Years ago, I read a line in an obituary that read “she cultivated a deep contentedness with her life.” And since then, I’ve thought about that line frequently – even putting it up by my computer. For me, hobbies add to my happiness and contentedness with life, so I thought it would be fun to make a booklist tying books to my favorite hobbies. 

Reading: How to Read a Book by Monica Wood

“How to Read a Book is an unsparingly honest and profoundly hopeful story about letting go of guilt, seizing second chances, and the power of books to change our lives.” I couldn’t put this quiet book down and when I had to, I thought about it constantly. Despite having finished it a few weeks ago, it’s still in my mind. The power of grace and second chances is a beautiful thing.

Stitching: The Quick and the Thread (An Embroidery Mystery #1) by Amanda Lee

While I’m a cross stitcher, this one is on my TBR and I’d love to learn embroidery. Here’s the synopsis from the publisher: “Opening an embroidery specialty shop in quaint Tallulah Falls, Oregon, was a big deal for Marcy Singer. But it was nothing compared to finding a dead body in her store. For the grand opening of her shop, the Seven Year Stitch, Marcy throws a soirée. Her friend Sadie, who owns the coffee shop down the street, provides the delicious refreshments, and the party goes swimmingly. Marcy’s registration sheet for embroidery classes fills up, and everyone in town seems willing to raise a glass—or a needle—to support the shop. But the morning after the party, Marcy and Angus, her pooch, find a nasty surprise: The man who leased the shop before Marcy is lying dead in the storeroom, with a message scratched by a tapestry needle on the wall beside him.”

Puzzles: One Puzzling Afternoon by Emily Critchley

Using a dual-timeline, readers meet 84 year old Edie Green in 2018 and also 15 year old Edie in 1951 England. In 1951 Edie is lonely. Her father passed away and her eccentric mother remarries Reg, a very unlikable character. Then Edie learns a secret about popular Lucy Theddle. Lucy befriends Edie, at first to make sure Edie keeps her secret, but the two grow closer. Edie, though, is nagged by this secret and knows in her heart she shouldn’t be keeping it. Then, Lucy goes missing.

More than sixty years later, Edie is suffering from “muddled spells” (the beginnings of dementia), but swears she sees Lucy in town, looking the same as she did at 15. Something nags at Edie’s memory–she must figure out what really happened to Lucy.

I don’t think I’ve ever read something told from the perspective of a person suffering from the beginnings of dementia. As a reader, to be experiencing Edie’s fading memory along with her is incredibly powerful and hard, but also had me feeling such empathy for Edie. I rooted for her the entire time and found her to be such a wonderful character. My eyes were misty several times and I wanted to hug Edie and help her solve the long-ago mystery. The mystery was well done, especially as it flipped from past to present. This would be an excellent book club choice as well.

Knitting: The Vampire Knitting Club (Vampire Knitting Club #1) by Nancy Warren

I am late to the Vampire Knitting Club cozy mystery series by Nancy Warren but oh my gosh, I am so glad I am here. I listened to book one, The Vampire Knitting Club and loved every minute. It is such an entertaining escape and there’s such fun humor mixed with the mixture. I cannot wait to get through my current audio checkouts so I can binge this series. There are 14 entries! Yes!