Book Recommendations Based on Your Zodiac

ARIES [March 21 – April 19] — I Hope We Choose Love by Kai Cheng Thom (Arsenal Pulp Press)Fiery Aries, bold and daring, it is time to hone your focus and sharpen your senses. What is to come will be determined by your choices. Evaluate the paths in front of you — what lengths are you willing to go to and how much of yourself do you want to sacrifice for the things you want? Kai Cheng Thom tackles some of these questions in their essay and poetry collection I Hope We Choose Love with empathy, heart, and blazing intellect. This collection will open your eyes to a new way to see the world. This is the prime time to charge up and chart your course forward, Aries. 

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TAURUS [April 20 – May 20] — Book of Wings by Tawhida Tanya Evanson (Véhicule Press) This will be a month of contemplation, Taurus, a time to consider all those questions that have been burning at the back of your mind. Do those answers align with your goals? Acclaimed Antiguan-Canadian artist, Tawhida Tanya Evanson delves into similar experiences in her novel Book of Wings and coming to terms with standing on one’s own in an uncertain world. Harmonize any contradicting elements in your life, and lean into your creative needs and desires. Don’t let yourself become stagnate in the face of those burning questions. 

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GEMINI [May 21 – June 20] — We, Jane by Aimee Wall (Book*hug Press)Take a deep breath, Gemini. Then take another one. The last eight months have been a wild ride — it’s time to take stock and wrap up any significant projects before moving forward. Honour your daily routines, whether big or small, and soak in your immediate environment. Focus in on those details, especially when it comes to your home and those you surround yourself with. We, Jane is a quiet novel, capturing the magnitude of home, friendships, and connections — the perfect book to sit back and reboot with to get your creative juices flowing. Stick close to what makes you feel at peace this Leo season, and good things will be sure to come your way. 

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CANCER [June 21 – July 22] — love, life by Bernadine Ann Teraz Stapleton (Breakwater Books) Lean into your intuition this month, Cancer. August is all about regaining your drive and determining how you want to support yourself in the future. Now is the perfect time to prioritize being generous and kind to yourself. Invest in your quality of life, just like the heroine in love, life does as she treks through her past and Italy to uncover what she truly needs and desires. It’s time to think bigger, Cancer, and prepare yourself for the grander things heading your way.  

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LEO [July 23 – August 22] — The List of Last Chances by Christina Myers (Caitlin Press) It is your time to shine, Leo! You’ve got charisma and energy to spare — propel that into starting afresh, but remember not to burn yourself out. It’s a great time to embrace what works for you and putting that knowledge into your future endeavours. Take inspiration from Christina Myers’ The List of Last Chances, a heartfelt and humorous novel all about adventure, diving into something new, and unexpected friendships. Stay true to your voice, Leo, and embrace all that makes you an original.  

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VIRGO [August 23 – September 22] — The Quiet is Loud by Samantha Garner (Invisible Publishing) Like your fellow Earth signs, you crave the corporeal and practical, Virgo. You are in charge this month, be open and adaptable, review the roles you’ve played in the past and strategize for what’s ahead. If you feel like you’ve been boxed in or typecast, break out of it. The Quiet is Loud is a fantastical novel about breaking free of societal constraints and the refusal to let others tell our stories. Think of August as an extended Virgo season, take charge, and you’ll see the results you desire. 

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LIBRA [September 23 – October 22] — it was never going to be okay by jaye simpson (Nightwood Editions) This month is all about exploration, Libra. Be open to all the opportunities that come your way, even if you haven’t considered them before. You’ll find inspiration in the most unexpected ways — let it guide your creativity processes. Beautiful, tender, heartbreaking, and hopeful, jaye simpson’s it was never going to be okay will serve as a guide to healing and coming to terms with the past. Speak honestly and trust your instincts this month. 

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SCORPIO [October 23 – November 21] — Bones by Tyler Pennock (Brick Books) You know that life is always fraught with changes, Scorpio. Life is full of challenges — some you see coming and some you don’t. You feel invigorated and full of enthusiasm right now, making it the perfect time to figure out the future you desire and ruminate over the paths that got you here. Bones, Tyler Pennock’s wise and arresting poetry debut, is about a journey inward, making peace with the past to be able to journey forward. Trust yourself, Scorpio, trust the lessons learned and trust that you know which steps to take next no matter the circumstances that life throws at you. 

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SAGITTARIUS [November 22 – December 21] — The Rebellious Tide by Eddy Boudel Tan (Dundurn Press)This is the month to strategize and plan, and this explicitly applies to you, Sagittarius. Declutter and reframe all that you’ve learnt in the past few months. Look at your actions, your emotions, and let them help you discern what it is that you are truly working towards. The Rebellious Tide is an astounding literary novel about the ties that bind us and how it can — and sometimes must — be overcome. Stay optimistic and think smart.    

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CAPRICORN [December 22 – January 19] — You Are Eating an Orange. You Are Naked. by Sheung-King (Book*hug Press)August will have you in the mood to take stock of the people and partnerships in your life, Capricorn. You are in a liminal place right now, and your relationships will play a big part in what steps you take next.Playful and surreal, You Are Eating an Orange. You Are Naked. not only challenges longstanding Western tropes and Orientalism, but reveals the expansive intimacy and vulnerability of what it means to be in love. Cherish the relationships that you’re in at this moment in time, lean on those close as you enter a new phase of your growth, Capricorn. Enjoy this period you are  in and do it without remorse. The long awaited and well-deserved recognition is coming. 

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AQUARIUS [January 20 – February 18] — Humane by Anna Marie Sewell (Stonehouse Publishing)Now is the perfect time for a moment of self-reflection, Aquarius. Time to hit pause and review the systems of support you’ve surrounded yourself with. Ask yourself, are these supports beneficial or detrimental? If they’re beneficial, stick close to them, especially if they’ve been in your life for a long time. Humane is so much more than a simple crime novel. Hazel Lesage, an unlicensed private investigator, works on cases no one seems to care about, especially the police. When a difficult case lands in Hazel’s lap, she’ll have to come to terms with the fact that sometimes it’s better not to go it alone. The sooner you tackle your priorities, Aquarius, the sooner you’ll be ready for what’s ahead.

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PISCES [February 19 – March 20] — The Language We Were Never Taught to Speak by Grace Lau (Guernica Editions)August will feel like a month of divides for you, Pisces. While one part of you craves security and stability, another half is desperate for adventure and change. They are two very different sides, but both are part of you. Let these contradictions exist, but stick close to your roots. The Language We Were Never Taught is a poetry collection that explores the dichotomies that exist within each of us, and how they are both universal and distinctive. Make embodied choices this month and count on those closest to you for a bit of fun, Pisces.  

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