Best Books of December 2011

Whether you're sitting by a fire, waiting for a plane to take you home for Christmas, or locking yourself in a room for much-needed alone time, it's always helpful to have a good book at hand during the holidays. This month, you can indulge in a guilty-pleasure Housewife memoir or the tale of a wartime ballerina. Fiction titles, including a murder mystery starring the characters of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, also make our list of the most promising new books of the month.

And pick your favorite books of all time in our Battle of the Books faceoff!