Your 2021 reading horoscope (it’s written in the stars)
New year, new you, new world (please?) Sometimes looking to astrology for answers can offer a kind of blanket of comfort. It’s generalised and yet somehow relates to you every time. That’s the magic of astrological lexicon. I don’t have the skills or the knowledge to provide an actual horoscope for you, but what I have done is look at various astrology forecasts and applied the “ups” and “downs” across the year to where you might experience a serious reading slump or a reading roll!
Aries Season. It just gives me Julien Solomita energy and while I’m here for it, I also feel like I couldn’t keep up with it either. Aries, you are firecrackers. I’ve suggested ‘The Mary Shelley Club’ by Goldy Moldavsky for your overall recommendation. Here’s the blurb:
New girl Rachel Chavez is eager to make a fresh start at Manchester Prep. But as one of the few scholarship kids, Rachel struggles to fit in, and when she gets caught up in a prank gone awry, she ends up with more enemies than friends.
To her surprise, however, the prank attracts the attention of the Mary Shelley Club, a secret club of students with one objective: come up with the scariest prank to orchestrate real fear. But as the pranks escalate, the competition turns cutthroat and takes on a life of its own.
When the tables are turned and someone targets the club itself, Rachel must track down the real-life monster in their midst . . . even if it means finally confronting the dark secrets from her past.
Stubborn? Maybe. But it’s often justified and necessary. I have the pleasure of knowing a lot of Taurus people and I have nothing but admiration and respect for their tenacity for life and for getting a job done. I recommend for you ‘Wench’ by Maxine Kaplan. Enjoy!
Tanya has worked at her tavern since she was able to see over the bar. She broke up her first fight at 11. By the time she was a teenager she knew everything about the place, and she could run it with her eyes closed. She’d never let anyone—whether it be a drunkard or a captain of the queen’s guard—take advantage of her. But when her guardian dies, she might lose it all: the bar, her home, her purpose in life. So she heads out on a quest to petition the queen to keep the tavern in her name—dodging unscrupulous guards, a band of thieves, and a powerful, enchanted feather that seems drawn to her. Fast-paced, magical, and unapologetically feminist, Wench is epic fantasy like you’ve never seen it before.
Content warning: Some magic in the book involves self-harm.
Ah, Gemini. My mum is a Gemini so I might be a bit biased, but you guys are cool. I can’t fully explain why I paired you with ‘A Complicated Love Story Set in Space’ by Shaun David Hutchinson, but it felt right. You know? It’ll be a good one, I think, anyway.
When Noa closes his eyes on Earth and wakes up on a spaceship called Qriosity just as it’s about to explode, he’s pretty sure things can’t get much weirder.
Boy is he wrong.
Trapped aboard Qriosity are also DJ and Jenny, neither of whom remember how they got onboard the ship. Together, the three face all the dangers of space, along with murder, aliens, a school dance, and one really, really bad day. But none of this can prepare Noa for the biggest challenge—falling in love. And as Noa’s feelings for DJ deepen, he has to contend not just with the challenges of the present, but also with his memories of the past.
However, nothing is what it seems on Qriosity, and the truth will upend all of their lives forever.
Love is complicated enough without also trying to stay alive.
Cancer. So much emotion lives inside of you. And that is never a bad thing. I’m suggesting ‘Yolk’ by Mary H. K. Choi because I’ve been obsessed since I saw the cover and read the blurb. I feel so strongly drawn to it, and I feel like you’ll appreciate it too.
Jayne Baek is barely getting by. She shuffles through fashion school, saddled with a deadbeat boyfriend, clout-chasing friends, and a wretched eating disorder that she’s not fully ready to confront. But that’s New York City, right? At least she isn’t in Texas anymore, and is finally living in a city that feels right for her.
On the other hand, her sister June is dazzlingly rich with a high-flying finance job and a massive apartment. Unlike Jayne, June has never struggled a day in her life. Until she’s diagnosed with uterine cancer.
Suddenly, these estranged sisters who have nothing in common are living together. Because sisterly obligations are kind of important when one of you is dying.
My fellow Leo friends, you’ll understand me when I say that there is nothing a Leo loves more than to tell people they’re a Leo. Am I wrong? We’re just a different breed (insufferable? Sometimes, but they also love us for it). I’ve indulged completely and recommended a book I myself am very hyped to get my hands on: ‘Afterburn’ by Tanya Byrne.
Ash Persaud is about to become a reaper in the afterlife, but she is determined to see her first love Poppy Morgan again, the only thing that separates them is death.
Car headlights.
The last thing Ash hears is the snap of breaking glass as the windscreen hits her and breaks into a million pieces like stars.
But she made it, she's still here. Or is she? This New Year's Eve, Ash is gets an RSVP from the afterlife she can't decline: to join a clan of fierce girl reapers who take the souls of the city's dead to await their fate. But Ash can't forget her first love, Poppy, and she will do anything to see her again... even if it means they only get a few more days together. Dead or alive...
NOT EVEN DEATH CAN TEAR THEM APART.
You know the drill, Goodreads link here!
Virgo. It’s your year. Start believing it. That counts for great reads, too. Hence I’ve thrown ‘Last Night at the Telegraph Club’ by Malindo Lo at you because this book is just firing me all kinds of messages and all of them are great. I need it.
“That book. It was about two women, and they fell in love with each other.” And then Lily asked the question that had taken root in her, that was even now unfurling its leaves and demanding to be shown the sun: “Have you ever heard of such a thing?”
Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can’t remember exactly when the question took root, but the answer was in full bloom the moment she and Kathleen Miller walked under the flashing neon sign of a lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club.
America in 1954 is not a safe place for two girls to fall in love, especially not in Chinatown. Red-Scare paranoia threatens everyone, including Chinese Americans like Lily. With deportation looming over her father—despite his hard-won citizenship—Lily and Kath risk everything to let their love see the light of day.
Libra, it might be a bit of a complex one for you this year, but you know what? You’ve got a balanced head on them shoulders, you’ll see yourself through it. Especially with a good book by your side. I’ve suggested ‘In Deeper Waters’ by F. T. Lukens for a bit of adventurous escapism. Plus, that cover is a dream!
Prince Tal has long awaited his coming-of-age tour. After spending most of his life cloistered behind palace walls as he learns to keep his forbidden magic secret, he can finally see his family’s kingdom for the first time. His first taste of adventure comes just two days into the journey, when their crew discovers a mysterious prisoner on a burning derelict vessel.
Tasked with watching over the prisoner, Tal is surprised to feel an intense connection with the roguish Athlen. So when Athlen leaps overboard and disappears, Tal feels responsible and heartbroken, knowing Athlen could not have survived in the open ocean.
That is, until Tal runs into Athlen days later on dry land, very much alive, and as charming—and secretive—as ever. But before they can pursue anything further, Tal is kidnapped by pirates and held ransom in a plot to reveal his rumored powers and instigate a war. Tal must escape if he hopes to save his family and the kingdom. And Athlen might just be his only hope…
As a Scorpio rising, I always feel a kind of connection with this star sign. People find it hard to read me when they first meet me, but I don’t mind that so much. Having an effective guard up protects you in the beginning, right? Anyway, I’ve suggested ‘As Far As You’ll Take Me’ by Phil Stamper as your recommended read; it looks set to be a gentle, but emotional read.
Marty arrives in London with nothing but his oboe and some savings from his summer job, but he's excited to start his new life--where he's no longer the closeted, shy kid who slips under the radar and is free to explore his sexuality without his parents' disapproval.
From the outside, Marty's life looks like a perfect fantasy: in the span of a few weeks, he's made new friends, he's getting closer with his first ever boyfriend, and he's even traveling around Europe. But Marty knows he can't keep up the facade. He hasn't spoken to his parents since he arrived, he's tearing through his meager savings, his homesickness and anxiety are getting worse and worse, and he hasn't even come close to landing the job of his dreams. Will Marty be able to find a place that feels like home?
Strike an arrow right through my heart, Sagittarius. ‘A Pho Love Story’ by Loan Le is something I’ve had my eye on for a while now and I’m really looking forward to picking it up.
If Bao Nguyen had to describe himself, he’d say he was a rock. Steady and strong, but not particularly interesting. His grades are average, his social status unremarkable. He works at his parents’ pho restaurant, and even there, he is his parents’ fifth favorite employee. Not ideal.
If Linh Mai had to describe herself, she’d say she was a firecracker. Stable when unlit, but full of potential for joy and spark and fire. She loves art and dreams pursuing a career in it. The only problem? Her parents rely on her in ways they’re not willing to admit, including working practically full-time at her family’s pho restaurant.
For years, the Mais and the Nguyens have been at odds, having owned competing, neighboring phở restaurants. Bao and Linh, who’ve avoided each other for most of their lives, both suspect that the feud stems from feelings much deeper than friendly competition.
But then a chance encounter brings Linh and Bao together despite their best efforts and sparks fly, leading them both to wonder what took so long for them to connect. But then, of course, they immediately remember.
Can Linh and Bao find love in the midst of feuding families and complicated histories?
“He was a Capricorn.” Those who know what I mean when I say that… You’re the best. If you want to be enlightened then check out Medieval Fun Time World on YouTube. Anyway, I’ve got a good one for you! ‘Between Perfect and Real’ by Ray Stoeve. Enjoy!
Dean Foster knows he’s a trans guy. He’s watched enough YouTube videos and done enough questioning to be sure. But everyone at his high school thinks he’s a lesbian—including his girlfriend Zoe, and his theater director, who just cast him as a “nontraditional” Romeo. He wonders if maybe it would be easier to wait until college to come out. But as he plays Romeo every day in rehearsals, Dean realizes he wants everyone to see him as he really is now––not just on the stage, but everywhere in his life. Dean knows what he needs to do. Can playing a role help Dean be his true self?
This is the dawning of the age of Aquariaaa. I like you Aquarians. You’ve got style. That’s why I think you’ll link up well with this stylish and zingy book: ‘Counting Down with You’ by Tashie Bhuiyan.
How do you make one month last a lifetime?
Karina Ahmed has a plan. Keep her head down, get through high school without a fuss, and follow her parents’ rules—even if it means sacrificing her dreams. When her parents go abroad to Bangladesh for four weeks, Karina expects some peace and quiet. Instead, one simple lie unravels everything.
Karina is my girlfriend.
Tutoring the school’s resident bad boy was already crossing a line. Pretending to date him? Out of the question. But Ace Clyde does everything right—he brings her coffee in the mornings, impresses her friends without trying, and even promises to buy her a dozen books (a week) if she goes along with his fake-dating facade. Though Karina agrees, she can’t help but start counting down the days until her parents come back.
T-minus twenty-eight days until everything returns to normal—but what if Karina no longer wants it to?
Pisces, my little poisson! You’re good at swimming against the tide, but don’t be afraid to just see where the current takes you. ‘Bruised’ by Tankya Boteju is everything I didn’t know I needed, but as soon as I saw it I knew it was the one for me. Hopefully you see what I do. An awesome book.
To Daya Wijesinghe, a bruise is a mixture of comfort and control. Since her parents died in an accident she survived, bruises have become a way to keep her pain on the surface of her skin so she doesn’t need to deal with the ache deep in her heart.
So when chance and circumstances bring her to a roller derby bout, Daya is hooked. Yes, the rules are confusing and the sport seems to require the kind of teamwork and human interaction Daya generally avoids. But the opportunities to bruise are countless, and Daya realizes that if she’s going to keep her emotional pain at bay, she’ll need all the opportunities she can get.
The deeper Daya immerses herself into the world of roller derby, though, the more she realizes it’s not the simple physical pain-fest she was hoping for. Her rough-and-tumble teammates and their fans push her limits in ways she never imagined, bringing Daya to big truths about love, loss, strength, and healing.
Regardless of what your horoscope might say, 2021 has to be better than 2020. It just has to, doesn’t it? Which books are you most excited for?
Written by Sarah
