The holiday season can be hectic. Whether you love November and December or dread the string of parties and get-togethers, all of us have moments when we could use some comic relief. These holiday books are witty, sometimes moving and often laugh out loud funny.

_{Cover Photo Courtesy Hachette Book Group}

In the next couple months, many of us will be traveling or taking some time off from work. Even if you can't go somewhere exotic over the holidays, you can still visit a far off place through great fiction. Here are four Books about India that are full of love, adventure and intrigue.

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Pat Conroy, bestselling author of novels including Prince of Tides and Beach Music, has made his fans wait fourteen years for his newest novel. South of Broad is a rambling novel about Charleston, South Carolina and a group of unlikely friends who weather life's storms together. While South of Broad offers definite charms, it lacks the charisma of some of his earlier novels.

• Read a complete review of South of Broad by Pat Conroy

_{Cover Photo Courtesy Knopf}

Wondering what not to read? Every year there are books that just don't match their hype. These titles are often prominently displayed in bookstores, but don't be fooled -- good marketing does not a good book make. Here are the most disappointing books from 2009 along with suggestions for books in the same genres that would be better choices.

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Pulp ER Fiction. Ever wondered what would happen if Michael Crichton and Quentin Tarantino hatched an idea and then coated it in violence and wit? No worries. Josh Bazell is their offspring. Bazell's debut novel, which was released earlier this year, is available in paperback for those who need an escape from holiday cheer.

• Read a complete review of Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell
• Beat the Reaper Book Club Discussion Questions

_{Cover Photo Courtesy Little, Brown}

The Wild Things is perhaps a 300-page masterpiece that matches the 9-sentence version Maurice Sendak wrote so many years ago. Of course, it all depends if you're willing to think as a child again when you read it. Dave Eggers helps the reader do so with the wonderfully conflicted Max, all dangerously mischievous and spiteful boy, full of vim and vigor. He lives with his divorced mother and teenage sister as a lone cub who's wondering if he's the only one who knows how to truly have fun anymore...or if anyone really gets him or loves him at all.

• Read a complete review of The Wild Things by Dave Eggers
• The Wild Things Book Club Discussion Questions

_{Cover Photo Courtesy McSweeney's}

It is the time of year when lots of big movies are hitting theaters, trying to make end of year Oscar bids. Every year, several of these movies are based on books, adding fuel to the debate about whether movies based on books are ever as good as the books themselves. Wondering what you should read before you see? Here are some of the biggest movie releases based on books for 2009.

_{Cover Photo Courtesy Knopf Doubleday}

As a young sociology graduate student at the University of Chicago, Sudhir Venkatesh spent much of about seven years hanging out in and learning about a Chicago housing project and the Black Kings gang that dominated it. Gang Leader for a Day is one of the author's books recording these experiences. It is a gripping account of a slice of life most readers will never experience and contains significant insights into the workings of gangs and impoverished urban communities.

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Audrey Niffenegger's first novel, The Time Traveler's Wife, had such a unique premise and structure that it was difficult to imagine how she would follow it up. In Her Fearful Symmetry, Niffenegger once again takes a premise that sounds like it would be classified as science fiction or fantasy and writes it in such a way that it will appeal to those who do not normally read that genre. Indeed, even though Her Fearful Symmetry is a ghost story, at heart it is a story of family dynamics and love. It is a very satisfying second novel, and the perfect read for a cold November night.

• Read a complete review of Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
• Her Fearful Symmetry Book Club Discussion Questions

_{Cover Photo Courtesy Simon & Schuster}

November does not have as many releases as September and October, but there will be no shortage of novels from heavy hitters -- Michael Crichton's first post-mortem release, a collection of stories from John Grisham, a 1000+ page epic novel from Stephen King and an autobiography from Sarah Palin.

• November New Releases Calendar

_{Cover Photo Courtesy HarperCollins}