Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Rainy Day Reads

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature that was created by The Broke and the Bookish and hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Born from a love of lists and a love of books each week there’s a new topic for bloggers to list their ‘top ten’.

Top Ten Rainy Day Reads

I’m finally back to the set topics for my Top Ten Tuesday posts. Being a mood reader I’ve never given too much thought as to what kind of books I’d pick up as ‘rainy day’ reads, but thinking about it for this post the first books that came to mind were fantasy stories (of course) with immersive worlds (so you can put the rainy weather outside out of your mind). A lot of the books that made my list this week probably won’t surprise many people, because in my opinion the best ‘rainy day’ book is one that’s almost comforting to re-read.

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The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

No one should be surprised to see The Night Circus on my list this week. It’s one I’ll reach for whether it’s raining or not, if I’m in the mood for a re-read The Night Circus is normally the book I find myself reaching for. There’s just something about the book itself, the world and the writing, that makes it a comforting story for me to dive into time and time again.

“The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.”

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A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

Another book that probably won’t be a surprise for people who have been following my blog for a while now. V.E. Schwab is one of my all-time favourite authors and her best (in my opinion) series is the Shades of Magic trilogy. It’s one I’d recommend anyway, but what’s better when it’s raining outside than to be able to tag along on Kell and Lila’s adventures.

“I’d rather die on an adventure than live standing still.”

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The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic

This series is addictive, in a word. I sped through the whole trilogy, desperate to find out what would happen next, it’s that immersive. I feel like I could start re-reading this book when it’s raining outside, only to pass the whole day away hooked on the story all over again.

“Don’t look back, don’t slow down, and don’t trust anyone. Be anyone but himself, and never be anyone for too long.”

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Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

When it comes to ‘comforting’ fantasy (which is what I reach for when I’m looking for a ‘rainy day’ read) there’s no better book than Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Laini Taylor’s writing and world building made me believe magic could exist in the real world. There’s a reason Prague flew to the top of my must-travel-to list when I read this book after all.

“Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love.

It did not end well.”

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Circe by Madeline Miller

Madeline Miller’s books are incredibly well-written, and while The Song of Achilles is too heartbreaking for it to be classed as ‘comforting’ Circe is a book I fell in love with very quickly. It felt like a new story and an old one at the same time; I loved following Circe through all the years of her life and her story was so moving.

“When I was born, the word for what I was did not exist.”

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Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

I didn’t read this series when I was younger (I discovered Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling instead) but these books ended up an addictive read for me when I did finally pick them up. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is a light-hearted, middle grade fantasy story which is easy to get into and even easier to love.

“My name is Percy Jackson.

I’m twelve years old. Until a few months ago, I was a boarding student at Yancy Academy, a private school for troubled kids in upstate New York.

Am I a troubled kid?

Yeah. You could say that.”

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The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

While I would class The Bear and the Nightingale as a magical realism book it had that feel to it. It reminded me of the fairytales I used to love when I was younger, and like with Daughter of Smoke and Bone this has become a ‘comforting’ fantasy read for me. Perfect for the rainy weather.

“Now hear me. Before the end, you will pluck snowdrops at midwinter, die by your own choosing, and weep for a nightingale.”

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Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

This is a short book, so I guess Every Heart a Doorway is one you’d pick up during those spring showers which never seem to last too long. It’s another book I’d class as a ‘comforting’ read, probably because of the story it tells of doors leading to other worlds and lost children finding their way home again.

“Now I know that if you open the right door at the right time, you might finally find a place where you belong.”

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Northern Lights by Philip Pullman

Unlike Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief (the other middle grade, fantasy book I featured on my list this week) I wouldn’t class Northern Lights as light-hearted or easy to get into (though it is easy to love). However I grew up with this trilogy, and it’s one of those books I can always go back to and know I’ll love it just as much every time I read it, even when it breaks my heart.

“Lyra had to adjust to her new sense of her own story, and that couldn’t be done in a day.”

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Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Carry On is a book that in my opinion is perfect for every occasion. If you’re in the middle of a slump and want an easy read then pick up Carry On, if you’re having a lazy afternoon and want a light but engaging read then pick up Carry On, and if it’s raining and you’ve got nothing else to do then pick up Carry On. It’s a book for all occasions.

“Just when you think you’re having a scene without Simon, he drops in to remind you that everyone else is a supporting character in his catastrophe.”

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Did you take part in this week’s Top Ten Tuesday?

What books would make your list of perfect ‘rainy day’ reads? Would you pick up a fantasy book with a world you can fall into, or would you go for a light-hearted contemporary instead?

Have you read any of the books on my list this week? Did you enjoy them, or are any of them still on your TBR list (maybe being saved for a rainy day)?