When the rain is pouring down the windows of my London flat, my favorite thing to do is make a hot mug of coffee, grab my red blanket and curl up on the sofa with a good book. Here are five of my recent favorites.

Pick up your copy of Shalini Dua’s The Secret Lives of Royals now!

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

Alice Hoffman’s prequel to Practical Magic is even better than the first. Equal parts magical, whimsical and dark, this novel will capture your imagination and give you the creeps all at once. With one foot in reality and the other in pure fantasy, featuring flawed but sympathetic and relatable leads, this is the perfect read for a rainy afternoon.


Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

Kinsella’s first foray into the YA world is beyond successful. I have long been a fan of Kinsella’s contemporary adult heroines but in her debut YA novel, she delicately handles the subject of mental illness and what that can mean for a young girl, coming of age in the 2010s. Relatable and a great source of comfort for anyone touched by mental illness.


Love Her Wild: Poems by Atticus

I follow a number of poets on Instagram but Atticus has consistently published words that move me. His book does not disappoint. If you’re in a romantic mood, have recently suffered through a heartbreak, or just yearn for something, this collection hits the soul and taps into feelings of passion you might not have known were there before.


Talking As Fast As I Can by Lauren Graham

Lauren Graham’s autobiographical collection of essays is as charming and relatable as she is. Reading this book feels like having a glass of wine with a girlfriend you’ve known forever and Graham comes across as friendly as she does on TV. Her anecdotes give you hope and illustrate how well-deserved her success is.


Beautiful and Damned: Stories by Robert M. Drake

Robert M. Drake is, perhaps, one of the most successful poets to be self-published based on an Instagram following. In this particular collection – not his latest but definitely my favorite – Drake tackles short stories along with some of his signature poetry. The pieces are devastatingly haunting but also oddly cathartic.

Pick up your copy of Shalini Dua’s The Secret Lives of Royals now!