📚 Rainy Day Reads

 Soft books for slow afternoons

Living in San Diego means rain is rare—and when it does show up, it’s chaos. People drive like the sky is falling, grocery stores fill up like a hurricane’s coming, and suddenly everyone’s forgotten how to function.

Which makes it the perfect time to stay indoors.

When it rains here, I take it as a sign to slow down. To romanticize the stillness. To drink tea, avoid the roads, and spend some time with a book that makes the world feel softer. These aren’t necessarily stories about storms—but they carry the same energy: quiet, immersive, and safe to get lost in.

Here are a few of my favorite rainy day reads—books that feel like warmth, softness, or company when the sky goes gray.

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📚 My Rainy Day Reads Right Now

Our Migrant Souls by Héctor Tobar

An unflinching, thoughtful examination of what it means to be Latinx in the United States—blending memoir, history, and cultural critique. It’s one of those books that doesn’t let you stay comfortable, but it does hold you with care while asking hard questions. It’s the kind of read that demands a pause between chapters just to sit with what you’ve learned. Rainy day energy in the most reflective way.

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

Okay yes, this one is drama. Capital D drama. But it’s also the kind of escapism that rainy days were made for. Emotional chaos. Intrigue. Action. Deep character arcs. Aelin is feral and I respect her for it. Is this the deepest read on the list? No. Is it delivering the fantasy comfort I need this month? Absolutely.

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🖤 New Fiction to Curl Up With

Liquid by Mariam Rahmani

A queer Iranian American academic drifts through love, identity, and art in this sharp, dreamy debut. Liquid is one of those books that feels like it should be read in long, uninterrupted stretches—ideally with soft music playing and a blanket nearby. I haven’t finished it yet, but I already know it’s going to leave a mark.

Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Multiple women, multiple lives, all woven together by longing and memory. Dream Count reads like rain itself—gentle, rhythmic, but heavy in places. I’m excited to sit with this one slowly, preferably with something warm in a mug and my phone on airplane mode.

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☁️ Nonfiction That Grounds You

The Creative Act by Rick Rubin

This is a book you don’t rush. It’s full of quiet reminders that creativity is a way of being, not just doing. Perfect for flipping open to a random page, underlining a line that hits too hard, and remembering why you make things at all.

Light on Yoga by B.K.S. Iyengar

More than just a how-to—it’s a philosophy. I come back to this book again and again when I want to feel more connected to my body, my breath, or just myself. A rainy day yoga stretch, then curling up with a section of this? Ideal.

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🌲 Classics That Keep You Company

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Is there anything more comforting than returning to the Shire? This book is cozy escapism in its purest form—food descriptions, soft heroism, a little mischief. A great rainy day read when you want to wander somewhere whimsical but safe.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

This one comes with a gentle warning—it’s heavy. Beautiful, but heavy. If you’re in the headspace for something introspective and emotionally sharp, this is a book that doesn’t just sit with you—it stays. Maybe read it with a candle lit and your softest blanket nearby.

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☕ Rainy Day Reading Rituals

Make it a whole thing. Pick your coziest corner. Light a candle. Make a warm drink. Wear something soft. Put your phone somewhere else for a while. Let yourself get absorbed—not just in the book, but in the quiet, too.

These are just a few of the books I’m spending time with right now. If you have a favorite rainy day read, I’d love to hear it.

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This week’s mantra:
“Even the gray days are good for growing.”