MANILA, PHILIPPINES – When the rain falls, the books come calling!
It’s officially sweater weather in the Philippines. While it’s a time to brace ourselves for traffic and all the anxieties that rain can bring, the truth is that the rainy season brings with it a certain vibe, cajoling us to look out the window, catch our breath, slowly sip and enjoy a hot beverage, and most of all, lose ourselves in a good book.
There’s nothing like a rainy day to set the mood for some cozy, uninterrupted reading. With the sound of raindrops dancing outside, a blanket thrown on your lap, and a cup of hot beverage nearby, here are some of the best reads you can snuggle up with on a rainy day.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
This immersive and captivating book about a willful governess has captured the imagination of generations of readers. It also happens to end and begin with rain (the last lines of which might make you ugly-cry with joy)
If you are a fan of this book, consider picking it up again on a rainy day.
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
People of a certain age (ahem!) know that receiving DMs and comments pales in comparison to receiving letters—long, thoughtful, and beautifully written—whether snail or electronic mail. And letters are what we are served in this uplifting novel told through one woman’s series of correspondences.
The Correspondent follows 73-year-old Sybil Van Antwerp—a no-nonsense and cantankerous septuagenarian who always used writing to make sense of her world. She writes to her brother, sister-in-law, children, former workmates, and, intriguingly, literary icons.
But when a letter from the past resurfaces, Sybil is compelled to revisit one of the most painful periods of her life, and to confront the person she’s been writing to for years without ever sending the words. What unfolds is a quiet reckoning with love, regret, and long-overdue forgiveness.
Virginia Evans shows how one woman changes at a point when change had seemed impossible—and in doing so, reminds us that it’s never too late to rediscover who we are. Add this to your TBR.
The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa
When it rains, the world outside blurs into a dream-like haze—a mood that perfectly mirrors this haunting novel set on an unnamed island where objects begin to mysteriously vanish. First it’s hats, then ribbons, birds, roses—until what disappears becomes far more consequential.
A ruthless force known as the Memory Police ensures that anything forgotten stays forgotten. But when the island’s novelist protagonist discovers that her editor is one of the rare few who can still remember, she hides him beneath her floorboards to keep him safe.
Though poetic and surreal on the surface, this dystopian tale quietly unpacks themes of state control, historical erasure, and the dangers of collective amnesia in a world not unlike our own.
Need one more reason to read it? The Memory Police was shortlisted for the 2020 International Booker Prize—and a screen adaptation is on the horizon with Lily Gladstone as lead actress and Charlie Kaufman as screenwriter. (You’re welcome.)
(READ: Interview with The Memory Police Author, Yoko Ogawa)
Lucia Dreaming by Lucia Asul
When it rains, the world feels softer, giving you permission to slow down, look inward, and wonder. Lucia Dreaming by Ilonggo artist and comic creator Lucia Asul captures that same feeling: of stepping into a world just a bit off-center, where dreams unfold in black and white and imagination runs free.
This beautiful and slightly dark graphic novel recounts seven vivid and surreal dreams—one about walking through a dark hallway with only a candle in hand, another about a girl’s fascination with frogs, and others that echo the eerie brilliance of Black Mirror.
It’s a quick yet immersive read—honest, strange, and utterly unforgettable. A book you’ll be glad to have on your shelf, and one you’ll want to revisit, dream after dream.
Normal People by Sally Rooney
Sally Rooney has long been touted as the “greatest millennial writer.” Perhaps she is, perhaps she isn’t, but does it really matter? At the end of the day, it all boils down to the immense talent of telling an original and compelling story, and at that, Rooney has succeeded.
Normal People is a character-driven love story about schoolmates Marianne and Connell, who, despite the stark differences in their lives and social statuses, develop an intense relationship that forms the backbone of their adulthood. Propelled by Rooney’s often sparse yet at times sharp prose, readers are treated to a story that starts as a trickle at first, then slowly builds up to a pouring rain that you can happily and hungrily soak in.
The novel was adapted into a critically acclaimed screen series starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal, which aired on Hulu and BBC Three.
Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay
When the skies start to weep, you might consider letting it rain in your heart, too.
This young adult book by Randy Ribay about a multi-generational saga of fraught father and son relationships will move you to tears. As it touches on themes like parenthood and inherited trauma, Everything We Never Had will make you think deeply about your childhood, your relationship with your parents, and your connection with your son and daughter, if you’re a parent.
With its short length, simplicity of language and story, and seamless way Ribay moves through each era, this is something you can finish by the time the weather clears.
(READ: Interview with Everything We Never Had Author, Randy Ribay)
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
Now, I don’t know about you, but the mere chance of rain or even the slightest drizzle always makes me crave a hot latte and a cinnamon bun—which, coincidentally, are aplenty in this delightful slice-of-life fantasy novel.
In Legends & Lattes, we become acquainted with Viv, a battle-weary orc warrior who hangs up her sword to open a coffee shop. Cozy, big-hearted, and sweet, Legends and Lattes serve up piping hot cups of friendship, love, found family, and how a freshly baked pastry and a hot beverage never fail to bring joy–whether you’re human, an elf, a dwarf, a fae, or an orc like Viv.
And if you happen to love this book, grab the sequel, Bookshops & Bonedust, also available at Fully Booked.
Food Person by Adam Roberts
When it’s drizzling outside and you’re wrapped in your favorite sweater, might we suggest a book that turns up the heat?
Set in contemporary New York, Food Person follows awkward Isabella Pasternak, a talented cook and writer, who humiliates herself in an Instagram Live cooking video and subsequently loses her job.
Desperate, she accepts a cookbook ghostwriting stint for a vulnerable and infamously flaky actress, Molly Babcock.
What follows is a difficult collaboration that can either sag and sink like a failed soufflé or burst into flames.
Dan Loza of the First Look Club calls this dazzling debut, “a wild culinary ride that leaves you hungry for more.
Once the pitter-patter on your rooftop begins, have your Rainy Day TBR at the ready, and dive into a good cozy book to keep warm. Happy reading!
