Coloring Book Roundup: Here's 16 Coloring Books From my Massive Collection to Get You Started!

Since I have a ton of grown up coloring books, I thought I have enough to do a roundup post of them all, because some of them are definitely better and more fun than others. I don't have a ton of time to color anymore, but when I get the chance, I really, really enjoy it. If you haven't jumped on board the adult coloring book train yet, here's a few ideas to get you started! I've also made tons of coloring pages for myself and decided to sell them in my Etsy store HERE. 

Type: Animals and jokes
Why I bought it: It was on sale and I can’t resist a good pun.
Number of pages: 35
Size: 8.5x11”
Why I like it: I chuckle at each page (even at the slightly inappropriate, yet hilarious puns). There is a good variety of animals and degree of difficulty. I also like that you can color the letters on some pages. 
Where it can improve: The pages are a bit thin and markers seep through. The pages are not perforated for easy removal. 
The tl:dr: This is a great coloring book to have. It’s unique and unlike any other coloring book in your arsenal. I highly recommend it. 

Type: Yoga and Zen
Why I bought it: I have other books from the same artist. I thought a yoga theme would be unique.
Number of pages: 30
Size: 8.5x11”
Why I like it: It is very unique. There are some beautiful designs. There’s also a good variety of easy and difficult designs. 
Where it can improve: The pages are a bit thin and markers seep through. The pages are not perforated for easy removal. The girls doing the yoga don’t have any facial features, which is a personal dislike.
The tl:dr: This is a great relaxing coloring book with a meditation and yoga theme. It might make a perfect present for your favorite yogi. 

Type: Butterflies and flowers
Why I bought it: I’m really into butterflies right now. 
Number of pages: 30
Size: 8.5x11”
Why I like it: There are some easier and some pretty challenging and intricate pages. It is fun to color. 
Where it can improve: Some of the illustrations aren’t centered, making it a little awkward to color the edges. The pages are pretty thin so you really can’t use markers unless you protect the pages underneath. Also, the title on the cover says Butterfies, missing an L! Some of the pages appear to be a rough sketch. 
The tl:dr: This coloring book is on the cheaper quality side, and has some pretty major issues. I think it was still worth it, but buyer beware. Make sure to read all the Amazon reviews and especially look at the reviewer photos before purchasing. 

Type: Butterflies!
Why I bought it: Butterflies! 
Number of pages: 31
Size: 8.25x8.25” 
Why I like it: It has a lot of designs that are very intricate and take some time to complete. I also like the black framing outline around the image as it gives it a bit more of a “professional” or “finished” look. 
Where it can improve: Once again, this is another coloring book without perforated pages. The pages are thin and markers and gel pens bleed through. 
The tl:dr: While at a slightly smaller size, the designs are very intricate and take a while to complete. There is a good variety of illustrations by different artists and butterflies either by themselves or as a part of a larger picture. If you don’t want a more intricate and detailed book, this is not the one to buy. 

Type: Stained glass butterflies
Why I bought it: It looked cool, it’s butterflies, and it’s quick to color. Plus the stained glass style is unique. 
Number of pages: 8
Size: 3x5” 
Why I like it: Each picture only takes a few minutes to color and it gives me a chance to use my large markers. I can tuck it into my bag or even a pocket to color on the go. 
Where it can improve: I wish there were more pictures in the book! 
The tl:dr: This is not a traditional coloring book. It’s small and the designs are printed on a transparent paper. You can stick them in a window when you are done and they look like stained glass. 

Type: Geometric, abstract, mandala
Why I bought it: I randomly picked a coloring book. 
Number of pages: 31
Size: 8.5x11” 
Why I like it: The pages are perforated for easy removal. The illustrations have bold lines. The pages are a little bit thicker so there’s not as much marker and gel pen bleedthrough. The designs are not quite as intricate as other books so it allows more play with shading and mixing and artistic skills. 
Where it can improve: It’s almost a little TOO easy, but it would be good for beginners, those with sight issues, or preteens, etc. The designs are all fairly similar, so I get bored of it after a while. 
The tl:dr: It’s only okay. While I like the idea of the geometric designs, the pages are all too similar and it doesn’t require as much effort or thought to complete the illustrations. 

Type: Tea Party
Why I bought it: I wanted a small coloring book to leave in my purse. 
Number of pages:
Size: 5.5x8” 
Why I like it: I love the smaller size so I can take it with me. There is a variety of designs and they’re intricate enough to satisfy me on the go. 
Where it can improve: The paper is pretty thin and some of the intricate designs are repetitive. 
The tl:dr: I would not use this book to color normally. It’s great for quick sessions on the go, but I would get bored trying to color a whole page at once. I do really really like the smaller size though.

Type: Spiritual 
Why I bought it: I wanted a book to combine devotions and coloring
Number of pages: 30 
Size: 8.5x11” 
Why I like it: I do like the scripture. I also like the butterflies. I like that I can meditate on the scripture on the page while coloring the rest of it. The designs do not go all the way to the binding, which is nice if you’re planning on cutting them out. Some designs do go all the way to the edge of the page. Some pages have more intricate designs, but others barely take any time at all to finish. 
Where it can improve: The pages are thin and everything bleeds through. The designs are not very detailed. The pages are not perforated. 
The tl:dr: While I do like the psalms chosen, the coloring parts themselves leave much to be desired. I’ll still keep coloring it as I can work on memorizing the psalms as I color, but there’s just not enough detail for my taste. 

Type: Food
Why I bought it: It was on sale and looked like fun. 
Number of pages: 31
Size: 8.5x11”
Why I like it: The designs are a lot of fun. There is a nice variety of different foods. Plus, CUPCAKES! There’s a nice variety of intricacy throughout the book. 
Where it can improve: Once again, the paper is very thin and allows bleedthrough. The pages are not perforated and the designs run right into the binding. A lot of the designs are repeated. 
The tl:dr: It’s not my favorite coloring book in terms of the design, but I do like that the pages are food! Don’t try to color while you’re hungry… 

Type: Inspirational/Misc
Why I bought it: It was on sale and it came with colored pencils! 
Number of pages: 17
Size: 8.5x11” 
Why I like it: The book opens from the top and not the side, which is a nice touch. The paper is on the thicker side. The pencils are decent enough, but nothing to write home about. 
Where it can improve: Some designs are way too simple. It’s not as “inspirational” as I expected and seems fairly immature. Some of these seem like pictures out of a cheap kids coloring book. The pages are not perforated. It’s just weird. The inspirational words and/or phrases often have nothing to do with the pictures. 
The tl:dr: I’d pass on this one, especially at the list price. 

Type: Mandalas
Why I bought it: It was inexpensive and I usually like mandalas
Number of pages: 40
Size: 8.5x11” 
Why I like it: I like the haikus with the pages. That’s it. 
Where it can improve: Every single mandala in this book looks cheap and like clipart. I did a little research and found that all of these designs can easily be created online. 
The tl:dr: Just don’t. Make the mandalas yourself and save some money. I wish I hadn’t bought it. I won’t throw it out and I will eventually color them, but it will be more for color and technique than for actual enjoyment. 

Type: National Parks
Why I bought it: I have been to many of our Nation’s National Parks and Yellowstone is among my favorite places on this planet. 
Number of pages: 50
Size: 8.5x11” 
Why I like it: It’s scenes from National Parks! I love the map with the locations of all the parks featured in the book. The illustrations are very detailed and impressive. I also really like the information about the pictures on each page. 
Where it can improve: The designs are printed on front and back, so you have to choose which one you’re going to color if you plan on framing or gifting. Either buy two or copy the backs of the pages if you can! 
The tl:dr: You can make these coloring pages look like actual scenes from the National Parks, and I love that! It’s a very unique book and I highly recommend it! It is fantastic for colored pencils. 

Type: Christmas Trees
Why I bought it: It was on clearance after Christmas and I put it away for the next Christmas! 
Number of pages: 31
Size: 8.5x11” 
Why I like it: CHRISTMAS TREES! Also, the pages are perforated and are on the thicker side. There are a great variety of styles of the trees and each one is a lot of fun. I thought they would get repetitive since each page is of a Christmas tree, but they’re different enough to keep my attention. I also really appreciate the framing line around the pictures. 
Where it can improve: I can’t think of any! 
The tl:dr: I think this book was specifically designed for grown up coloring and it definitely shows. They took the time and effort to give it the extra touches that make the coloring books easier and more fun to use. 

Type: Scripture/Inspirational
Why I bought it: I love Psalms
Number of pages: 60
Size: 8.5x8.5”
Why I like it: There is a wide variety of styles and difficulty. There are also some fun cards to color. The pages are perforated and are very thick. There was very little bleed through. 
Where it can improve: Less than half of the pages in here have scripture on them. Several pages have a design that extends past the perforation, which is kind of weird. Several pages were extremely repetitive, almost like coloring the exact same design over and over. That’s not really what I wanted, but I guess it was kind of fun to experiment with different colors? 
The tl:dr: It’s a large book, but remember that less than half of the pages have actual scripture on them. There are some random designs such as cacti, which were kind of fun to color (although it was the same few cacti over and over and over again on the page), but really have nothing to do with inspiration or scripture. It’s not my favorite, but I do like it. 

Type: Geometric, mandalas, misc
Why I bought it: Another random pick and it was inexpensive
Number of pages: 48
Size: 8x10” 
Why I like it: There’s a nice variety of images and difficulty to choose from. The images take a while to complete. The mandalas are a fun way to experiment with color combinations. I like the framing lines around the pictures. 
Where it can improve: The pages are not perforated and are on the thin side, allowing bleed through. The printing is not as sharp as it should be.
The tl:dr: For the price, it’s okay. 21 of the images are mandalas, but there is a good variety of designs. It would make a good starter coloring book. 

Type: Inspirational, Words
Why I bought it: This was the first one I bought. It was well rated and didn’t cost a ton of money.
Number of pages: 30
Size: 8.5x11” 
Why I like it: The designs are uplifting and quite fun. I like the pages of advice and techniques to get you started. Each page is perforated for easy removal. I also like the quotes and phrases they picked. The designs are fun and there’s a good variety of difficulty too. 
Where it can improve: The pages do allow bleed through. 
The tl:dr: I think this is my favorite book to color. I can really work on colors and techniques if I wish to as well. Gel pens look gorgeous on these pages. Most of the designs make for great framing or gift giving as well. 

I hope this roundup of grown up coloring books helped you decide which ones are for you. I have so many other coloring books on preorder or on my wishlist, so I’d love to hear about which coloring books you’ve ordered and which ones you like and which I should pass on! I’d also love to see your completed pictures! 

What's your favorite thing to color?