Retail Therapy: A round-up of great puzzles

It’s been quite a while since I’ve done a shopping post! I try to keep my spending within reasonable limits… and yet, I just can’t resist when it comes to gorgeous books and puzzles!

Jigsaw puzzles may not be for everyone… but if you have someone in your life who loves puzzles, here are a few that I’ve loved recently and highly recommend.

I’m a picky puzzler: I look for engaging, lively designs. I prefer lots of color and details. Monochromes, too much background, an overabundance of sky/trees/mountains — none of these really appeal to me. Of course, it’s all down to individual taste, but I gravitate toward colorful illustration, and pretty much never pick up something photo-based or with abstract designs.

Beyond that, I look for reliable, high quality puzzle makers. I want that satisfying snap when the pieces fit perfectly together. Pieces that seem like they could fit in more than one place are deal-breakers for me. I also want good materials, nothing flimsy or that peels apart.

My go-to reliable puzzle companies are Ravensburger and Eeboo. Ravensburger probably needs no explanation; for those unfamiliar, Eeboo is a woman-owned company that supports and highlights artists, and offers gorgeous, one-of-a-kind designs.

I’ve also done quite a few of the Laurence King literary-themed puzzles, such as The World of Jane Austen, The World of Frankenstein, and many more. Great designs, perfect for book lovers, nice level of detail, and very good quality pieces! I also tend to enjoy Cobble Hill puzzles, and have done White Mountain puzzles as well (although their piece shapes and images don’t always appeal to me from an aesthetic point of view).

I do branch out… with caution. As I said, I’m picky — so before I try a new-to-me puzzle company, I scour the reviews and look for deal-breaking comments.

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.

Here are some favorites — puzzles I’ve enjoyed recently, that check all my boxes for what makes a puzzle great! (I mainly do 1000-piece puzzles… but all of these companies have a variety of piece counts to choose from).

Midnight in Barcelona, from the Cities at Midnight series by KI Puzzles. I was so drawn to the colors and artwork that I took a chance on an unknown-to-me puzzle company — and loved the result! This puzzle was intricate, really fun to assemble, and just beautiful to look at.

Paris in a Day from Eeboo — No surprise that I loved an Eeboo puzzle! This one was especially appealing, with such vibrant colors and interesting patterns.

Here are a few more Eeboo puzzles I have my eye on:

Next up: Some Cobble Hill favorites:

Gardener’s Calendar: Tiny details and great quality — loved this one!

Save the Bees: Tricky but so satisfying!

I’ve also done Cobble Hill’s seasonal gardening puzzles, which are lovely:

I’ve done a few Pomegranate puzzles from their Charlie Harper national park series, and they’ve proven to be excellent, both in terms of design and piece quality.

Rounding out this batch of great puzzles… here are a few from Ravensburger that I’ve loved recently:

But wait! There’s more!

I know people seem to really enjoy Gallison puzzles too. I haven’t tried any yet… but did just acquire two through a puzzle swap, and I’m eager to start them! I’m also highly tempted by a few New York Puzzle Company designs… which I may break down and buy next time I’m ready to treat myself. Like this one…

Of course, there are plenty more companies selling beautiful, high quality puzzles… and some come with quite a high price tag as well! I ended up on the mailing list for Puzzledly, which sells puzzles I haven’t found anywhere else. Some are gorgeous! Alas, the ones that have really caught my eye are above my (self-imposed) price limit, but they do have special offers and discounts from time to time, so I may indulge at some point! Here’s one that’s really calling my name:

One more thing to note…

Buying puzzles isn’t the only way to add to your collection and get nice new puzzles to enjoy! I recently found a local puzzle swap group, and have traded five of my gently-loved puzzles for five new-to-me puzzles. What a treat! You may have a puzzle swap group near you. I found mine on Facebook (thanks to a friend’s suggestion), but I’ve also seen a bunch of options via Reddit and elsewhere. Take a look! You never know what you might find.

8May2026

First Lines Friday 5/8/2026

Posted in Fun and Whimsy by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

First Lines Friday is a weekly feature for book lovers created by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page.
Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first.
Finally… reveal the book!

This week’s lines are from an upcoming new horror novella:

I have thought long and hard about how I would dispose of a dead body. I have carefully weighed options such as digging, sinking, burning, hiding. It’s something I do when I can’t sleep. I used to think that everyone did this, that each person I met had a plan of their own. But the day I casually mentioned mine during lunch at work, a weird and uncomfortable silence settled over the table. So it turns out that most people listen to audio books when they can’t sleep. It’s only me who hides bodies. I find it relaxing.

So what’s the book?

Dead Weight by Hildur Knútsdóttir
Release date: May 26, 2026
160 pages

Synopsis:

An Icelandic night may hide secrets and affairs – or even bodies – in this gruesomely cathartic horror thriller from the author of The Night Guest.

Unnur was living a normal, if lonely, life until a black cat showed up at her door.

When she tracks down the cat’s wayward owner, she finds a young woman just as lost and in need of help. Like a gust of cold air in a Reykjavík night, Ásta and her pet slip into Unnur’s life.

It’s unexpected, but welcome. Unnur likes the company, and she begins to rely on Ásta in turn. But like a black cat, trouble has been tailing her new friend, and Unnur is the only one there for Ásta when things take a violent turn.

The two women quickly learn: nothing tests a friendship like blood on your hands.

Too creepy? Or does it sound like something you’d enjoy?

Happy Friday! Wishing everyone a great weekend!

6May2026

Spell the Month in Books: May

Posted in Fun and Whimsy by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Spell the Month in Books is a monthly meme hosted by Jana at Reviews from the Stacks. To participate, find a book title that starts with each letter in the month’s name, make a list, share your link, and that’s it! You can share anytime by the end of the month. Some months have additional themes, but feel free to participate however you’d like!

I didn’t see a theme posted for May, so I decided to go with one of my own. My book list for May is focused on May Flowers… books covers with at least a flower or two! With only three letters to work with, it’s a quick list to put together… although as usual, “Y” books are the hardest to find.

Here are my MAY books:

M:

Marilla of Green Gables by Sarah McCoy

A:

The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay

Y:

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth

Happy May! Wishing everyone a month filled with flowers!

If you spelled the month in books, please leave me a link to your post — I’d love to see it!

1May2026

First Lines Friday 5/1/2026

Posted in Fun and Whimsy by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

First Lines Friday is a weekly feature for book lovers created by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page.
Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first.
Finally… reveal the book!

This week’s lines are from a middle grade fantasy series:

They would have said it wasn’t possible: the chaos and the mayhem she caused. They would have said she didn’t have it in her.

It was in her, but deep. What’s under your house, if you were to dig? Mud and worms. Buried treasure. Skeletons. You don’t know. The girl dug into the depths of her heart, and there she found a hunger for justice and a thirst for revenge.

Mrs. Richmond’s wedding gown was itchy, for one thing.

So what’s the book?

The Poisoned King (Impossible Creatures, #2) by Katherine Rundell
Release date: September 11, 2025
304 pages

Synopsis:

Return to the magic of the Archipelago in the dazzling sequel to the runaway, #1 New York Times bestseller Impossible Creatures, hailed as “an instant classic” (Katherine Applegate, Newbery Medal Winner for The One and Only Ivan)!

Christopher Forrester woke to find a dragon chewing on his face—and his heart leapt for joy! He’d been dreaming of going back to the Archipelago, the secret cluster of islands where all the creatures of myth still live, and here was his summons.

But there is a poison spreading in the Archipelago. Rooting it out will involve a daring rescue mission on the back of a sphinx, a stealthy entrance to a dragon’s lair, and a death-defying plan to save a prisoner held in the heart of a castle. At the center of this storm is Anya: a small girl with a flock of birds at her side, a new-hatched chick in her pocket, and a ravenous hunger for justice.

Katherine Rundell’s second thrilling installment in the Impossible Creatures series involves castles, dragons, and revenge—the things of which great stories are made. The splendors within are brought to life with more than fifty illustrations, including a map and a bestiary of magical creatures.

Sound like something you’d enjoy? (If so, be sure to start with the first book, Impossible Creatures!)

Happy Friday! Wishing everyone a great weekend!

24Apr2026

First Lines Friday 4/24/2026

Posted in Fun and Whimsy by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

First Lines Friday is a weekly feature for book lovers created by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page.
Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first.
Finally… reveal the book!

This week, I’m featuring lines from an upcoming new release:

Mrs. Richmond’s wedding gown was itchy, for one thing.

The kind of itchy that eclipses everything else.

And there was no way to get out of it.

And that was nobody’s fault but my own.

Mrs. Richmond’s wedding gown was itchy, for one thing.

So what’s the book?

The Shippers by Katherine Center
Release date: May 19, 2026
336 pages

Synopsis:

One of the hottest, fastest-rising rom-com stars delivers her latest swoon-worthy novel about a destination wedding on a cruise ship.

After a whole lifetime of being bad at love, JoJo Burton decides to solve her intimacy issues once and for all at her sister’s destination wedding on a cruise ship. With the help of a little pop psychology, she diagnoses herself with a fixation on the neighborhood guy who was her first crush and first kiss (and who just happens to be a newly-divorced wedding guest ), and she decides to woo him during the cruise for some long-delayed closure. Only problem is, her sister’s a little busy being a bride at the moment—so JoJo ropes in her childhood bestie, Cooper Watts, to be her wing man. Cooper: who RSVPed no, but then showed up, anyway. Cooper: who left town without a word four years earlier and moved to London. Cooper: who was, if she’s honest, the worst heartbreak of JoJo’s life. It’s bliss for her to see him again, and it’s agony, too—and the more they team up for Project Conquest, the more she obsesses over questions she can’t bring herself to ask.

Shipboard antics ensue in this witty, heart-tugging, childhood-friends-to-lovers romance—as JoJo and Cooper fake flirt, slow dance, share a cabin, sing duets, treat sunburns, get jealous, rescue each other over and over, and finally, at last, figure it all out in the most blissful, swoony, romantic way.

No one does summer romance quite like Katherine Center. THE SHIPPERS will take readers on the cruise of a lifetime in a story awash with romantic longing, top-notch banter, long-held secrets . . . and true love rediscovered.

Sound like something you’d enjoy?

Happy Friday! Wishing everyone a great weekend!

23Apr2026

Birthstone Book Covers: April = Diamond!

Posted in Bookish Thoughts, Fun and Whimsy by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

I participated in Birthstone Books Covers for the first time in August, and now I’m hooked! Leslie at Books Are the New Black hosts this fun monthly meme — and since I love anything related to spotlighting amazing book covers, I just had to jump in.

The rules are simple:

Mention the creator (Leslie @ Books Are The New Blac k ) and link back so she can see your post! Pick 5+ book covers that match the current month’s Birthstone.
HAVE FUN!

April’s birthstone is diamond, and who doesn’t love a little bling?

According to gia.edu:

Diamond forms under high temperature and pressure conditions that exist only about 100 miles beneath the earth’s surface. Diamond’s carbon atoms are bonded in essentially the same way in all directions. Another mineral, graphite, also contains only carbon, but its formation process and crystal structure are very different. Graphite is so soft that you can write with it, while diamond is so hard that you can only scratch it with another diamond.

Also worth noting: Diamond is the April birthstone, but also the gem that marks the 60th and 75th wedding anniversaries.

A few more diamonds (via Pinterest):

Onward to the books!

Diamond is a tricky one to find in terms of color covers… so I looked for either diamond-like cover colors or covers with actual diamonds on them!

Do you have any favorite diamond book covers to share?

17Apr2026

First Lines Friday 4/17/2026

Posted in Fun and Whimsy by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

First Lines Friday is a weekly feature for book lovers created by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page.
Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first.
Finally… reveal the book!

This week, I’m featuring lines from a book I just spotted at the library and added to my holds list:

When the letter arrives, Harriet Lockhart assumes it’s another death threat, and leaves it on the mantelpiece with the others, unopened, for six days.

Hmmmm… why is she getting death threats? Why is she leaving them unopened? Why have there been so many?

So many questions…

So what’s the book?

Lady Like by Mackenzi Lee
Release date: September 9, 2025
371 pages

Synopsis:

Harriet Lockhart never planned to marry. She has spent her life defying expectations, playing male roles on London’s seediest stages, and doing whatever she pleases. When Harry is contacted by her hitherto anonymous father, she finds herself at risk of losing the trust fund that’s subsidized her lifestyle—unless she begins to lead a more respectable life, starting with finding a husband.

Emily Sergeant, the picture of modesty, has only ever wanted to marry. And were it not for one mistake in her youth that rendered her a social pariah, she would be appropriately betrothed. Instead, she’s due to wed the only willing—and most abominable—man in her small town. Desperate for an alternative, Emily flees to London to snag a less lecherous fiancé.

Worlds collide, dramatically and hilariously, when both women decide on the very same duke as their best possible chance at a tolerable husband and a secure future. A tongue-in-cheek romp through London’s summer season, from balls to brothels, horseraces to duels, Harry and Emily compete for the duke’s favor, only to find their true hearts’ desires may be more compatible than they could have ever predicted.

Sound like something you’d enjoy?

Happy Friday! Wishing everyone a great weekend!

10Apr2026

First Lines Friday 4/10/2026

Posted in Fun and Whimsy by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

First Lines Friday is a weekly feature for book lovers created by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page.
Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first.
Finally… reveal the book!

This week, I’m featuring lines from a book I’ll be reading with my book group later this spring:

Lucrezia is taking her seat at the long dining table, which is polished to a watery gleam and spread with dishes, inverted cups, a woven circlet of fir. Her husband is sitting down, not in his customary place at the opposite end but next to her, close enough that she could rest her head on his shoulder, should she wish; he is unfolding his napkin and straightening a knife and moving the candle toward them both when it comes to her with a peculiar clarity, as if some coloured glass has been put in front of her eyes, or perhaps removed from them, that he intends to kill her.

So what’s the book?

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell
Knopf Publishing Group
Release date: September 6, 2022
355 pages

Synopsis:

The author of award-winning Hamnet brings the world of Renaissance Italy to jewel-bright life in this unforgettable fictional portrait of the captivating young duchess Lucrezia de’ Medici as she makes her way in a troubled court.

Florence, the 1550s. Lucrezia, third daughter of the grand duke, is comfortable with her obscure place in the palazzo: free to wonder at its treasures, observe its clandestine workings, and devote herself to her own artistic pursuits. But when her older sister dies on the eve of her wedding to the ruler of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio, Lucrezia is thrust unwittingly into the limelight: the duke is quick to request her hand in marriage, and her father just as quick to accept on her behalf.

Having barely left girlhood behind, Lucrezia must now enter an unfamiliar court whose customs are opaque and where her arrival is not universally welcomed. Perhaps most mystifying of all is her new husband himself, Alfonso. Is he the playful sophisticate he appeared to be before their wedding, the aesthete happiest in the company of artists and musicians, or the ruthless politician before whom even his formidable sisters seem to tremble?

As Lucrezia sits in constricting finery for a painting intended to preserve her image for centuries to come, one thing becomes worryingly clear. In the court’s eyes, she has one duty: to provide the heir who will shore up the future of the Ferranese dynasty. Until then, for all of her rank and nobility, the new duchess’s future hangs entirely in the balance.

Full of the beauty and emotion with which she illuminated the Shakespearean canvas of Hamnet, Maggie O’Farrell turns her talents to Renaissance Italy in an extraordinary portrait of a resilient young woman’s battle for her very survival.

Sound like something you’d enjoy?

Happy Friday! Wishing everyone a great weekend!

8Apr2026

Spell the Month in Books: April

Posted in Fun and Whimsy by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

This month’s theme is a choice: Easter OR Pastel Covers. I’m going pastels… because I can’t figure out how to do an Easter theme (I don’t think I know of enough books with bunnies on the cover!)

Here are my APRIL books:

A:

Angel’s Peak by Robyn Carr

P:

Pardon My Frenchie by Farrah Rochon

R:

Reputation by Lex Croucher

I:

In the Quick by Kate Hope Day

L:

The Ladies Rewrite the Rules by Suzanne Allain

I hope everyone is having a great start to April! If you spelled the month in books, please leave me a link to your post — I’d love to see it!

27Mar2026

First Lines Friday 3/27/2026

Posted in Fun and Whimsy by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

I’ve had fun seeing other people’s First Lines Friday posts, and finally decided to give it a try myself! Here’s an overview:

First Lines Friday is a weekly feature for book lovers created by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page.
Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first.
Finally… reveal the book!

Note: The original host blog does not appear to be active any longer — but if anyone knows of a new host, please share the information!

This week, I’m featuring lines from an upcoming new release that I’m really eager to read:

It’s interesting to note that there are two groups of people who are rarely, if ever, suspected of murder. These groups are elderly women and little girls.

So what’s the book?

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth
St. Martin’s Press
Release date: April 21, 2026
352 pages

Synopsis:

From New York Times bestselling author Sally Hepworth comes a twisty tale of justice, redemption, and one irrepressible woman who’s not done breaking the rules just yet.

Meet Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick: eighty-one years old, gloriously grumpy, fiercely independent, and never without a hot cup of tea—or a cutting remark. She minds her own business in her quiet Melbourne suburb, until a neighbor turns up dead and the whispers start flying.

Because Elsie hasn’t always been Elsie. Once upon a headline, she was Mad Mabel Waller—Australia’s youngest convicted murderer. But was she really mad, or just misunderstood? Either way, she’s kept her secret buried for decades.

Enter seven-year-old Persephone, a relentless little chatterbox who has just moved in across the road (armed with stickers, questions, and no sense of personal boundaries); Joan, who appears to have it in for Elsie; and a healthy dose of public interest—the cops are sniffing around, and the media is circling like seagulls at a picnic.

So Mabel does what she’s always done best—she takes matters into her own hands.

Is she a cantankerous old lady with a shady past? A cold-blooded killer with arthritis? Or just someone who’s finally ready to tell her side of the story?

Sharp, surprising, and wickedly funny, this is the unforgettable story of a woman who’s spent a lifetime being underestimated—and is about to prove everyone wrong. Again.

Sound like something you’d enjoy?

Happy Friday! Wishing everyone a great weekend!