Books to read during the long, rainy weekends

I love rainy days, and if the word pluviophile is legit, then I’ve found a new word to describe myself. The white sound that is the raindrops on my roof at night, the cold breeze that makes me pull the covers tighter around me, and the smell of the morning after when I open the window mixed with the aroma of coffee are some of my life’s greatest pleasure, I kid you not. And it’s going to be a lot better if there’s a good book I could curl up with and a cup of coffee in front of me.

You may have read these books too, but if not, this is definitely an entry for you. I still have a box of books I haven’t read yet, brought about by the number of book sale hauls I did the past years (MIBF 2017, Book Binge Bazaar 2018, Power Books Supersale 2019, etc.). While I find the time to sort them by genre and maybe arrange them using the Dewey Decimal System, let me tell you about some of my recommended books perfect for a cozy, rainy day in bed.

Ang Bahay Ni Marta. I’ve always wondered what kind of stories I’d hear if only hospital walls could speak, and this thought is brought about by the number of times I had to be in the ICU due to myasthenic crisis. This Ricky Lee fable just fed my curiosity more about that thought. I can’t remember when I finished reading Ang Bahay Ni Marta, probably sometime last year. The story gives that chill in all the right places as it unfolds, as the house tells Marta the things it witnessed during its glory. Now that it’s dilapidated, it no longer has the capacity to offer the security typical to houses, but it has a lot of stories to tell.

Please Look After Mom. This book is rich in Korean culture and heritage, as it tells a story about how a mom took care of her five kids. I got this book in February from the Power Books Supersale, and I’m so glad it made my shopping bag. You can read my full review of this book right here.

While The Women Are Sleeping. This Hispanic literature gave me enough goosebumps—in a good way. It’s a compilation of short stories written by Javier Marias, a Spanish contemporary author, and just like Please Look After Mom, it also contains a heaping amount of Spanish culture and heritage. Its ghosts and doppelgangers and philosophical conversations will haunt your senses you’d refuse to put it down ‘til the end. There, I said it.

Far From Xanadu. I think this book’s title has been changed to Pretend You Love Me. Written by the critically acclaimed author, Julie Anne Peters (who has, sadly for me, retired and no longer writing books), this is about a lesbian who falls in love with a straight girl. The magnificent play of words in this book is almost lyrical, and it’s something I’ve come to love about Peter’s works. Needless to say, this is my favorite book that she wrote, next to By The Time You Read This, I’ll Be Dead.

Safe Haven. Oh yes, what’s a rainy day special without a classic romance to read, right? Nicholas Sparks has been invading my bookshelf ever since I’ve learned that Message in a Bottle is one of the favorite books of the professor I’ve been crushing on back in college (I read it from his Friendster profile). Although I was prejudiced back then, there’s no one who can ever question me about my obsession with A Walk To Remember, especially when it became a motion picture (who wouldn’t fall in love with Landon Carter?). Safe Heaven is just the same, a classic romance at its finest (yes it’s romance because it ended happily, okay?). I’ve read it several years ago, during long idle moments with my work headset on, and I always go back and read it again it became a classic favorite.

I can only give 5 right now, but let me unbox these books right here so I can recommend more. You can comment down below (or message me privately if you’re shy) if you want a full review of any of the books mentioned above. Meanwhile, let me continue reading this book about suicide. I’ll tell you more about it soon so stay tuned.

♥