What Your Astrological Sign Needs to Read This Month

Taurus, a good summer read doesn’t have to sacrifice interesting character arcs. Funmi, Enitan, and Zainab were close friends at their Nigerian college. Now they reunite after thirty years to celebrate the wedding of Funmi’s daughter Destiny. Through the course of the novel, the reader learns about the complexities of their lives and friendships: the loves, the betrayals, the heartbreaks, and disappointments. As the wedding day gets closer, it becomes clear that something isn’t right, and the women must face a crucial moment of decision.

Gemini, Rowley’s bestseller is funny and heartwarming, perfect for the summer. Maisie and Grant’s Gay Uncle Patrick (GUP) was once a famous sitcom star, but he’s been floundering for years after his acting career stalled and he lost the love of his life. When a family tragedy leaves him as the primary guardian of his young niece and nephew, he’s not at all prepared for the responsibility. He’s always loved them and enjoyed spending time with them on visits, but this is going to change everything.

Cancer, the Kellehers have been coming to their beach house in Maine for years, because of or despite their family history. This summer, three generations of women arrive, each with their own story. Maggie is pregnant and trying to find the right time to tell her boyfriend, Ann Marie is bottling up her domestic frustration, Kathleen just frankly doesn’t want to be there, and matriarch Alice has some regrets. All their tensions and emotions rise to the surface in this funny and powerful novel.

Leo, this entertaining novel by the author of the Crazy Rich Asians series follows Lucie Churchill from the island of Capri to New York, as she reckons with her biracial identity and the attention of two different men. She can’t stand George Zao when she meets him in Italy, and she can’t stand the way she is drawn to him when he shows up in the Hamptons, where she is enjoying a weekend trip with her fiancé. Lucie denies her feelings and finds herself spinning a whole web of lies to keep George from stealing her heart and messing up her plans.

Virgo, bestselling author Emma Straub is back with a novel that offers her signature humor and a twist on the time travel trope. On the eve of her 40th birthday, Alice finds herself suddenly in 1996, 16 years old again, and reunited with her 40-something father. Back in the present year of 2020, her father’s health is failing. Now, with the wisdom she has gained in those intervening years, Alice has a chance to revisit events with a new perspective.

Libra, what’s better than devouring a good love story on the beach? Albertson’s star-crossed lovers must reckon with a bitter, generational business rivalry in order to surrender to their feelings for each other. Celebrity chef Julieta doesn’t know, when she kisses Ramón on the Day of the Dead, that he’s the landlord of her failing restaurant. She doesn’t yet know that he is the king of a fast-food empire, or that his father stole her mother’s taco recipe all those years ago. But she’s about to find out, and things are about to heat up.

Scorpio, Portrait of a Thief is a clever and entertaining heist story for the summer. When a mysterious benefactor reaches out to Harvard art history major Will Chen with a fifty-million-dollar proposal, he can’t say no. He is going to steal back five priceless Chinese sculptures that were looted from Beijing centuries ago–and he’ll do it with a crew of four other Chinese Americans, each of whom brings their specific skills to the risky adventure. The whole story is inspired by the true story of Chinese art mysteriously disappearing from Western museums.

Sagittarius, the multitalented Phoebe Robinson–comedian, writer, and actress–shares her humor and wisdom in her latest essay collection. Good for laughing out loud with a refreshing summer drink in your hand, Robinson shares stories of taking her mom to visit Mrs. Obama, the risky activity of ziplining, dating a white person from the UK, and becoming a Black lady-boss. She also has sharp insight into our cultural moment, on white allies, motherhood, and mental health in America. With honesty and wit like this, you can’t go wrong.

Capricorn, worlds collide in this romantic comedy set in Los Angeles. Dreamy Daniels is a quirky secretary living in a seedy part of the city, but with her mantras and manifestations, she’s always just one step away from the success she needs to become her own boss. When she meets investor Karter Redford, she views him as a distraction from her goals. He’s used to focusing on work, but now that he wants to share his life with someone, he tries to bring Dreamy into his wealthy, upper-crust social circle.

Aquarius, everyone else can read fluffy romance novels and funny fiction on the beach this summer; you have a taste for something different. In this page-turning thriller, Natalie Collins travels to a private island off the coast of Maine, where her sister Kit has disappeared into Wisewood. As a guest at Wisewood, Kit committed to a six-month stay with no contact to the outside world, so she can achieve true fearlessness. When Natalie receives an anonymous message threatening to expose her biggest secret, she goes to find Kit and confess, only to find that Wisewood is much more sinister than it appears.

Pisces, this fairytale made-for-TV romance about a plus-size fashion blogger will give you the feels this summer. Bea loves the popular reality TV show Main Squeeze, but she can’t help noticing the lack of body diversity on the show. When she is offered the chance to be the star, surrounded by eager modern-day suitors, she takes it. She’s doing it to inspire women everywhere, build her brand, and change beauty standards. Not to fall in love, of course. But when she finds herself in this world of couture and handsome men, things begin to change.