Books for Capricorn Season

Our picks for the ambitious, disciplined, and hardworking Capricorn in your life.

The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb

Capricorns will admire the discipline and determination of Ray McMillian.

Ray McMillian loves playing the violin more than anything, and nothing will stop him from pursuing his dream of becoming a professional musician.

Not his mother, who thinks he should get a real job, not the fact that he can’t afford a high-caliber violin, not the racism inherent in the classical music world. And when he makes the startling discovery that his great-grandfather’s fiddle is actually a priceless Stradivarius, his star begins to rise. Then with the international Tchaikovsky Competition–the Olympics of classical music–fast approaching, his prized family heirloom is stolen.

Ray is determined to get it back. But now his family and the descendants of the man who once enslaved Ray’s great-grandfather are each claiming that the violin belongs to them. With the odds stacked against him and the pressure mounting, will Ray ever see his beloved violin again?

“Where Slocumb shines, even when his writing becomes a little stiff, is in the passages where he shows Ray’s grit … . Slocumb’s debut on the page will, I hope, not be his last appearance there, because he has plenty of brio to share with readers as well as listeners”.

Bethanne Patrick, NPR



The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger

Perfect for ambitious and determined Capricorn readers.

Set in the fictional town of Crystal, Colorado, The Gifted School is a keenly entertaining novel that observes the drama within a community of friends and parents as good intentions and high ambitions collide in a pile-up with long-held secrets and lies.

Seen through the lens of four families who’ve been a part of one another’s lives since their kids were born over a decade ago, the story reveals not only the lengths that some adults are willing to go to get ahead, but the effect on the group’s children, sibling relationships, marriages, and careers, as simmering resentments come to a boil and long-buried, explosive secrets surface and detonate. Enjoy this humorous, keenly observed, timely take on ambitious parents, willful kids, and the pursuit of prestige, no matter the cost.

“A novel’s success or failure lies in a series of small choices on the part of its author. At nearly every turn, Holsinger makes smart ones — right up to the book’s stunning final lines”.

J. Courtney Sullivan, The New York Times Book Review



Good Clean Fun by Nick Offerman

For the hardworking, ambitious Capricorn.

Nestled among the glitz and glitter of Tinseltown is a testament to American elbow grease and an honest-to-god hard day’s work: Offerman Woodshop. Captained by woodworker, actor, comedian, and writer Nick Offerman, the shop produces not only fine handcrafted furniture, but also fun stuff — kazoos, baseball bats, ukuleles, mustache combs, and even cedar-strip canoes.

Nick and his ragtag crew of champions want to share their experience of working at the Woodshop, share their passion for the discipline of woodworking, and teach you how to make a handful of their most popular projects along the way.

This book takes readers behind the scenes of the woodshop, both inspiring and teaching them to make their own projects. On these pages, you will find a variety of projects for every skill level, with personal, easy-to-follow instructions, augmented by mouth-watering color photos. Also included are writings by Nick offering recipes for both comestibles and mirth, humorous essays, odes to his own woodworking heroes, insights into the ethos of woodworking in modern America, and assorted tomfoolery.

“While Good Clean Fun is not the most authoritative or comprehensive woodworking book available, it is by far the most entertaining woodworking book I’ve ever read. There are, after all, plenty of good (and some great) books available – there are very few that celebrate in such an engaging way the joy of woodworking. In short: Highly recommended”.

Megan Fitzpatrick, Popular Woodworking


Want more book picks?

Check out our must-reads for Sagittarius Season!


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