraints and prejudices of the time.

Bronte Coates is reading Songs That Sound Like Blood by Jared Thomas

Roxy dreams of leaving her hot dusty hometown behind to study music in Adelaide, and when this becomes a possibility, she grabs hold with both hands – and holds on, despite the challenges that come her way. This is a great coming-of-age story for aspiring teen musicians, filled with references to music genres, artists and songs. Author Jared Thomas is a Nukunu man from the Southern Flinders Ranges and, as he did with his award-winning YA novel Calypso Summer, he again confronts the questions and contradictions that teenage Aboriginals and Torres Straight Islanders come across in their daily lives.

Throughout the book Roxy contends with racism on multiple fronts – from a frightening interaction with police officers, to being forced to explain why it’s important that programs with an exclusively Aboriginal focus exist. She’s also dealing with being a teenager in general – how to balance her study with part-time work, how to decide what to do in the future, how to tell your family you’ve fallen in love with a girl. While this book doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable situations, it ultimately becomes a story of hope.

Ed. notes: This novel is being launched at Melbourne Writers Festival this year – find the details