I've got a confession to make. I secretly love rainy days. When else can you curl up next to the fire with a book all day with the perfect excuse as to why you don't want to go out? So next time the forecast calls for rain, pull up this list of books that were curated with less-than-stellar weather in mind. From ghost stories to politics and everything in between, these rainy day reads were made for cozying up with (cup of cocoa optional). So, what are you waiting for? Let's dig in!
The Passenger by Lisa Lutz
A woman on the run, creating new identities as she goes. What’s she running from? Can you ever truly outrun your past? The Passenger [4] is a perfect rainy day read —provided, of course, you aren’t planning to leave your house, since this is a page-turner that is utterly impossible to put down.
Margot by Jillian Cantor
Spend your rainy day comtemplating what-ifs. What if Anne Frank’s sister, Margot, did not die in a concentration camp, as reported, but instead was living in America, passing as a Gentile? Margot [5] will keep you turning the pages as you wonder: will she be found out? And is a happy ending possible for someone who’s endured so much?
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
Are you looking to be inspired on your rainy day? Look no further than Big Magic [6], which is full of brilliant insights on how to live your most creative life. Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the mega bestseller Eat Pray Love [7], will empower you to listen to your muse, and infuse your everyday life with more passion.
Ruin Me by Jamie Brenner
What happens when you mix the glamorous art world with the gritty street art scene? You get Ruin Me [8], a modern update of Beauty and the Beast. Rainy days are perfect for those books you just can’t put down, and you’ll tear through Ruin Me in just one day. (But you just might want to read those sexy scenes over and over again . . .)
The Secret Language of Stones by MJ Rose
Sometimes a rainy day calls for getting under the covers and diving into a ghost story. The Secret Language of Stones [9] delivers with a tale of magic, love, and the healing power of jewelry.
Results May Vary by Bethany Chase
Think your life is full of drama? Sometimes rainy days give us a chance to forget all about our own life dramas. Dive into Results May Vary [10], where art curator Caroline Hammond discovers her husband is having an affair. With a man.
The Hopefuls by Jennifer Close
Election getting you down? Check out The Hopefuls [11], Jennifer Close’s funny and insightful novel about a woman who follows her husband and his political aspirations to DC. This rainy day read will take your mind off real-life politics for a while.
Siracusa by Delia Ephron
While it rains outside, you can be inside, dreaming of a vacation in Italy. The story follows two couples whose marriages are unraveling while on vacation in Siracusa [12]. Told in the incredible Delia Ephron’s perfect prose, this story of marriage and deceit will have you reading until the sun comes back out.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Be transported to another time and place with The Night Circus [13], a story of two young magicians immersed in a dangerous competition. This sweeping, gorgeously written love story will enthrall you, and make you wish that the night circus was a real place you could visit.
The Inn at Lake Devine by Elinor Lipman
In The Inn at Lake Devine [14], it’s Summer in the early '60s, and young Natalie Marx is obsessed with the fact that her mother gets a letter from the titular inn, explaining that those who feel most comfortable there are Gentiles. Natalie’s fixation with the inn will have a lasting impact on her life. You won’t regret spending a rainy day with Natalie.
You’ll Grow Out of It by Jessi Klein
Maybe you just want to laugh on a rainy day. A lot. Pick up Jessi Klein’s collection of essays, You’ll Grow Out of It [15], and get ready to view the world in a much funnier way. Baths? You’ll never think of them the same way again . . .
Bittersweet by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore
When scholarship student Mabel gets invited to her blue-blooded friend’s compound for the Summer, she finally feels like she fits in. She has everything she ever wanted: friendship, a boyfriend, and access to massive wealth. Bittersweet [16] will let you feel the Summer sun on your skin as you read about how the ultrarich vacation and keep secrets.
Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple
What would a rainy day be without a book that takes place in Seattle? Get ready to fall in love with the titular character of Where'd You Go, Bernadette [17], who disappears two days before a family trip to Antarctica. Her devoted daughter, Bee, reads through email messages, official documents, and even secret correspondence to find out where her mother has gone. This smart, hilarious novel will go straight to your heart.
The Opposite of Love by Julie Buxbaum
Do rainy days throw you into an existential crisis? Meet Emily, the protagonist of The Opposite of Love [18], who breaks up with her boyfriend just as he’s about to propose to her. This un-put-downable novel is for anyone who’s ever been lost in life (so, basically, everyone).
What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty
What if you woke up one day to find out you were 10 years older, only you couldn’t remember how you got there? In What Alice Forgot [19], Alice wakes up from a fall at the gym still believing she is a happily married 29-year-old, pregnant with her first child. The harsh reality? She's 39 years old, about to divorce, and the mother of three. This funny, thought-provoking novel will take your mind off the rain as you try to discover how Alice puts the pieces of her life back to together.