Thanks to all the authors and publishers of the great books listed in this readme. I have been collecting books for over 40 years and I recommend that you should buy some of the books listed here. Promoting the books and authors using mostly Amazon and Wikipedia links for consistentency but usually I buy the books either locally at Dymocks, QBD, The Cystic Fibrosis Bookshop or at other online stores.

• From The Big Issue magazine edition 739 on the 20th June 2025 in The Regulars section Streetsheet, "MBK" describes his favorite series of books as the Riftwar Cycle. I read about 10 of these fantastic books when I was young and can appreciate "MBK" and his love of Raymond E Feist. The Riftwar Cycle is a sprawling epic fantasy series created by American author Raymond E. Feist. Spanning 30 books written over three decades (1982–2013), it is one of the most influential "high fantasy" sagas in modern literature. At its core, the series follows the history of the world of Midkemia and the various "Rifts" (magical portals) that connect it to other worlds, leading to planet-scale wars, demonic invasions, and cosmic shifts.
• The Mirror Quick Crossword #1: 150 Fast And Furious Puzzles is a bounty of classic puzzles which was published in 2022. I found this puzzle book was definitely quick and enjoyed solving more clues faster than usual. The first ever crossword that I solved fully with all the answers was from this book. The Daily Mirror is a British national daily tabloid newspaper.

• Tonight I am unboxing and the first new item I have opened is a pink Faber-Castell "Sleeve Doppelspitzer". The Faber-Castell Sleeve Doppelspitzer is an ergonomic, award-winning (ISPA Award 2007) double pencil sharpener with an integrated waste container, designed to sharpen both standard and jumbo graphite or colored pencils (up to 11mm diameter). Faber-Castell AG is a German privately held multinational manufacturer of pens, pencils, other office supplies (e.g., staplers, slide rules, erasers, rulers) and art supplies, as well as high-end writing instruments and luxury leather goods. Founded in 1761 Faber-Castell produces quality products.
• The Times Quick Cryptic Crossword Book 1 features 80 world-famous crossword puzzles that were originally published in 2014 the year the series first started. From this books one page introduction by Richard Rogan I originally learned about the "NINA" or hidden theme that a puzzle setter will sometimes include. An example puzzle with a quick five page guide on how to solve it follows the introduction. A small book with just 192 pages good to carry around in my bag. The Times is a newspaper that started in 1785, a quality publication and I also like their chess books.
• I'm a fan of Jeffrey Archers books and recently I read Twelve Red Herrings for the second time after about 20 years. Twelve Red Herrings is a 1994 collection of twelve suspenseful short stories. The book is famous for its twist endings, where Archer challenges readers to identify a "red herring"—a misleading clue or diversion—hidden within each narrative. Jeffrey Howard Archer, Baron Archer of Weston-super-Mare (born 15 April 1940) is an English novelist and former politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Louth (Lincolnshire) from 1969 to 1974, but did not seek re-election after almost going bankrupt. Archer revived his fortunes as a novelist. His novel Kane and Abel (1979) remains one of the best-selling books in the world, with an estimated 34 million copies sold worldwide. Overall his books have sold more than 320 million copies worldwide.

• Recently bought two new books: The Sun Two-Speed Crossword Collection #12 and Daily Mail The Big Book of Cryptic Crosswords Volume 8. Both crossword books are fantastic and I really like the Two-Speed style with both cryptic and quick clues for each puzzle. The Sun is a British tabloid newspaper, published by the News Group Newspapers division of News UK, itself a wholly owned subsidiary of Lachlan Murdoch's News Corp. The Daily Mail, often known simply as the Mail, is a British daily middle-market tabloid conservative newspaper founded in 1896 and published in London.

• Just enjoyed reading the section on chess from Around the World in 80 Games: A mathematician unlocks the secrets of the greatest games. Author and mathematican Marcus du Sautoy gave an interesting account of the history of chess and its origins over 8.5 pages with a mathematical perspective.
• Recommenced working on Mindful Mixed Puzzles: Over 600 puzzles. This fantastic ring bound book has 8 types of puzzles and so far I have only worked on two types of puzzles: the Word Square and the Word Chain.
• Found a small Simply Word Fill-Ins Puzzler brand magazine issue number 87 with 100 puzzles from 2024 which cost $6.95 AUD. Whilst I did enjoy completing two fill-ins, I found it was really easy to complete them since the answers were given and you just had to fill-in the grid. I definitely prefer a much harder challenge.
• Opened a Spider-Man brand LEGO minifigure which cost $5 AUD from Coles Supermarket. There are 12 to collect and each minifigure comes in a blind pick small cardboard box. This one was the Spider-Byte minifigure the last packet on the shelf.

• Currently working on some of the puzzles from the magazine "Christine's Big Crossword" Issue 392. This magazine has 28+ giant puzzles and cost $9.50 AUD. Lovatts Crosswords and Puzzles is a family run business that sells a number of different puzzle magazines
• I am up to puzzle 16 from The Times Chess Winning Moves: 540 Chess Puzzles from Tournament Play. Really enjoyed the first 15 puzzles and the commentary from author Byron Jacobs. Published in 2025 most puzzles are from modern games with the first intro puzzle being a Magnus Carslen victory. The Times is a British daily national newspaper based in London.
• I have read 50 pages of the famous book Minute Cryptic a bestseller that teaches you how to solve cryptic crossword clues. Check out the Minute Cryptic YouTube Channel
• Currently reading Checkmate! The Wonderful World of Chess by author John Foley up to page 42. A glossy colorful and easy to read 112 page book aimed at beginners and children full of illustrations.
• I'm happy with the QX Chess small magnetic foldable chess board that I am now using on my work desk. No. QX2677 with black and white pieces and black and gray colored squares originally bought for $10 AUD

Some notable clues and answers from various publications

• Fuel exploded in tube. (4). Flue
• Loves cracking answer. (5). Solve
• Pay no attention to damaged region. (6). Ignore

• Opening book beside Central Park tavern. (3). Bar
• Leaves note with answer. (3). Tea
• European ruler beheaded mathematician. (5). Euler
• Vegetable found in vehicle along with rubbish. (6). Carrot
• Crazed parrot, one entering Gatwick? (7). Airport
• Nun with grin switched on. (7). Running
• PC's speed makes music session a failure. (8). Gigaflop

• Treat in barrel for redhead? (6,3). Ginger nut
• Everything's ready: eg lass mostly prepared. (3,7,2). All systems go
• Biblical location of endangered variety. (6,2,4). Garden of Eden
• Go wild - show off your locks. (3,4,4,4). Let your hair down
• Modern, before sixty seconds have passed. (2,2,3,6). Up to the minute

• Sound asleep but not in when Dracula arrives? (3,3,3,5). Out for the count

The evolution of chess literature has shifted significantly toward user-friendly design, prioritizing visualization and scannability over the dense, notation-heavy layouts of the 20th century.

High-quality chess books use large, high-contrast diagrams with modern piece fonts that are much easier on the eyes than older, cramped layouts. They provide frequent illustrations so you can follow the action without needing to set up a physical board for every move. Better books also categorise puzzles by theme and include verbal explanations of the logic, rather than just listing long strings of confusing notation. Finally, reputable modern publishers use superior paper and ink, ensuring the "black and white" contrast is sharp and the pages don't bleed or fade.

All books in the list below are high quality publications and personally recommended. More books to be added soon.

A lot of the dictionaries below use different notation to markup words and phrases. More work to be done on markup and links soon.

• The Bantam Crossword Dictionary: The Easy-to-Use, Easy-to-Read Classic Handbook for Today's Puzzle Solvers. Featuring 40 Special Tables, Plus an Exclusive Long-Word Finder. Reissue Edition November 2007. This dictionary is a widely used reference handbook for crossword enthusiasts, notably featuring over 50,000 clues and 160,000 solutions. Edited by Walter D. Glanze and Jerome Fried, it is designed for both home and travel use, organized alphabetically for quick reference.

  • chess defeat / MATE; CHECKMATE
  • chess move / FORK; CASTLE; FIANCHETTO
  • chess opening / PIRC; DEBUT; GAMBIT; RUYLOPEZ
  • chess piece / MAN; KING; PAWN; ROOK; QUEEN; BISHOP; CASTLE; KNIGHT
  • chess pieces / MEN
  • chess term / MATE; ISOLANI; EXCHANGE; ENPASSANT; OPPOSITION

  In Aron Nimzowitsch's very famous book My System he describes an isolated pawn on the d-file as an isolated queen pawn or simply an isolani.

• From The Big Issue magazine edition 743 on 15th August 2025 in The Regulars section Streetsheet, Simon plays chess with Renee in Simon's Game Plan. Simon from Adelaide usually opens with the Sicilian Defence, or the Queen's Gambit.

• BBC English: SÖZLÜK an English / Turkish dictionary first published in 1990 with my edition in 1998 is a small 383 page book created by ABC KİTABEVİ A.Ş. A recognized bilingual pocket dictionary ("Cep Boy") tailored for Turkish speakers learning English.

  • chess /çes/ n satranç

• Collins French Dictionary: Pocket Edition: Packed with words for when you are on the move. Eighth Edition published in 2017. This dictionary is a portable bilingual dictionary published by HarperCollins. It is designed for learners, travelers, and business professionals, offering modern coverage of French and English.

  • èchec nm failure; (Èchecs): ~ et mat/au roi checkmate/check;
  • èchecs nmpl (jeu) chess sg; tenir en ~ to hold in check

• The Little Macquarie Dictionary first published in 1983 with my copy printed in 1997 is a portable, concise version of the standard Macquarie Dictionary, which is widely regarded as the authority on Australian English. A new version was printed in 2024.

  • chess, n. a game of battle strategy, played by 2 persons on a chequered board.

• Macquarie Budget Dictionary: Australia's National Dictionary. This edition published in 2004. This dictionary is a recognized, compact, and affordable reference for Australian English, often referred to as Australia's national dictionary. It is designed for daily use at home, school, or the office.

  • chess n. a game played by two persons, each with sixteen pieces, on a chequered board.

• The New Comprehensive A-Z Crossword Dictionary: Compiled by Edy Garcia Schaffer is a widely recognized, top-selling reference for crossword enthusiasts, often cited as containing over 225,000 entries and 50,000 new words in its revised editions. The 1996 printing is a popular paperback edition, frequently listed as a comprehensive guide spanning over 1,300 pages. ...

Morty Smith, Norville "Shaggy" Rogers, Velma Dinkley

Really enjoy taking my Molten ball out for a trip around the town. A smaller size 6 ball with a great bounce really prefer this over my size 7 balls. If you know about basketballs you will know about the different balls some with the "dead" bounce. Several specialized basketballs are designed to feel "dead" (less bouncy) or feature thicker, heavier construction to improve handling and strength. These are often used for training, such as weighted or heavy trainer basketballs.