Midnight in New York is a 1000-piece puzzle from KI Puzzles, and the artist is Madalina Tantareanu. This is the fourth puzzle I have done in this series, and I still have two more to do. I really like her artwork, and I enjoyed this puzzle a lot.
Buildings are one of my favorite things to puzzle, so this design was perfect for me. My favorite part of the image was the billboards, though; they were so fun!
The quality of the puzzle was decent. I did have to press pretty hard on some of the pieces to get them into place. I prefer when they click into place a bit more.
Cobble Hill recently released a series of 100-piece puzzles intended to be used for Puzzle Chess, and I picked up two of them. I do have two friends who like to play with me, but I just couldn’t resist doing these puzzles solo first because of how cute they are.
The titles are Nerdy Junk Drawer and Doodlecat Days. Aren’t they adorable?
I recently had a friend over for the evening, and we ordered Chinese takeout and did a puzzle together called Green Mountain Camper. After she left, I was still in the mood to puzzle, so I also did Downeast Camper and Cactus Camp-Out. All three puzzles are 300 pieces from Ceaco, and the artist is Stephanie Peterson Jones.
Green Mountain Camper
Downeast Camper
Cactus Camp-Out
I think I have all the Happy Campers now and they have all been completed. I do still have some puzzles from her Food Trucks to do.
Marketplace in France is a 1000-piece puzzle from eeBoo, and the artist is Uta Krogmann. I have a few of her puzzles now and really enjoy her bold, colorful images. This brand is also a favorite of mine.
Book Nook is a 1000-piece puzzle from White Mountain, and the artist is Rose Khan. Rose Khan is also an author of fantasy books and her artwork is inspired by her writing. This image was a treat to put together. I love the rich colors and the beautiful details like the scrollwork on the window and the cozy pillows.
The image was darker on the puzzle that it shows in this image, so there were sections that were pretty hard, like the fireplace. That didn’t really detract from my enjoyment, though.
Khan has done a number of other puzzle illustrations. One that I am very interested in is called The Six Portals, which is currently available as a 7000 piece puzzle from Ravensburger. I don’t really have the room for a puzzle that big, even with it being split into two bags of 3500 pieces, but I have heard a rumor that they might be releasing the image in a 1000-piece puzzle. I would definitely get that one!
Little Park Ranger is a 500-piece puzzle from Mudpuppy. This is such a cute puzzle! It was a redo because I needed a waterfall for a Facebook challenge.
I was surprised when I opened the box that the pieces were loose because I usually put them in a ziplock bag. As I finished the puzzle, I realized sadly that I was missing three pieces and had an extra piece from another puzzle. I looked back through my photos and was able to reunite the extra piece with the proper puzzle, but I didn’t find any of the missing pieces from this one.
I still think it is adorable, even with the missing pieces. It’s hard to pick a favorite square because they all have interesting elements, but I especially like Olympic and Sequoia.
Rainbow Stationery is a 750-piece puzzle from Ceaco, and the artist is Martha Roberts. This is part of their ColorStory line. It was a very satisfying rainbow puzzle. The fit was pretty loose, but I really enjoyed the process of working through each color. There is something pleasing about seeing the items all lined up like that!
Cosmic Lights is a 500-piece puzzle from Galison. I needed to do a puzzle with Northern Lights for a Facebook challenge, and this one spoke to me!
I appreciated that there were no false fits even though the pieces are all two-in, two-out. Overall, the quality was good, but a couple of the pieces did have a rough, gritty texture, which was unpleasant.
This week was fairly busy for me. On Monday evening, the committee members from the autism mothers luncheon met at a restaurant for a debrief of the event and some socializing. We had a very nice time and shared some good ideas for next year.
On Tuesday, Michael had some dental work done. His dentist prescribed some medication to relax him, which he took the night before and the morning of. Everything went very well, which was a relief for both of us. He has to go back in a couple of weeks to get some work done on the other side, but he has the meds for that so I think it will be fine.
Michael’s case manager came over on Wednesday for a quick check-in. He is on the list for the state autism waiver, which would entitle him to some helpful services, but there is no way to say when he will be approved. It does by need rather than in order, so it can take a while.
Friday evening my friend Suzanne came over, and we ordered Chinese takeout and did a puzzle. This week, I had also seen a post on Facebook for a puzzle group that meets at a local library, and the next meeting was Saturday afternoon. I was a bit nervous because I have had trouble handling social events for the last few months, but I figured this would be pretty low key and not too loud.
I’m not going to go into the details of the afternoon right now because I am still processing my feelings about it. It was positive overall, but there were some awkward moments on my part that I was really embarrassed about later and even when I woke up this morning. I ended up spending some time reading posts on a Facebook group I am in for women with autism, and that made me feel better. Hearing what people similar to me are going through makes me feel less alone in my different-ness.
Today, I did some more puzzling and also some personal admin stuff that needed to get done. It has turned out to be a pretty good weekend, and I am looking forward to the upcoming week.
Lies and Other Love Languages by Sonali Dev – I have enjoyed several books by this author. This one is pretty good so far. It does have a dual timeline, and I am still trying to put together how the story from the past fits in with the present events. I have a vague idea but it hasn’t been revealed yet.
Jigsaw by Jonathan Kellerman (Alex Delaware #41) – I really like this series. When my turn came for it on Libby, I was in a bit of a reading slump and I only got to 80% before it got automatically returned. Now I am back on the waiting list to get it again so I can finish it. Update: I am still on the waiting list for this one!
What I Recently Finished
Show Don’t Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld
Meg and Jo by Virginia Kantra (The March Sisters #1)
Beth and Amy by Virginia Kantra (The March Sisters #2)
Revenge Prey by John Sandford (Lucas Davenport #36)
Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams (When in Rome #3)
Lessons at the School by the Sea by Jenny Colgan (School by the Sea #3)
Studies at the School by the Sea by Jenny Colgan (School by the Sea #4)
Everybody’s Favorite Guy by Katherine Center (short story)
What I Added to my TBR
Allegiant by Veronica Roth (Divergent #3)
The Sixth Faction by Veronica Roth (The Sixth Faction #1)
Start at the End by Emmy Grey
The Last Love Note by Emma Grey
Pictures of You by Emma Grey
TBR Stats/Goal Updates
I currently have 184 books on my TBR. Of these, 8 are nonfiction and 176 are fiction.
I have read 24 books so far in 2026. My goal is 100, so I am 8 books behind. It’s okay if I don’t meet my goal, though. My reading ebbs and flows depending on my mood and circumstances.
I have not finished any nonfiction books so far in 2026. My goal is 6.
I ended my Kindle Unlimited subscription. I read 15 books and had 1 DNF during the time I had KU.
