It's ba-ack. Like many fans, I become disenchanted with 'Downton Abbey' at the end of season 3 (you know what I'm talking about), and yet again in the middle of season 4. That said, January is the absolute worst and the only thing that makes it tolerable is cozying up with all the good tv premieres. If 'The Bachelor' started at any other time of year I'd probably care a lot less, but right now it's 5 degrees and pitch black outside, so I need the escape very badly. Here are some books to weather the storm with:

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro -- Much like 'Downton,' this gorgeous novel revolves around an English manor house and its staff as they adapt to a very quickly-changing world, with narrative jumps between pre- and post-War England. An equally gorgeous film adaptation starring Emma Thompson is also a good use of your time.

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier -- Sumptuous and romantic and creepy and very indulgent, this is another novel in which a house functions as much as a character as any of the humans, most of whom are rather lifeless.

Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh -- In which a young London socialite accidentally becomes a professional race car driver, etc. People drink champagne and say things like, "Isn't it just too, too awful." More satire than celebration of the between the Wars culture of the Bright Young Things.

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton -- Just in case you're wondering what Cora's American family is up to in Rhode Island. I read a great interview with George R.R. Martin in which he drew the comparison between 'Downton Abbey' and 'Boardwalk Empire' and pointed out how the two programs are operating in the same time frame, and how together they give such a vivid and well-rounded representation of the culture of the 1930s. Edith Wharton was writing about a slightly earlier period, but think of it as the cultural milieu of Cora's coming-of-age.

Books For TV Lovers is a recurring post that rounds up a reading list of titles inspired by my favorite TV shows.