12 best books to get you through winter

The Boy by Lara Santoro It's like a much, much more sophisticated 50 Shades of Grey, without the S&M stuff and lyrically written—so actually not like 50 Shades at all. The narrator is a recovering alcoholic and a single mother, who is drawn to her neighbor's college dropout son, the titular boy half her age. The 192-page book is a quick read with an ending that's both inevitable and heartbreaking.

Truth in Advertising by John KenneyPlenty of books are described as wickedly funny, but few of them actually are. This novel is one of the few. The most fought-over new read to arrive at Glo, Truth in Advertising is the story of Finbar Dolan, an adman slaving away for a diaper account and trying to keep his personal life together, after calling off his wedding and learning that his estranged father is dying. Let the hilarity ensue.

A Week in Winter by Maeve BinchyDissatisfied with small-town life in Stoneybridge, Ireland, a girl's infatuation with an American boy prompts her to run away with him to New York City. When her fairy tale doesn't go as planned, she returns to Stoneybridge and turns a run-down mansion into a charming hotel by the sea. Binchy's final novel (she passed away in 2012) invites you to spend a week with the hotel's first guests, including a movie star incognito, a married couple struggling with death and a librarian with psychic visions.

Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell With rich and vivid imagery, the chilling stories from the author of Swamplandia and St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves will linger in your mind long after you've finished them. There's the title story of a vampire in the Italian countryside who learns to subsist on lemons, a group of half-girl, half-caterpillar hybrids who must reel their own silk and a mutilated scarecrow that resembles a boy who's gone missing.

The Affair by Colette FreedmanTold from the perspective of a wife, her husband and his alleged mistress, this novel offers a glaringly intimate glimpse into a marriage. You'll feel sympathy for all of the characters as each tells their side of the story.

Tenth of December by George SaundersThis collection of ten stories has a sly humor that belies its deep sincerity. Saunders' characters may come off as quirky (like the naive teenage girl in Victory Lap who thinks her parents are awesome and wonders if you have to like push the milk out when you breast feed), but each one is strikingly real and human.

The Woman Destroyed by Simone de BeauvoirIn honor of the 105th anniversary of the author's birth, this book has been reissued with a sexy, updated cover that will no doubt draw in new readers. What you'll find is a gritty, not-always-flattering portrayal of three women, struggling to cope with their fading minds, bodies and love.

The Last Girlfriend on Earth by Simon RichFor anyone craving some comic relief, this offbeat collection will surprise and delight you. There's a re-imagining of Genesis, which includes God's needy girlfriend (she accuses him of acting distant), a love story told from the perspective of a never-opened condom, and an assortment of imagined missed connections from dogs.

The Aviator's Wife by Melanie BenjaminWhen Anne Morrow first meets the handsome Charles Lindbergh, she assumes he barely notices her. Instead, his invitation to take her on a plane ride leads to a budding romance. If you like your romance novels with a little history, plus some tragedy and betrayal thrown in for good measure, this fictional biography will keep you intrigued.

As Sweet as Honey by Indira GanesanAs the author describes her own novel, it's about a very tall woman who marries a very short man. The tall woman is Aunt Meterling and much of her story is told by her young cousin Mina. Set mostly on the imaginary island of Pi in the Bay of Bengal, As Sweet As Honey combines a bit of magical realism with a tale of family, culture and finding love.

The Love Song of Jonny Valentine by Teddy WayneWhether you love or hate pop culture, you'll be able to appreciate this wry novel narrated by an 11-year-old singing sensation dealing with fame and family troubles. It's your classic coming-of-age story set in a heightened version of our celebrity-obsessed, tween-worshipping society.