One of my favorite things to do during the long winter break is read as much as I can. I am sure I am not alone on this, so I have compiled a lovely list of books ranging from new releases, popular choices, and delightful throwbacks to consider.

November was the time for people to come out with memoirs scaling from Anna Kendrick to Bruce Springsteen.

Most interesting of the bunch to me would be The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fischer where Fischer recounts diaries she discovered she had written during filming of the first Star Wars movie.

And also Trevor Noah’s book Born a Crime is a surprising non-fiction novel. As The Daily Show host talks about his life in South Africa from having to be hidden from the government as being born from a white Swiss father and black Xhosa mother was punishable of five years in prison to being free in a newly liberated country.

The Pulitzer Prize novel All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr has been on my to-read list for forever. The book is based in a World War II occupied France and follows the tale of a blind French girl and German boy as their lives intertwine after they make their separate ways to Saint-Malo. The girl and her father have fled to Saint-Malo with museum valuables they are trying to protect, and the boy is on a mission to track the resistance as a member of Hitler Youth.

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir is another great read that is quick to keep your interest. The book is based in a strict empire rule and follows two characters, Laia and Ellias, as one becomes a slave to the ruthless ruler to rescue her brother and the other is a soldier wishing he could run away from the empire.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell is also an easy and tremendously enjoyable read about a girl's first year in college and her adventures with friends, troubles with her twin sister, and questionable obsession with writing fanfic about her favorite book series. If you are trying to finish up your yearly reading challenge, like I know I am, then this would be a perfect choice as it is an addicting, quick read.

Another well-worth, short read would be Between the World and Me by Ta Nehisi Coates. The powerful read is in the form of a letter to his teenage son as he goes through talking points exhibiting the conversation centered around how the black body is treated in the country today, and Coates' own experience with it as a black man and a father. It might be the most educational of the bunch, but hey we should all expand our mind while we are wrapped in a blanket drinking hot cocoa.

And if all else fails and none of these books spark interest, just read Harry Potter or something, silly!