Celebrating National Puzzle Day

with Jigsaws and Crosswords

Riddle: What has words, but doesn't speak?
Answer: A book

January is National Puzzle Month and January 29, National Puzzle Day. To celebrate, we have curated a list of jigsaw puzzles, crossword collections, and activity books for every type of puzzler. These types of mental challenges are a great way to exercise our brains and keep them strong. We love that puzzles are something we can do on our own or in a group. Hopefully there's something here that appeals to your puzzling interests.

Bookish Jigsaw Puzzles

Riddle: What building has the most stories?
Answer: A library

Get yourself a cup of tea, a good audiobook, and get to work on one of these literary inspired puzzles—all 1,000 pieces.

• Edward Gorey's Book Covers
• The World of Jane Austen: inspired by the life and works of the prolific author
• Pride and Puzzlement: Another Jane Austen-inspired puzzle
• Bodleian Library, High Jinks Bookshelves
• The World of Shakespeare
• The Greatest Bookstore in the World

Crossword Puzzles

Riddle: Where does today come before yesterday?
Answer: The dictionary

From easy to hard, these crossword collections offer a range of trivia, trickery, and vocabulary challenges for all levels of solvers.

• The New York Times Monday Crossword Puzzle Omnibus: 200 Solvable Puzzles from the Pages of the New York Times
• The New York Times Keep Calm and Crossword On: 200 Easy Puzzles
• USA Today Crossword: 200 Puzzles from the Nation's No. 1 Newspaper
• The New York Times Monday Through Friday, Easy to Tough Crossword Puzzles: 50 Puzzles from the Pages of the New York Times
• The New York Times Everyday Sunday Crossword Puzzles
• The New York Times Mega Book of Sunday Crosswords: 500 Puzzles
• The New York Times Super Saturday Crosswords: The Hardest Crossword of the Week

Puzzle Miscellany

Riddle: If two's company, and three's a crowd, what are four and five?
Answer: Nine

Do you prefer puzzles that are rooted in math or logic? Maybe you just like a bit of variety. Hopefully one of these alternatives will pique your interest.

• Edgar Allan Poe Puzzles: Puzzles of Mystery and Imagination
• The Moscow Puzzles: 359 Mathematical Recreations
• My Best Mathematical and Logic Puzzles
• The Original Sudoku
• Colossal Jumble
• The Ultimate Book of Optical Illusions
• The New York Times Will Shortz Presents Kenken: 300 Easy to Hard Puzzles That Make You Smarter
• The Puzzlemaster Presents: 200 Mind-Bending Challenges
• The 125 Best Brain Teasers of All Time
• Tricky Logic Puzzles for Adults: 130+ Difficult Puzzles to Challenge Your Brain
• 399 Games, Puzzles & Trivia Challenges Specially Designed to Keep Your Brain Young

Puzzles for Littles

Riddle: What is always in front of you but can't be seen?
Answer: The future

Puzzle books are a great way to keep kids occupied during long trips or quiet times. They can also be helpful for kids with ADHD or, really, for any kids who just need to calm down, refocus, and regroup. Here are some we like.

• The Everything Kids' Puzzle Book: Mazes, Word Games, Puzzles & More! Hours of Fun!
• Ultimate Puzzle Challenge
• Perfectly Logical!: Challenging Fun Brain Teasers and Logic Puzzles for Smart Kids
• Detective Science: 40 Crime-Solving, Case-Breaking, Crook-Catching Activities for Kids
• Best Hidden Pictures Puzzles Ever: The Ultimate Collection of America's Favorite Puzzle
• Riddles, Brain Teasers, and Trick Questions for Kids

Of course, we don't need a designated day (or month) to enjoy some good puzzles and intriguing mental challenges. Keep your mind busy and your wits sharp all year round with these fun puzzle books.

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Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon