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Even if you devour books year-round, there’s something special about summer reading: Those chilled-out hours spent lounging on a blanket with a paperback as your companion can seriously balance out all the energy you expend doing outdoor yoga, surfing, hiking, and other summer-season activities. And, good news: This year especially, there are so many great new books worthy for your selection of what to read next.
Actually, perhaps even too many. Walking into the bookstore can be overwhelming—especially because $20 and 300 pages can feel like quite the commitment. Should you go for that psychological thriller everyone is talking about? Or will a romance novel prove to be a more enjoyable read?
Rather than asking you to rely on the universe itself to help you pick, I enlisted the help of astrologers to point out best summer-reading books according to the zodiac. Below, Stefanie Iris Weiss of Saturn Sisters and best-selling authors of Astrology for WellnessMonte Farber and Amy Zerner offer their top reads for your sign.
Let the universe determine your summer-reading list with the best book for your zodiac sign.
Gemini: (May 20 to June 20)
Book picks:Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi; How to Skimm Your Life by The Skimm
“Geminis are more of the smartest, more verbal signs and will love something on the best-seller list that they can talk about at cocktail parties,” Weiss says. One book everyone is buzzing about right now? Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi, a modern-day retelling of Hansel and Gretel. “[Geminis] love books period, but especially those that involve learning in some way,” adds Farber. “This can range from CliffsNotes or For Dummies–style books.” An example that will help makeover your entire life is How to Skimm, by the creators of The Skimm newsletter.
Cancer: (June 20 to July 22)
Book picks:City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert; An Edited Life by Anna Newton
“A Cancer would love history books or novels set in the past, especially those describing home and family life,” Zerner says. Take, for example, Elizabeth Gilbert’s book out in June, City of Girls, in which an 89-year-old woman reminisces about being 19 during the 1940s when she went to New York City to live with her aunt who owned a playhouse. On the non-fiction front, the astrologers say that because Cancers rule the home, books about organizing or home decor are also good picks. “They are partial to Marie Kondo-ing, as they are excellent organizers with a sense of value and economics,” Zerner says. “Books on how to make a beautiful, safe, and secure home, or about children or animals would be perfect for them.”
Leo: (July 22 to August 22)
Book picks:Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid; Naturally Tan by Tan France
“Books about the rich and famous, especially celebrities, would be on their nightstand,” Farber says. Weiss totally agrees, saying biographies about Hollywood starlets or other divas” make for great page-turners for Leos. Two just-released books totally fit the bill: Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid, a novel following the lead singer of a band in the 1960s, or Naturally Tan, a memoir by Queer Eye’s Tan France, out in June.
Virgo: (August 22 to September 22)
Book picks:The Miracle Equation by Hal Elrod; 26 Marathons by Meb Keflezighi
While Virgos may seem like they have it all together, Zerner says they, of course, harbor their own sensitivities. “This aspect of their personality masks a deep fear about not being good enough, so books that help improve self-esteem and confidence would be beneficial,” she says. Hal Elrod’s new self-help book, The Miracle Equation: The Two Decisions That Move Your Biggest Goals from Possible, to Probable, to Inevitable, is a super-empowering example. Furthermore, the astrologers agree that wellness books are bound to be of interest to Virgos. For a read that combines motivation with heart, they’d be wise to crack open 26 Marathons: What I Learned about Faith, Identity, Running, and Life From My Marathon Career by four-time Olympian, Meb Keflezighi.
Libra: (September 22 to October 23)
Book picks: I Was Their American Dream by Malaka Gharib; The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
Libras both love beautiful designs and biographies, says Farber, and journalist Malaka Gharib’s new graphic memoir I Was Their American Dream—a witty portrait of being the child of immigrant parents—offers both. It makes for great cocktail-party fodder, which Weiss says is great for social Libras, adding that romance novels are another natural genre match for the zodiac sign that focuses on partnership, love, and relationships. To this point, The Bride Test by Helen Hoang, about a young Vietnamese woman who is matched with an autistic Vietnamese-American man, is the perfect addition to the Libra’s TBR pile.
Scorpio: (October 23 to November 21)
Book picks: Looker by Laura Sims; A Prince on Paper by Alyssa Cole
“Scorpios are interested in any book that helps them understand life at a deep level and helps them to become better at getting and using their power,” Zerner says. And since Scorpio is the sign of sex and death, per Weiss, erotica and murder mysteries are smart themes to gravitate toward. “Something with in-depth character development and deep psychological insights is especially good for Scorpios,” she says. Two buzzy reads out this year getting Scorpio-approved rave reviews include Looker by Laura Sims, about a woman who becomes obsessed with her neighbor as her own life is unraveling, and Alyssa Cole’s A Prince On Paper, about a woman who attends a royal wedding and ends up in bed with a prince.
Sagittarius: (November 21 to December 21)
Book picks: A Walking Disaster by Jamie Aten, PhD; The Second Mountain by David Brooks
Travel, spirituality, and philosophy are all classic Sagittarius matters of the heart, Farber says. “They are by nature teachers and students of life, and nothing is a better play to a Sagittarian than an interesting book that expounds on the moral principles, laws, and ideas that explain the universe,” she says. And since Weiss adds that the fire sign thrives on collecting knowledge like a sponge, two books seem especially apt: A Walking Disaster by Jamie Aten, PhD, who writes about how surviving Hurricane Katrina and cancer affected his faith; and The Second Mountain: A Quest for A Moral Life by David Brooks.
Capricorn: (December 21 to January 19)
Book picks:Chillpreneur by Denise Duffield-Thomas; The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates
“Capricorns usually gravitate to books about prestige or business matters; about competence, professionalism, and perseverance,” Zerner says. Weiss agrees, saying anything Lean In-esque is right up their alley. To that point, Chillpreneur by money mind-set coach Denise Duffield-Thomas, deserves a spot in your library. The read provides tips for killing it at work—without working overtime. “Any book about the road to success and overcoming adversity would be of interest, too,” Farber says. On that front, check out Melinda Gates’ new book, The Moment of Lift.
Aquarius: (January 219 to February 18)
Book picks:Becoming by Michelle Obama; The Mueller Report by The Washington Post
Smarty-pants Aquarians gravitate toward thick hardcover tomes about politics or humanitarian efforts, the astrologers say. “They are the most humanitarian of all the signs,” Weiss says. If summer is the first time you’ve had all year to curl up with a good book, Michelle Obama’s Becoming or The Mueller Report by the editors of The Washington Post is all you.
Pisces: (February 18 to March 20)
Book picks: The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory; Summer of ’69 by Elin Hilderbrand
“Their kind and sympathetic natures draw them to stories about dreams coming true, fairy tales and romance,” Zerner says of Pisces. So, The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory, may be perfect. It features a man and a woman who can’t stand each other, yet share a passion-filled night leaving them to figure out their true feelings—all while simultaneously planning their best friends’ wedding. And since Weiss says beach reads set at the actual beach are also great for this water sign, she suggests picking up Elin Hilderbrand’s Summer of ’69, a family drama about four siblings trying to savor their annual summer vacation despite various personal struggles.
Aries: (March 20 to April 19)
Book picks: The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict; First: Sandra Day O’Connor by Evan Thomas
“Aries is a fire sign, and people with this sign tend to be strong-willed, so I recommend a book with a strong, kick-ass protagonist,” Weiss says. One to check out? Marie Benedict’s novel The Only Woman in the Room, which is based on a true story about a World War II-era actress and scientist who co-invented Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology. For a non-fiction pick, Farber and Zerner recommend a biography about someone who was “the first” at something; a real pioneer. “They like to devour books quickly,” Farber adds. “Short stories would suit them well. They would not particularly like dense, difficult works.”
Taurus: (April 19 to May 20)
Book picks: The Well+Good Cookbook by Alexia Brue and Melisse Gelula; Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
“Taureans are interested in the best that money can buy,” Zerner says. “Richly illustrated, expensive-looking coffee-table books about how to make their environment more beautiful and harmonious are particularly relevant to them. Beautiful books about interior design, crafting, cooking, gardening, landscaping, architecture, and the fine arts—especially sculpture, fashion and music—are also interesting for Bulls.” Not to brag (okay, maybe I’m okay bragging a bit), but The Well+Good Cookbook is about as gorg as you can get. If you’re jonesing for a novel, Weiss recommends one set in nature with flowery and vivid descriptions, such as Delia Owens’ Reese Witherspoon-approved southern novel, Where the Crawdads Sing, about a young woman growing up in the rural swamplands of North Carolina.
While we’re on the subject of astrology, here’s what happens when you date according to zodiac compatibility. Plus, how to know if the stars are aligned for you and your pet.
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