Book Recommendations for Each Zodiac Sign

Hi everyone! Today I bring you a post that took me forever to put together, so I hope you enjoy it! I have had this idea for a long time and I finally sat down and did some research about each zodiac sign and based on what I found I chose one book recommendation for each sign. Disclaimer: I’m obviously not an expert on astrology. I knew a bit about the zodiac signs but I definitely had to do research before writing this post, if there are any mistakes, I’m sorry!

In this post you will find: a basic description of the 12 zodiac sign and, based on those descriptions, a book recommendation for each zodiac sign and a few elements of the book that I think they would enjoy.

Credit for the images of the zodiac signs go to: pikisuperstar + click in the book titles to go to the Goodreads page

ARIES

People who have Aries as their sun sign love to be the hero, lead others into adventure and steal the spotlight. They fight for their beliefs and inspire others to do the same. Some of their strengths are their courage, confidence, boldness and passion. Some of their weaknesses are their impatience, impulsiveness and their tendency to be bossy.

My recommendation for Aries is Beneath the Citadel by Destiny Soria, in which they will find a relatable heroine. Bossy, bold, implusive and brave. With convictions so strong that she persuades her friends to fight back the powers that opprese them and follow her into the adventure of a lifetime.

TAURUS

People who have Taurus as their sun sign love great food, romance and beautiful things.  They work hard and they get the job done. Some of their strengths are their patience, practicality, loyalty and responsability. Some of their weaknesses are their stubbornness, possessiveness and tendency to be uncompromising.

My recommendations for Taurus is The Tiger’s Daughter by K. Arsenault Rivera, in which they will find a romance that will take their breath away and a heroine that’s loyal, stubborn, possesive, used to getting what she wants and that will wait however long is neccesary to be with the woman she loves.

GEMINI

People who have Gemini as their sun sign constantly flip between moods and interests, their minds move really fast so they have a million great ideas. Some of their strengths are their curiousity, adaptability, and their ability to learn quickly and exchange ideas. Some of their weaknesses are their nervousness, inconsistency and indecisiveness.

My recommendations for Gemini is A Duke By Default by Alyssa Cole, in which they will find a heroine with many hobbies and interests, who’s curious and loves to learn for the sake of learning about the topics she cares about, even if they seem useless to other people.

CANCER

People who have Cancer as their sun sign are nurturing and they like to take care of others. At first, they may be perceived as cold or distant, but with time they reveal their gentle nature. Some of their strengths are their loyalty, sympathy and persuasiveness. Some of their weaknesses are their  pessimism and insecurity.

My recommendation for Cancer is Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri, in which they will find a hero who is perceive as cold and distant by others and even by the heroine at the beginning, but that ends up being the kindest, softest man, who tries to keep the main character safe and even risks his life to do so.

LEO

People who have Leo as their sun sign are natural-born leaders and they love to be the boss. They need praise and appreciation, but they have big hearts and they always help the people they love. Some of their strengths are their creativeness, passion and cheerfulness. Some of their weaknesses are their arrogance and stubbornness.

My recommendation for Leo is Invictus by Ryan Graudin, in which they will find a passionate, arrogant and stubborn main character who decides to fulfill his dream at any cost and leads a group of his friends into a huge adventure, where he is the boss and tries to protect them.

VIRGO

People who have Virgo as their sun sign analyze everything, forming opinions and judgments. They are there when help is needed and they are an amazing listener and give the best advice. Some of their strengths are their loyalty, kindness, and practicality. Some of their weaknesses are their tendency to worry and be overly critical.

My recommendation for Virgo is Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez, in which they will meet Gabi, who is smart, loyal and kind, who has opinions about everything and sometimes can be a little quick to judge people, like she does with Sal, but then she also sees her mistakes and corrects them.

LIBRA

People who have Libra as their sun sign love to be surrounded by culture and beauty in a harmonious environment with lots of people. They can’t stand anything that’s unfair or unbalance. Some of their strengths are their tendency to be cooperative and fair-minded. Some of their weaknesses are their indecisiveness and aversion to confrontations.

My recommendation for Libra is Don’t Date Rosa Santos by Nina Moreno, in which they will find a peaceful and beautiful little town, full of people who know and love each other and a main character caught between cultures, who won’t stop until she saves the Marina from being sold.

SCORPIO

People who have Scorpio as their sun sign are intensed and focused, they know what they want and aren’t afraid to work hard to get it. They see every little detail and they can read people well. Some of their strengths are their resourcefulness, passion and loyalty. Some of their weaknesses are their tendency to be distrusting, stubborn and secretive.

My recommendation for Scorpio is The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa, in which they will find a main character who is focused on making her small buisness a success. She is the wedding planner who will get every little detail right and she will make sure the couple gets exactly what they want. She is resourceful, passionate and stubborn.

SAGITTARIUS

People who have sagittarius as their sun sign like open spaces with plenty of adventure. They juggle a million projects and hobbies. They have big goals and they love to tell it like it is. Some of their strengths are their idealism, open-mindedness and ambition. Some of their weaknesses are their impatiance and tendency to be undiplomatic.

My recommendation for Sagittarius is Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maika & Maritza Moulite, in which they will find a main characters who is traveling to Haiti and having an adventure that may not go how she wanted. She is smart, ambitious, she has a lot of projects and plans and she gets into trouble for being outspoken and undiplomtic.

CAPRICORN

People who have capricorn as their sun sign play by the rules and follow tradition. They often think rewards arrive through suffering and sacrifice. They are devoted to their love ones. Some of their strengths are their responsability and discipline. Some of their weaknesses are their tendency to be unforgiving and condescending.

My recommendation for Capricorn is Erotic Stories For Pujabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal, in which they will find a story about traditions, cultural clashes, community, friendship, and women’s lives at all ages. A story of the sacrifices that are expected of some women and about the love that can exist between women.

AQUARIUS

People who have aquarius as their sun sign have originality and an authentic style. They are individualistic, but also naturally popular and they care deeply about social justice issues. Some of their strengths are their originality and independence. Some of their weaknesses are their tendency to be temperamental and uncompromising.

My recommendation for Aquarius is The Pros of Cons by Alison Cherry, Lindsay Ribar and Michelle Schusterman, in which they will find three girls that are all uniquely themeselves: a drummer, a fangirl and a taxidermist, who are part of three different conventions taking place in the same hotel and become friends while they help each other.

PISCES

People who have pisces as their sun sign have huge imaginations and they love art and music. They often try to run away from problems and they can easily become swallowed by emotions. Some of their strengths are their creativity, intuition and gentleness. Some of their weaknesses are their fearfulness and their tendecy to escape reality.

My recommendation for Piscis is Invitation to the Blues by Ronan Parrish, in which they will find a struggling pianist who fled his partner, his career and a hospital a few months before. In his new life, he is falling in love again but he’s very fearful about the future and overwhelmed by the choices he needs to make.

What is your sign and have you read the book I recommend for it? Did you like it? or if you haven’t read it, does it sound like something you would enjoy?

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If You Liked This Movie, You Should Read This Book!

Hi everyone! Today I have a post for you that I’m really excited about. Recently, I wrote a post about Books that Need Adaptations and, as part of that post, I decided to compare the books I was mentioning with a movie or tv show that was similar in any way and that’s how the idea for this post was born.

I know that the title says that if you liked a movie, you should read the book, but it also works the other way around, if you liked the book, you shoulod watch the movie. That’s why I decided to focus on the similarities between the movies and books and why I think that if you enjoyed one, you will like the other.

Without further ado, here they are:

Jupiter Ascending –> A Spark of White Fire

While reading A Spark of White Fire, which is inspired by Indina Folklore, I imagined in my mind a very opulent and extravagant aesthetic with rich, vibrant colors for the clothing, the settings and the gods while also including technological advances. And that’s the exact aesthetic of Jupiter Ascending. So if you like your Sci-Fi with beautiful imaginary and full of secrets, betrayals and struggles for power, this movie and this book are for you!

Arrival –> Sleeping Giants

If you like Sci-Fi that focuses on scientists investigating and trying to understand mysterious alien civilizations and their technology, both this movie and this book are perfect for you. They have similar vibes in terms of being mainly set in militar compounds, where scientists are working for the military and using their knowledge in ways that they never imagined. Both of them have complicated romances between co-workers and in both the main characters are affected and changed in mysterious ways.

My Week With Marilyn –> The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Since I read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, I have found certain similarities between Evelyn and Marilyn. Old Hollywood movie stars using their sex appeal to their advantage, being darlings of the media at some points while also being harshly judged at others, having difficult pasts and being complicated and sad behind the scenes, those are all things Evelyn and Marilyn have in common. If you are captivated by complicated female characters living in the public eye while keeping many painful secrets in their private lives, then you will enjoy this movie and this book.

Always Be My Maybe –> The Way You Make Me Feel

This movie and this book have Asian main characters, in both of them one of the main characters doesn’t take things too seriously and it’s wasting their potential and those characters grow and develop throughout the story. Food plays an important role in the lives of the main characters in both and they are both funny and have a similar sense of humor. If you are looking for funny, romantic, food-centric content with Asian main characters, this movie and this book are for you.

Coco –> A Dash of Trouble

If you like stories about kids that have to deal with complicated family relationships, family secrets, magic and breaking the rules, and that take place around El día de los Muertos (the day of the dead), then this story is for you. Both this movie and this book have this warm, magical and a little innocent vibe that it’s incredibly heartwarming.

What movies and books do you think have similaties between them? Do you agree with my picks?

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2020 Releases That Are Out Already And I Can't Wait To Read

Hi everyone! Recently I was checking my goodreads shelf where I keep track of the 2020 releases that I want to read and I saw that even when I have read a good amount of 2020 releases – around 15 of them- there are so many amazing books that have already come out this year but I haven’t read them yet. So I’m making this list in part to let you know about some 2020 relases that sound amazing and you can check out NOW and in part to remind myself of some books I want to prioritize and read soon.

Without further ado, let’s begin:

A Phoenix First Must Burn

This is a collection of sixteen tales that explore the Black experience through fantasy, science fiction, and magic.

I love SFF and this includes so many authors I love telling stories that center Black women and gender nonconforming individuals. It sounds amazing and the only reason I haven’t read it yet is because sometimes I have trouble getting into short story collection. But I definetely want to get to this one soon.

Dark and Deepest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore

This book is a retelling of one of Andersen’s most brutal fairy tales, The Red Shoes, mixed with the true medieval events that likely inspired it, a dancing “plague” in 1518 . At the center of this book is a Romani girl & trans boy.

I have read two Anna-Marie McLemore books and I loved them and I own all of their other book, so I really need to start actually reading them. This one is their most recent release and I have heard it’s a bit darker and more twisted that their previous books, which makes me really excited to check it out. I haven’t read this yet because I feel like I have to be in the right mood to read McLemore’s lyrical writing.

Blood Countess by Lana Popovic

This book is a mix of horror and historical fiction, it’s the story of a girl who becomes the chambermaid of a countess in 17th century Hungary and she falls into the countess spell and becomes a sort of prisioner and then the murders start, and she knows it’s only a matter of time before the Blood Countess turns on her, too.

This is a book based on the infamous real-life inspiration for Dracula and that makes me excited. Also, I want to start reading more horror and this seems like a great place to start specially since it’s less that 300 pages long. I didn’t have this book really present in my mind so that’s why I haven’t read it but now that I do, I’ll make sure to read it!

Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli & Aisha Saeed

This book is about two teens, each with their own problems, who meet when they go canvasing togehter for their state senate candidate and it’s the story of how they master local activism and navigate a cross-cultural romance.

I’m excited about the political aspect of this book, as someone that was a political science major it’s something that I enjoy reading about. I haven’t read this one yet because it’s really long for a YA contemporary, almost 500 pages, and that implies certain time commitment that I haven’t felt like making. But I’m bumping this one up my tbr and I will try to get to it soon.

The Catch by Lauren H. Mae

This book is about a woman who think love always disappoints, so when she starts falling for a guy she just met on vacation—only to find out they are from neighboring towns, she makes a bet to prove he is too good to be true. What ensues is a series of tests and games, until she realizes she’s betting against the one man who may revive her faith in love.

This sounds right up my alley, like something I would love and actually when it came out I was going to inmediately pick it up, but then I saw that it was over 400 pages long and that gave my pause, because I feel like romance books don’t need to be that long.

What 2020 releases have you read and loved? What 2020 releases that are already out are you looking forward to reading?

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Authors I'd Give a Second Chance

Hi everyone! After an unexpected mini-hiatus caused by the current situation and the hard time I have had the last few days coping with it, I’m back with a new blog post! But before getting into that, I just want to say that I hope you all are doing well and staying safe during this difficult time.

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about Books I Want to Give a Second Chance, which were books I had DNFed in the past and I wanted to try to read them a second time. In this post, I’m going to talk about authors I’d give a second chance, which means that I read one book by them and didn’t like it as much as I hoped but for some reason I think I could enjoy a different book by those authors.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia

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This is the author that inspired this post. I read one of her books – Certain Dark Things – and I didn’t like it that much, but there were enough elements in it that I found interesting so I knew I would read another of her books at some point. Add to that, the fact that I have two friends who absolutely adore Moreno-Garcia’s books and I was even more inclined to give her another chance. Actually, I’m currently reading another book by her – Gods of Jade and Shadow – and I’m happy to say I’m really enjoying it.

Zaida Polanco

Zaida Polanco wrote one of my most disappointing books of 2019 – Crush, Interrupted – I hated the hero in the group and the writing was pretty bad, but I’m always looking for new Latinx romance authors and I own two more of her books that I haven’t read, so I’m REALLY hoping it was just a case of that one book didn’t work for me. The book I want to try next is Swing Batter Swing.

Alisha Rai

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Last year there was so much hype surrouding The Right Swipe, so I had huge expectations when I decided to pick it up and while I didn’t dislike it, I didn’t like it as much as everyone else seemed to. I felt disconnected from the characters and I never got fully into the story and I think it may have been the writing style that made me feel that way. Nonetheless, I’m giving the second book in the series – Girl Gone Viral– a chance to see if I enjoy it and hopefully I will like Alisha Rai’s writing more.

Avon Gale

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I read The Love Song of Sawyer Bell two years ago and unfortunately didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped, mainly because I wasn’t completely sold on the romance and I didn’t feel the chemestry between the characters. Nonetheless, I have heard great things about some of her other books and I’m always looking for more authors who write queer romance novels, so I’m hoping to enjoy Off the Ice, which is the most popular out of all her books.

Arthur Conan Doyle

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I’m a huge fan of the Sherlock Holmes’ movies and tv shows adaptations, so I was really disappointed when I read my first Sherlock book – A Study in Scarlet – and I really disliked it. The book had a weird structure, it jumped to 20 years in the past in the middle of the book to tell a story that had nothing to do with Sherlock, we actually don’t see Sherlock and Watson for most of the book, which was what I was interested in. Nonetheless, I’m hoping other stories are better and I’m planning to read A Scandal in Bohemia next because I have heard great things about it.

What authors would you give a second chance to? Is there someone on my list that you think really deserves a second chance?

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Books That Need Adaptations

Hi everyone! I had so much fun writing today’s post, so I’m hoping you’ll love it! A few days ago, I was thinking about what books I would like to see adapted into tv shows or movies and I came up with 5 books that, for different reasons, I think would make great adaptations. For each of these books, I also included a comparision with tv shows or movies that already exists, so you get a better idea of what I’m picturing for the adaptations.

Without further ado, here are the 5 books I would love to see adapted:

*Click the book tittle to go to goodreads and click the movie/tv show tittle to see the trailer on Youtube*

A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna

I think this book would make a great movie with visuals similar to the ones of Juniper Ascending: just imagine this book which is inspired by indian foklore translated to the screen in the luxurious and extravagant style of the movie. Also, the engaging plot and shocking ending of the book would work so well for an adaptation.

Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez

I see this as a perfect Disney+ show, something with a precocious, smart, funny tone and a lot of Latinx characters similar to Diary of a Future President, but with Sci-Fi elements and a really powerful depiction of a kid’s grief. The message of acceptence of others that are different from us in this book is wonderful and we need more children’s shows that include this type of message.

Beneath the Citadel by Destiny Soria

I see this being similar to the tv show His Dark Materials, in terms of the visual style of the show, but also similar because there’s one big organization with religious ties that rules everyone, there’s betrayal, scheming and double crossing and it has a bittersweet ending. Beyond these similarities, I think this book with its diverse and compelling cast of characters, heists and underground adventures would make for a unique show.

The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker

I think Alaska would be a beautiful setting for a tv show and this book would make a perfect netflix show similar to Virgin River with the wintery vibes, the small town, and the heroine with a complicated past. I think the sexual tension between the main characters of the book would translate great to tv with the right actors in the roles and the complex father/daughter relationship as well as the tragic love story between the main character’s parents would lend itself for some great flashbacks.

Well Met by Jen DeLuca

This would be a great tv show, just imagine something like Gilmore Girls with the small town where everyone knows everyone else and knows their histories and their secrets, but add to that the whole idea of organizing the Renaissance fair and the hate to love romance between the protagonists and you have a masterpiece.

What book would you like seeing adapted? What book to screen adaptations do you love?

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Books I Want to Give a Second Chance

Hi everyone! Today I want to talk about some books that I tried to read in the past and ended up DNFing, but that I think deserve a second chance. The one condition for a book to be included on this list is that before DNFing them I had to have read a significant amount of the book, because there’s a lot of books that I read the first chapter or the first few pages of and then decide I’m not in the mood, but those books don’t count for this list because I know I’ll go back to them eventually.

Without further ado, here are some book I DNFed but that I want to give a second chance:

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

I read 45% of this book back in August and I stopped reading it because I was not completely invested in the story but it was giving me anxiety at the same time. I think that had to do with the fact that I actually really liked the characters so even if I was not captivated by the plot, I didn’t want anything bad to happen to them. So the main reason I want to finish this is obviously that I really liked the characters but also that I think the concept of the book is really interesting and it has a lot of potential, so I want to see where Roshana Chokshi takes it.

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

I read 50% of this book about 5 years ago and I remember that I was enjoying certain parts of it but I was mostly bored and I think it was because all the main characters were men and I sometimes have trouble connecting with male protagonists. This book is actually the one that inspired this list because I have been getting back into fantasy and I want to read some of the well-regarded adult fantasy series and this is one of them. I want to see if I enjoy it more the second time around, specially since I know the other books in the series have a main character that’s a woman.

Sadie by Courtney Summers

I read about 30% of this book exactly one year ago and at the time I wasn’t in the right place emotionally to read this without having terrible anxiety. I remember that the chapters told from Sadie’s pov were hard to read but I was loving the chapters that were episodes of the podcast, those were really fun. Honestly, I want to try this one again when I feel like I can handle an emotionally difficult book because everyone says is brilliant and I’m very intrigued to see how I feel about it.

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

I read 45% of this book about one year ago and I stopped because I didn’t really like any of the characters and I actually hated one of them, who is a rapist who isn’t considered a rapist because he is a landowner in the twentieth century. As a character driven reader my hatred for one of the main characters took away all the enjoyment of reading this book. Nonetheless, as someone who loves every other Isabel Allende book that I have ever read, I want to finish her most famous book, which is often considered her best. Also, I have heard that since this is a multi-generational book, the later generations are less horrible.

The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri

I never made the conscious decision of DNFing this book, I read 40% of this and it was a slow read because of the old writing style and language used in the translation I read, so I decided to pick up another book thinking I would read both at the same time but that didn’t happen, I simply put this book down and never picked it back up. But I really want to finish this, because despite how long it was taking me to read it, I was actually really enjoying it thanks to the really interesting concept.

Have you read any of these books? Which one do you think I should I prioritize?

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8 Books with Afro-Latinx Characters by Afro-Latinx Authors for Black History Month

Hi everyone! Since Black History Month is just around the corner, I thought it would be a good idea to share some of my favorite books with Afro-Latinx characters by Afro-Latinx authors, in case you are looking for some books to add to your tbrs!

Without further ado, here are my recommendations for you:

*Click the title of the book to go to the Goodreads page*

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

This is a story told in verse, it’s touching and powerful, and it explores a Dominican-american girl’s struggle with inhabiting her body, a body that is unwillingly subjected to the male gaze; it also deals with growing up in a conservative latinx family that it’s extremely religious and that imposes faith and leaves no room for questions. It’s a book about trying to figure who you are in an enviroment that doesn’t leave much room to do so and it’s fantastic (full review)

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

Elizabeth Acevedo expertly executes the recipe of an amazing book mixing loveable characters, complicated family dynamics and mouth watering descriptions of food. This book has a realistic depiction of a teenage mother and there’s also a cute romance that doesn’t take over the story but allows Acevedo to address sex and intimacy in a positive way. Moreover, Acevedo addresses being Afro-latinx and the experience of not being considered black enough or Latinx enough in a thoughtful and engaging way (Full review)

Pride by Ibi Zoboi

This is a Pride and Prejudice retelling and the main characters are Zuri and Darius, who are Afro-Latinx and Black respectavily. Zuri and Darius are always bantering and bickering and it is a fun dynamic to read. But the main reason this book is interesting and powerful is the way it discusses gentrification and class; incoporating these subjects adds to the original story and makes it more relevant to our time. Also, the representation of a Haitian-Dominican family in terms of the religion, the food and the family dynamics is so fascinating to read.

Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maika & Maritza Moulite

This book is told in diary entries, tweets and emails, which makes it a very quick read, and it’s the story of Alaine, the daughter of Haitian immigrants. Big part of this book is set in Haiti, which it’s not a common setting in YA books, and I think it’s something that adds to the story inmensely. This book has a lot of different storylines revolving around complicated family relationships and dynamics, but my favorite one is about discovering a family member has early-onset Alzheimer, which is depicted in what I think it’s a very heartbreaking and realistic way.

Acting on Impulse by Mia Sosa

This book has a strong, determined, likable Afro-Latinx heroine, who is a phisical trainer, and this is the story of her falling in love with a Hollywood star, who is really sweet. The main couple has lots of chemistry and the book includes great dialogue, captivating writing, complicated family dynamics and descriptions of delicious Puerto Rican food.

Dreamers Series by Adriana Herrera

These books are about a group of 4 friends that are Afro-Latinx and each book is the story of one of them falling in love. Great writing, fantastic friendships, some of the sweetest romances I have ever read, mentions of amazing Latinx food and music, conversations about important subjects like domestic violence and police brutality are some of the reason why I love this series and why I totally recommend it!

What are you reading for Black History Month? Do you have recs for books by Afro-Latinx or Black authors?

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