Suns out, spines out—happy July, book nerds! We hope the last couple of weeks have been fun and relaxing and that you’ve had the chance to chill out by the pool with a book in hand. If not…we encourage you to MAKE SOME TIME because you deserve some R&R in the summertime. Not sure when to fit it in? No worries because we’re back with another round of some very epic horoscopes so you can start planning out the next few weeks!
Scroll down to your astrology sign to see what the stars have in store for you. And even if it says that you’ll have a busy month ahead…we predict you’ll make time for the books on your list 😉
Epic Reads Horoscopes: July 2018
Leo
July 23 – August 22
Keywords: independent, intense, internal
You took a few cues from your Libra friends last month and learned the difficult task of balancing work and play. We hope you took the lesson deep into your lionly heart because July is about to get intense. Change is in the air, and you’re not gonna like it. Instead of pushing back or digging your claws in, find that internal peace you worked so hard for last month. Look inward, go with the flow and see what happens. Maybe the fireworks will get ☔️rained☔️ out this year, and instead, you’ll go to the *best* party of your life. Or maybe your crush will cancel your first date, but surprise you with something twice as sweet later on. Just remember, reversal doesn’t mean defeat unless YOU let it.
Book pick: I Am Still Alive by Kate Alice Marshall
Reason: An intense book for a month of super intense energy. Jess is alone, her cabin burned to the ground in the Canadian wilderness, and her father murdered. Jess will have to survive the cold and the hunger. Especially if she wants to get revenge.
Virgo
August 23 – September 22
Keywords: obstacles, perseverance, determination
Have the 💨winds💨 of change left you feeling frazzled? Take a deep breath, pour yourself an icy cold brew, and get a stack of books ready…because July isn’t going to be much better. Instead of big changes, you’ll be faced with small nuisances and petty arguments that add up to something more significant. Instead of zeroing in on all the *little* problems that are overwhelming you, focus on the great things going on in your life. Celebrate the 4th of July with your besties in tow, line your favorite books up all in a row and just bask in their glow, and send your gratitude up to the cosmos for all that you’ve been given and all that you’ve dared to take for yourself. Whether it’s big changes or small bumps in the road, we know you’ll come out ahead in the end, Virgo. Now YOU just need to know that, too.
Book pick: Notes From My Captivity by Kathy Parks
Reason:This is darkly hilarious novel about survival, the human condition, and the power to shape your own story, all good lessons for a frustrating Virgo month. Just remember, you could be held captive by a legendary family of hermits nobody believed existed in the Siberian wilderness. We genuinely hope you’re not, though.
Libra
September 23 – October 22
Keywords: relax, attune, adjust
Last month you were the bigger person, Libra. You recognized a dramatic moment for what it was – a cry for attention – and you stepped back and let it pass. We’re sorry to say you’ll be using that skill in July as well. A month of change has arrived. Knowing you, you’ll be trying to ⚖️balance⚖️ all of the new things in your life with all of your old priorities. But maybe…instead of jumping right into the deep end, you stay on your giant swan floaty and relax for a bit? Let the raging whirlpool of July exhaust itself, and THEN jump in when the waters are safer. This is yet another chance for you to reevaluate your commitments, your relationships, yourself. Tap into your intuition with some meditation and relax your mind with a good book. By the time you come back up for some air, the world around you should be a little bit more balanced, without you even having to lift a finger.
Book pick: Contagion by Erin Bowman
Reason: Your world may seem like a mess this month, Libra, but at least you’re not afraid of a parasite eager to infect you and the rest of the world. Keep your mind off your own problems as Thea Sadik’s dream internship turns into a race-against-the-clock escape from the contagion that threatens to take over the planet.
Scorpio
October 23 – November 21
Keywords: conflicted, introspective, emotional
Did you keep your 👀eyes👀 peeled for opportunities rolling like tumbleweeds across your path last month, Scorpio? We hope that warmed up your head and your heart with some light metaphysical calisthenics. Because both are going to be doing some *heavy* lifting in July. You’ll be questioning yourself and the people (or maybe a certain someone) around you. One day you’ll think the world is grand and life couldn’t be better. The next day you’ll feel like your boss or bae or bffl are really quite rude and that maybe you’d be better off without them. Stay positive, and by the end of the month, you’ll have it all sorted out…and perhaps be ready to take a leap of faith into something new.
Book pick: A Flicker in the Clarity by Amy McNamara
Reason: When you can’t decide if a person is toxic or if maybe you’re just paranoid, it can be hard to trust your own judgment. See how Evie deals with being pulled between two people—kindred spirit Theo and Emma, an on-again-off-again lifelong friend bent on self-destruction—in A Flicker of Clarity.
Sagittarius
November 22 – December 21
Keywords: introspection, commitment, relaxation
You rolled with the punches last month. And man, it sure seemed like you were getting beaten up out there! The stars suggest you take July to calm down and have a think. In an as rational way as possible, focus on your passions. Yes, we know this sounds like an oxymoron, but if you want to get real about your dreams, you’re going to have to recommit to them. And while you’re doubling down mentally on what you want in life, let your body off the hook. Relax by the pool, join a summer book club, flirt with that *perfect* specimen of a human being you keep seeing at Sweetgreen. Just keep your journal on you at all times to record any 📸flashes📸 of inspiration you have. You never know what you might learn about yourself while letting loose!
Book pick: When Life Gives You Lemons by Jennifer Honeybourn
Reason: Talk about getting over a tough month! Shelby Black is a high-school student who just happens to fight demons for a living. When an exorcism goes wrong, and her mom goes missing, Shelby will have to make some new priorities if she wants to save her mom and land a date with her cute math tutor, too.
Capricorn
December 22 – January 19
Keywords: compromise, confrontation, calamitous
June was a month of truly inspired creation. July will be all about…creatively avoiding confrontation. The people around you will all seem more than willing to engage in petty arguments and bitter disputes. Lucky for you, the stars say it will be your job to stand between them and work things out. Maybe the apple-pie bake-off was 😷poisoned😷 with a cheating scandal, or one friend left another out of next weekend’s picnic plans. Whatever the cause, we KNOW you’ll have your diplomat hat on, ready to keep things under control, or at least stop an all-out war from starting. Good luck, and remember, they’ll all owe you big time for being the bigger person.
Book pick: How We Learned to Lie by Meredith Miller
Reason: Here’s what you should strive to avoid this month…a small town with escalating tensions and two best friends stuck right in the middle of things. When tragedy strikes, can the two friends stick together, or will their friendship, just like their town, go up in flames?
Aquarius
January 20 – February 18
Keywords: change, inspiration, organization
You powered through your to-do list in June and burst into the dog days of summer with a *gasp* of relief. July has arrived and with it a more stable routine…if only the cosmos could remain just as fixed. You never know what you might uncover amidst the 🎆fireworks🎆 and fetes of the Fourth of July or Bastille Day — perhaps an old friend, maybe an issue you thought had been laid to rest or even a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Just be sure to rest your over-active mind with regularly scheduled cat naps, long walks, and a book or two this month. Only with a quiet mind can you make sound decisions.
Book pick: Floored by Sara Banard
Reason: For a month in which things thought long gone (ideas, people, keys) may be found, a story about seven strangers who enter a lift and leave friends. Dive into this The Breakfast Club meets One Day as you keep your eyes open for your own life-changing moment.
Pisces
February 19 – March 20
Keywords: change, choice, challenge
June was all about establishing boundaries and realizing it’s okay to say ‘no’ sometimes. July will be all about change. Expect big news on the professional front, a resurgence of 💕emotions💕 in your relationships, and an influx of creativity that will fill your days and dreams with vibrancy and inspiration. Maybe the internship that had said ‘not this year’ will reach out again with a ‘we need you.’ Perhaps the friend you felt pulling way will come back into your life with arms wide open. Or maybe you’ll have a dream SO vivid you can’t help but turn it into a short story. Tap into those lessons you’ve learned all year to better pick and choose which — if any — of these changes you embrace.
Book pick: Sea Witch by Sarah Henning
Reason: Speaking of lost friends coming back into the picture…Evie’s friend Anna drowned only for a girl who looks eerily like her to appear on shore in this pulse-pounding “The Little Mermaid” villainess origin story.
Aries
March 21 – April 19
Keywords: work, play, win
Have you gotten the hang of balancing work and play yet, Aries? We hope so because your new balancing skills are about to be put to the test. Pass, and the world is yours. Fail, and you can just try again next month, a little older and a lot wiser. Just keep in mind that July is not the month to try NEW things. It’s the month to stick to your plan with the dedication of multi-marathon runner: get to the gym, study for those finals, apply for that job, bake that 💯perfect💯 4th of July pie, and go on that date with that cute someone who might be turning into THE one. You can do ALL of that with the right plan, focus, and attention to detail. Good luck, and we’ll see you at the finish line.
Book pick: Kiss of the Royal by Lindsey Duga
Reason: For a month in which you’ll feel tested, a book about a high-stakes testing ground in which only one person can win. Princess Ivy and her partner Prince Zach should be an unstoppable pair — if only they could be convinced of their complementary skills. And if only they hadn’t fallen for each other…
Taurus
April 20 – May 20
Keywords: imbalance, change, growth
Last month must have felt like being on a merry-go-round with a thousand possible exit points, all of them tempting. However you decided to get off the ride that was June, you’re here in July now. And apparently, you’ve moved on to the teeter-totter. Life will be a series of 📈ups and downs📉, forwards and backward this month, Taurus. You’ll feel sure about something one moment, and afraid you just made the *worst* decision of your life the next. Instead of looking at the big picture, focus on the details. What one or two little things can you improve as you work on making yourself the best you-you can be? What small decision can you make that will chip away at the big decision looming over you? With enough tiny changes you can reach stable ground in August.
Book pick: Invisible Ghosts by Robyn Schneider
Reason: Just like you this month, Rose Asher is stuck between wanting two things: a dead brother she isn’t ready to lose and the boy who makes her feel alive. See how Rose manages to even out her imbalanced life in Invisible Ghosts.
Gemini
May 21 – June 20
Keywords: boundaries, tension, luck
Gemini, You’ve handled change like a champ, and that skill is going to come in handy for July. It’s going to be one humdinger of a month. Maybe the relentless 🔥heat🔥 will be making your friends cranky, or your co-workers will be annoyed it somehow rains EVERY weekend. Regardless of what seems to be bothering others, if you want to continue on the path of progress, you’re going to need to protect yourself. Say no to negativity and yes to good vibes by carefully choosing who you spend your time with, and what you spend your time doing. The stars also tell us that your wallet will be experiencing an influx of monies, though we can’t say if it will be a wad of twenties, a pocket-full of quarters, or that scholarship you were counting on for college.
Book pick: Zen and Gone by Emily France
Reason: When life gets tense this month, get back to your more spiritual side with some help from Essa as she tries to save her lost sister in the Rocky Mountain wilderness.
Cancer
June 21 – July 22
Keywords: celebration, change, exploration
June was a month of change, and July is bound to be a lot more of the same thing, Cancer. You’re starting to get comfortable with shaking things up, getting out of that comfort zone, and really pushing the envelope on your passions and ideas. So keep up the good work, little crab! July is a whole new beginning for you, my birthday friend. Embrace it! Get that 💇haircut💇 you’ve been contemplating all year, share the novel you’ve been writing with a friend for the first time, buy your first deck of tarot cards and sleep with them under your pillow like the real spiritual weirdo you are. Have fun, be happy, and enjoy ALL the good things a month of change will bring into your life.
Book pick: Summer of Salt by Katrina Leno
Reason: Celebrate your summer birthday with a book about magic by the sea! Georgina Fernweh has been waiting for the tingle of magic to awaken within her on the island of By-the-Sea. But when tragedy strikes during her last summer on the island, the magic she craves puts her family under suspicion.
*Illustrations by Delaney Gibbons
What do you think of your horoscope? Will you be reading the book we paired for you? Let us know in the comments below!
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