A Very Virgo Reading List for Late Summer

Let’s keep celebrating Virgo season with a reading list for the studious and intellectual earth signs.

The Westing Game

Written by Ellen Raskin

This is the first mystery novel on this list but it won’t be the last. The Westing Game is a quirky mystery about a group of people who are summoned to the will reading of a millionaire, Sam Westing, who mysteriously died. From there they have to solve a puzzle to figure out who killed him. Virgos will have fun trying to solve the puzzle.

Practical Magic

Written by Alice Hoffman

Lovers of the 1998 film Practical Magic may not realize that it is actually based on a novel. Though the film deviates a bit from the novel — there are a plethora of differences — both mediums share romance and magical themes. Virgos will identify with the main character Sally. Sally’s sense of duty and desire to be accepted by her community makes her a quintessential Virgo.

Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore

Written by Robin Sloan

This novel follows Clay Jannon, an unemployed software developer who gets a job working at a peculiar bookstore. This bookstore is run by an enigmatic owner named Mr. Penumbra. The mutable air sign will also enjoy the intriguing plot regarding a secret society trying to uncover a puzzling yet ultimately wholesome mystery.

The Bookman’s Tale

Written By Charlie Lovett

Virgos love a good mystery, so they will love this quirky mystery centered around Shakespeare’s true identity. The mutable earth sign will identify with the main character, Peter Byerly. Virgos are known to be timid and anxious, and Peter suffers from social anxiety.

Side note: Shakespeare was in fact Shakespeare. Oxfordians are silly conspiracy theorists.

The Fault In Our Stars

Written By John Green

Virgos will love The Fault In Our Stars because it is written by a Virgo. But that’s not the only reason why they will love it. The earth sign will cathartically weep while reading the heartbreaking love story between two terminally ill teenagers who travel to Europe to meet a beloved author.

The Peach Keeper

Written by Sarah Addison Allen

Virgos are known to be undyingly loyal to their friends. They are so loyal that if you ever needed help hiding a body, Virgo would be one the first zodiac signs you would call. They will love this tale of loyalty, intrigue, justifiable murder, and unconventional romance.

A Study In Scarlet

Written By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Virgos are thoughtful and analytical. They love problem-solving and they adore a good mystery. So naturally I had to put a novel starring the world’s greatest detective, Sherlock Holmes, on this list. This was the first detective story to utilize a magnifying glass as an investigative tool.

Fun fact: Sherlock Holmes may not be a Virgo, but as a canonical Capricorn, he is an earth sign.

Murder On The Orient Express

Written By Agatha Christie

Like any good inquisitive Virgo, Agatha Christie loved a good mystery. That’s probably why she wrote so many of them. Her fellow Virgos will adore this classic murder mystery. And after you read the book you can watch one of the many film adaptations.

Carrie

Written By Stephen King

Virgo will feel vindicated as they read a novel about an overly-anxious girl who gets revenge on her tormentors by coming into her own power. Like many books on this list, it has a film adaptation. After reading it, you can watch the Sissy Spacek version, the Chloë Grace Moretz version, or the Angel Bettis version that everyone forgets about for some reason.

Where The Heart Is

Written By Billie Letts

There have been so many books about murder on this list. So here is a wholesome one. Virgos will love the kind yet insecure Novalee Nation, who goes from living and giving birth in a Walmart to finding a community of friends who love and support her as she raises her daughter and becomes a photographer. As you read, Novalee’s fortitude and can-do attitude will speak to your own iron-will and determination.