Hello, tiny humans.
It’s me. Pip.
Today, it is raining.
Which means the sky has officially given us permission to cancel all plans, put on our comfiest clothes, make something warm to drink and become emotionally attached to fictional people.
This is not laziness.
It is seasonally appropriate reading behaviour.
So fluff your cushions, locate the snacks you definitely weren’t hiding for later, and prepare yourself for some of my favourite cosy fantasy books for rainy days.
🫖 Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
An orc retires from a life of adventure and opens a coffee shop.
Honestly, I was sold immediately.
There are warm drinks, baked treats, found family, gentle romance and the sort of cosy atmosphere that makes you want to crawl inside the book and refuse to leave.
Very little danger. Plenty of cinnamon rolls. Excellent priorities.
🍯 The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields
Magic, romance, wildflowers and a witch who is cursed never to find love.
Obviously, this seems inconvenient.
The story has a dreamy, enchanted atmosphere that feels perfect for slow rainy days, soft blankets and staring dramatically out of windows.
You may also develop the sudden urge to live in a cottage surrounded by herbs and bees. This is normal. Do not panic.
🏡 The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
This book contains magical children, an unusual orphanage, an anxious caseworker and a story about finding family where you least expect it.
It is warm. It is funny. It is tender.
And yes, it may make your heart feel suspiciously soft.
I personally objected to this because I have a reputation to maintain. Unfortunately, the book did not care.
🧁 The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
A lonely witch is invited to teach three magical children in a mysterious house.
There is found family. There is romance. There are secrets.
There is also the deeply satisfying feeling of watching lonely people slowly realise they belong somewhere.
I was completely calm while reading this. That is a lie. I was wrapped in a blanket and making small emotional noises.
📚 Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
A brilliant but socially awkward scholar travels to a remote village to study faeries.
There is snow. There are strange creatures. There is academic chaos.
There is also a charming man who is far too pleased with himself.
I have no idea why anyone would enjoy that sort of character. Absolutely none. Please stop looking at me like that.
🌿 The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
A librarian escapes a revolution with a collection of magical books and begins a quieter life on a remote island.
There are spells. There are books. There is gardening. There is jam.
Frankly, this book understands what civilisation should have been.
It is gentle, imaginative and packed with the sort of magic that makes ordinary life feel a little more enchanted.
🕯️ A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
A tea monk meets a robot.
That sentence alone should be enough.
This is a short, thoughtful story about purpose, rest and the possibility that you do not need to earn the right to exist peacefully.
Which is rude, because I was expecting a cosy little adventure and instead received feelings.
☔ Pip’s Official Rainy-Day Reading Instructions
First, choose a blanket large enough to disappear beneath.
Second, prepare your chosen beverage.
Hot chocolate is correct. Tea is acceptable. Coffee is allowed, but only if you add something unnecessarily fancy.
Third, place snacks within easy reach. This prevents the tragic possibility of having to stand up halfway through a chapter.
Finally, silence your phone and inform everyone that you are busy.
Do not explain what you are busy doing. Mystery creates authority.
🐉 Pip’s Final Thought
Cosy fantasy is proof that a book does not need to destroy your emotional stability to be memorable.
Sometimes, all you need is a magical cottage, a warm drink, a suspiciously charming stranger and absolutely no reason to put on real trousers.
Now, please excuse me.
It has started raining harder, which legally means I must begin another book.
— Pip
🐉 Ink & Scales