Holiday Gift Guide 2017: The New Mind Stretcher's Puzzle Book Series from Reader's Digest Makes a Great Gift Idea for Brain-Teasing Puzzle Lovers - Review and #Giveaway

Disclosure:  I was sent review copies from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.

Buy now from Reader's Digest for only $10.99

Do you love mind games and brain teasers?  If so, you will love the new series from Reader's Digest called Mind Stretches.  Currently, there are two volumes in this new puzzle book series sure to delight any puzzle lover this holiday season.

I had the opportunity to check out the two Reader's Digest Mind Stretchers volumes and really enjoyed them. I liked how these two puzzle books included an assortment of challenging puzzles including crosswords, sudoku, logic puzzles, word searches, number puzzles, trivia and more.  These puzzles sure do test your brain muscles. Whenever I am trying to unwind after a long day, I usually grab a puzzle like these to decompress and relax.  I find challenging my brain through these puzzles a way to relax and get my mind to stop thinking about everything else, like what I didn't get done for the day, what needs to be done tomorrow, etc.  

Buy now from Amazon for only $12.99

"ACTIVATE your thinking muscles. It’s too easy just to turn on the TV and let the images of the day wash over us, leaving brain cells unchallenged and a bit sad. Keep your brain happy with this mind stretching collection of puzzles. Crosswords, word searches, trivia, logic and numerical games—these teasers are all designed to inspire and stimulate the mind. So turn off the dreaded box and turn to Mind Stretchers—you’ll be entertained, learn new things, wake up your brain and it’s definitely more fun than watching the news."

In addition to doing these puzzle books at night time as part of my relaxing "me time," I also love to throw a puzzle book in my bag and bring along when on the go.  When the girls are busy in a class or we are waiting for an appointment, I can pull out the puzzle book and can pass the time trying to solve different mind challenging puzzles.  These puzzle books have 192 pages are really jam packed with puzzles for all ages and experience levels.  These Mind Stretchers books have a lay-flat binding, making them easy to bring with you on the go, and enjoy a good puzzle or challenge wherever and whenever you are.  

You can start with volume 1 and volume 2, which are both available now, and then pick up volume 3 and volume 4 in the Spring when they become available.  Head on over to https://www.readersdigeststore.com/ to learn more about the new Mind Stretchers puzzle book series.   If you are struggling to find just the right gift for those hard to shop for people on your life, or just enjoy a good puzzle book.  I will be picking up these books to share with my mom and a few friends who love puzzles like me.

Make sure you follow Reader's Digest, a Trusted Brands, Inc. brand on their social media channels to stay up-to-date on new book releases, news and more:

• Reader's Digest on Facebook
• Reader's Digest on Twitter
• Reader's Digest on Instagram
• Reader's Digest on Pinterest
• Reader's Digest on YouTube

--GIVEAWAY--

I am excited to offer one lucky reader the chance to win both volumes in the new Mind Stretchers puzzle book series, thanks to the folks at Reader's Digest.  To enter, please complete the entries on the Rafflecopter form below.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure:  I was sent review copies from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.

Read more »

Mother's Day Gift Giving Guide -- Give the Gift of Puzzles from Alpha Books (Review)

Do you or your mother (in-law) like puzzles?  Then, why not switch it up this Mother's Day with the gift of puzzles.  I, for one, have always liked puzzles, and while going through chemo a few years back, fell in love with Sudoku and logic puzzles.  I find sitting down with a puzzle book to be relaxing, as it keeps my mind busy on the puzzle, and lets me forget about my to-do list or worries, if even for a short time.

Recently, I was sent The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Picture Puzzles, Vol. 2, Puzzle Baron’s Sudoku and Puzzle Baron’s Logic Puzzles, Vol. 2 from Alpha Books to review.  What I loved most about these puzzle books is how they offer varying degrees of difficulty.  I find that when I am tired or just sitting down with a puzzle book, I like to begin slow, and choose an easy to moderate puzzle.  Then, as my mind gets adjusted to doing the puzzles, then I can advance to more difficult puzzles.  For some reason, if I start off with a difficult puzzle and find that I am struggling, I usually will put the book down and forget about it.  Of the three puzzle books sent, I have to say that my favorite was Puzzle Baron’s Logic Puzzles.  I liked how you are given a logic grid solver to use in helping you make logical deductions.  Then, when you think you have solved the puzzle, you can add your answers to the answer key, making it easy to check the correct answer in the back of the book to your final answers.  I loved each and every challenging puzzle in this book, and found myself sticking with this book more than the others, as the logic puzzles really got my mind going.  

But, I have to say that The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Picture Puzzles, as it offered picture puzzles in color, which I found made it more difficult to spot the differences.  A cool feature of this puzzle book was that it gave you an estimated time that it would take someone to spot the differences.  I ended up using the kitchen time to see how I compared when it came to my time in solving each puzzle.  I shared this and the other 2 puzzle books with my husband, and was surprised to find this book missing one day.  He is not usually a puzzle lover, but said that he was hooked after trying to train his eyes one night to spot the differences.  So, he took the book to work, and found that he was pulling it out throughout the day, to give his eyes a break from the computer screen.  He was also surprised at how it helped him relax and unwind, when he was stumped with a problem at work.  

As for the Vol. 2, Puzzle Baron’s Sudoku, I find myself pulling this out when we take long drives to visit my parents.  I was first introduced to Sudoku when flying to Savannah, GA one year, and have since associated these puzzles with travel by car or plane.  This was the first time I tried out puzzle books by Puzzle Baron's and Alpha Books, but it certainly will not be the last.  So, if you or someone you know loves puzzles, why not surprise them with any of the above titles, or other puzzle titles available this Mother's Day or to give as a birthday gift?  Your brain will thank you for it! :-)

---BUY NOW---

You can find any of the above puzzle books, as well as other Alpha Books titles, for yourself, or to give as a gift, at your favorite local bookstore, as well as online at Amazon.com.

Disclosure:  I was sent samples from the publisher in order to write up an honest review.  The views above are mine and mine alone.

Read more »