Books have always been a big thing in my family at Christmas. When I was young, I would tear away the wrapping on new titles—from Black Beauty to A Wrinkle In Time—then spend the balance of the holiday lost in their magic.
When I got a little older, too impatient to wait my turn, I would surreptitiously sneak in some reading of the latest Dick Francis mystery, which my grandmother (the one who taught my father to solve cryptics) sent my parents every year. Even now, when I have virtually no time to read, I can’t resist adding a few titles to my wish list. Unwrapping a thick book of creamy, untouched pages is such a treat.
This year, my list includes "101 Cryptic Crosswords" by Fraser Simpson from his days at The New Yorker: a combination of my favourite magazine, my favourite passtime, and my favourite setter.
This year, my list includes "101 Cryptic Crosswords" by Fraser Simpson from his days at The New Yorker: a combination of my favourite magazine, my favourite passtime, and my favourite setter.
If there are wee ones in your life, the best gift you can give is my new children’s picture book, Emily and the Mighty Om. (It’s about yoga.)
But if you’re shopping for an adult cryptic crossword aficionado, you should consider Alan Connor’s book “Two Girls, One On Each Knee (7)”, which I recently read. It’s been out for a little over a year now, so I’m late to the game, but I enjoyed it.
The book is a mix of “how-to” instructions for solving cryptics, and musings on the puzzles themselves. Many of the themes Connor explores (the setter as mystery writer, for example) are ideas that I’ve written about myself on this blog.
But if you’re shopping for an adult cryptic crossword aficionado, you should consider Alan Connor’s book “Two Girls, One On Each Knee (7)”, which I recently read. It’s been out for a little over a year now, so I’m late to the game, but I enjoyed it.
The book is a mix of “how-to” instructions for solving cryptics, and musings on the puzzles themselves. Many of the themes Connor explores (the setter as mystery writer, for example) are ideas that I’ve written about myself on this blog.
Because each chapter is self-contained, you can hop around (as you do in a puzzle, Connor points out), skipping to subjects that interest you most before backtracking to the rest. The prose is uneven, and there are times when I wanted more depth than Connor provides, but the breadth of topics is great, and his careful referencing is impressive.
The title, as experienced solvers will know, is one of Roger Squires (i.e., Rufus)’s clues. It was his two millionth, and it appeared in a puzzle in The Telegraph in 2007.
The title, as experienced solvers will know, is one of Roger Squires (i.e., Rufus)’s clues. It was his two millionth, and it appeared in a puzzle in The Telegraph in 2007.
What are you giving to the cryptic crossword lover in your life this year?
What’s the best cryptic-related gift you’ve ever received?
And if you love cryptics, what’s on your wish list?
Sarah
What’s the best cryptic-related gift you’ve ever received?
And if you love cryptics, what’s on your wish list?
Sarah
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