08 - A book about a hobby

[Anne]

I haven't read it, but Astonish Me is about dance.

[Rose]

Life in Motion by Misty Copeland is Avery interesting read about dance.

[Nicole]

The Cranes Dance
The Painted Girls
Dancing for Degas
Girl Through Glass
Apollo's Angels: A History of Ballet
Once a Dancer: An Autobiography

[Jane]

Thank you for the recommendations Anne, Rose and Nicole! Now I have so many amazing options. I will probably use these for other prompts as well.

[Maureen]

Denise wrote: "I'm a knitter (and I also crochet), so I'm choosing this one from my list:

A Stash of One's Own: Knitters on Loving, Living with, and Letting go of Yarn"

This looks perfect for me too! We're in the process of down sizing into a smaller home and my yarn stash is proving to be an issue! Not to mention all my other crafting stashes! :-)

[Janet]

Larissa wrote: "Anyone have ideas for books related to traveling/exploring or hiking, my two favorite hobbies? Preferably fiction. Thanks!"

Try A Walk Across America by Peter Jenkins for hiking/walking.

[Emanuel]

I'll read O Tempo Entre Costuras

[Allison]

Any suggestions for books about writing?

[Megan]

Allison wrote: "Any suggestions for books about writing?"

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

[SadieReadsAgain]

Allison wrote: "Any suggestions for books about writing?"

I'm reading On Writing by A.L. Kennedy. I believe Stephen King has a book with the same title that might be the same sort of thing.

[Allison]

Thanks Megan and Sarah!

[Lucie]

Mathematics:
Professor Stewart's Cabinet of Mathematical Curiosities
Professor Stewart's Hoard of Mathematical Treasures
Fall of Man in Wilmslow
Incompleteness: The Proof and Paradox of Kurt Gödel

[Raquel (Silver Valkyrie Reads)]

Lucie wrote: "Mathematics:
Professor Stewart's Cabinet of Mathematical Curiosities
Professor Stewart's Hoard of Mathematical Treasures
Fall of Man in Wilmslow
[book..."

Oh, I didn't even think about math as a hobby. I can also recommend these non-fiction on math:

[book:Five Equations That Changed the World|238531]

Here's Looking at Euclid: A Surprising Excursion Through the Astonishing World of Math

[Melody]

Raquel wrote: "Here's Looking at Euclid: A Surprising Excursion Through the Astonishing World of Math"

Ok, so math is far from a hobby of mine, but I have to admit I let out an embarrassingly loud gigglesnort at that title!

[Olivia]

Do you think The Maximum Security Book Club: Reading Literature in a Men's Prison would count if you're looking at reading as a hobby? I'm trying to read some TBR books I already have on my bookshelf at home, but I'm struggling in the hobby department!

[Kelly]

I was having trouble with this category, but then I realized a coloring book is still a book! I LOVE coloring, I'll throw on some old episodes of Parks and Rec or 30 Rock and go for hours. Maybe I'll just make it my goal to complete one of the many coloring books I have... This will pair nicely with my planned rewatch of Brooklyn 99...

[Thomas]

Im considering whether to stretch this one and have The Pickwick Papers it does seem the whole book concerns mr Pickwicks hobby

[Maddie]

Does the hobby have to be a hobby of our own? Or can it be any hobby?

[Anne]

I think it can be any hobby. The prompt just says a book about a hobby, not a book about your hobby.

[Maddie]

Okay perfect thank you!

[Shelley]

Larissa wrote: "Anyone have ideas for books related to traveling/exploring or hiking, my two favorite hobbies? Preferably fiction. Thanks!"
Have you read Wild by Cheryl Strayed? Not strictly fiction, but she weaves her own life into a story. Brilliant read.

[Kim]

How about A walk in the woods by Bill Bryson

[Megan]

Kim wrote: "How about A walk in the woods by Bill Bryson"

Sure. I mean hiking is a hobby *shrug*

[Erin]

i have three books by Nora Roberts that i think could work here!

The Obsession is about a professional photographer, and also covers home renovations, as she buys a huge house and remodels it. it also has a mechanic in it who loves to read, so that's two more hobbies, and also a serial killer they have to track down. one of my favorite romance/mystery novels.

The Search is another romance/mystery--the main character is a dog trainer who runs a volunteer search-and-rescue dog team in her spare time, and those things should count as hobbies! the love interest is a woodworker, which is another hobby!

and finally, The Collector, wherein the main character is an author and the love interest is a painter, and they are tangled up with a guy who, you guessed it, collects rare items. illegally. which is a hobby of sorts.

[Thomas]

Mac wrote: "i have three books by Nora Roberts that i think could work here!

The Obsession is about a professional photographer, and also covers home renovations, as she buys a hu..."
In which case i will definitely have Pickwick Papers travelling and finding new info is a hobby for him as he has retired feom his business

[Lisa]

"A Walk Across America" - Peter Jenkins

[Amanda]

After some digging, I finally thought of Eliza and Her Monsters.
It's about a girl who draws a webcomic and a boy who writes fanfiction about said comic.

[Tabitha]

So I love history and am constantly looking up random things just for fun. Same goes for serial killers. I don't know if either of those things are really considered a hobby, but. . . I don't know - they're things I do(besides reading, writing, video games, etc.) so would something like Rejected Princesses: Tales of History's Boldest Heroines, Hellions, and Heretics or I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer count for this task? I want something nonfiction for this task, personally, since that is how I interpreted it and so fiction feels like cheating.

[Tabitha]

Think I found my choice for this task. It's called Talking about Jane Austen in Baghdad: The True Story of an Unlikely Friendship and the neat thing is this will go well with my Jane Austen Challenge as far as motivating me. =)

[Thomas]

Tabitha wrote: "So I love history and am constantly looking up random things just for fun. Same goes for serial killers. I don't know if either of those things are really considered a hobby, but. . . I don't know ..."
I respectfully disagree that fiction is cheating. As long as the book is about a character indulging their hobby its still about a hobby.

[Shobana]

Does traveling count as a hobby?

[Soph ♡]

Of course. I'd say anything that you enjoy doing can be counted as a hobby.

[[deleted user]]

I’m planning on The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century. It’s true crime, but a hobby—fly tying/fishing—is the motivation.

[Tabitha]

Thomas wrote: "Tabitha wrote: "So I love history and am constantly looking up random things just for fun. Same goes for serial killers. I don't know if either of those things are really considered a hobby, but. ...."

I did say that I personally feel it's cheating. To me unless the hobby is an essential part of the fiction work, and integral to the character or plot somehow in which you could possibly learn something about it, then it is not about a hobby, but just a book with a character who happens to have that hobby. And yes, it is a personal view so I'm sure not everyone agrees, and that is totally cool, but it means I would just like to not read fiction for this task. Others can read what they please. =)

[Kim]

This might be my chance to read, Rogue Wave, by Jane Thornely. The protagonist is an out-of-work textile designer. The book is the first in her "Crime by Design" series. (And Jane Thornely, herself is a wonderful knitting designer. You can check out her work and her group on Ravelry.com).

This book would also fit "a book with two words in the title", but I already have a couple of other contenders for that spot.

ETA: For those of you who were talking about getting back into knitting or crochet, check out Rav (see above). I hate to keep mentioning it, but it's an amazing site for learning, finding patterns, getting inspired, asking questions... just about everything! I'm even in a few reading groups there, and a couple of us are doing PopSugar. If you get there and have any questions for me, my Rav name is: nuts4fiber, and I'd be happy to hear from you!

[Patricia]

I love to garden - particularly roses. I found this book at a used book sale & haven't read it yet. The Natural Rose Gardener.

[Tytti]

Hmm, I wonder if saving lives can be considered a "hobby"... I noticed there was a new book about one of the divers who took part in the rescue mission of the Thai football team last summer. His real profession is being a diving instructor and he owns a diving centre, and initially he went there to take them his special equipment but then it became clear that his special diving skills were also needed. I seem to recall that this wasn't the first time he had volunteered for something like that, either. Not sure if I read/listen to it next year but I might.

[Raquel (Silver Valkyrie Reads)]

Tytti wrote: "Hmm, I wonder if saving lives can be considered a "hobby"... I noticed there was a new book about one of the divers who took part in the rescue mission of the Thai football team last summer. His re..."

Since people also do diving as a hobby I would say it counts anyway, even though it this case diving is also his profession.

[Kim]

Tabitha wrote: "Thomas wrote: "Tabitha wrote: "So I love history and am constantly looking up random things just for fun. Same goes for serial killers. I don't know if either of those things are really considered ..."

I think that if you want to get that close to filling the prompt EXACTLY, then I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer would be the PERFECT book for you, since Michelle McNamara's obsession with finding this killer was almost a hobby for her (I mean, I know it was serious for her, but it wasn't like she was a paid detective, doing her job).

I read (listened to) this book for my True Crime prompt in 2018, and it was fascinating!

I wanted to read The Hillside Stranglers because they terrorized the neighborhood around my college in the late 70's (and tragically, one of my classmates was a victim). It was a scary time. But, I knit and crochet, and I couldn't find this book on audio, so it's still on my TBR list.

[Sarah]

I think I'm going to go with Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen. Either that, or the coloring book idea.

[Kim]

Sara wrote: "I am stretching this one a bit. I am reading Pretty Little Liars. The girls “hobby” is finding out what happened to Alli by being detectives."

Could that one work for "a book featuring an amateur detective"?

[Kim]

Allison wrote: "Any suggestions for books about writing?"

I went down a rabbit hole from a link in one of my reading groups, through a few blog posts and more links, and found this book, and I immediately thought of your question. You might find this one interesting! Odd Type Writers: From Joyce and Dickens to Wharton and Welty, the Obsessive Habits and Quirky Techniques of Great Authors. I might want to read it, because I love ANYTHING about Eudora Welty, and she's one of the writers mentioned.

The article also mentioned this one, and Mark Twain was the first person I noticed: Daily Rituals: How Artists Work.

[Kim]

I found another interesting book, if anyone is interested in Poetry: This Is a Poem That Heals Fish, by Jean-Pierre Simeon. It's a beautifully illustrated children's book that was described like this:

"This Is a Poem That Heals Fish: An Almost Unbearably Wonderful Picture-Book About How Poetry Works Its Magic".

[Ann]

Marci wrote: "Any ideas for books/stories about running or ultra running? That's my passion/hobby and not a genre I would normally read about.

Thanks!"

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall would be a great choice!

[Ann]

Allison wrote: "Any suggestions for books about writing?"

Hi Allison - one of my all-time favorite authors is Lawrence Block. He has several books about writing, including Telling Lies for Fun & Profit.

[Liz]

I’m going to read ALL ROADS LEAD TO AUSTEN by Amy Elizabeth Smith. In six Latin American countries, the author gathers book loving new friends to read Emma, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility in Spanish. Although teaching Austen is her profession, she includes elements of her general love for reading (and buying books), travel, and learning Spanish. I guess somewhere in there is a hobby!

[Sarah]

I plan to read Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking, because cooking is a hobby of mine!

[Flick]

I'm going with, Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks: A Librarian's Love Letters and Breakup Notes to the Books in Her Life by Annie Spence

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

[Di]

Hard choice but I have narrowed it down to 3

Sourdough
Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen
The End of Your Life Book Club

[Teri]

I just discovered the book Changed for Good: A Feminist History of the Broadway Musical by Stacy Wolf. I love attending the theater, so this may be right up my alley.