Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Book Covers Featuring Autumnal Colors.
My list includes books I’ve read plus a bunch from my TBR. My top 10 are:
I starting participating in Birthstone Books Covers in August 2025, and I’ve stuck with it ever since. I’m now in my 2nd time through, so the challenge is to find new books to spotlight! Leslie at Books Are the New Black hosts this fun monthly meme — why not give it a try?
The rules are simple:
Mention the creator (Leslie @ Books Are The New Black ) and link back so she can see your post! Pick 5+ book covers that match the current month’s Birthstone. HAVE FUN!
October has two birthstones — and since last year I focused on opals (which I love!), I’m going to highlight tourmalines this time around.
Tourmaline is the newer October birthstone. The name comes from the Sinhalese word toramalli, which means “stone with mixed colors,” because it often has multiple colors in one crystal. Very few gems match tourmaline’s dazzling array of colors. Perhaps this is why ancient mystics believed this October birthstone could inspire artistic expression – it has a color palette for every mood. Among the most popular are the pink and red rubellites, the emerald green “chrome” tourmalines, and the neon green and blue-to-violet “paraíba” tourmalines.
Because of its vast range of colors, tourmaline was often mistaken for other gemstones One of the “rubies” in the Russian crown jewels, the “Caesar’s Ruby” pendant, is actually red (rubellite) tourmaline. A Spanish conquistador found green tourmaline crystals in Brazil in the 1500s and confused the stones with emerald. These and other cases of mistaken identity continued for centuries until scientists recognized tourmaline as a distinct mineral species in the 1800s.
Tourmaline comes in so many gorgeous shades!
I especially love the “watermelon” variety:
Inspired by these gorgeous gems, I decided to look for book covers with vibrant pinks and greens on the covers… which maybe don’t really look like tourmalines… but feel vaguely related anyway!
Do you have any favorite tourmaline book covers to share?
I starting participating in Birthstone Books Covers in August 2025, and I’ve stuck with it ever since. I’m now in my 2nd time through, so the challenge is to find new books to spotlight! Leslie at Books Are the New Black hosts this fun monthly meme — why not give it a try?
The rules are simple:
Mention the creator (Leslie @ Books Are The New Black ) and link back so she can see your post! Pick 5+ book covers that match the current month’s Birthstone. HAVE FUN!
September’s birthstone is sapphire. According to the American Gem Society, sapphire gemstones symbolize loyalty, nobility, sincerity, and integrity. Learn more about their history.
Sapphire is my birthstone (yay, September!), and I’ve always loved the rich color (and love checking out sapphire jewelry of all sorts). But more importantly…
Onward to the books! What a dilemma I’m facing — I featured a bunch of absolute favorites last September, and I promised myself I wouldn’t do repeats this time around!
So, here are more sapphire book covers I’ve found on my shelves… and if you’re curious, here are the sapphire books I featured in September 2025!
The Glory by Herman Wouk
A Deadly Inheritance by Kelley Armstrong
Meat Cute by Gail Carriger
The Christmas Book Hunt by Jenny Colgan
Bellewether by Susanna Kearsley
The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
Night Road by Kristin Hannah
Do you have any favorite sapphire book covers to share?
Back to the beginning… for me! A year ago, I participated in the Birthstone Book Covers meme — hosted by Leslie at Books Are the New Black — for the first time, and liked it so much that I’ve kept it going every month since.
And now, I’m back to where I started, ready for even more birthstone book covers! The challenge going forward will be to see if I can come up with NEW books to feature…
Want to join in this fun monthly meme?
The rules are simple:
Mention the creator (Leslie @ Books Are The New Black ) and link back so she can see your post! Pick 5+ book covers that match the current month’s Birthstone. Have fun!
August’s birthstone is peridot. According to the American Gem Society:
Though peridot is widely recognized for its brilliant lime green glow, the origin of this gemstone’s name is unclear. Most scholars agree that the word “peridot” is derived from the Arabic faridat, which means “gem;” however, some believe it’s rooted in the Greek word peridona, meaning “giving plenty.” Perhaps that’s why peridot was, according to lore, associated with prosperity and good fortune.
Peridot is the rare gem-quality variety of the common mineral olivine, which forms deep inside the Earth’s mantle and is brought to the surface by volcanoes. In Hawaii, peridot once symbolized the tears of Pele, the volcano goddess of fire who controls the flow of lava. Rarely, peridot is also found inside meteorites.
Peridot’s signature green color comes from the composition of the mineral itself—rather than from trace impurities, as with many gemstones. That’s why this is one of few gemstones that only comes in one color, though shades may vary from yellowish-green to olive to brownish-green, depending on how much iron is present.
I participated in Birthstone Books Covers for the first time last August, and now I’m hooked! Leslie at Books Are the New Black hosts this fun monthly meme — and since I love anything related to spotlighting amazing book covers, I just had to jump in.
The rules are simple:
Mention the creator (Leslie @Books Are The New Black ) and link back so she can see your post! Pick 5+ book covers that match the current month’s Birthstone. Have fun!
Ruby is the July birthstone – and it’s one of the most coveted of gems. The name is derived from the Latin word ruber, meaning “red” – the color of love and passion. Few things catch the eye like the ruby birthstone. The finest color of the birthstone for July is a deep red with a hint of purple, called “pigeon’s blood” in the trade. A variety of the mineral corundum, ruby gets its color from trace amounts of the element chromium. The more chromium, the stronger the red.
I participated in Birthstone Books Covers for the first time last August, and now I’m hooked! Leslie at Books Are the New Black hosts this fun monthly meme — and since I love anything related to spotlighting amazing book covers, I just had to jump in.
The rules are simple:
Mention the creator (Leslie @Books Are The New Black ) and link back so she can see your post! Pick 5+ book covers that match the current month’s Birthstone. Have fun!
June has three birthstones! The three gems are pearl, alexandrite, and moonstone.
For more about these three birthstones, check out the info page at gia.edu. I was not familiar with alexandrite at all until now — not surprising, as it’s considered very rare!
Alexandrite is the rare variety of the mineral chrysoberyl that changes color in different lighting. Most prized are those alexandrite birthstones that show a vivid green to bluish green in daylight or fluorescent light, and an intense red to purplish red in incandescent light. Major alexandrite deposits were first discovered in 1830 in Russia’s Ural Mountains. The gem was named after the young Alexander II (1818–1881), heir apparent to the throne. Alexandrite caught the country’s attention because its red and green colors mirrored the national military colors of imperial Russia.
Pearl has purity, wisdom, and tranquility. Pearls were believed the tears of the gods or moonlight that had been captured in shells. People believe that pearls have the ability to bring good luck and provide a relaxed vibe.
Moonstone shows love, self-awareness, a calm state of mind, and a balance of emotions. Moonstone, a birthstone, is frequently regarded as a precious treasure for fresh starts.
Alexandrite color-changing feature represents change and understanding. Alexandrite is well-known for its remarkable color change, which occurs when it is exposed to luminous light and changes from green to a reddish-purple hue.
June Birthstone Color
Pearl Naturally white, cream, pink, and even black. Freshwater and saltwater pearls can have subtle rainbow-like iridescence known asorient.
Moonstone Typically comes in milky whites or soft grays with a magical blue or rainbowadularescence(a glowing sheen)
Alexandrite Famous for its dramatic color shift—from green in daylight to reddish-purple under incandescent light.
Onward to the books!
Alexandrite is new to me, and I’m finding myself fascinating by its range of colors. Based on the images of the gem, I decided to look for book covers with a mixture of blues, greens, and purples… close enough!
Does alexandrite make you think of any favorite book covers?
Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Books with Handwriting on the Cover.
The topic got me thinking: Do kids still learn to write in cursive these days? I’m guessing not. I used to have a fairly nice cursive handwriting… and now when I attempt it, it’s mainly a big, messy scrawl. Sigh. I love how quick and easy it is to use a keyboard, but it’s a bit sad to think about handwriting as a lost art.
Back to the books! Rather than focusing on actual handwriting, I just started looking through my physical and digital shelves for book titles in cursive fonts… and found more than I expected! Here’s a round-up of 13 that I really like… because I couldn’t decide which to drop to get to ten.
Cinnamon & Gunpowder by Eli Brown
Ready or Not by Cara Bastone
The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
Letters to the Lost by Iona Grey
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald
All’s Fair in Love and War by Virginia Heath
The Bronte Plot by Katherine Reay
Off the Map by Trish Doller
Pat of Silver Bush by L. M. Montgomery
Pride by Ibi Zoboi
Reputation by Lex Croucher
The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub
The One That Got Away by Mike Gayle
Love Lettering by Kate Claybourn
If you wrote a TTT post this week, please share your link!
My phone lockscreen is set to randomly shuffle photos from my camera roll, changing every hour on the hour. I never know what will turn up… and I like it that way.
And when I woke up to start my day yesterday, I found that I had a lovely bit of syncing up going on:
On the left, my phone lockscreen. On the right, my current audiobook.
Both images: Joshua trees / Joshua Tree National Park
I participated in Birthstone Books Covers for the first time in August, and now I’m hooked! Leslie at Books Are the New Black hosts this fun monthly meme — and since I love anything related to spotlighting amazing book covers, I just had to jump in.
The rules are simple:
Mention the creator (Leslie @Books Are The New Black ) and link back so she can see your post! Pick 5+ book covers that match the current month’s Birthstone. Have fun!
May’s birthstone is emerald. I love a vibrant green!
Emerald, the birthstone for May, has been beloved for millennia, evoking rebirth and renewal. Widely regarded as the definition of green, emerald is the perfect color for spring. From the poetic description of Ireland as “the Emerald isle” to the vibrant green of the famed gemstone itself—the May birthstone emerald has captured hearts and minds through the ages.
Variations of this rich green color suggest soothing, lush gardens. Legend has it that emerald has the power to make its wearer more intelligent and quick-witted, and it was once believed to cure diseases like cholera and malaria. Today, it’s the gemstone given for the 20th and 35th wedding anniversaries.
I participated in Birthstone Books Covers for the first time in August, and now I’m hooked! Leslie at Books Are the New Black hosts this fun monthly meme — and since I love anything related to spotlighting amazing book covers, I just had to jump in.
The rules are simple:
Mention the creator (Leslie @Books Are The New Black ) and link back so she can see your post! Pick 5+ book covers that match the current month’s Birthstone. HAVE FUN!
April’s birthstone is diamond, and who doesn’t love a little bling?
Diamond forms under high temperature and pressure conditions that exist only about 100 miles beneath the earth’s surface. Diamond’s carbon atoms are bonded in essentially the same way in all directions. Another mineral, graphite, also contains only carbon, but its formation process and crystal structure are very different. Graphite is so soft that you can write with it, while diamond is so hard that you can only scratch it with another diamond.
Also worth noting: Diamond is the April birthstone, but also the gem that marks the 60th and 75th wedding anniversaries.
A few more diamonds (via Pinterest):
Onward to the books!
Diamond is a tricky one to find in terms of color covers… so I looked for either diamond-like cover colors or covers with actual diamonds on them!
Do you have any favorite diamond book covers to share?
