What better way to spend a rainy day than reading a book? A rainy day is a perfect excuse to finally pick up that book that has been on your TBR pile for months. You don’t really want to leave your house or apartment and Netflix can only get you so far. Don’t have a book in your TBR pile that really catches your eye? We’ve compiled a list of great books to help you escape!
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins
I’ve mentioned this book in another post already but I really dig this book and this author’s works. If you’re looking for a psychological thriller, then you should pick up Into the Water by Paula Hawkins (yes, she also wrote Girl on the Train). This thriller takes you into a small town shaken up by the recent deaths that occurred at a popular hangout for high schoolers. Throughout reading this book, you will think you have it all figured out, but Hawkins does an amazing job at keeping you on the hook until the very last sentence.
Part Time Cowboy by Maisey Yates
Are thrillers and murder mystery reads not your style? Well here’s a feel good romance to pick up. Maisey Yates brings you to Copper Ridge, Oregon a small town on the coast of the Pacific. Now many of the books are all a series, but you can start with whatever one catches your fancy. If you start from the beginning, you will find each book picks up right around where the previous one ends. If you ou pick up one in the middle of the series, you can still read it and be just fine, but you will meet some characters that were the focus in previous titles, but it works because Yates does a good job at giving you a review of that character in a few sentences.
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
This book is mainly classified as a Young Adult book, but I know plently of adults who enjoyed reading this series. It’s more along the lines of fantasy since the setting is in a world containing fairies, elves, and magic. I will give you a word of caution, the beginning of the book is a little shocking but it sets a tone to give you a better understanding of the main character and her dilemma. If you finish this book, the second book was released in January 2019 and it has you reeling until you get to the last chapter. I experienced the feeling of “why on earth can’t the next book be ready for me to read? I NEEd to now what happens.”
GMorning, Gnight!: Little Pep Talks for Me & You by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jonny Sun
Alright, so if you don’t want to read a work of fiction, this is a great book to pick up. It’s a book compiled from the Tweets of Lin-Manuel Miranda. Monday through Friday, he will post a good morning tweet and every night he posts a matching good night tweet to his followers. I have found many of these little poems to be very uplifting to the point I have a few of my favorites book-marked and I look at them when I need a pick-me-up. Pair Miranda’s clever words with the magical illustrations of Jonny Sun and you have a book that will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
A Royal Pain by Megan Mulry
Alright, so I admit, I have gone through a phase where I enjoyed reading books where ordinary women got to fall in love with a prince. This was probably the second book that sparked this interest. I found there to be some humor and some real heart-felt emotions. Have you ever followed someone you thought was the one to a new city where you don’t know anyone only to have your heart broken and the feeling of complete loneliness? Then you can totally relate to the main character, Bronte. I personally read this book on a rainy day and became so engrossed in the pages, I had the book done before I went to bed. And to give you an advanced warning this title is the first of a four book series. At the very least, if you finish book one, you really only need to read book two. By the end of the second book, you might find yourself wanting to continue reading the last two.
All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin
If you read Something Borrowed by this author, then you have a good understanding of her style. Unlike that title though, Giffin tackles some mainstream social issues in this book. The main character’s daughter attends a prestigious private high school on scholarship where she definitely doesn’t fit in because she is raised by the main character, her single father. When an incident at a party results in a demeaning photograph of the daughter circulating through the student body, the father wants justice. The other parents and the headmaster want this scandal to go away. I found myself racing through this book because I wanted to know what happened to the main character through all of the lies and scandal. It’s definitely more of a thought-provoking story as you might find yourself examining how you would react if you were in one of the characters’ shoes.
Ghosted by Rosie Walsh
I started reading this book because I saw it was a selection from a book subscription service. Being a librarian, I wanted to know why people would pay for a subscription to a book that they could get for free from their local library. I did have to wait on the list for a few weeks before I got a copy in my hands. In today’s society where cat-fishing is a legitimate occurrence, the main character has to go through extended lengths to prove that a man she spent a week with and fell in love was real. After some major sleuthing, she was shocked to uncover his identity.
Full House by Janet Evanovich
You might know Janet Evanovich as the author of the Stephanie Plum series, where there is tons of humor and the relatable main character keeps having bad luck. You may not know that Evanovich has a handful of other stories outside of the world of Stephanie Plum. Full House is the first book in the Full series, but you definitely don’t need to read the others if you don’t want to. This book is a mix of humor, romance, and suspense as the main characters have to work to cohabitate for an extended period of time while danger is right around the corner and they don’t even realize it. Don’t expect a lot of life changing moments from this book, but it is a good lighthearted, chic lit read.
Alex & Eliza by Melissa de la Cruz
If you like history and the start of a sweet romance, then this series a one to pick up for sure! Granted we all know how Alex and Eliza’s love story went, but the first book in this series makes you smile and brings you to a time that we all seem to think must have been much simpler but really it involved a whole lot of waiting for the mail delivery. I do want to give you a fair warning that this written in a narrative meant for young adults, so if you are looking for a spicier romance, pick up the Maisey Yates story from above.
I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella
If you want a sweet romance that gives you a happy ending, then you might sit and quite possibly finish this book in one rainy day. I personally haven’t read a full Sophie Kinsella book, but this one was glued to my hands from the moment I read the first page. I was internally screaming for the main character to step up and shine and when and how it finally happened made me breathe a sigh of relief!