8 books to read over the holidays

That chill in the air means it's officially time to hibernate. Here are the books we'll be curling up with this season.

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STYLED By Emily Henderson

You’ll be holed up at home for the next few months, so there’s no better time to rearrange your living room. Stylist Emily Henderson offers fun and practical tips to creating the home of your dreams, from how to restyle your shelves to nailing your personal style. It’ll be the boost you need to finally repaint that bedroom.

AFTER YOU 
By Jojo Moyes
If you loved “Me Before You”, then this sequel is already on your must-read radar. We meet Louisa more than one year after losing Will. It’s poignant, sad, funny and honest. There are less tears in this follow-up story, but for good reason. Moyes reminds us that even in times of great loss, there is still life.

MIDDLESEX By Jeffrey Eugenides

Calliope Stephanides is just like every other young girl teetering on the verge of womanhood and all that comes with it: crushes, friendships and a sexuality awakening. But this isn’t your typical coming-of-age tale. Due to a gene passed down through generations of her Greek-American family, her foray into adulthood comes with an unexpected twist: choosing between living as a man or woman. Expertly woven by Eugenides, it’s a story about staying true to yourself and the journey that takes you there.

BIG MAGIC: CREATIVE LIVING BEYOND FEAR By Elizabeth Gilbert

Live with passion and embrace what fills you with joy. This is the overarching message of Gilbert’s highly anticipated “self help” tome. You’ll walk away from this book inspired to stop doubting your own creative spirit and finally get started on that book/painting/movie that you’ve been longing to make.

OUTLANDER By Diana Gabradon

Claire Randall is on her second honeymoon after World War I has ended. She touches an ancient stone of circles and is transported back in time to 1743 when Scotland is war torn and run by clans. In order to survive, she must pretend to be a part of this old world to make her way back to her old life, even if it means marrying a handsome Scots warrior to survive. This romance and adventure story will have you wanting more, which is a good thing since there are seven more books in the series.

FURIOUSLY HAPPY By Jenny Lawson

Warning: do not read this book in a public place because you will be the crazy lady laughing uncontrollably. Fans of her blog, The Bloggess, will already be familiar with Lawson’s sharp tongue and quick wit. This book manages to take the complexity of Lawson’s personal battles with depression, loneliness and anxiety and tackle it with both compassion and humor.

LITTLE WOMEN By Louisa May Alcott

This much-loved favorite deserves a re-read this winter. And if you’ve never sat down with this classic novel, we’re jealous! Follow the lives of four sisters: bold and brave Jo, sweet and shy Beth, beautiful and artistic Amy and traditionalist Meg. As the sisters grow up and fall in love, they also question what it means to be a woman in post civil war America.

GOING INTO THE CITY By Robert Christgau

There’s been a lot of great love letters written to New York, but who better to pen the ultimate one than music and culture journalist Robert Christgau. You’ll live vicariously through iconic moments that Christgau has been on-hand to witness, from Woodstock and Janis Joplin at the Fillmore to CBGB punk shows and anti-abortion rallies. Woven throughout these envy-inducing tales is a portrait of his memories of a New York that for Christgau is but a distant, beloved memory.