Books
It's officially Leo season, people. If you're not an astrology person you might not know that Leo season, which runs from July 22 through Aug.21, is one of the more popular times in the Zodiac calendar. Maybe it's because Leo season also brings with it summer's last hurrah — the final beach trips, the last-ditch efforts to get out of the city for a weekend, countdowns on everything from how many more frosés you'll drink to how many more times you can wear your favorite sundress — that people of all signs get excited to make the most out of this month.
But Leo season 2018 is also bringing some productive and rewarding vibes along with it for most signs this year. And what better way to take advantage than by stacking up some Leo season appropriate summer reads to bring you through these last few weeks of the season? Below are 11 books that would make the perfect Leo season TBR. Some have plots or characters that all feisty Leos will love, others are written with bad ass sensibility all Leos can relate to, and some are even written by authors who are Leos themselves. But all of them are recently released reads that are more than gripping enough to make the perfect additions to your end-of-season reading list, whatever sign you are.
'The Ensemble' by Aja Gabel
The Ensemble follows the four memebers of the Van Ness String Quartet from their days as a college quartet to their time as middle-aged musicians. As they navigate failures and success, triumph and loss, they are always tied together — by the intensity of their art, by the secrets they carry, and by choosing each other again and again.
'Look Alive Out There' by Sloane Crosley
Whether she's writing about scaling active volcanoes, crashing shivas, playing herself on Gossip Girl, befriending swingers, or staring down the barrel of the fertility gun, Sloane Crosley delivers not just laughs but lasting emotional heft and insight in Look Alive Out There.
'Summer of Salt' by Katrina Leno
Georgina Fernweh waits with growing impatience for the arrival of her magic, magic that has been passed down through every woman in her family. Her twin sister, Mary, already shows an ability to defy gravity. But with their 18th birthday looming at the end of this summer, Georgina fears her gift will never come.
'Give Me Your Hand' by Megan Abbott
Give Me Your Hand follows Kit and Diane, two childhood rivals who also happen to be the only female scientists at a laboratory that studies PMDD, an extreme and widely unknown form of extreme PMS. The two women now find themselves competing for a coveted research position, re-earthing the terrible secrets that tore them apart years before.
'My Year Of Rest And Relaxation' by Ottessa Moshfegh
Ottessa Moshfegh's provocative novel follows one woman — young, thin, pretty, well-educated, and rich — who is so unhappy that she decides to spend the year in virtual hibernation to escape the boredom of her low-paying job at an art gallery, her on-off relationship, and the trauma of her past.
'Suicide Club' by Rachel Heng
Lea Kirino is a “Lifer,” which means that she has the potential to live forever. But Lea’s perfect life is turned upside down when she spots her estranged father on a crowded sidewalk. Soon she is drawn into his mysterious world of the Suicide Club, individuals who reject society’s pursuit of immortality, and instead chose to live — and die — on their own terms.
'Florida' by Lauren Groff
The short stories in Florida span characters, towns, and decades, but Florida — its landscape, climate, history, and state of mind — is the collection's gravitational center. As Groff's characters explore threats that are physical, emotional, and psychological in nature, she draws the reader in to a world both shocking and recognizable.
'Dead Girls: Essays On Surviving And American Obsession' by Alice Bolin
In Dead Girls, Alice Bolin explores literature and pop culture and the way media consumption reflects American society. In essays on Twin Peaks, Britney Spears, Serial, and more, Bolin examines our obsession with women who are abused, killed, and disenfranchised in the name of a good story.
'Meaty' by Samantha Irby
Samantha Irby's recently re-published debut collection features essays about everything from failed relationships, taco feasts, bouts with Crohn's disease, and more. Every essay is crafted with the same scathing wit and poignant candor fans of 2017's We Are Never Meeting In Real Life have come to expect from the author.
'The Cheerleaders' by Kara Thomas
There are no more cheerleaders in the town of Sunnybrook — not since a series of tragic accidents left five of them dead years ago. One of those dead cheerleader's was Monica's sister, and she can't forget about her — or the accidents. Because whatever happened five years ago isn’t over. And somehow Monica is at the center of it all.
'Fruit of the Drunken Tree' by Ingrid Rojas Contreras
The Santiago family lives in a gated community in Bogotá, safe from the political upheaval terrorizing the country. Seven-year-old Chula and her sister Cassandra enjoy carefree lives thanks to this protective bubble. But then their mother hires Petrona. Soon, Petrona and Chula find themselves in a web of secrecy that will force them both to choose between sacrifice and betrayal.
