There is nothing more satisfying than opening up a book to find that you connect with the characters spiritually and mentally. Although not everyone finds much credence in the world of horoscopes, astrology, and zodiacs--it still is an interesting subject to talk and learn about. Although all things should, of course, be taken with a grain of salt, this blog discusses the various books available within the HCPL system that would work best for each zodiac sign mentioned. It can be hard to find the right book to read, so this might be a great place to start!
Love all things horoscope and astrology? Well start reading below to find out what your next read should be based on your zodiac sign!
Aries: Those with the cardinal fire sign Aries are a force to be reckoned with. Often touted as the sign with shortest temper, it’s a trait easily dismissed as negative. However, Aries are doers, they like to make sure things get done; and I personally am of the belief that their short fuses are exactly what makes them the spontaneous and natural leaders we all know and love. Ruled by planet Mars, the planet of passion, energy, and determination, the first book recommendation that comes to mind is The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang. Fang Runin is a war orphan, forced to endure the mistreatment by her foster family until she is shockingly granted entrance to the elite military school known as Sinegard. Despite everyone’s disbelief in her, Rin goes above and beyond to prove herself. But Rin has a temper and her desire for ultimate perfection will eventually be her downfall. Bestowed shamanic powers, induced by the use of opioids, Rin unlocks secrets about herself and the world around her threatened by a looming war and an enemy set on destroying the world—unless Rin destroys it first. A completed trilogy, The Poppy War is not for the faint of heart and tackles dark and personal subject matter surrounding the consequences of war, prejudice, and hate. An Aries may find a lot of themselves in Rin, especially since her main power source in the books is fire!
Taurus: As a Taurean myself, I can’t help but be a little biased. True, we may indulge from time to time, our need for self-care typically coming off as lazy or gluttonous to others is more so simply enjoying the finer things life has to offer. Hedonistic? Possibly. But gluttonous? Never! As a fixed earth sign, Taurus folk find balance and stability of the utmost importance. Their distaste for change is almost as great as their stubbornness. Ruled by the planet Venus, known for love, beauty, and wealth, it is no surprise that the sign is likened to a bull as their animal representation. A book perfect for Taureans is Heartless by Marissa Meyer. Filled with all the enchanting and nonsensical quirks featured in Lewis Carroll’s original Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Heartless follows the story of Catherine before becoming the Queen of Hearts and her lifelong dream of opening up a bakery and finding true love. But her dreams are shattered when she is forced into marriage with the King of Hearts. Catherine’s tale is one of heartbreak, love, and whimsy—and her love for sweets and sparkly things is something right up a Taurean’s alley.
Gemini: Gemini’s often times can be the life of the party—extroverted, an insatiable need to gain knowledge, and their charming personalities draw them a lot of attention. As an air sign, Gemini’s are considered flighty, flaky, and unreliable—but that tends to only be with people they don’t feel loyal to. But once that loyalty is earned, they would probably die for you! A book perfect to keep the quick-witted Gemini entertained is A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro. Following the descendants of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson are more rivals than they are friends. But after a fellow student is found dead at the boarding school they attend, everything takes a turn for the worst. Forced to team up when they are blamed for the death, Charlotte and Jamie must work together to prove their innocence. Fast paced, full of mystery and adventure, makes this the perfect novel to hold the attention of a Gemini.
Cancer: The fourth zodiac is the water sign Cancer, and it is without a doubt one of the more emotionally complex signs. Represented by the crab, Cancer’s are known for appearing outwardly aloof and sheltered (they could also give a Taurus a run for their money as to who can be the most stubborn)—but on the inside they are sensitive, intuitive, and feel passionately for the ones they love and care about. As multi-faceted as Cancerians are, it only makes sense to me to recommend a story with just as many layers and depths to it. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi follows the generational lifelines of two half-sisters from different tribal villages in Ghana that are not aware of each other’s existence. The book discusses extremely significant and thought-provoking topics about the horrors of history, finding family, and understanding just how deep inter-generational trauma can run. Lyrical, engaging, and dimensional, Gyasi’s debut novel is perfect for a Cancer to get lost in its depths.
Leo: Represented by the fierce and domineering lion, Leos are a fixed fire sign that experience their emotions and feelings just as its animalistic representation—intensely and without remorse. Just like Aries, Leos are doers, they enjoy taking charge and deciding their own fate for themselves. Due to their exuberant passion for the things they love and cherish, they can be somewhat possessive at times, mostly because of how much they care. Leos hold a natural kind of beauty and intelligence as well, despite letting their emotions sometimes get the best of them. A book that represent Leos quite well (and was also written by a Leo) is Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. A well-loved classic for many reasons, most prominently for its complex characters and intense emotions featured throughout the novel, consisting of desire, heartbreak, anger, and regret. The story follows the life of Catherine and Heathcliff, two people who grow up with one another, and eventually begin to care for each other deeply. Despite their feelings, circumstance often got in the way of them being able to explore whatever existed between them. Heathcliff is often seen as an unlikeable character, which is more than likely intentional on Brontë’s part. He is driven by his overpowering feelings for Catherine, swearing revenge for an unforeseen circumstance out of his and everyone else’s control. A classic for many reasons, Wuthering Heights is a worthwhile book to check out!
Virgo: Virgos as a mutable earth sign are known for being well-grounded perfectionists. Often times they might make remarks along the lines of “I see things others don’t…” and this is because of how often they like to focus on the details—almost to a fault at times. Their hyper-fixation on the small things can lead them to feel anxious and worried about things that might seem trivial to others, but this trait is what makes them extremely caring and loving people. A book that I believe would be right up a Virgo’s alley is Lab Girl by Hope Jahren. A biography detailing her life as an acclaimed scientist and the life she lived leading up to her career and her eventually writing this book. She discovers her love for science, nature, plants, and the world and all of these tend to fascinate the introspective and curious Virgo with an insatiable thirst for knowledge.
Libra: The cardinal air sign Libra has many talents, skills, and personalities that people tend to find calming to be around. Libra’s excel at bringing equilibrium to those around them, and their determination in avoiding conflicts at all costs plays into this. Cool and collected, Libras love surrounding themselves with people they care about—more often than not, Libras find themselves in relationships early on. Adventurous by nature, Libras love to explore and lose themselves in traveling, hiking, or anywhere that they can feel most peaceful. A great book for Libras to pick and invest their time in is The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. A staple of the Sci-Fi genre, the book follows the story of Arthur Dent as he navigates the end of the earth and his whirlwind journey through space. Comical, endearing, and full of adventure any Libra is sure to thoroughly enjoy the novel worth many re-reads.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Scorpio: Scorpios are either well-loved or well misunderstood sign. Known for being highly passionate individuals with a great attention to detail, Scorpios are a water sign that can be quite emotive and expressive in how they are feeling. At other times, they can be completely closed off and reserved with many people viewing them to be aloof or uncomfortable being around large crowds. Highly powerful yet skeptical and wary of other people, Scorpios are complex and love their individuality. A perfect fit for a Scorpio is Circe by Madeline Miller. In a world teeming with magic, mystery, gods and goddesses, Circe is a deeply moving tale of the Ancient Greek sorceress Circe and how her banishment to the island Aeaea shaped her into the widely feared and powerful minor goddess. Miller perfectly crafts a beautifully written story of love, self-discovery, and what it truly means to have control over your own destiny.
Sagittarius: A Sagittarius is unique in how they express themselves in their personalities—often times viewed as highly excitable, interesting, and charismatic, a Sagittarius almost always has an air of mystery that follows them. Their passionate and explorative nature makes them likeable by almost all other signs as they are quite easy to get along with and are typically extroverted. Humorous, witty, and curious by nature, a Sagittarius might seem like a completely open book to most, but they do have their well-kept secrets, things they selectively choose to share with only the people they trust the most. A book that comes to mind when thinking of the fire sign Sagittarius is Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Nick and Amy Dunnes seemingly have the perfect life, happily married and celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary, nothing seems out of the ordinary. That is until Amy goes missing and her husband, Nick, is being blamed. A fast-paced and mysterious thriller that will have you guessing who to trust with every turn of the page, Gone Girl perfectly represents the perfect exterior they tend to give off, but also the layers hidden deeply within.
Capricorn: Traditional, coordinated, and set in reality, Capricorns are perhaps one of the most sensible signs. Lovers of routines, seldom straying from what they are comfortable with, Capricorns can sometimes be made out as reserved or uninterested in having fun and trying new things. Although not entirely untrue, Capricorns just understand what they like and dislike and would rather not steer away from what it is they already know. As an earth sign, they can also be quite stubborn alongside their shared earth element signs Taurus and Virgo. However, once the trust of a Capricorn is gained, their love and loyalty are unwavering and they will always view you as an equal. Although seemingly put-off by people unlike them, if someone manages to make it past their hard exterior they are genuine and kind. A story that encompasses all the traits that a Capricorn carries is A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. Ove, an older man who has experienced all walks of life, is not someone people typically got along with. Ove does not care whether or not people like him as he tends to find problems in everyone else that he does not like. Despite the assumptions made that he enjoys being a grump, Ove has a story behind his loneliness and general dislike for others—one that is heartbreaking and can bring anyone to tears. An unlikely friendship forms when two young girls move in next door to him and a heartwarming story unfolds that is sure to bring a smile to even the grumpiest of people.
Aquarius: The air sign Aquarius is the perfect definition of an ambivert. Great socially, they make friends quickly and easily, and tend to get along with most people. On the other hand, they enjoy their downtime, independence, and being able to explore all their curiosities without someone there to hold them back. An Aquarius loves to experience life, from trying new foods to traveling, shopping, meeting friends, an Aquarius loves any and all stimulation. The best way to engage with an Aquarius is to bring up any kind of intellectual conversation or debate, a topic that is sure to get their attention. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman explores the depths of London city underground through its main character Richard Mayhew, a businessman who stumbles upon the enigmatic and mysterious Neverwhere. Full of bizarre adventures, quirky characters, monsters and thieves that have slipped past the eyes of the majority into the mystifying underground world of London, Neverwhere is the perfect novel for an Aquarius to crack open and let their imaginations run wild.
Pisces: Artistic, kind, and gentle people, the final sign for our blog is the water sign Pisces. Just like their element, a Pisces is fluid in their behavior and tend to have the “go with the flow” kind of personality. This makes them sometimes shy, but very easy to get along with once they’ve gotten comfortable with you. However, their kind nature sometimes leaves them open to people who will take advantage of that, which is why often times a Pisces does enjoy their private downtime and being on their own without necessarily feeling lonely. A novel the intuitive and sympathetic Pisces will be sure to enjoy is An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson. Isobel has a love and passion for the arts, especially painting and is considered a prodigy among her community. Human craft is something heavily sought after by the novel’s contentious enemy, the faerie folk. When Isobel is assigned the task of painting a portrait for the prince, she makes a grave error where she is eventually put on trial for the crime she commits and is put to the test to fight for her life and freedom when an enemy, more fearsome than the fae, lurks in the shadows. Whimsical, beautiful, and filled with invigorating imagery and writing, An Enchantment of Ravens is a quick read for the kind of escapism a Pisces loves to engage in.
As we enter into Taurus season, now is the perfect time to get a head start on your summer zodiac readings. All signs are unique and interesting in their own individual ways and getting to feel that connection with a particular book is always a joy on its own. Thanks for reading and happy book hunting!
This blog was written by Yasmene S. and first appeared April 2022.
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