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We Tested Sunday’s Custom Lawn Care Kits on 2 Withered NY & CA Yards—And the Photos Speak for Themselves

  • Value: 19/20
  • Quality: 19/20
  • Ease of Use: 20/20
  • Weed Control: 18/20
  • Overall Lushness of Lawn: 17/20

TOTAL: 91/100

For years, it stalked us: Google ads and influencer posts that touted Sunday Lawn Care, the line of custom weed killers, fertilizers and nutrient packs designed to revive withered, patchy yards—without the harsh chemicals found in pesticides. Could something made with ingredients like seaweed, molasses and soy protein really restore our lawns to their formerly lush glory? What about a yard (ahem, mine) that’s never seen such days to begin with, as it happens to be commandeered by someone renowned for killing anything green in her path (again, me)?

It seemed as questionable as flat tummy teas and cookie diets, so we had to give it a shot. We tested it in two yards—one in New York, one in California—and the results genuinely shocked us. Never have we seen such results with so little effort.

Related: The 20 Best Full-Sun Perennials for Your Garden

How Do You Use Sunday Lawn Care?

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CANDACE DAVISON

Anyone who’s wandered the lawn care section of Home Depot knows how easy it is to get overwhelmed by options, polling employees while frantically Googling packages to figure out what, exactly, you need. That’s the first pro of using Sunday: You answer a quick questionnaire about your yard and its location—which is as easy to follow as a Buzzfeed quiz—to get product recommendations based on your lawn’s climate and needs. From there, we signed up for the Smart Lawn Plan, aka a year of seasonal boxes that include things like lawn nutrient packs, weed control sprays and grass seed.

Within a week, our boxes arrived in New York and California, along with a soil test kit. Our first task: Dig up bits of sand, omitting any rocks or greenery, and send it off to Sunday HQ to be analyzed, so that future shipments could be even more specifically tailored to our yards’ needs.

“I didn’t have to wait to get my lawn healthier, since there were a couple pouches of lawn nutrients that I could attach to my hose and just spray over the lawn,” says senior editor Dana Dickey, whose LA yard served as our second test subject.

My New York lawn needed a bit more love, so my kit included a dandelion killer and weed control, which I needed to spray on each bloom a week before I could spritz my lawn with the nutrient packs to feed the existing grass. So, on that note…

Does It Take Care of Weeds?

It sure does. The morning after using Dandelion Doom (an actual product, not a Marvel supervillain…yet), the weeds in my yard had wilted and yellowed. Previously, they were the only thing that could thrive. Other weeds and crabgrass slowly died off too, leaving me worried my lawn would be patchier than ever. But that’s where the nutrients kicked in.

CANDACE DAVISON

How Do Sunday Nutrient Packs Work?

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Dana Dickey

Like Dickey mentioned, it’s all a matter of attaching it to your hose (much like you would any spray nozzle) and watering your yard. Each kit comes with clear, easy-to-follow instructions that make the process—and timing of each step—practically foolproof.

Yeah, But How Green Does It Make Your Yard?

From there, we sprinkled the grass seed over our lawns. “I was amazed at how grass was able to grow in bare patches that had been too sun-scorched and sandy (i.e., bad soil) for anything to emerge before,” Dickey added (and I second).

I had paid lawn services in years past to fertilize and maintain my lawn, but my patchy areas remained, well, patchy. I was borderline convinced I’d need to resod to see the results my neighbors had, but now? Let’s just say the grass is finally greener (though not quite as full) on this side of the fence.

Dana Dickey

Is It Worth The Price?

https://go.skimresources.com/?id=27667X859343&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.getsunday.com%2Four-ingredients&xcust=sunday%20lawn%20care%20review
CANDACE DAVISON

My lawn needed so much work—the Smart Lawn Plan, plus five pounds of Fescue Rescue grass seed (an amount they calculated based on my lawn’s size) and a mixed pack of weed control sprays—that it cost $181. (Full disclosure: Sunday covered this cost as part of the review.) However, considering I’ve spent more than that on professional services with far poorer results—and that I won’t need to spend as much to maintain my lawn going forward—my family is sold on continuing the investment.

Less than $200 a year feels incredibly reasonable for the results we’ve gotten, particularly given the peace of mind that we’re not loading our lawns with pesticides (so the kids and dogs can romp around carefree). Plus, you also have instant access to their pros to combat whatever Mother Nature—or whatever aphids or mealybugs—throw your way.

“Going forward, I’ll reach out to Sunday via the open invitation and 800 number to ask how to deal with the upcoming hot, hot SoCal summer, in light of recent water rationing,” Dickey told me. “I expect that, as my lawn life coach, Sunday is going to help me, and my lawn, work not harder but smarter.” Hear, hear.

(Oh, and psst: Right now, you can use the code GET40 to get $40 off a Smart Lawn Plan.)

Related: The 15 Best Groundcover Plants for Your Yard

CANDACE DAVISON
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Family

The Secret to Keeping a Clean Home Amidst That New Parent Chaos

Sleep when the baby sleeps. You won’t have any time to yourself. Be prepared for your house to be swallowed by baby gear. If you’re a new parent (congrats!), we’d bet money you’ve heard one of these phrases at least once. And as much as they might annoy you, a semblance of them is true. Becoming a parent for the first time is one of the most exciting times in your life, but it’s also one of the most chaotic. Between round-the-clock feedings and changing what feels like 100 diapers a day it can be hard to take care of yourself, let alone your home. That’s where Roborock comes in. Their time-saving devices redefine the modern home and master the art of AI-powered cleaning. Not to mention each product is carefully thought out to solve real problems and make a difference you can feel in your home.

Anything that will make my life easier. I’m all ears.

The Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra vacuum is an industry-first robot vacuum that has a multipurpose dock that empties, washes and refills itself. Plus, it’ll automatically recognize bedrooms, living rooms, bathrooms and dining rooms, and will recommend what type of suction power and scrubbing intensity is required for each room. And don’t worry about different surfaces. If Roborock detects a carpet, the mop will lift out of the way so you’ll get mopped floors and vacuumed carpets in a single clean. That means no more emptying mop buckets or changing out sweeping pads, so you’ll have more time to perfect your newfound baby photographer skills. 

Um, this sounds amazing. How do I use it?

It honestly couldn’t be simpler. All you do is go through a one-time setup process and—poof—it just knows how to clean your home. Even better, it can be paired with a smart home device for voice control so you can tell it to clean before plopping down to get some shut-eye while baby is napping. There’s also an app that allows you to recreate your home’s floorplan (along with furniture and floor types), so it knows exactly how to clean each room with the quick push of a button. Not only that but you’ll barely notice it as it zooms around, thanks to its sleek and minimal design. 

I’m sold. Is there anything else?

Nope! Simply remember to empty the dock about every seven weeks and Roborock will take care of the rest. A clean home means a happy home. And a happy home means a calmer you. The question is, what will you do with all your free time?

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News

Kerry Washington & Her Dad Don Matching Denim in Birthday Tribute Video

Kerry Washington just proved (once again) that she and her dad, Earl, are one of the best daughter-father duos on the internet.

In celebration of her father’s birthday, the Scandal actress posted a reel video of them together on Instagram. The short video clip—taken directly from the Dad Joke archives—starts with Washington commenting on her father’s stylish “Dad” jeans, to which he returns the compliment. Then, she asks him to tell a funny “Dad” joke to the viewers watching.

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“How does a pair of jeans cool themselves off?” he says. “They pant!” (Good one!) Her father laughed uncontrollably and the Little Fires Everywhere alum proceeded to show off her matching pair of dad jeans. 

Washington wrote in the caption, “From the #DadJoke archives [laughing emoji], in honor of the #DadJoke King’s birthday. Happy Birthday, Pops!!!! Love you!!!!!”

Her followers flooded the comments section with happy birthday wishes and even their own jokes. One person wrote, “Lol! Happy Birthday Sir Earl!” with prayer hand emojis. Another person said, “I can’t handle this!! Too cute! [red heart emoji].”

Keep the dad jokes coming, Earl!

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Related: Kerry Washington Rocks Sheer Black Tory Burch Dress at the 2022 Met Gala

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Family

This Is the Best Time of Day to Yell at Your Kids, According to Child Development Experts

A real-life scenario that recently played out in my life: My 4-year-old was at the playground going down the slide when another child who was wobbly on a skateboard broke his arm. The entire playground sprang to action to help. My child, however, chose this exact moment to take off like a lightning bolt through an open gate and—gasp—ignore my frantic calls to come back.

We caught up with him quickly, but I found myself in a dilemma: Do I reprimand in this moment since it’s relevant and top of mind? Or do I cool off since I’m still in my fight-or-flight zone? I brought my question to two different child development experts, who both told me that not only should I hold off, but that I should hold out for a specific time of day: bathtime.

Why bathtime can be a caregiver’s magic hour

Especially for kids ages 3 and older “Bathtime can be a magic time for addressing tricky topics,” says Kristin Brady, director at Cobble Hill Playschool. “It’s typically when there is just one activity happening, no TV or iPads and lots of undivided attention.” Water can also be soothing and calming—the ideal atmosphere for a focused conversation.

So I have to wait until bathtime to stop a behavior?

“A parent has two goals when their child is doing something that is not OK: First, stop the behavior. Second, reach a shared understanding with their child about what was going on and why it wasn’t OK,” Brady explains. That second part, says Marjorie Brickley, an infant and family development faculty member and advisor at the Bank Street College of Education, should be postponed for when heads are cool. As Brickley explains, in moments when, say a child at the park breaks his arm and everything goes off the wall, the brain and body are only thinking reactively; the ability to problem-solve constructively has gone offline. That’s why it’s the right time to set a firm “stop boundary,” but the wrong time to discuss it.

How do I set a firm “stop boundary” without reprimanding?

Let’s take the example of me and my son. In that moment at the playground, I was upset, he was upset and tensions were high. Still, Brady says the focus should stay on stopping the behavior. Try, “I see how sad and frustrated you are. You wanted to run over there. However, I can’t let you run away from me because that is not safe. I put you in the stroller to keep you safe. We’re going to head home and try the park again tomorrow.” Later on, distraction-free bathtime is when you can dig in.

So, you got your kid in the bath. Now what? Yell at him?

While yelling happens to the best of us, pausing the interaction after your stop boundary will diffuse the situation so that you can have a productive conversation sans the ineffective drama. So, when bathtime comes, between bubbles and rubber duckies, you could start by “remembering” the event out loud, says Brady. “Do you remember when you ran away from me at the park today? That was a little bit scary for me. I’d like to talk a little more about that.” Next, prioritize information-gathering (“Can you explain to me what you were trying to do?” or “Can you tell me how that made you feel?”).

Really, it’s about opening up space for a conversation and giving your child a chance to share their point of view. Once they do, you can validate their feelings while also revisiting the boundary you want to set. For example: “Now I understand that you ran away because you were chasing a butterfly, but I still need you to remember to stay with me at the park.” (You can also invite your child to participate in honoring the boundary: “I will make sure I can always see you and you make sure you can always see me. We can do this together.”)

What if my kid hates the bath?

The right place to discuss can vary by child, Brickley says. Maybe you have a sensory seeker who listens best while fidgeting or doodling. Optimize the atmosphere for a calm and distraction-free discussion based on your child.   

But don’t over-associate bathtime with tough discussions

“Finding other times to talk is also important,” Brickley adds. “You don’t want to turn bathtime into your emotional processing space. Use it sparingly and mix it up.” Her suggestions: A bench while eating a snack, for example. (It’s also critical that you don’t let too much time lapse between the incident and addressing it.)

Bottom line

Ultimately, the goal should be to listen to your child, have them listen to you and solve the problem together. “If you have these conversations regularly, you can lay the groundwork for your child to discover who they are, what they need and the best problem-solving strategies for them,” Brickley says. A win-win.

Related: The Case for Family Rules (and What Those Rules Might Be)

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Family

How to Discuss Gender Identity With Kids, According to a First Grade Teacher & Member of the Trans Community

One day after school, my 7-year-old daughter casually mentioned that she’s cis-gender. I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that this clueless binary millennial had to Google the term before validating her statement. It turns out that my daughter’s first grade teacher, Julian Barlow—an incredible educator who also happens to be a transsexual man—included a discussion of gender identity in the curriculum, in the most thoughtful and age-appropriate way. Part of this conversation involved sharing his personal journey with the class. (His earliest memories of feeling like a boy date back to the first grade, although he says he didn’t come out until he was in his twenties, largely due to the fact that he had neither the language nor the understanding of what this meant until then.)

I found his choice to tell all this to his students incredibly courageous and inspiring; I also felt grateful because, well, better him than me. Indeed, this brief interaction with my daughter made me realize that I had very little confidence in my ability to discuss gender identity with my small children in a way that made sense to them and didn’t result in a foot-in-mouth moment for all the adults in the room.

Do other parents feel the same? And are there tactics we can use if we’re not lucky enough to a have a teacher like my daughter’s? I went straight to the source, and asked Barlow for a few tips on how to initiate an effective conversation on such an important topic. Here’s what he had to say. (Spoiler: Books are your best friend.)

Lay the groundwork before you dive in

Barlow explains that he gradually builds up to a bigger conversation about gender with the class, and he encourages parents to do the same at home. For starters, he wants to ensure he’s formed strong and caring relationships with his students before sharing such a personal story. But additionally, he sees value in normalizing certain other non-conforming behaviors so that “when the deeper or heavier part of the conversation is broached, the kids already have all this background knowledge to draw upon.”

One of his favorite story time conversation starters is Neither by Airlie Anderson. This picture book tells the tale of a unique-looking creature born into a binary world (“The Land of This and That”) where he’s told he doesn’t belong. It’s a whimsical and fun read that makes no mention of gender identity, but boasts a far-reaching message, a resounding affirmation of inclusivity and diversity. 

Bottom line? Look for examples in your world where kids might think there are only a few ways of doing something, and challenge them to think deeper. (Do all families have a mom and dad? Do all moms wear dresses and have long hair? You get the idea.)

Then introduce the concept of gender identity

Even after the warm-up, Barlow prefers books and conversations that feel like they’re about everybody and “provide kids with language to talk about themselves, whether they’re trans or not.” He recommends It Feels Good to be Yourself by Theresa Thorn, which lays out the simple, child-friendly concept that “some people are boys. Some people are girls. Some people are both, neither, or somewhere in between.”

For inquisitive kids who want to know the details, Barlow uses a simple explanation that goes something like this: “When every baby is born, doctors and parents make their best guess about the gender, but sometimes they guess wrong.”

He also recommends modeling as an important tool for teaching kids to never assume someone’s gender. For example, when children use pronouns to describe a character portrayed in a picture book, you might say something to the effect of, “I noticed you used the word ‘he’ to describe this character. I wonder if that’s the pronoun this character uses. I bet we’ll find out once we start reading and learn more about the characters.”

But keep it vague…

Another benefit of age-appropriate reading material is that it spares parents (and educators) the awkwardness of being asked specific questions about transitioning. Genitals are rarely mentioned by young kids during these conversations, and when confronted with a ‘well, what next?’ type of question, Barlow says it’s best just to deflect and return to the idea that, for kids, there is no ‘what’s next?’ Rather, it’s a matter of understanding that “there’s no one way to be trans or non-binary, just as there’s no one way to be cis-gender,” and what matters most is simply that “everyone feels comfortable expressing their gender in different ways,” he says. (You can also convey, in the vaguest and simplest of terms, that doctors can help people look the way they feel, but what that means is different for everyone.)

Educate yourself

“Parents who don’t understand gender beyond the binary should first do a little bit of reading to better prepare themselves for a productive conversation with their curious kid,” says Barlow. His pick? Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon. After all, you may have the best of intentions, but it’s easy to get lost in uncharted territory, and the more you know, the more confident you’ll feel when exploring it with your family.

Related: How to Talk to Your Kids About the Tragedy in Texas

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Books

The Best Beach Read for Every Zodiac Sign

At this point, we’ve let our zodiac sign dictate what our signature cocktail is, how we should decorate our house and even which sex position we should try. We might as well let it inform our beach read choice this summer. Whether you’re an ambitious, career-driven Capricorn or a sweet and sensitive Pisces, here’s the best beach read for every zodiac sign.

Related: The Ina Garten Cookbook You Should Add to Your Shelf, Based on Your Zodiac Sign

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ARIES (MARCH 21 – APRIL 19): The House Across The Lake by Riley Sager

A gripping thriller is just what the doctor ordered for fearless Aries. In the vein of his best-selling thrillers Final Girls and Survive the Night, Sager’s latest is a suspense novel brimming with twists and turns about a recently widowed actress trying to escape a streak of bad press. At her family’s lake house in Vermont, she passes the time watching the glamorous couple living in the house across the lake. But the more she gets to know them—and the longer she watches—the clearer becomes that something is amiss. And then the wife suddenly vanishes…

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TAURUS (APRIL 20 – MAY 20): The Lifeguards by Amanda Eyre Ward

Though occasionally—OK, often—stubborn, you’d be hard pressed to find a friend more loyal than a Taurus, which is exactly why Taureans will be enthralled by this novel that centers on the friendship of Whitney, Annette and Liza, who have raised their children together in Austin. Their friendship is as safe and comfortable as the neighborhood where they’ve raised their sons…or so they think. One night, the three women are having drinks together when their boys, lifeguards for the summer, return from a late-night dip in their favorite swimming hole. The boys share a secret—news that will shatter the perfect world their mothers have so painstakingly created. Combining the three mothers’ points of view, this latest from the author of The Jetsetters and Forgive Me is about complicated friendships, the loss of innocence and the secrets we tell to protect the ones we love.

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GEMINI (MAY 21 – JUNE 20): Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen

Geminis are among the most persuasive zodiac signs, making this book about a cunning manipulator feel right up their alley. When Chinese American lawyer Ava reconnects with her college roommate, Winnie, a woman from mainland China, Ava finds her nothing like she used to be. Previously shy and awkward, Winnie is now supremely confident and dripping in luxury goods (impossible-to-get orange Birkin included). The secret to her success? Winnie has developed an ingenious counterfeit luxury handbag scheme and now she needs someone with a U.S. passport to help manage her business—someone like Ava. But when their spectacular success is threatened and Winnie vanishes, Ava is left to face the consequences.

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CANCER (JUNE 21 – JULY 22): Meant To Be Mine by Hannah Orenstein

Had a bad day? Dreading a phone call? The crab can read the writing on the wall as clear as day. Intuition is at the center of this sweet new novel that begs the question: If you could find out the exact day you would meet the love of your life, would you? It wasn’t a choice for 29-year-old Edie, whose grandmother has accurately predicted the day every single member of the family has met their match. The morning of the day she’s supposed to meet her person, she boards a plane to her twin sister’s surprise engagement when a handsome musician sits beside her. But fate isn’t as straightforward as Edie expected, and she can’t fight the feeling that her perfect guy doesn’t have perfect timing. After a tragedy and a shocking revelation rock Edie’s carefully constructed world, she’s forced to consider whether love chooses us or if we choose it ourselves.

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LEO (JULY 23 – AUGUST 23): Reservation For Six by Lindsey Palmer

Three couples gather to celebrate each person’s birthday every year. Nathan is the first to turn 40, and when the cake arrives at the celebration, he makes a shocking announcement. (Sound like something a spotlight-loving Leo would do?!) And while we won’t ruin the surprise of what the announcement is, suffice it to say, the birthday ritual and the friend group will never be the same again. Afterwards, confessions are made and secrets are revealed, as the six discuss infidelity, infertility and waning passion.

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VIRGO (AUGUST 23 – SEPTEMBER 22): Adult Assembly Required by Abbi Waxman

If you’ve ever met a Virgo, you know that they have pretty unrealistic expectations of perfection (of themselves included). For the Virgo who could use a reminder that life can be messy, allow us to introduce Laura. A move to Los Angeles is just what she thinks will help her escape an overprotective family and the memories of a terrible accident. She promptly finds out, though, that the building where she’s rented an apartment has burned down and she’s without a home. Having been taken under the wing of a rogue bookseller, she’s put up in a lovely but completely illegal boardinghouse with a regretful landlady, a gorgeous housemate and an ex-boyfriend determined to get back into her life. As Laura deals with her past issues while trying to figure out where her future is headed, she discovers that starting over doesn’t have to mean leaving everything behind.

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LIBRA (SEPTEMBER 23 – OCTOBER 23): This Might Hurt by Stephanie Wrobel

Always searching for balance, Libras will likely see themselves in this thrilling story of a woman who will stop at nothing to bring peace and harmony back to her relationship with her sister. Natalie and Kit haven’t spoken in months, since Kit discovered Wisewood, a self-help group where guests commit to spending six months off the grid on a private island off the coast of Maine to become their “Maximized Selves.” But when Natalie receives a menacing email from a Wisewood account threatening to reveal the secret she’s been keeping from Kit, she panics and heads to the retreat to come clean and bring Kit home. The issue is, Wisewood won’t let either of them go without a fight.

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SCORPIO (OCTOBER 21 – NOVEMBER 21): This Might Be Too Personal by Alyssa Shelasky

Known as the sex symbol of the zodiac, Scorpios might find themselves a bit jealous of Alyssa Shelasky’s job—she’s the editor of New York Magazine’s delightfully juicy Sex Diaries—but they’ll devour her stories nonetheless. In her debut essay collection, she navigates her life as a sex, relationship and celebrity writer in New York City, from running away from the “perfect” future husband and interviewing A-list stars while contemplating an abortion to bypassing men entirely to have a baby with an anonymous sperm donor.

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SAGITTARIUS (NOVEMBER 22 – DECEMBER 21): I’ll Show Myself Out by Jessi Klein

As one of the funniest signs in the zodiac, the Sagittarius babe is likely familiar with the work of Jessi Klein (Inside Amy Schumer, Big Mouth). Her 2017 memoir, You’ll Grow Out of It, explored her thoughts on what it meant to be a 21st century woman. In the comedy writer’s new essay collection, she debunks the cultural myths and impossible expectations around motherhood and explores the humiliations, poignancies and possibilities of midlife in essays like “Listening to Beyoncé in the Parking Lot of Party City,” “Your Husband Will Remarry Five Minutes After You Die” and “An Open Love Letter to Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent.”

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CAPRICORN (DECEMBER 22 – JANUARY 19): Book Lovers by Emily Henry

In this latest from beach read queen Emily Henry (People We Meet on Vacation), Nora is a high-powered literary agent who, though we can’t be sure, sounds an awful lot like a career-focused, ambitious Cap. On her pregnant sister’s request, Nora takes a girls’ trip to a picture-perfect North Carolina town, Sunshine Falls. Somehow, Charlie, a handsome book editor who rejected one of Nora’s books years earlier, is also in town. In true rom-com fashion, as Nora and Charlie get to know each other, she learns that there may be more to him than she suspected. At the same time, though, Nora’s concerned about her relationship with her sister—they’ve always been close, but something seems off. Can high-strung Nora get her happily-ever-after and figure out her relationship with her sister?

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AQUARIUS (JANUARY 20 – FEBRUARY 18): Cult Classic by Sloane Crosley

Imagine you’re out for dinner with former colleagues in New York City’s Chinatown when you step out to buy a pack of cigarettes. (It shouldn’t be too hard for Aquarians, who are known to be both intellectual and abstract thinkers.) On your way back, you run into a former boyfriend. And then another. And…another. That’s what happens to Lola, the protagonist in this latest novel from humor-memoirist Crosley (I Was Told There’d Be Cake). At the same time, recently engaged Lola struggles with the viability of her current relationship and with the fact that both her best friend and her former boss might have an unhealthy investment in the outcome. A masterfully crafted story about love, memory, morality, and mind control, Cult Classic is equal parts page-turner and poignant portrayal of alienation.

https://shop-links.co/chjjR8bHFxx

PISCES (FEBRUARY 19 – MARCH 20): One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle

Holy empath, Batman. Sweet, sensitive Pisces will get sucked into this touching story about Katy, a woman whose mother wasn’t just her mom; she was her best friend and first phone call. But now, when Katy needs her mother Carol the most, she is gone. Even worse, the trip the two had planned to Positano is quickly approaching. But as soon as she steps foot on the Amalfi Coast, Katy feels her mother’s spirit, and in turn feels herself coming back to life. And then Carol appears as she did at 32. Over the course of one Italian summer, Katy gets to know Carol, not as her mother, but as the young woman before her.

Related: 10 Books We Can’t Wait to Read in June