Gemini season is here! From May 21st to June 21st, the Geminis of the world are celebrating their birthdays, setting out on summer adventures, and generally being the curious and clever — if slightly dramatic and unpredictable — people they were born to be. To celebrate, we’ve gathered a few reading recommendations from the Geminis of Bookstr’s staff, perfect for perusing during a beach day, spa day, summer holiday, or any day one feels the need to explore their Geminosity.
The Apothecary Diaries by Natsu Hyuuga, Illustrated by Nekokurage
Maomao is forced to work as a servant in the inner palace. She longs for her former life back, where she trained in herbal medicine, but boredom doesn’t last long for her! She uses her training to discover the cause of the “curse” afflicting the imperial heirs, which attracts the attention of an attractive eunuch named Jinshi. She becomes an attendant food taster for one of the imperial concubines, but Jinshi has more in mind for her. Maomao is soon making medicines again…and solving various mysteries?!
Geminis are extremely curious, just like Maomao, and the cases she solves are fascinating. There’s always a rational explanation for why something happened, from the curse on the heirs to seeing ghosts in bathhouses. Not to mention that Maomao is an interesting protagonist, and watching her interact with the rest of the characters, some of whom are terrified of her, is different than other manga I’ve read, particularly for a female protagonist. It’s perfect for us Geminis, who try to solve cases before the characters do, and love challenges and dialogue that keep sucking us back into saying “just one more.”
— Danielle Tomlinson, Editorial
Identical by Ellen Hopkins
Trigger Warning: The book in this recommendation includes elements of child sexual assault, incest, suicidal ideation, and self-harm. Please engage in self-care as you read.
I’m playing off the twin aspect for this recommendation, but in general, this book is shocking, and the way Ellen Hopkins writes her YA books has always fascinated me. If you’ve never read a YA novel by Ellen Hopkins, each page is written like a poem, and her books are thick. Identical is about a set of identical twin sisters who start to drift apart after a car accident, and their parents start to separate, leaving them with their father. As they’re all trying to manage along, their father starts to play favorites, leaving one sister to constantly try being the perfect daughter while the other tries to distance herself and turns to substances to cope.
Maybe the synopsis seems straightforward, and you think you can guess how it will go, but I’m not sure you could once you read it. I read this book as a teenager, and it was one of the first books that truly baffled me and I couldn’t guess the ending. I don’t know how else to describe or explain without giving away the details.
— Skyler Rodriguez, Social & Marketing
The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar
This book is about two sisters who grow up on the border between the small town of Thistleford and the world of Faerie. They have also grown up tending to the enchanted willows on the banks of the river in the tradition of the Hawthorne family. But Esther and Ysabel are forced to reckon with both their past and their future when Esther rejects a suitor from their world in favor of one from Faerie.
As a Gemini, I love that this book is all about doubling — not just the way a sister can be a reflection of oneself, but the doubling of stories layered on stories, and the ways that endings can have two sides, one bitter and one sweet. I also love this book because of the way the story itself is in love with words and song. The prose is so lyrical that it feels like you’ve read it before, like it’s an old folk tale that’s been buried in the back of your mind. And the ending is so beautiful, I literally cried.
— Mika Ellison, Editorial
Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
Perhaps it’s an aspect of being a Gemini, but I’ve always been drawn to stories about shapeshifters and werewolves; when the rest of the literary work was going crazy over Twilight, I got completely sucked into the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. Moon Called, the first book in the series, introduces the titular heroine, Mercy: a “Walker” (not skinwalker, don’t get it twisted) of Indigenous heritage who can communicate with ghostly spirits and transform into a coyote at will.
In addition to being a fixture in an area of the Pacific Northwest inhabited by werewolf packs, vampire clans, and various fae of all types, Mercy is an awesome example of the spectrum of femininity. She’s an absolute badass who is also kind and empathic, and a fiercely loyal friend. For anyone looking for an urban fantasy series that centers on a ghost-seeing, shapeshifting, VW mechanic who has no problems saving herself and everyone else, I can’t recommend this one enough.
— Cara Broel, Editorial & Outreach
Gemini or not, do any of these reads appeal to you? Be sure to check out these reads, and let us know on our socials if you have any Gemini-related recommendations of your own. Happy Gemini season, and happy reading!
Did you miss the recommendations from our Taurus staff members? Check them out here!
Want to see all of the reading recommendations from the well-read Bookstr team? Check out our Bookshop bookshelf.
