Last week was a particularly rainy week in New York. While we all look forward to the warmth of summer sunshine, there are very few things that I love more than a rainy August day.
I love it when storm clouds make an entire day different shades of gray. I love it when the heat breaks and a slight chill sneaks in through a nearby window. If you’re lucky enough to live by a beach, you may hear the beautiful sound of ocean waves crashing wildly against the shore. But if you’re like me and live in a city, you may just be thankful that the rain gives you a break from the smell of hot garbage.
There are so many things to admire about a rainy day, but for bookworms, the best part may be curling up with a great story. I thought I would compile a list of some of my favorite books that I can remember reading during stormy weather—that list ended up with over twenty books. So, after some careful thought, I narrowed the list down to five of my favorites.
1. Someone Who Will Love You in All Your Damaged Glory, by Raphael Bob-Waksberg
I read this collection back in June and took my sweet time with it. If you’re familiar with the Netflix series BoJack Horseman, then you’re already prepared for the dark humor that Raphael Bob-Waksberg conjures in his writing. This collection tackles love in all its forms— tragic and beautiful, the best thing you’ll ever experience while simultaneously the worst.
Each story pushes the limits of reality and pulls you into the overwhelming euphoria of falling in and out of love. Some will make you laugh, while others will leave you wondering if you even understand what it means to love someone at all. And who doesn’t enjoy contemplating their entire romantic history in one sitting?
2. Her Body and Other Parties, by Carmen Maria Machado
Carmen Maria Machado’s stories occupy my brain twenty-four hours a day. This collection is not only my favorite to assign to my students but also a great book to pick up when looking for a shock factor on a stormy day.
These stories toe the line between realism and horror/fantasy. They are strange and obscure and will make you question your reality. The experimental nature of Machado’s stories is enough to leave you in awe.
3. The Mist, by Stephen King
Keeping in line with eerie themes, The Mist is one of my favorite rainy-day reads. Whether you love his stories or not, Stephen King is a master of his craft. In less than two hundred pages, King builds complex characters and tugs at readers’ heartstrings while simultaneously terrifying them.
This story is unsettling, gory, and the perfect read for hiding under your blanket in a thunderstorm.
4. Bluets, by Maggie Nelson
I’ve run into a theme here, as Bluets is another experimental selection that exceeds the boundaries of a single genre.
Maggie Nelson’s writing is lyrical, poetic, and one-of-a-kind. Through numbered sections, Bluets takes readers on a journey of exploration through Nelson’s muse: the color blue.
Maybe it’s the blue hue of the cover or the exquisite, sometimes devastating, language, but this book is one I snatch up each time a drop of rain hits the ground.
5. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, by Jean-Dominique Bauby
In 1995, Jean-Dominique Bauby suffered a massive stroke that left him paralyzed from head to toe. His only working muscle— his left eyelid— became Bauby’s sole form of communication and the method by which he wrote this memoir. Yes, you read that correctly: Bauby wrote this book by communicating through blinking. He discusses this in detail throughout his retelling of his story.
Written in parts that examine Bauby’s existence trapped inside his body while his mind is fully bright and intact, this is a memoir you’ll devour in a day— I have multiple times.
If you read one book from this list, let it be this one. (But try to read them all. You will not be disappointed!)