Winter may nearly be over but it’s never too late to curl up with a satisfying read. If you’re having trouble deciding what the next exciting page-turner should be, then let’s ask the stars. There are millions of fantastic stories out there but only a privileged few will catch your interest. Here are twelve compelling reads based on your zodiac sign.
Victoria Scott’s high action read “Fire & Flood” shares three major elements with Aries: competition, badassery, and adrenaline. Teenage girl Tella must survive a pulse-pounding race to save her brother’s life – and soon, her own life as well. This book will grab Aries and Aries will grab it back. Although Aries might be called selfish, they’ll instantly vibe with the self-sacrificing Tella because, like Aries, she is willing to go any length for her family. And they will kick ass while doing it.
Taurus is ruled by Venus, goddess of love and beauty, so this book should fit like a pair of warm mittens. Ali Smith uses beauty, humor, and powerful relationships to craft her Brexit novel “Autumn” (part one of her “Seasonal” quartet). This nonlinear narrative pokes at the concept of time by exploring a May-December relationship between characters Elisabeth Demand and her lifelong friend Daniel Gluck, who is 69 years her senior, while the world around them faces an uncertain transition. Like all earth signs, Taurus may spend more time looking to the future than the present. “Autumn” is a poignant reminder of the fragility of life and the power of the present.
This book will work like brain candy for the ever-changing mind of a Gemini. “Five-Carat Soul” uses razor-sharp dialogue, humor and unpredictable plots to tell a collection of short stories by James McBride all taking place in the middle-class black neighborhood of Pittsburgh, affectionately known as The Bottom. It centers around adventurous kids exploring coming-of-age themes with imaginative yet meticulous details. Gemini is a kid at heart, so a whimsical book of strange yet charming bedtime stories will tickle their inner child.
In this emotional epic of four siblings bonding together during a family crisis, Tara Conklin captures the complicated love of family in a way every big-hearted Cancer understands. “The Last Romantics” follows the relationships of Renee, Caroline, Joseph, and Fiona Skinner as they grow into adulthood with lyricism and emotions that sometimes feel heartwrenching – but we know Cancer can handle it. In fact, this moon sign might deeply identify with the waves of feelings resonating in this read. Give a Cancer a blanket, a bottle of wine, and this book. You won’t hear from them all weekend.
Sizzling romance, a feisty heroine with the weight of the world on her shoulders, and adrenaline-fueled high fantasy. This is the book Leo didn’t know they needed until now. Rosamund Hodge’s “Cruel Beauty” takes Beauty and Beast and spins into a dazzling world of royalty and destiny following protagonist Nyx Triskelion’s marriage to the evil ruler Ignifex who she plots to overthrow in order to restore her homeland – if it weren’t for how charming and not that bad he actually is. It’s dramatic, but also explores complicated ties with love and family – the two most important things to a Leo.
Being a perfectionist requires not a small amount of analysis. The amount of scrutiny Virgo places on their life can make them feel crazy, especially if others don’t agree, even though Virgo knows what they’re doing is right. Enter “Educated” by Tara Westover – a memoir about an Idaho girl who grew up homeschooled in a Mormon household so disconnected from the real world they didn’t even use modern medicine. Here Westover describes her journey from living under a rock all the way to succeeding in a Ph.D. in history at Cambridge in a way that shows her imperfect, peculiar life is healthier than one might expect.
For the charming socialite, this book might be the perfect suggestion. Rebecca Serle’s “The Dinner List” sets a real-life play of inviting five people – living or dead – to a dinner party. Protagonist Sabrina gets to make that list on her birthday and leads the reader on a night of magical realism. Libra will dig the glamorous tone that nods to Breakfast at Tiffany’s and the scintillating, mysterious romance between Sabrina and Tobias – the great love of her life. Ruled by Venus, we know Libra is all about love. They’ll fall head over heels with this read.
Boldly exploring the underbelly of a student’s relationship with her older teacher, “My Dark Vanessa” by Kate Elizabeth Russel is just the type of all-consuming story to snag the attention of a Scorpio. Russel takes a jab at the psychology of magnetic relationships defined by unequal levels of power and fearlessly uncovers the thin line between love and manipulation. Vanessa, a troubled, unreliable protagonist, will have the reader questioning what their cultural notions about victimhood are, and cerebral Scorpio will lap it up.
This book has everything Sagittarius is looking for in life – love, adventure, and a thirst for knowledge. “The Signature of All Things” by Elizabeth Gilbert (author of “Eat, Pray, Love”) follows protagonist Alma Whittaker’s insatiable passion for moss. She seeks natural world answers to life’s questions, which leads her into many strange and exciting situations. Sagittarius’ will be delighted by Alma’s hunger for the truth, as they themselves also seek to illuminate the world around them. There may have been no word for “scientist” in the 1830s, but Alma’s here to change that. The Archer will be keeping a paperback of this breathtaking story in their backpack.
Capricorn and George Orwell’s novel “1984” share one essential factor: timelessness. It takes place in a dystopian world called Oceania, a totalitarian superstate that places a ban on individuality, where the protagonist Winston Smith fights to feel human. Published over seventy years ago, Orwell’s novel has remained consistently relevant for its classic arguments about the surveillance state (“Big Brother”), abuse of language for the political agenda (or “Newspeak” – the language of the Oceania), and the endless struggle against the totalitarian scheme to control every free mind. Breaking barriers is Capricorn’s passion. After all, Uranus, Saturn, and Neptune were all in Capricorn when the Berlin wall came down. The Goat’s anti-establishment side will totally vibe with Winston on this one.
In 2005, The Republic of Gilead, formerly known as the United States, has somehow regressed back into a world before feminism. In this gripping tale, women are child-bearing machines without even the right to read a book. The disturbing yet acclaimed book written by Margaret Atwood will succeed at doing the one thing Aquarius loves: question the future. Atwood’s prophecy of the future from a 1985 perspective draws on the eccentric and psychic energy of Aquarius, not to mention their love of fighting for causes with a nonconformist attitude. The fact that some of Gilead’s ideas about women still lurk about today will make this a chilling read for the Water-Bearer.
Not many books can capture the imagination and fluidity of Pisces – except for this one! “Vacuum in the Dark” by Jen Beagin follows Mona, a house-cleaner indecisive about her own life path so she decides to use her occupation to try on other people’s lives instead. As she travels from home to home, her invisible friend named Terry Gross gives her advice on her love life. This charming, hilarious, clever read will flirt with Pisces’ own mutable, unpredictable personality. They’ll love to live vicariously through Mona’s constant identity crisis.
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