This week, my sister-in-law came into the bookshop and asked me where all the puzzles were. So, like the good sister-in-law that I am, I led her straight to our puzzle section, and she ended up leaving with a stack of puzzles to do. Will she be back to add even more to her collection? 100% yes.
It did get me thinking, though, about why I love all these bookish puzzles that I've been bringing into Book Hero, and why I keep finding more that I absolutely have to add to our range.
There's something so special about seeing the characters and worlds that you've spent hours reading about brought to life through artwork. Not only do you get to admire the illustrations, but you also get to spend hours putting them together, losing yourself in the fantasy world that you love. And once you've finished, you get to decide whether to frame your masterpiece or break it all apart and enjoy it again another time.
I love reading, and I do try my hand at art occasionally. Am I good at it? Not really. Unless you want a landscape, and preferably one without too many details.
So I'm always a little envious of people who can read a book, like Fourth Wing, and then somehow draw the dragons, characters and entire world based on the descriptions alone. I can picture everything almost perfectly in my head while I'm reading, but if someone handed me a pencil and asked me to draw Tairn, he'd probably end up looking like a slightly angry blob with wings.
And that's one of the things I love most about bookish puzzles. Someone has taken a world that I've spent so much time imagining and turned it into something beautiful that I can actually sit down and put together.
You Get to Spend a Little Longer in Your Favourite Worlds
I think one of the hardest things about finishing a really good book is having to leave that world behind.
We've all been there. You've finished a book or series that you've absolutely loved, you've become attached to the characters, and now you're sitting there wondering what on earth you're supposed to read next. Sometimes you're just not quite ready to move on.
That's where I think bookish puzzles are a little bit special.
Instead of immediately jumping into another book, you can spend a few more hours with the characters and places you've fallen in love with. Whether it's putting together the dragons from Fourth Wing, revisiting Velaris from A Court of Thorns and Roses, or exploring a beautiful illustrated bookshop, it's another way to enjoy something you already love.
They're Basically Artwork You Get to Make Yourself
Another thing I love about bookish puzzles is that they don't necessarily have to go straight back into their boxes when you've finished them.
Some of the artwork is genuinely beautiful enough that I'd happily have it hanging on my wall, especially the fantasy-inspired ones.
And there's something quite satisfying about knowing you've spent hours putting that picture together yourself.
I know technically someone else has done all the hard work of creating the illustration, but after spending an afternoon sorting through a thousand pieces that all look suspiciously similar, I think you're allowed to take a little credit for the finished masterpiece.
Of course, there's also the other side of me that wants to pull the whole thing apart so I can do it again.
I can never quite decide which option I prefer. Do I frame it and enjoy looking at it every day, or do I put it back in the box knowing I've got a lovely afternoon of puzzling waiting for me another time?
I suppose the obvious solution is to buy two, but I'm not sure that's a particularly helpful suggestion coming from someone whose job involves convincing people they need more puzzles.
A Few of My Favourite Bookish Puzzles
Noone would be surprised by my favourite puzzles, they are mostly the ones based off some of my favourite books but if I was to choose them and order them by my favourites then they would be as follows...
I don't think anyone will be surprised to see Fourth Wing on this list. This 250-piece puzzle features Violet and Xaden enjoying cake on top of Riorson House, with Tairn, Sgaeyl and Andarna flying overhead.
I absolutely love that it's a quieter moment with some of my favourite characters, rather than one of the more dramatic scenes from the books.
And can we talk about the packaging? It comes in a gorgeous little book-shaped box with sprayed edges, which is basically everything I love about special edition books, but in puzzle form.
Reverie Puzzles: Shield of Sparrows | 1000 Pieces
This is exactly the kind of puzzle that makes me appreciate how talented artists are. The artwork by Yingting Chen brings the world of Shield of Sparrows to life, and I love seeing how someone else has imagined the characters and creatures from Devney Perry's book.
It's also one of those puzzles that I'd be very tempted to frame once it was finished. The artwork on this one is truly gorgeous and if you haven't done a Reverie Puzzles puzzle before, you need to!
The quality of these puzzles is well worth the price and they have quickly become one of my favourite puzzle brands from the artwork, the quality of the pieces and the beautiful boxes. They are amazing!
Kingdom of Threads: Threshing Day | Fourth Wing
Another Fourth Wing puzzle? Of course. I did warn you that I was a little obsessed.
What I love about this one is that it takes us back to Threshing Day, one of those moments from the books that really sticks with you.
I think that's what makes puzzles based on specific scenes so special. You already know the story behind the artwork, and putting it together feels a little like revisiting that part of the book.
And with 500 pieces, it's a lovely option when you want something a little more involved than the smaller keepsake puzzles. Plus, it has the adorable Andarna, and she is 100% the best character!
A Court of Thorns and Roses: Greetings from Velaris | 1000 Pieces
There was absolutely no chance I was writing about my favourite bookish puzzles without including something from ACOTAR.
I love Velaris, and I think it's one of those fictional places that so many readers wish they could actually visit. There's something lovely about having a puzzle dedicated to a place you've spent so much time imagining while reading.
It's also exactly the sort of puzzle I'd want to frame and display alongside my books.
And that pretty much sums up my problem with bookish puzzles. I want to collect them, complete them, display them, and somehow still have them available to puzzle again! The solution? Buy two of each! 😉
It's Not Just About Puzzles Based on Books
While I absolutely love puzzles inspired by specific books and series, I think there's another kind of bookish puzzle that deserves just as much attention.
The ones that are simply made for people who love books.
You know the ones. Beautiful bookshops with shelves overflowing with books, cosy reading corners, magical libraries, and little scenes that make you wish you could climb straight into the artwork.
I don't need to recognise a character or know the story behind the illustration to fall in love with those.
Sometimes all it takes is a beautiful bookcase, a comfortable-looking armchair and a cat sleeping somewhere in the picture, and I'm sold.
I think these puzzles capture the same feeling that makes reading so enjoyable. They're cosy, a little bit escapist, and give you an excuse to switch off from everything else for a while.
Plus, there's something quite funny about taking a break from reading a book to put together a puzzle of someone reading a book.
But I'm certainly not going to judge anyone for that.
Why I Keep Bringing More Bookish Puzzles Into Book Hero
When I first started expanding our puzzle range, I knew I wanted to bring in more puzzles that appealed to our readers as well as our regular puzzlers.
And the more I look, the more I realise just how many beautiful bookish puzzles are out there.
I love finding smaller puzzle brands creating gorgeous illustrations, discovering new fantasy-inspired designs, and getting excited when I spot artwork from a series that I know our customers love.
It's probably one of my favourite parts of looking after the puzzle category, although it's also quite dangerous for my own wishlist.
I think what I love most is that bookish puzzles bring two of my favourite hobbies together. I get to enjoy the worlds and stories I love, appreciate artwork that I could never create myself, and spend a few hours doing something relaxing.
And if the finished puzzle happens to look beautiful on a bookshelf or hanging on the wall, that's even better.
So, if you're anything like me and regularly find yourself wishing you could spend just a little longer in your favourite fictional worlds, maybe a bookish puzzle is exactly what you need.
Just be warned, though. You might come into Book Hero looking for one puzzle and leave with a whole stack.
