Top 5 Wednesday: Rainy Day Reads

Y’all this prompt literally couldn’t be more perfect! It’s been raining, literally non-stop in Dallas since last night so tickle me pink when I see that today’s Top 5 Wednesday topic is Rainy Day reads! Unfortunately since it’s a work day, I won’t get too much time in reading during the rain but it’s April showers time in Texas and it’s supposed to rain all next week! Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by a group on Goodreads where different topics are explored. If you enjoy these memes I definitely suggest joining the group! To be honest, I’m not really sure what makes a read, a “rainy day” read but for me it’s something cozy and maybe a little atmospheric.

My dog, anytime he has to pee while it’s raining.

One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I stayed up until like, 2 in the morning reading this book instead of going to sleep like a normal person. I flew through this at break neck speed and it isn’t even a thriller. I can’t tell you what exactly kept me from putting the book down but the story of a girl losing her high-school sweetheart in a terrible accident, only to have moved on and then have her lost husband show up – having been stranded on an island was riveting for me. There was an emotional depth here that kept me absolutely rapt. Considering this was such an easy and heart warming read, I think it’d make a lovely rainy day companion!

Favorite Quote: Don’t think that true love means your only love. I think true love means loving truly. Loving purely. Loving wholly.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides 

LAHVED this book y’all. It blew me out of the water with the writing, the story crafting, character development and forward progression. I gobbled this book up immediately upon receiving it and it’s stayed with me ever since I finished it. With sinister undertones and a seriously riveting mystery around Alicia Berenson and why she was found covered in her husbands blood, standing over his dead body and how she then, never says another word grabbed me hook, line and sinker. This debut novel has me incredibly excited for what Michaelides will do in the future and if you haven’t picked this one up I highly suggest it!

Favorite Quote: You become increasingly comfortable with madness – and not just the madness of others, but your own. We’re all crazy, I believe, just in different ways.

The Witch of Willow Hall by Hester Fox

While I would love to say this book is super *witchy*, my main gripe about this book was the lack of witch vibes. However, what Fox delivered in spades was atmosphere. I found myself totally drawn into this world, the time and the characters and for being a little bit slower than the other books on this list, I still found myself completely riveted and entranced with the story. Lydia montrose and the story of her witchy powers and how this affects her family, who have been marred by scandal in the 1800’s ticked all the atmospheric boxes and it would be lovely to read on a dreary day.

Favorite Quote: A witch has a third eye that she may use to see the world not as it is, but as it may be. See what you want to see, bend the vision to your will.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black 

I was hesitant to put this book on this list. While most reviewers and Goodreads members are absolutely loving this book I have mixed feelings. I rated this 4.5 stars, so obviously I enjoyed it. However, there are some complicated relationships in this that make me feel uneasy at times. However, the story of Jude Duarte – a mortal in magical lands and her story arc of overcoming the adversity before her is right on up my alley. I found myself incredibly entertained by this read and it’s a bit gritter and darker than your typical YA “otherworld” novels you see these days. It’s one of those books that once you fall into it, you wont fall out until the last page and that’s perfect for a rainy day!

Favorite Quote: What could I become if I stopped worrying about death, about pain, about anything? If I stopped trying to belong? Instead of being afraid, I could become something to fear.

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks 

This probably seems like a weird choice but hear me out! As I’ve mentioned *numerous times* last year I really tried to step out of my comfort zone and read different things. This book is one of my brothers favorites and he’s not a big reader, so when he says a book is great I’m always intrigued. I picked this up not really expecting anything except for similarities between the book and the movie. Well, I was totally wrong! If you’ve seen the movie, do not think you’ve read the book because they’re about as different as different gets! Now, I really enjoyed The Walking Dead for a few seasons (and then totally fell off the wagon) but I’ve never been a big zombie person. However, this was such a fresh and unique take on a zombie apocalypse and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. There’s a subtly and lack of sensationalism here that just really got me.

Favorite Quote: I think that most people would rather face the light of a real enemy than the darkness of their imagined fears

big mood right here.

---

Have you read any of these titles? If so, do you agree they’d make good “rainy day” reads? What are some books you’d suggest someone read when the rain rolls in? Drop me a note in the comments and let me know!

Advertisement