The New York Times Will Shortz's Xtreme Xwords: 75 Ultra-Challenging Puzzles for the Gutsy, Truly Bold and Fearless Solver

These puzzles are taken from editions of the Saturday New York Times. These are not large; most are approximately 60 by 60 in terms of clues. Unlike many of the bigger crossword puzzle books, this one uses thicker paper. So, there is no problem with having ink bleed through to the next puzzle page.I like these puzzles because they are difficult and stimulate thinking. By way of example, I had just about completed one of these, but stumbled upon the clue "thicket." The word "foliage" worked fine for me but not for the puzzle. The correct word was "boscage." Never heard of it! It's nice to develop the vocabulary through these puzzles but I'll probably never use any of the new words I've learned. The puzzles are difficult, but not impossible, to solve, at least to the extent of 90% of the puzzle, Most of the words are common in the English language. So, if you abhor easy puzzles, as I do, this should be a welcome challenge.

I must admit that I'm a very good crossword solver, so I had high hopes for this book. Some of the crosswords are tough, yes, but some are a breeze. So far there hasn't been one that I couldn't finish. I don't time myself at all, so I can't say I'd be able to complete one in 3, or even 10, minutes. All in all, the puzzles are challenging, but do-able for the seasoned crossword addict. Another thing: the format of the book is much smaller than I'm used to, but that does make it more portable than most.

Good crosswords...........some definitions just difficult enough to make them great fun to solve. Others refer back a few decades so younger folks may find them a little more of a challenge. Enjoy!

I love a tough crossword puzzle and admire Will Shortz's work, but this issue is not up to par. If the puzzles are themed, it's not headlined that way so you are half way through before you realize that. Most of the puzzles, even with a dictionary and Wikipedia, are impossible to solve because the clues are so far out. The authors must have been doing some very strong controlled substances. Would not recommend. Should have known by the title that it was twisted.

Unfortunately quite a few bad puzzles clog up this collection of Saturday NYT puzzles. By "bad" I mean they have either poor clues or require word variants which could kindly be considered unusual. Way too forced. However the collection is redeemed near the end by 10 or so very nice, difficult crosses, including one overlarge layout.There are better collections of hard puzzles out there, get one of those instead.

These are NY Times Saturday puzzles, the toughest of the week. Plus they have Will Shortz's signature features -- lots of puns, double-entendres, and obscurities. As it says in the preface, "difficult but not impossible:" Take your time, put it down and comeback later if you get stuck. And don't go running for the solutions at the back of the book unless you're absolutely stumped.

Finally a puzzle that is actually challenging for an amateur puzzler.

Love these. Keeps the mind sharp. We're all for that especially as we age. Will Short never fails to disappoint with his crossword puzzles. I give them to elderly I work with as well as my Mom and I should be doing more myself.

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