Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide
The holidays are upon us, and whether you’re celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or Winter Solstice — or some combination of these, or none of the above — I’m wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season and end of the year!
For those of you with puzzlers on your holiday shopping list (as well as those of you shopping for yourselves – you know who you are!), I’ve put together a handy guide of 10 recommendations that are sure to appeal to a wide swath of dissectologists. It’s hard to go wrong with any of these items. These are some of the puzzles, accessories — and a book — that I’ve found to be the best of the best in the puzzleverse, and I’m pleased to share them with you and your loved ones.
(Note: Amazon links embedded in this post are Amazon Associate links, meaning that I receive a portion of any purchase that you make using the link in order to support my YouTube channel. Using the link does not cost anything additional to you. Also, prices shown here are the prices as of December 4th. I am not responsible for any fluctuations in the prices of these items).
Without further ado, and in no particular order, here are my picks:
PUZZCESSORIES
1. ZACKO Puzzle Boards (various sizes and prices; available at ZAKCO’s Etsy page and on Instagram)
This year, I started using ZAKCO’S beautiful wooden puzzle boards as a member of Puzzle People of NYC. Founder Zak Hill has been making custom boards for the group’s events, so I‘ve had a chance to test them out and have been absolutely loving them. For the puzzler in your life who’s complaining about not having a designated space for puzzling or puzzle portability, a ZAKCO board is a perfect, elegant solution, allowing any puzzler to lift their current project with ease. The boards are made of high-quality sustainable wood and are available in a variety of sizes. By reaching out to ZAKCO directly, you can also request customization of your board for an additional fee.
2. OttLite 18W WingShade Adjustable Floor Lamp ($79.19 at Amazon.com)
“Let there be light!” indeed. For the puzzler in your life lacking suitable natural light – or for those who have trouble distinguishing between hues in low lighting, a craft lamp like an OttLite can make all the difference. I’ve been using my OttLite for about a year now, and to say it’s revolutionized my puzzling experience would be a massive understatement. With a sturdy base and adjustable neck, it’s possible to find the perfect pose for each puzzle. And the light it emits is a bright white light, so it’s possible to see a puzzle without the interference of the yellowish hues of some traditional bulbs. This is the kind of puzzling accessory you won’t know you were missing until you’ve tried it!
A SERIOUSLY FUN SUBSCRIPTION
3. Anthology Puzzles Shaped Puzzle Subscription ($29.99/mo. at Anthology Puzzles’ website)
For puzzlers who are curious about wooden puzzles, a shaped puzzle subscription from Anthology Puzzles is a perfect entry point. Each month, Anthology sends a 150+-piece puzzle to each member with a surprise theme. It’s a fun way to keep members guessing, and the puzzles are of a consistent high quality considering the price point (which is quite reasonable for wooden puzzles). Their puzzles also include whimsy pieces, which are common to wooden puzzles. If you don’t know what whimsy pieces are, they’re special shaped pieces included in the puzzle, which typically coordinate with the overall theme of the image. If you’re considering giving an Anthology subscription to a loved one, you should be aware that they don’t yet offer the ability to pre-select a number of months to gift, but it is possible to set up a subscription for a loved one with a shipping address that differs from the billing address. If you end up with some extra “mad money” at the holidays, this could also be a perfect gift for yourself as well.
THE MUSIC-LOVER’S PUZZLE
4. Talkin’ All That Jazz by Apostrophe Puzzles, with artwork by Tim Okamura ($36 at Apostrophe Puzzles’ website)
A Black-owned, woman-led puzzle company, Apostrophe is a high-quality puzzle brand which is shining a spotlight on BIPOC artists. This gorgeous puzzle, Talkin’ All That Jazz, is perfect even for casual puzzlers, especially those who are music lovers (or, in particular, jazz lovers). For those who love collage images or puzzles with text, this is also an excellent choice. If you start with the music posters, featuring Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Nina Simone, and others, the relative ease of those posters gives way to a more moderate challenge as you reach the central image of the young woman in the puzzle. It’s the perfect level of difficulty, and the puzzle, with its excellent printing quality and buttery-soft pieces, complements the artwork perfectly. *chef’s kiss*
A BERRY BEAUTIFUL PUZZLING EXPERIENCE
5. Gilded Berries by Mintyfizz Puzzles ($30 at Mintyfizz Puzzles’ website)
In the interest of full disclosure, I haven’t yet had a chance to puzzle this specific image, but I’ve recently had a chance to try out Mintyfizz’s puzzles and can attest that they are among the best quality puzzles on the market today. Each puzzle comes in a sturdy box, with luxe-feeling, substantive matte pieces. Mintyfizz’s founder, Kelly, has also created the stunning artwork for each puzzle. This one in particular, Gilded Berries, while it doesn’t have an expressly holiday-oriented theme, evokes memories of the vibrant holly bushes that grew alongside my childhood family home. This is a perfect puzzle for a wintry day, accompanied by a mug of tea or hot cocoa, and ideal for solving with friends or loved ones.
JIGSAWS AND RUBIK’S AND CROSSWORDS, OH MY!
6. The Puzzler by A.J. Jacobs ($16.99 at Amazon.com)
‘Why would a puzzler need a book?’ you ask. The Puzzler, I’m pleased to report, is not just any book. You may have seen author A.J. Jacobs, and the book, featured on CBS Sunday Morninga few months ago. The book follow’s Jacobs’s quest to confront the most perplexing puzzles in various genres, including jigsaws, crosswords, anagrams, mazes, labyrinths, Rubik’s and more. In addition to Jacobs’s prose, Greg Pliska has provided supplementary puzzles, making The Puzzler a truly interactive experience. For anyone curious about the human impulse that draws people to puzzling, in search of the dopamine rush each solution delivers, this book is a must-read.
WOODEN PUZZLES THAT AREN’T JUST FOR FAIR-WEATHER FRIENDS
7. North Wind by Wentworth Wooden Puzzles, with artwork by Natalia Klimova (various sizes, starting at $52.50 for 240 pieces at Wentworth Wooden Puzzles’ website)
For wooden puzzle fans, it’s difficult to find a more rewarding gift than a puzzle from Wentworth Wooden Puzzles. Each Wentworth puzzle comes in a sturdy, elegant cardboard box, its pieces housed in a cloth drawstring bag bearing the company’s iconic tree logo. Based in the UK, Wentworth’s catalogue features a variety of images, both classic and contemporary. I’ve been eyeing this particular image, North Wind, for some time and am so pleased to be adding this one to my collection this holiday season, with its thematic whimsies that mirror the wintertime artwork by Natalia Klimova. Wentworth’s puzzles often feature a satisfying hybrid of the whimsy cuts that are a hallmark of wooden puzzles and a traditional angular jigsaw cut. For an elevated puzzling experience that starts at a reasonable price, Wentworth Puzzles make a fabulous gift – and especially this image with its themes of seasonal sisterhood.
AN EXERCISE IN MINDFULNESS
8. Gradient Therapy puzzles by Soonness ($29 each at Sooness’s website)
The name of Soonness’s line of gradient puzzles – Gradient Therapy – says it all. If there’s a puzzler in your life who is looking to elevate their puzzling game and try a gradient puzzle, look no further than this trio of puzzles. With each featuring a unique take on gradient imagery, these puzzles are simultaneously an exercise in mindfulness and a joyous shock to the senses. With vivid colors and high-quality pieces, it’s hard to go wrong selecting any of these three as a gift. So far, Sooness’s Gradient Therapy line consists of Magic Box, Jelly Bean, and Sky Love, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a better choice for the aesthetic puzzler in your life.
QUIRKY CUTIES
9. Le Puzz ‘petite’ 81-pc. mini-puzzles, with artwork by Angela Kirkwood ($18 each at Le Puzz’swebsite – click “81 piece” to view this specific collection)
What to say about breakout puzzle-makers Le Puzz? Suspended somewhere in time between delirious retro throwback and cutting-edge contemporary, Le Puzz, with its bright yellow signature box, is in a class of its own. The launch of its new collection of four 81-piece puzzles marks the brand’s entree into the mini-puzzle category, and I for one couldn’t be happier. Angela Kirwood’s colorful character-based illustrations fit perfectly into Le Puzz’s aesthetic, and these tiny treasures make a perfect puzzle snack for a fleeting moment of solitude snatched. Perfect as a stocking stuffer or Secret Santa gift and suitable for any shelf, you can’t go wrong with Le Puzz’s latest this holiday season.
GLITTERING BAUBLES
10. A Little Something For Christmas by Chronicle Books (150 pcs., $8.09 at Amazon.com)
A further entry in the mini-puzzle category impressed me this holiday season. I love these 150-piece puzzles from Chronicle Books; I’d previously done another of theirs, a sweet confection called A Little Something Chocolate. A Little Something For Christmas continues in the high-quality trajectory of that earlier entry in this series. With sturdy paper-backed pieces, these puzzles manage to achieve a tight piece fit and in a tiny package that makes these the ultimate travel puzzle. Featuring shiny holiday ornaments, this is a cheery puzzle with which to stuff the stocking of any friend, frenemy, or loved one.