Stay warm during this chilly season by snuggling up to Sun, Stone and Shadows, a delightful collection of 20 of the greatest short stories from Mexico from some of that country’s most popular authors. The stories were selected with the American reader in mind, and make a nice gift for international travelers, world history buffs and adventurous bookworms. Arts supporters also will appreciate it being a National Endowment for the Arts “Big Read” selection (the largest government-sponsored literature program in the history of the U.S.). — Allison Goldstein

Trip online: Amazon.com/Stone-Shadows-Mexican-Stories-Tezontle/dp/9681685946