10 books to get excited about this winter

’Tis the season to stay inside and wrap yourself up with a cozy blanket and a good book. USA TODAY’s Jocelyn McClurg highlights 10 notable new titles to watch for between now and April.

1. “The Girl on the Train” by Paula Hawkins (Riverhead, fiction, on sale Jan. 13)

What it’s about: Twisty thriller from the U.K. about an unhappy young divorcee who involves herself in the case of a missing woman from her old neighborhood.

Why it’s notable: It’s being called the next “Gone Girl,” and DreamWorks has jumped aboard by acquiring movie rights.

2. “Funny Girl” by Nick Hornby (Riverhead, fiction, on sale Feb. 3)

What it’s about: Set in swinging 1960s London, it’s the story of Sophie Straw, who rises from ingénue to TV comedian.

Why it’s notable: Hornby’s “About a Boy” is now an NBC comedy; he also wrote the screenplay to “Wild” starring Reese Witherspoon.

3. “Holy Cow” by David Duchovny (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, fiction, on sale Feb. 3)

What it’s about: A first novel narrated by Elsie Bovary, a cow who with her pals -- a pig and a turkey -- hope to escape their dinner table fate as they journey across the Middle East.

Why it’s notable: Holy cow! Who knew that Duchovny was on his way to getting a PhD in literature before he became an actor?

4. “The Buried Giant” by Kazuo Ishiguro (Knopf, fiction, on sale March 3)

What it’s about: Mystical story of a couple who set off across a “troubled land of mist and rain” in hopes of finding their son.

Why it’s notable: It’s the first novel in nearly a decade from the author of “The Remains of the Day” and “Never Let Me Go”; Kirkus calls it “a fairy tale for grown-ups.”

5. “Dead Wake” by Erik Larson (Crown, nonfiction, on sale March 10)

What it’s about: The sinking of the British ocean liner Lusitania by a German U-boat in 1915; timed to the 100th anniversary.

Why it’s notable: Fans of Larson’s best-sellers “The Devil in the White City” and “In the Garden of Beasts” know he’s a master of juicy, narrative nonfiction.

6. “World Gone By” by Dennis Lehane (William Morrow, fiction, on sale March 10)

What it’s about: A final showdown for mob kingpin Joe Coughlin, who appeared in Lehane’s best-sellers “The Given Day” and “Live by Night.”

Why it’s notable: Ben Affleck is set to direct a Warner Bros. production of “Live By Night.”

7. “At the Water’s Edge” by Sara Gruen (Spiegel & Grau, fiction, on sale March 31)

What it’s about: The “awakening” of a young socialite from Philadelphia who reluctantly follows her husband to the Scottish highlands during World War II.

Why it’s notable: The author of “Water for Elephants” returns to historical fiction after her diversion into the animal kingdom with “Ape House.”

8. “A Fine Romance” by Candice Bergen (Simon & Schuster, nonfiction, on sale April 7)

What it’s about: The memoir focuses on the actress’ marriage to the late director Louis Malle and her relationship with their daughter.

Why it’s notable: It’s been 31 years since Bergen’s coming-of-age memoir “Knock Wood.”

9. “Michelle Obama: A Life” by Peter Slevin (Knopf, nonfiction, on sale April 7)

What it’s about: A biography of the first lady.

Why it’s notable: There have been countless books (pro and con) about the president, and now his popular wife gets her due.

10. “God Help the Child” by Toni Morrison (Knopf, fiction, on sale April 21)

What it’s about: Novel explores the consequences of an allegation made by a student about a teacher.

Why it’s notable: Any new book by the Nobel Laureate (“Beloved”) is an attention grabber.