Spell the Month in Books: May

Posted in Fun and Whimsy by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Spell the Month in Books is a monthly meme hosted by Jana at Reviews from the Stacks. To participate, find a book title that starts with each letter in the month’s name, make a list, share your link, and that’s it! You can share anytime by the end of the month. Some months have additional themes, but feel free to participate however you’d like!

I didn’t see a theme posted for May, so I decided to go with one of my own. My book list for May is focused on May Flowers… books covers with at least a flower or two! With only three letters to work with, it’s a quick list to put together… although as usual, “Y” books are the hardest to find.

Here are my MAY books:

M:

Marilla of Green Gables by Sarah McCoy

A:

The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay

Y:

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth

Happy May! Wishing everyone a month filled with flowers!

If you spelled the month in books, please leave me a link to your post — I’d love to see it!

23Apr2026

Birthstone Book Covers: April = Diamond!

Posted in Bookish Thoughts, Fun and Whimsy by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

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 Blac k ) 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?

According to gia.edu:

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?

8Apr2026

Spell the Month in Books: April

Posted in Fun and Whimsy by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

This month’s theme is a choice: Easter OR Pastel Covers. I’m going pastels… because I can’t figure out how to do an Easter theme (I don’t think I know of enough books with bunnies on the cover!)

Here are my APRIL books:

A:

Angel’s Peak by Robyn Carr

P:

Pardon My Frenchie by Farrah Rochon

R:

Reputation by Lex Croucher

I:

In the Quick by Kate Hope Day

L:

The Ladies Rewrite the Rules by Suzanne Allain

I hope everyone is having a great start to April! If you spelled the month in books, please leave me a link to your post — I’d love to see it!

14Mar2026

Birthstone Book Covers: March = Aquamarine!

Posted in Bookish Thoughts, Fun and Whimsy by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

The rules are simple:

Mention the creator (Leslie @ Books Are The New Blac k ) and link back so she can see your post! Pick 5+ book covers that match the current month’s Birthstone.
HAVE FUN!

I love the beautiful color of aquamarines!

According to gemstones.com:

Aquamarine is the blue to green-blue gemstone variety of beryl. It is the birthstone for March. The name aquamarine comes from two Latin words aqua marinus meaning “water of the sea”. The color comes from trace amounts of iron in the stone. Aquamarine is typically greenish blue in nature, so it is heat treated to remove the yellow component, and to produce a true-blue color. Brazil is the largest producer of aquamarine, but fine quality stones can be found around the world.

A famous example of aquamarines:

Onward to the books!

Searching my physical and virtual shelves for some pretty amethysts… and here’s what I’ve found:

Do you have any favorite aquamarine book covers to share?

7Mar2026

Spell the Month in Books: March

Posted in Fun and Whimsy by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

This month’s theme is a choice: Take your pick from Pi Day, March Madness, or Green Covers. I’m going with Pi Day… or more specifically PIE day… meaning, any book with some sort of baked goods on the cover! Because… yummmmm… I need more delicious desserts in my life.

Here are my MARCH books:

M:

Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan

A:

Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish

R:

Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall

C:

Chocolate Cream Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke

H:

Homemade Humble Pie by Annette Smith

Wishing everyone a very happy March (and lots of yummy pie to eat)! If you spelled the month in books, please leave me a link to your post — I’d love to see it!

21Feb2026

Birthstone Book Covers: February = Amethyst!

Posted in Bookish Thoughts, Fun and Whimsy by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

The rules are simple:

Mention the creator (Leslie @ Books Are The New Blac k ) and link back so she can see your post! Pick 5+ book covers that match the current month’s Birthstone.
HAVE FUN!

Amethysts are among my favorite gems, although — alas — I don’t believe I actually have any amethyst jewelry. The color is so pretty!

According to gemstones.com:

Amethyst was prized by ancient civilizations and was closely associated with spirituality, faith, and wisdom. The color purple has long been associated with royalty and the aristocracy. It is the birthstone for February. The color of amethyst ranges from light to intense purple. The lighter lilac or lavender variety is often called Rose de France amethyst. The most prized amethyst is transparent and exhibits an intense, uniform, purple color with red flashes.

Samples of amethyst jewelry:

Onward to the books!

Searching my physical and virtual shelves for some pretty amethysts… and here’s what I’ve found:

Do you have any favorite amethyst book covers to share?

13Feb2026

Spell the Month in Books: February

Posted in Fun and Whimsy by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

This month’s theme is a freebie — so any topic we want! Since Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, I’m going to focus on romance books… and just to keep it fun and a bit more challenging, I’m not allowing myself to double up on any authors.

Here are my FEBRUARY books:

F:

Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory

E:

Every Summer After by
Carley Fortune

B:

Better Than Fiction by Alexa Martin

R:

Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

U:

Until Next Summer by
Ali Brady

A:

All’s Fair in Love and War by Virginia Heath

R:

The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary

Y:

Yours Truly by
Abby Jimenez

Wishing everyone a very happy February! If you spelled the month in books, please leave me a link to your post — I’d love to see it!

22Jan2026

Birthstone Book Covers: January = Garnet!

Posted in Bookish Thoughts, Fun and Whimsy by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

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!

January is my daughter’s birth month, so I’ve been buying her garnet-colored gifts all her life! I must say, though, that I’ve never given her a book with a garnet cover! Clearly a major oversight!

According to Thomas Michael Jewelry:

Garnet is January’s birthstone. Garnets symbolize eternal friendship, loyalty and a light heart. There is evidence of garnet jewelry found in Bronze age burials in Eastern Europe. Garnet jewelry has been discovered in ancient Egypt and Sumeria. Garnets were treasured in jewelry by the Greek and Roman cultures as well as Pre-Columbian Aztec and Native American cultures. In Medieval times, garnets were thought to possess medicinal powers and were thought to protect one from poisons, wounds and bad dreams. They were thought to relieve fevers, hemorrhages and inflammatory diseases.

Samples of garnet jewelry:

Onward to the books!

Garnets! Garnets everywhere!

Or at least, on two Outlander series book covers, which makes me very happy.

But I suppose I should include some non-Outlander books too… so here are a few more with hints of garnet that I found on my shelves:

Do you have any favorite garnet book covers to share?

8Jan2026

Spell the Month in Books: January

Posted in Fun and Whimsy by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

This month’s theme is New – interpret as you will (new releases, new to you, etc). My take on the topic will be new books added to my TBR… most (but not all) of which are upcoming 2026 new books!

Here are my JANUARY books:

J:

Jane Austen’s Bookshelf by Rebecca Romney

My goal is to read more non-fiction in 2026, and this book definitely fits my interests.

A:

Anne of a Different Island by Virginia Kantra

A new release for January 2026! Doesn’t a contemporary retelling of Anne of Green Gables sound charming?

N:

The Name Game by Beth O’Leary

I’ll always read a new Beth O’Leary book! This one will be released in April 2026.

U:

The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden

Sounds terrific! Release date: June 2026

A:

The Amateur by Chris Bohjalian

Another author whose books are automatically on my must-read list! Release date: August 2026

R:

The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren

Yes please! This author duo’s books are always such fun. Release date: July 2026

Y:

You & Me and You & Me and You & Me by Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees

I came across this upcoming new release while searching for a “Y” title — and it sounds good! A love story with a time machine involved? Sign me up!

Wishing everyone a very happy January! If you spelled the month in books, please leave me a link to your post — I’d love to see it!

21Dec2025

Birthstone Book Covers: December = Turquoise!

Posted in Bookish Thoughts, Fun and Whimsy by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

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!

December has three official birthstones: tanzanite, zircon, and turquoise. I’ve always loved the look of turquoise, so that’s the one I’m choosing to highlight.