8 Must-Read Books to Get You Through Winter

The Grown Ups by Robin Antalek: The summer he's 15, Sam enjoys, for a few secret months, the unexpected attention of Suzie. However, at the end of the summer, Sam's world unexpectedly shatters when Suzie moves away because her parents are trying to save their marriage. Watching her parents' marital troubles escalate, Suzie takes on the responsibility of raising her two younger brothers and plans an early escape to college. Though Suzie misses Sam, she deeply misses her closest friend Bella. Years later, a chance meeting with Sam's older brother will reunite her with both Sam and Bella and force her to confront her past and her friends.

The Life Intended by Kristin Harmel: After Kate's husband's sudden death over 10 years ago, she never thought she would be able to find another love of her life. But now she is planning her second wedding to a perfectly nice man — so why isn't she more excited? At first, Kate blames her lack of sleep on stress, but when she starts seeing her late husband in her dreams, she begins to wonder if she's really ready to move on. Is her late husband trying to tell her something? Desperate to uncover her husband's hidden message, she finds herself at a sign language class and involved in the New York City foster system, where she finds rewards greater than she could have imagined.

New Uses for Old Boyfriends by Beth Kendrick: Lila Alders has gotten used to the good life after growing up privileged and marrying into money; however, her happily ever after just imploded, and Lila must return to her tiny seaside hometown. Her family's fortune is gone, and she is held responsible for picking up the pieces, even though she can't seem to take care of her own life. Lila slowly realizes that sometimes it's too late for old dreams, but when she can't seem to get a boy who she hardly noticed growing up and has now grown up into a mesmerizing man out of her head, her second chance feels like so much like a first love.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins: Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. She knows every aspect of the journey, even down to the couple that eats breakfast every morning on their deck — "Jess and Jason" she calls them. Then one morning she sees something shocking, in one minute everything has changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers the police as much knowledge as she has of the shocking event. However, Rachel finds herself inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as the lives of everyone involved.

A Bad Character by Deepti Kapoor: She is 20 and restless. Her mother died and her father just left for Singapore, and now she is alone in New Delhi. He is a few years older, and just back in India from New York. They meet at a cafe one afternoon, and she throws herself headfirst into a love affair that takes her where she has never been before. This unforgettable hymn is a story of danger, lust, and desire.

This Is Mexico by Carol Merchasin: A collection of essays written from the perspective of an American expatriate, This is Mexico shares the often magical and mysterious, and sometimes heartrending, workings of everyday life in Mexico. Written with a clear eye for details, a warm heart for Mexico, and an animated sense of humor, this captivating collection of essays is an insider's look at the blisses, burdens, and obstacles of life in a complex country.

A Fifty-Year Silence by Miranda Richmond Mouillot: A Fifty-Year Silence is an extremely moving and personal account into the author's journey to find out what happened between her grandparents in 1948. The pair survived World War II by escaping Nazi-occupied France for refugee camps in Switzerland; however, after five years of marriage and the exhausting events at the Nuremberg Trials, the couple split and never spoke to each other again. Miranda Mouillot abandons her future plans and immerses herself in letters, archival materials, and secondary sources at her grandparents' old stone home in the South of France to understand what happened between them so many years ago.

A Sister to Honor by Lucy Ferriss: Afia Satar is studious, modest, and devout. She is the daughter of a landholding family in Pakistan, and she has enrolled in an American college. She hopes to one day return to her country as a doctor. However, when a picture surfaces of her holding hands with an American boy, she is no longer safe — even from her own family. Her brother, Shahid Satar, tagged along with Afia to the United States in order to protect her from the dangerous customs of America; however, he never imagined he would be ordered to cleanse the stain of her shame.