10 (Make That 11) Book Recommendations for the Season

Most of these books have been around for years but some are far less known than others. All are excellent and should be considered.

1. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel's novel about Thomas Cromwell's perils in the court of Henry VIII should please anyone who likes historical fiction. Her sequel, Bring Up the Bodies, is equally good.
2. Mendelssohn Is On the Roof by Jiri Weil. An unusual novel, written by a Holocaust survivor, that is set in the madness of  Nazi-occupied Prague. It has a surprising amount of humor.
3. When a Crocodile Eats the Sun by Peter Godwin. A nonfiction view of life in Mugabe's Zimbabwe.
4. A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby. What happens when a group of suicidal strangers happen to meet on New Year's Eve? This will have you thinking when you're not laughing.
5. One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer by Nathaniel Fick. One of the best books on leadership out there.
6. The Known World by Edward P. Jones. Black slave-owners are just part of this intriguing novel about slavery in the Old South.
7. White Teeth by Zadie Smith. Modern, multi-cultural London blends and collides. Beautifully written.
8. Journey Into Fear by Eric Ambler. Istanbul and suspense by an old master.
9. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray. Just because it is a classic doesn't mean it's not a thoroughly enjoyable book. Plus it has one of the greatest female villains in literature.
10. The Road Home: A Novel by Rose Tremain. An Eastern European immigrant winds up in a restaurant in London. His life changes. A rich novel.