This summer book is the best match for your zodiac sign

Summer has long begun. The days are long, the terraces are full, and the holiday offers are already half-packed in the hallway. And what goes with that? A thick book. Preferably one that captivates you so much that you forget your sunscreen and come back from the beach red as a lobster. But with so much choice, picking one isn’t easy. That’s why we took the Bestseller 60 from week 21 as a starting point and chose the book that best fits each zodiac sign. No coincidence, no randomness. Purely the stars.

Aries (March 21 – April 19)

Mossad Spy – Jonathan Mor & Silvan Schoonhoven

An Aries has no time for slow build-ups, for boring expositions, or little novels that only come to life on page two hundred. Aries wants action, danger, and people who dare. Mossad Spy delivers that on every page. Jonathan Mor, an ordinary boy from Overijssel, dives into the shadow world of one of the most dangerous secret services in the world. Infiltrations, eliminations, abduction operations from the Netherlands: this is not fiction but the true life story of a man who took risks that most people can’t even imagine. Aries recognizes that adrenaline, that tendency to run ahead where others hit the brakes. And if there’s a sign that this book is read in one long evening with a cold beer, it’s yours.

Taurus (April 20 – May 20)

A Hare at Home – Chloe Dalton

Taurus is the sign of the senses, of enjoying the moment, of slow Sunday mornings, and things that are truly worthwhile. No rush, no noise. A Hare at Home is exactly that kind of book. Writer and political advisor Chloe Dalton finds a deserted newborn hare by her house one day and decides to give it a chance, even though she is the most unlikely caregiver in the world. What follows is a story about trust, patience, and the quiet magic of nature. The book made the shortlist for the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction and was declared book of the year by several major newspapers. For Taurus, who knows better than anyone how special ordinary things can be, this is the perfect summer read: warm, earthy, and just slow enough.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20)

Hehe – Paulien Cornelisse

Gemini is the sign of language, thought, the quick mind that never stands still. Who better than Paulien Cornelisse to feed that? In this book week essay, she takes a close look at the Dutch language. She asks questions you’ve never asked before about words you use daily, and shows you how fascinating and funny language actually is when you look at it closely. Gemini is the sign that switches subjects in the middle of a sentence, that reads thrillers and philosophy interchangeably, and that always has something to say. This thin, brilliant book fits perfectly in a beach bag and also provides enough conversation material for at least three evenings on the terrace. And for Gemini, that is at least as important as the book itself.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22)

The Crab Women – Beatrix Gerstberger

Coincidence or not: the book that best fits Cancer even has “crab” in the title. But it’s more than just a funny coincidence. The Crab Women is precisely about the themes that deeply affect Cancer: home, loss, the past that won’t let go, and the question of what remains when the people you care about are no longer there. Mina returns to Eagle Island, Maine, after the death of her brother, the place where she experienced the most beautiful summers as a child. Her childhood love resurfaces, the memories too, and slowly the truth comes to light about a summer that changed everything. This is a warm, poignant novel with a raw edge, written by the author who was named book of the year in Germany. Cancer will recognize itself on every page.

Leo (July 23 – August 22)

Lazar – Nelio Biedermann

Leo loves grandeur. Drama, families with secrets, stories set in castles and reflected in eyes that have seen too much. Lazar is written for this sign. In the whirlwind debut of Nelio Biedermann, we follow the downfall of a Hungarian noble family in the turbulent twentieth century, from the turn of the century to World War II. Intrigues, affairs, mysterious births, and secrets passed down through generations: it’s the kind of saga that Leo starts with shining eyes and only puts down when the last page is turned. There’s a boy with transparent skin in it, a castle on the edge of a threatening forest, and a family slowly going under due to its own pride. Leo understands that like no other.

Virgo (August 23 – September 22)

The Great De-Stimulation Book – Brankele Frank

Virgo is analytical, detailed, and more focused on understanding how things work than just letting them happen. The Great De-Stimulation Book, compiled by neurobiologist and De Slimste Mens winner Brankele Frank, is the perfect summer book for the sign that doesn’t fully switch off its brain even on vacation. Scientists, writers, and thinkers shed light on stimuli: what do they do to us, can we actually be overstimulated, and how do you find the balance between effort and relaxation? With puzzles, exercises, and coloring pages, this is also a book that keeps you actively engaged. Virgo can finally explain with scientifically backed material why it’s just too much at some festivals. That’s not a weakness. That’s the brain.

Libra (September 23 – October 22)

The Summer of You and Me – Jill Mansell

Libra is the sign of beauty, romance, and the eternal search for the right balance in relationships. No book on the list fits better than Jill Mansell's new feel-good novel, set in beautiful Venice. Fen goes on vacation with her beloved grandmother, falling in love is absolutely not on the agenda, and then it happens anyway. Meanwhile, grandmother Disa tries to uncover the truth about a shocking secret surrounding her deceased husband. Secrets, love, false expectations, and Venice as a backdrop: Libra simply cannot resist these kinds of stories. It’s light enough for by the pool but emotional enough for an evening in the room when it’s too hot to sleep. Perfect summer reading for the most romantic sign of the zodiac.

Scorpio (October 23 – November 21)

At the End of the War – Bert Natter

Scorpio loves depth, darkness, stories that have more layers than you see at first glance. This book, which has been at the top of the Bestseller 60 for weeks, offers that in abundance. Nine-year-old Ernst, son of an SS officer, disappears without a trace near a concentration camp. There are witnesses, both guards and prisoners, but no one wants to tell what really happened. As the Red Army approaches and the world collapses, the story revolves around guilt, silence, and the question of whether the truth will ever come to light. Bert Natter wrote a novel that is gripping and compelling, full of psychological tension. Scorpio, which knows better than anyone that the most interesting things happen beneath the surface, will not be able to let go of this book.

Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21)

The Dream Path – Twan Huys

Sagittarius always has a next destination in mind. This sign is happy with movement, adventure, and the feeling that there is still so much to see and learn. The Dream Path of presenter and writer Twan Huys is the story of a father and his teenage son who walk 555 kilometers from Munich to Venice, over the highest mountain passes in Europe. Four weeks, 22,200 altitude meters, and more conversations than in years. But the plan goes differently than expected: impactful events break the journey, the death of his father and mother weaves through the story, and the walk is stretched over two years. The result is a book about fatherhood, grief, and the healing power of movement. Sagittarius recognizes the urge to leave and discovers in this book that the most beautiful journeys always also go inward.

Capricorn (December 22 – January 19)

Watch out. This book will make you rich – Thijs Verlangen

Capricorn works hard, thinks ahead, and has an innate tendency to organize things well. Finances, pensions, wealth accumulation: these are not boring subjects for this sign, but puzzles that want to be solved. Thijs Verlangen, who reaches hundreds of thousands of Dutch people daily with his down-to-earth explanations about money, compiles in this book everything you need to know about the Dutch monetary system. From taxes and mortgages to Box 3 and the question of when a BV is wise or not. His style is accessible and direct, without being superficial. Capricorn does not read this book as vacation reading but as an investment, and that is exactly the right mindset. Anyone who reads this book seriously can save thousands of euros with it. That is a better deal for Capricorn than any page-turner.

Aquarius (January 20 – February 18)

Turning Point – Jan Rotmans

Aquarius is the most forward-thinking sign of the zodiac. Not settling for the world as it is, always that question: how can it be different, how can it be better? Turning Point by transition scientist Jan Rotmans is written for this sign. Rotmans analyzes the major transitions of our time, from climate and democracy to geopolitical power shifts, but he does so with unexpectedly much hope. Almost a billion people are working worldwide in the background for a better, cleaner world, he writes, and each of us can play a role in that. He calls this spiritual activism: acting from connection and love instead of anger. Aquarius, which has always known that the world can be different, finds in this book not only confirmation but also a concrete compass. Ideal for the long summer evenings when you think about what really matters.

Pisces (February 19 – March 20)

All the Blue of the Sky – Melissa Da Costa

Pisces lives between dreams and reality, feels everything a bit more intensely than the rest, and has a weakness for stories that get under the skin. All the Blue of the Sky is exactly that kind of book. Emile is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's and decides not to wait: he secretly buys a camper and places an ad for a travel companion. The mysterious Joanne responds. What follows is a road trip that is both breathtakingly beautiful and deeply sad, a novel about what remains when time begins to dwindle and two people decide to make the best of it. Melissa Da Costa has been in the Bestseller 60 for months, and that’s no coincidence. This is the kind of book that Pisces lives for: big in feeling, soft in tone, and not easily forgotten once the last page has long been turned.