Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
This week’s TTT is a companion to the April Showers post from last month. For the previous one, I went off vibes a little – for this, it’s definitely books with flowers on the cover, and it’s got some crossover, but I think most of these are pretty good for reading this time of the year!
Top Ten May Flowers Books
Sorcery and Small Magics
Maiga Doocy
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Age: Adult
Format: ebook
Published: 15th October, 2024
Review
Yes, this one had to be on the list (again). I adored this book, and the cover is so pretty with all those flowers! Honestly, if you like cosy queer fantasy and haven’t checked it out yet, what are you waiting for?
The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet
Lindz McLeod
Genre: Historical Romance
Age: Adult
Format: Paperback
Published: 29th April, 2025
Review
Another duplicate but the flowers on this cover also indicate how important they are to the book as a whole…but also I love shouting this book out because it deserves so much more love! A sapphic take on Pride & Prejudice, in which Mr. Collins dies, leaving Charlotte feeling lost until she gets a visit from Mary Bennet.
Scales and Sensibility
Stephanie Burgis
Genre: Historical Fantasy Romance
Age: Adult
Format: ebook
Published: 4th October, 2021
Review
Another Jane Austen inspired – this one is more Regency fantasy, but it’s incredibly fun! I’m not as familiar with Sense and Sensibility (like many books, it’s on the TBR), but I enjoyed this take on historical romances and loved the way Burgis wove in the dragons.
Sage and King
Molly Ringle
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Age: Adult
Format: ebook
Published: 18th May, 2021
Review
Ringle writes fantasy romance really well, and there’s some cosy elements to this one. It’s a very sweet story, about a king and, well, the sage tasked with teaching him about magic. There’s some political elements to this, too. And I just adore that cover! It’s a little unassuming until you start looking properly at it and noticing all the details.
Where the Dead Brides Gather
Nuzo Onoh
Genre: Horror Fantasy
Age: Adult
Format: ebook
Published: 22nd October, 2024
Review
This is a really intriguing, haunting blend of horror and fantasy, set in Nigeria. I really enjoyed this one. I love the use of the flowers on the cover, too, surrounding the girl at the centre of this story, and dotted with skulls. Really great imagery.
What the River Knows
Isabel Ibañez
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Age: Young Adult
Format: ebook
Published: 31st October, 2023
Review
I really enjoyed this YA Fantasy, which sees young Inez Olivera travelling from Buenos Aires to Cairo after her parents’ deaths. The cover, I think, captures things well, and it’s so pretty!
Six Crimson Cranes
Elizabeth Lim
Genre: Fantasy
Age: Young Adult
Format: Paperback
Published: 6th July, 2021
Review
Lim has been one of my favourite authors since I read Reflection – her first book in the Twisted Tales series. She writes compelling tales, usually centred around young female characters. And this cover is stunning! I love the colours of it, and the cranes circuling above.
My Throat an Open Grave
Tori Bovalino
Genre: Fantasy Horror
Age: Young Adult
Format: ebook
Published: 20th February, 2024
Review
I really enjoyed this YA folk horror fantasy that somehow effectively blends Labyrinth with folk horror, gothic and social commentary. It’s another beautiful (though in a darker way) cover, too, with the hands scattered among the flowers.
The Rose Daughter
Maria Lewis
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Age: Adult
Format: ebook
Published: 1st January, 2021
Review
This is the seventh book in this particular series but can absolutely be read as a standalone. I loved this one – I really enjoyed the characters, the story, and the bigger world around it. Well worth a read! And the rose on the cover is absolutely stunning. As you can imagine from the title, too, this particular use of flowers goes deeper than being on the cover.
The Foxglove King
Hannah Whitten
Genre: Fantasy
Age: Adult
Format: ebook
Published: 7th March, 2023
Review
I loved this one! I was able to read the second and have the third on my TBR, which I am very excited for. Like The Rose Daughter, plants feature more in this than just on the cover, with them being an important part of the symbolism in the book. A really excellent fantasy that I strongly recommend if you’re looking for a darker, slightly political fantasy romance.
As always if you have any recommendations or thoughts you want to share, please do! And feel free to drop your own TTT link in the comments.
Unwrapping Words 