Taurus season is upon us, and I think we should all take a collective breath.

Ready? Ok, let’s do this together: breathe in deeply, hold for three, and release.

Now didn’t that feel good? Taurus season, April 20 to May 20, is smack dab in the middle of spring and is the perfect time to take a moment to appreciate the rejuvenation of all things green and lush and to reground ourselves.

The second of the twelve astrological signs, the Taurus is most known for their stubbornness and what others might describe as laziness. However, as a Taurus, I must set the record straight: it isn’t that we are lazy, it is just that, being a fixed sign, it is in our nature to do things on our own terms and we hold personal comfort above most other things. We like to indulge (pulls fleece blanket closer, holds tighter to mug of hot tea, and opens nearest book).

As an Earth sign, the Taurus is also known for their deep connection to the earth. This is easily reflected in our choice of book. In this theme, Looking for Alaska by John Green and Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer were recommended by some fellow Tauruses. Additional highly recommended are This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron, In a Jar by Deborah Marcero, and Dear Little One by Nina Laden, as well as the graphic novel series Lumberjanes.

However, as a Taurus, I am guilty of being a little self-absorbed, so to keep myself from simply listing out all the books on my StoryGraph, I reached out to local astrologer Ash Reed for her insight. When discussing what type of book a Taurus might like to read, Ash suggested that since a Taurus is the fixed Earth Zodiac sign and appreciates simplicity, then this sign may love an easy (simple), practical (Earth), focused (fixed) type of book. This is most certainly my personal style. I could spend hours with the I Spy books, any crafting book, or the art of Wayne Thiebaud in their collection delicious metropolis.

This doesn’t mean that a Taurus wouldn’t enjoy a series set in a complex universe, especially since one of my best friends, also a Taurus, pretty much exclusively reads wildly complex books with maps in them. When asked which map-wielding book she would recommend to a fellow Taurus, her immediate response was Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas; “Bryce is the most stubborn character you will meet. Actually, all the characters are wildly stubborn in the most endearing ways.” At 800 pages, I will have to take her word for it! When my Libra best friend was asked to recommend a book that a Taurus would enjoy, she suggested, “The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau, because #earthsign.” Personally, I quite enjoyed the universe in Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend.

Being a Taurus sun with Scorpio rising (Scorpio was on the horizon at my time of birth), my emotions are a bit more heightened than you might expect from a Taurus. This explains my obsession with adult contemporary romance. The Brown Sisters trilogy by Talia Hibbert is a relatively short series that I devoured very quickly, my favorite of which being Act Your Age, Eve Brown. Likewise, Talia Hibbert, Jasmine Guillory, Helen Hoang, and Denise Williams all have the fantastic ability of creating absolutely indulgent adult contemporary romances.

Speaking of indulgence, while it isn’t a book, I must also recommend Adele’s latest album, 30. A fellow Taurus, Adele easily captured the sensuality, self-reflection, and stability of the Taurus. If you’re looking for the perfect album to listen to with these books, 30 is it.