Many times, I started writing the post about my Life List challenge to complete a puzzle book but the trouble is… well, it’s boring, isn’t it? Who wants to read about someone else trying to do a puzzle? I envisaged glorious photos and regular updates, but to be frank, I couldn’t summon the energy to take any! I completed the puzzle book (almost) at some point earlier in the year, and have only just found the time to write about it.

At the beginning of this year, I wrote about my ambitions to complete a puzzle book. Not a grand aim, I’ll grant you, and not one I thought it would take me almost twelve months to get back to. I have, on occasion, sat down to write an update about my adventures through puzzle land, but as it turns out, writing about puzzles isn’t as entertaining as I thought it might be!

Last year, I added something new to my Life List - completing a puzzle book. It came about after I worked through a crossword with my mum and dad, and realised just how pathetic my general knowledge skills are. I thought a few puzzles couldn’t hurt, and seeing a Puzzler or two lying around reminds me very much of living at home. I picked up one of the monthly editions of the Puzzler magazine, it just so happened to have Princess Kate on the cover - although I’m not really sure why.

According to the introduction of the book that came free with The Times, Number Place is the rough translation of Sudoku. In case you live under a bridge and don’t know what this is, it’s a square number puzzle involving placing the numbers from 1 to 9 in the correct places. You know that I’m not one for faddy trends that come and go, and I try and stay away from things if the the rest of the country is going mad for it (Harry Potter?