I love a good word puzzle. Always have. You know those giant Dell or Penny Press puzzle books? I love those, and my favorites are the word puzzles. You can understand why (he said, gesturing around). A while back, I found myself inspired to make my own collections of word puzzles, and I decided to start with the humble word search. But as much as I enjoy a classic, I wanted to create something that would take word searches beyond the usual; hence, Word Search Adventures. Word searches that feel like little thematic adventures.
More Than Just a Word Search
Anyone can make a standard word search book, and plenty of them exist. But with Word Search Adventures, I wanted to create something more immersive. Each book in the series follows a specific theme, and it’s not just about finding words—it’s about exploring a subject, discovering new things, and having fun along the way. The goal here is to take the simple joy of a word search and add layers of engagement, making them a bit more than just a time-filler.
But what makes these things adventurous? I'll tell you. When's the last time you saw a word search based on the witch trials? Or on heavy metal? Or game shows? I'm just getting started with the odd and unusual. I have books planned for haunted furniture, dream interpretation, opposite day, paranormal investigations, post-apocalyptic agriculture, and talking vegetables. And sure, I'm also working on the standard fare for things like Mother's Day, Thanksgiving, the four seasons, and Christmas—among many others.
Designed for Convenience and Challenge
Word Search Adventures books measure 6 x 9 inches, making them easy to carry in your fanny pack. Each one is 94 pages long, with 60 puzzles and a total of 1,440 words or short phrases to find. The list entries don’t repeat, but phrases containing shared words—like “laser bolt” and “laser gun” in the Science Fiction book—do show up in limited numbers. I’ve done my best to minimize those instances both in the entire book and within a single puzzle to keep things fresh. Solutions are included for every puzzle, so you’ll never be stuck, and if you feel like being a dirty cheater, you can. The puzzles are printed in Cabin Condensed at 16-point size, with the clues in Barlow Condensed, also at 16-point, ensuring easy readability.
Great for Gifting
Puzzle books make fantastic gifts. They’re thoughtful, entertaining, and offer a kind of relaxing challenge that appeals to a wide audience. With the themed approach of Word Search Adventures, my books are even better for gift-giving. Know someone who loves comic books? There’s a book for that. Someone who’s into painting? Got 'em covered. Know a fan of post-apocalyptic agriculture? I told you that one's coming up. The series keeps growing, and I’m always prepping new themes to explore (seriously, there's over a hundred in the pipeline, and those were just the first hundred off the top of my head).
Value!
Look, I know you can buy a word search at a newsstand—but those things are printed on cheap paper with flimsy covers, and you're sure as hell not going to find a cheesecake-themed word search at CVS or whatever. When I started this project, I looked at a word search I bought at Barnes & Noble. I paid $9.99, it has 71 puzzles, and the solutions are squished four to a page. Word Search Adventures books for 2025 have 60 puzzles, are priced at $6.99, and the solutions are two to a page. Puzzle-for-puzzle, my books are a 17% better value and you don't need a magnifying glass for the solutions.
Join the Adventure
I'm having a great time creating Word Search Adventures, and I hope people enjoy solving them as much as I enjoy putting them together. If you’re looking for a fresh take on word search puzzles, something that’s more than just a collection of grids, I think you’ll love these books. You can find the full list in the Library, where they each have a description and a link to buy on Amazon.
