Spell the Month in Books: May 2026
Can you believe we’re already in May? It’s time for another round of #SpelltheMonthinBooks, and this month I’m diving deep into my TBR (to-be-read) pile. The thing that all of this month's picks have in common is that they have all been sat on my shelf for far too long! Whether you’re joining in with a physical bookstack or a virtual one, I’d love to see what titles you’re using to kick off the month.
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Found at onebookmore.com
Original by reviewsfromthestacks.wordpress.com
How Spell the Month in Books works
The goal is to spell the name of the current month by using the first letter of book titles (skipping articles like A, An, and The). This can be done with books you have on hand, creating a physical bookstack, or by building a virtual bookstack.
#SpelltheMonthinBooks
MAY
M - The Man From Beijing by Henning Mankell
Buy on Amazon - Find on Goodreads
About the book:
- ISBN: 9780099555353 (ISBN10: 0099555352)
- Publisher: Vintage Books
- Publication date: February 3, 2011
- Print length: 553 pages
REVENGE CAN TAKE MORE THAN A LIFETIME
In a sleepy hamlet in north Sweden, the local police make a chilling discovery; nineteen people have been brutally slaughtered. It is a crime unprecedented in Sweden's history and the police are under incredible pressure to solve the killings.
When Judge Birgitta Roslin reads about the massacre, she realises that she has a family connection to one of the couples involved and decides to investigate. When the police make a hasty arrest it is left to her to investigate the source of a nineteenth century diary and red silk ribbon found near the crime scene. What she will uncover leads her into an international web of corruption and a story of vengeance that stretches back over a hundred years.
The Man from Beijing is a gripping political thriller and a compelling detective story from a writer at the height of his powers.
Why I Chose This Book:
I got a copy of this book ages ago at a free book exchange they host in a shopping centre near where I live. It basically works on a leave a book, take a book system. I think that more shopping centres should offer an area like this. So many shopping centres here have empty spaces where shops have shut and new ones haven't been opened yet. They also have plenty of non-shop areas they could use too so it's not limited by rent space.
But I digress... back to why I picked this book. If you've been here before you'll likely already know that thrillers are one of my favourite genres to read. Whilst I haven't read any of the books by Henning Mankell, the author has quite a few, yet I have heard good things about them.
A - After by Anna Todd
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About the book:
- ISBN: 9781501100192 (ISBN10: 150110019X)
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
- Publication date: October 21, 2014
- Print length: 582 pages
There was the time before Tessa met Hardin, and then there's everything AFTER...Life will never be the same.
Tessa is a good girl with a sweet, reliable boyfriend back home. She's got direction, ambition, and a mother who's intent on keeping her that way. But as soon as she arrives at WCU she runs into Hardin, her mother's worst nightmare. With his tousled brown hair, tattoos and irresistible British accent, Hardin is undeniably attractive but completely different to what Tessa is used to.
But he's also rude - to the point of cruelty, even. Tessa should hate Hardin. And she does...until she finds herself alone with him in his dorm. His dark mood grabs her, and when they kiss, something ignites within her - a passion she's never known before...
He'll call her beautiful, then insist he isn't the one for her and disappear without a word. Despite the reckless way he treats her, Tessa is compelled to dig deeper and find the real Hardin beneath all his lies. He pushes her away again and again, but every time she pushes back she winds up being pulled in further still.
Will Tessa risk everything for someone she can't trust?
#Hessa
Anna Todd's After fan fiction racked up 1 billion reads online and captivated readers across the globe. Experience the Internet's most talked-about book, now newly revised and expanded, for yourself!
Why I Chose This Book:
This is another book that's been sat on my shelf for ages. I think I got this from the same book exchange. I've seen this book in book stores and mentioned online so many times over the years I remember being excited when I found a copy... and yet it's still on my shelf unread.
Y - Your Perfect Match by Ina L. Nara
Buy on Amazon - Find on Goodreads
About the book:
- ASIN: B0DBGMM6X4
- Publisher: Flaming Hearts Press Media LLC
- Publication date: January 2, 2025
- Print length: 358 pages
It’s a gift from my husband. And I’m surprised by it. But I slip the device onto my wrist. It’s just a game, I tell myself, convinced it’s all cracked science anyway. But is it?
Sienna Holloway believed she married for love.
No algorithms. No compatibility scores. Just chemistry, commitment, and a man who chose her.
Then her husband takes a job with the company behind the Your Perfect Match band — a sleek device designed to pair people with their scientifically “perfect” soulmate.
He says it’s harmless. A curiosity. A way to prove what they already know.
But once he puts it on, something changes.
He grows distant. Critical. Controlled. Conversations twist. Affection fades. And when the band declares he’s matched with someone else, he doesn’t laugh.
He listens.
As Sienna fights to save her marriage, she begins to uncover disturbing truths about the technology — and about the man she thought she knew. Because the deeper she digs, the clearer it becomes: This wasn’t just a test. It was a replacement.
And in a world where love can be reassigned, the most dangerous thing you can be is inconvenient.
Your Perfect Match is a fast-paced domestic suspense novel about obsession, betrayal, and what happens when the person who vowed to protect you decides you’re no longer the one.
Why I Chose This Book:
I got the kindle version of this one from Amazon when it was on a free day. I love free download days as don't have the budget that I'd like to be able to buy new books that often. Another reason why I love the book exchange system so much too. Whilst I do have a local library near my apartment in Rome that I can use, they don't usually have that great of a selection of books in English language.
This book sounds like it has elements of the psychological thriller genre (one of my favourite genres). I've seen mixed reviews for this one online but the synopsis for the book sounds like the sort of book I usually enjoy.
Are you taking part in Spell the Month in Books this month? Please link your post here if you do so that we can all see the books you come up with!
In case you missed it, you can find my March Spell the Month in Books here.
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