We booklovers tend to spend most of our “just for me” shopping dollars on books… but sometimes, it’s fun to branch out and consider book-adjacent little treats. So today, I’d like to share some of my favorite jigsaw puzzles, which are great in their own right, but also, especially great for book lovers!
Before the pandemic, I probably hadn’t done a jigsaw puzzle in over 10 years (or more). But during the pandemic, I got totally hooked, and ended up doing about one per week (and probably would have done even more, except I tend to get a bit obsessed when working on a puzzle and had to set myself some limits).
I’ve slowed down since then, so now it’s much more of an occasional hobby than a continuous activity — but I’m still always on the lookout for a great puzzle, especially when there’s a book-related angle to it!
For today’s Retail Therapy round-up, I’m focusing solely on bookish puzzles — and in fact, this is only part 1! I have so many bookish puzzles to share that I’ll just focus on one publisher this time around, and will be back with a part 2 in another week or so. I’ll also be sharing yet another post on non-book-related puzzles that I’ve found especially pretty or interesting or unique. There are a lot!
Note: This post contains affiliate links. When you click through a link and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you.
Onward: Puzzles for Book Lovers, part 1!
Here are some favorites. Why not see if any appeal to you as well?
The puzzles below are all from the world of Laurence King Publishing. They make high-quality puzzles filled with intricate details and eye-catching designs.
The World of Jane Austen
Purchase links: Amazon – Bookshop.org
The World of Shakespeare
Purchase links: Amazon – Bookshop.org
The World of Dracula
Purchase links: Amazon – Bookshop.org
The World of Frankenstein
Purchase links: Amazon – Bookshop.org
The World of Charles Dickens
Purchase links: Amazon – Bookshop.org
The World of the Brontës
Purchase links: Amazon – Bookshop.org
The World of King Arthur
Purchase links: Amazon – Bookshop.org
The World of Bridgerton
Purchase links: Amazon – Bookshop.org
These are just a few of their puzzles — they’re all amazing. Each puzzle has a lot of details from the world it portrays, and comes with a fold-out poster than includes a guide to all the places and characters hidden (or not so hidden) in the illustrations. The puzzles themselves have cleanly cut pieces with a satisfying snap, and are high quality and sturdy.
Keep in mind, there are plenty more from this “World of” series to choose from! Of the others I’ve found so far, some are related to books that I don’t particularly care for (The Great Gatsby), some are from worlds/series/books that I just haven’t read in-depth (or at all) yet, and some are on my maybe/someday list. Whether or not I’m interested in the actual subjects, the puzzles themselves look great!
Stay tuned — I’ll be back with more puzzle recommendations in my next Retail Therapy post!
Bookshelf Fantasies 
Wow! They stock some of these puzzles at my local Waterstones Book shop but I had no idea that there were this many. I’ve seen Jane Austen and Dickens and a couple of others. I love the look of the King Arthur one and might have to put that on a wish list somewhere.
I really liked working on the King Arthur puzzle! That one was challenging because I’m not as up on the King Arthur legends as I should be — but it was also great because the poster that comes with it really explains the various scenes and characters so well.
These are SO fun! I keep trying to pick a favorite, but it’s hard. I love the Austen one, and the Dracula one, and the King Arthur one… I like to build puzzles, too, though I do prefer 500 piece ones to 1000. Though for these, I’d make an exception. ;D
I really love doing puzzles like these where there are so many little details to discover and enjoy. The artwork is great, but it’s also an extra layer of enjoyment to find all the various characters and locations and scenes.
These are SO cool! I wish I loved puzzles more. I like the idea of them, but I hate taking them apart. I’d have to like find a way to display them. 😁
Haha, I can sympathize! When I first started doing puzzles during the pandemic, my family kept asking why I didn’t frame them and display them — and I kept pointing out that if I did that, we’d have no wall space left! 🙂
Those look wonderful. But far too many pieces for me. Don’t do 1,000 piece puzzels.
I mainly do 1000 piece puzzles… and every so often, I’ve even ventured into 1500 piece puzzles! I have a 2000 piece puzzle here that I haven’t tried yet… waiting to be really motivated and to have the time!
Fun post, Lisa! I love that there are so many bookish themed puzzles out there. I’m eyeing the Dracula puzzle😁
It’s such a good one! And now that I just read Dracula for the first time in about 20 years, I feel like I might enjoy doing that one again!
My husband and I also got really into jigsaw puzzles in the pandemic – although not quite at the rate of one per week! I’m still doing them on and off now (currently have one of the London Tube map on the go!) – I’ve seen the World of Jane Austen one in a couple of places recently, and I’d love to give that one a go!
I really love these puzzles (Jane Austen was my first), because there’s the fun of putting the puzzle together but also of noticing all the little details and figuring out where in the stories they fit.
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Thanks for sharing! This looks super fun and definitely a good gift idea 😀
I’ve shared mine with a few booklover friends, and they loved them!