Your Ideal Summer Beach Read Based On Your Zodiac Sign
The sun is out, the pool is open, and the beaches are calling your name. For all you bookworms and beach bums out there, it is finally time to bust out your favorite swimsuit and load up your beach tote with a new summer beach read.
This summer has already seen a plethora of amazing rom-coms, memoirs, thrillers, and dramas hit the shelves. But with so many great options to choose from, how do you know where to start? With one that is carefully selected based on your zodiac sign's traits and favorite reading preferences, of course! From Aries to Pisces and the rest in between, there is an ideal summer beach read for you based on your zodiac sign.
The best summer beach reads carefully balance compelling narratives and dimensional characters with drama, humor, and a delicious mix of angst and adventure to keep you enticed. You want a meet-cute or two, perhaps some witty dialogue, and just the right amount of tension to keep things interesting. A good summer beach read also features thoughtfully crafted heroes and heroines that, even with their flaws and blunders, are easy to love — just like the person reading the story. Here's the one you should reach for based on your zodiac sign.
Aries: When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill
Due to your natural penchant for action and your bold, intensely felt emotions, traditional swoony beach reads aren't really your thing. You prefer a story with meat on its bones, something that both thrills and inspires your creative mind. "When Women Were Dragons" by Kelly Barnhill checks all of these boxes. It is a fiery and fantastical feminist tale set in the traditional golden age of 1950s America. In this universe, thousands of wives and mothers are turning into giant dragons; a curious and unprecedented event coined the "Mass Dragoning."
The story follows Alex Green, a young woman who is still very much human and desperately trying to break free from the conformist pressures of her small-town, patriarchal society. Barnhill masterfully weaves the fictional life of Alex with the real-life modern woman's struggle to exist and thrive.
"Very quickly, the character of Alex asserted herself, and I realized I wasn't writing a story about rage, although rage plays a significant role," author Kelly Barnhill shares in an interview with Locus Magazine. "Instead, what I was writing was a story about memory and trauma and the ways in which memory is manipulated to reframe the past, and to rob people of context to be able to understand the present." As an Aries, you will connect with the spirit, tenacity, and not-so-quiet rage of Alex and the other complex female characters in this breathtaking novel.
Taurus: A Perfect Vintage by Chelsea Fagan
Taurus, you have worked yourself to the bone all winter long, and now that summer has arrived, it's time for some well-deserved rest and relaxation. What better way to recharge than with a novel bursting with scintillating family drama, love affairs, sumptuous food and wine, and evocative descriptions of one of the most romantic countries on earth?
"A Perfect Vintage" tells the story of Lea Mortimer, a single woman with no kids who has made a name for herself as a consultant in the old-money, French boutique hotel world. She has spent years carefully constructing her perfect life brick by brick, enjoying the wealth and freedom of an unattached life and working hard to maintain her highly-sought after reputation. For Lea, her career comes first, always. When her cousin Stephanie's contentious divorce is finalized, Lea offers her and Stephanie's young adult daughter a place to stay while she works on her newest hotel renovation in the French countryside.
However, having family around complicates Lea's carefully controlled life, as does her burgeoning relationship with her new boss's son. This contemporary summer romance is a treat for the senses. Fagan's complex, fully realized, and delightfully flawed characters are fascinating to behold, and the plot has a compelling balance of lighthearted and heavy drama that will entertain you well after the tan lines have faded.
Gemini: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
"The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig is a beautiful look at choices and how they impact a life. As the zodiac's most communicative sign, as well as the sign made up of equal parts light and dark, you, sweet Gemini, are the ideal reader for this thought-provoking novel. You understand better than anyone how tempting the multiverse concept is, as well as the painful reality of doubting your decisions, always wanting more, and consistently wondering: "What if?"
"The Midnight Library" follows Nora Seed, a woman in her mid-30s who lives with a boatload of regret. She laments the relationships she walked away from, the dreams she never pursued, and the dead-end life she's living. At the beginning of the novel, Nora receives a string of horrible news, which, already suffering from chronic depression, pushes her to the brink.
After waking up from a suicide attempt, she awakens in the Midnight Library, a magical place where each book on its infinite shelves is a different life. With the help of a familiar old librarian, Nora tries on these different lives in the hope of finding a possibility where she can find true happiness. "I think it is an optimistic and hopeful novel, but it took a lot of work to get the balance of dark and light where it needed to be," author Matt Haig tells Entertainment Weekly.
Cancer: The Bodyguard by Katherine Center
With its themes of family, loyalty, love, and home, "The Bodyguard" by Katherine Center is the perfect beach read for emotional, deep-feeling, caring Cancer. You will laugh out loud at the quick and clever banter, you will cry at every emotional upheaval the characters experience, and you will most definitely swoon throughout this romantic read.
Main character Hannah Brooks is a professional bodyguard for the wealthy and famous. She is a petite, brilliant undercover agent who travels all over the globe, protecting her clients from harm. Hannah is the best of the best, preferring to work and travel in lieu of forming genuine personal attachments or putting down roots. But when high-profile smoking hot actor Jack Stapleton returns to his hometown to care for his sick mother, he finds himself in need of protection from a corgi-obsessed stalker.
Hannah is assigned to the case, and before long, she finds herself staying in his childhood home, getting to know his parents and estranged brother, and pretending to be in love with the famous actor. "The Bodyguard" is as sweet and funny as you are, dear Cancer. You will surely find similarities between yourself and Hannah, an endearing leading lady who protects her vulnerability beneath a tough-as-nails exterior and refuses to let harm befall the people she loves most.
Leo: The Guest by Emma Cline
Everyone knows that drama is your middle name, Leo, and as such, you require a summer beach read with plot twists, heart-stopping tension, and plenty of chaotic characters to keep you turning the page. Emma Cline's "The Guest," with its fresh examination of power dynamics and gender roles and dreamlike aesthetic reminiscent of a Sofia Coppola film, will surely entice you from beginning to end.
Alex, the protagonist, is a 22-year-old escort struggling to survive in New York City. When her new boyfriend, Simon, a wealthy man in his 50s, asks her to spend a month in his luxurious Hamptons home with him, Alex eagerly abandons her unpaid rent and the secrets of her past. She believes she has finally made it and loses herself in the material wealth of Simon's beachside abode. But when Simon kicks her out after an incident during a party, Alex must learn how to stay afloat in a world that continues to reject her.
The entire novel spans a week, creating a fast-paced narrative that grips you by the throat and refuses to let go until the final page. "With this book, I knew from the beginning that I really wanted all the action contained over a few days but also, for the reader, that you stay very close to this character in the moment," Emma Cline tells Vanity Fair.
Virgo: Adult Assembly Required by Abbi Waxman
Reading is one of the few ways you relax your anxious, constantly buzzing Virgo mind. You love diving headfirst into a feel-good story that takes the pressure off your shoulders and lets you escape into problems you don't have to fix. "Adult Assembly Required" by Abbi Waxman is a charming and lighthearted summer read that focuses on major themes of friendship, forgiveness, and personal growth in the face of adversity. There is also a hefty dose of trivia and pop culture references scattered throughout that will delight your inner nerd.
"Adult Assembly Required" follows the kind-hearted and anxious Laura Costello, a young woman who is running away to Los Angeles. Eager to escape a recent tragedy and her protective but overbearing family, Laura's early attempts at rebuilding her life are foiled by a fire that makes her homeless, further proof that being an adult isn't all it's cracked up to be.
Soon, Laura finds herself renting a room in an illegal boardinghouse and making fast friends with a cast of quirky but lovable characters. Together, this sweet group of people helps Laura move past her trauma and regain control of her life, all while encouraging her to embrace every imperfect part of herself.
Libra: Meant to Be by Emily Giffin
Libra may put on a calm, impartial face to others to keep the peace, but few signs are as in love with love in all of its sweet and unbearable forms. Your zodiac sign is one of the most romantic at heart and finds opposites attract, so against-all-odds love stories like Emily Giffin's "Meant to Be" are the perfect outlet.
"Meant to Be" tells the story of Joe and Cate, two people who couldn't be more different. Joe is a free spirit who comes from a long line of American heroes and politicians, while Cate is a fatherless high school dropout who found a way out of poverty through modeling. Each struggles to meet the demands of the people around them and feels trapped in worlds where they don't belong. When this unlikely pair meet, they share an intense connection and quickly fall head over heels for a love affair for the ages.
But will their love be strong enough to withstand the pressures of society and family? You'll have to find out, Libra — and we guarantee you'll enjoy yourself in the process. "Libra's prefer a lighthearted tone when reading, so they'll enjoy that this book never gets too dramatic or intense, but it doesn't shy away from tugging at the heartstrings either," astrologer Ryan Marquardt tells Best Life.
Scorpio: Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
A lighthearted rom-com won't make it into your summer TBR list, Scorpio. You enjoy thrill and scandal in your summer beach reads too much, appreciating the ability to dig deeper into a flawed character's curious — if not outright horrendous — choices. You also never shy away from topics that are a little taboo or uncomfortable, especially when done in the name of satire, which is why "Yellowface" by R.F. Kuang should be your go-to beach read this year.
"Yellowface" is a novel about the dark secrets of the publishing world and the lengths a person will go to achieve success in their chosen profession. Kuang's keen observations, dark humor, and sharp wit effortlessly explore additional themes of cultural appropriation, white privilege, and the role of social media in publishing. It follows June Hayward, a young novelist who, after her friend dies, steals and publishes her manuscript and claims it as her own.
Throughout the novel, June must work hard to convince the world the novel she stole is indeed hers in spite of growing opposition, online bullying, and threats. "Yellowface" is a gripping, sinister, and tension-filled novel that will have you flipping furiously through page after page, desperate to know how the story ends.
Sagittarius: The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd
Every Sagittarius loves jumping headfirst into adventure, both in real life and while rifling through the pages of a book. They love to immerse themselves in a different world, and if they can learn something along the way, even better. "The Cartographers," Peng Shepherd's imaginative sophomore novel, is a perfect blend of dark academia, thrilling adventure, and mystery. At its core, it is also about people who are passionate about maps and forces the reader to question what the purpose of a map actually is.
The story follows Nell Young, a brilliant map historian who once hoped to work alongside her father in the Maps Division of the New York Public Library. However, many years before, an irreparable fight with her father over a seemingly unremarkable gas station map from the 1930s forced Nell out of the cartography world and into a dead-end job making historical map prints.
But when Nell's father is murdered, seemingly over the same gas station map that caused their falling out, Nell is thrust back into the world she loves. Why was her father so protective over such a seemingly worthless object? And who else wanted it enough to kill him for it ... and why? Alongside her ex-boyfriend Felix and her father's former friends, Nell must unlock the secrets of the magical and mysterious map, as well as its connection to her own murky history, before it's too late.
Capricorn: Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Emily Henry is the undisputed queen of contemporary, feel-good romantic comedies, but her novel "Book Lovers" is a particular treat for you, Capricorns. As a hardworking yet sensitive soul — with a zodiac sign that will be there for you no matter what — you're bound to find similarities between yourself and the protagonist. In the novel, Nora Stephens is a focused, hardworking, big-city literary agent who thinks about her job and nothing else. Although she lives and breathes books, she finds no truth in their tropes.
Instead, Nora thinks of herself as a cynic and has resigned herself to the idea that she is merely the stepping stone for the men she dates, a push-off point to get them to their one true love. When her pregnant younger sister Libby begs her to go away for the summer, Nora finds herself in a quaint small town where absolutely nothing exciting ever happens, caring for her sister and playing along with her rules to experience the perfect small-town summer vacation.
While there, Nora runs into colleague and arch nemesis Charlie Lastra, a grouchy stick-in-the-mud who once turned down her client's bestselling manuscript. Despite the lingering dislike that exists between them, Nora and Charlie slowly find common ground, realizing for the first time that who they are might just be enough for someone else to love. "Book Lovers" is a tender and warmly written exploration of family and friendship, with a love story and its center that is as realistic as it is romantic.
Aquarius: Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
Ali Hazelwood's third novel, "Love, Theoretically," is a match made in heaven for you book-smart, analytical, science-minded Aquarians. Hazelwood's novels, which focus on strong, independent women in STEM, interweave swoon-worthy romance and well-thought-out characters that portray the difficulties women in science and academia face. As intelligent, progressive humanitarians, Aquarians will surely be mesmerized by this one.
In this novel, readers are introduced to Dr. Elsie Hannaway, an agreeable theoretical physicist struggling to make ends meet. In addition to her multiple roles at Boston colleges, Elsie has a side gig as a pretend romantic partner for people who need fake dates for work or family events. When MIT offers her an interview for her dream position, she is horrified to discover Jack Smith is the man running the physics department. Who is Jack Smith? The brother of a recent "fake boyfriend" client of hers.
Not only does he think Elsie is a liar, but his scientific views and career choices also threaten to undo Elsie's MIT dreams before they've begun. However, as the pair spend more time together, Elsie finds herself appreciating the real Jack as much as she loves the freedom of finally being allowed to be herself. This slow-burn romance is charming and angsty while remaining grounded in reality, a perfect summer read for Aquarius from start to finish.
Pisces: The Book of Lost and Found by Lucy Foley
"The Book of Lost and Found" by Lucy Foley is an emotional roller coaster of a novel. Its themes of lost love, found family, personal discovery, and what it means to live a fulfilling, creative life are catnip to your gentle Pisces heart. While there are heavy topics throughout the novel, the attention to historical detail, the depth of each character, and the vast magnificence of the overall narrative are impossible for imaginative Pisces not to love.
After the deaths of her mother, a prima ballerina named June, and adoptive grandmother Eva, 27-year-old Kate Darling finds herself mourning and in possession of a mysterious sketch. The old drawing depicts a woman that looks astonishingly like Kate's mother, June. In an effort to understand who the woman is and why her mother had her likeness, Kate travels to meet the artist behind the sketch: a world-famous artist, Thomas Stafford, on the French island of Corsica.
Here she is introduced to the artist's heartbreaking, star-crossed love story with a woman named Alice in the years leading up to World War II. While Tom tells his story piece by piece, Kate learns to let go of her grief with the help of Tom's grandson Oliver, with a past as heartbreaking as his grandfather's. The story's multiple narratives weave together an intense story that will bring tears to your eyes.