It’s Wednesday again, and you know what that means! It’s time for Top 5 Wednesday! Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam (Thoughts on Tomes) featuring a variety of topics. Information can be found at the Goodreads page.

This week’s theme is: Rainy Day Reads. I am a super mood reader, so I need to read books that match my mood at the time. Hence why I am usually in the middle of roughly a dozen books at a time. And yet, I don’t usually pick books based on the weather. But I do have books that I read during rainy weather that I always associate with the rain and it makes me feel cozy when thinking of them. Other books just have a rainy feel to them. Does that make any sense? Maybe it’s just me. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Those are the books I will be listing today.

1. Arrowood by Laura McHugh

This book has such a dreary setting, in the south along the Mississippi River. I read this while in a hotel room in New Orleans, in the winter, when it was dreary and cold. Not an outdoors day. I ate chowder and all of the warm hearty foods, and this book really completed the mood. Additionally, it was a cold case revolving around two little girls, which made the rain the perfect accompaniment to the story.

2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin

I really do have a habit of reading books when it rains. I really like the ones that I can finish in a sitting or two, before the rain passes. This one I read while on a trip to Boston (I guess I only travel when the weather doesn’t cooperate!!) and the weather had left me stranded inside.

3. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Is it cheating if “rain” is in the title of the book? This was another fast read, and a terribly emotional one. You could probably guess that just by seeing a dog on the cover *sigh*. This isn’t the type of book I normally read, but a friend recommended it and I regret nothing about reading it. A perfect spring book, especially with a cup of tea, rainy background, and fluffy blanket.

4. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

I think really any shorter murder mystery is perfect for rainy days. They keep your brain working and the dreary background can add to the ambiance. This one takes place on a little island, and the chill in the air can really make you feel in the action.

5. Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto

While I don’t really have a connection to the rain with this book, it is the perfect book to read on a rainy day. It filled my heart with joy and made me cry with extreme sadness. Comprised of two short stories about how kitchens are fundamental to family and daily life, this book was more than I could have hope for. Love, acceptance, loss, and individuality. These themes are all there. A fast, emotional read that genuinely shook me to my core with emotion. Perfect for a dreary day.

So those are my rainy day reads! Do you read specific books when it rains? Or books you associate with the rain? Let me know, since spring is upon us and I am expecting many rainy reading days ahead!