Games Around the World
In keeping with the theme for our 2025 Summer Reading Challenge, "Level Up," this list features fiction and non-fiction materials with a focus on games and the people who play them. Games featured in this list range from those with rich histories to modern day games. There is something for everyone!
From Japanese puzzle boxes to the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship in Spain, A.J. Jacobs takes you on a journey through time and space as he explores the history of puzzles in their many forms. Thoughtful and witty, you may find yourself scratching your head at the same time you marvel at the variations of this long-standing tradition. A.J. and his wife, Julie, play a game of sorts in my favorite book of his, "The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible."
An inspiring story that captures the true international spirit of one of the oldest games.
"The Grandmaster" is a journalist's account of his glimpse into the world of chess during the 2016 World Chess Championship. Told from a layperson's perspective, the reader is granted the same glimpse as Carlsen, considered by many to be the greatest of all time (GOAT) of chess.