Recommended Reads for Adults

Recommended Reads: February 2025

Winter is the perfect season to get wrapped up in a good craft book – whether you're wielding needles yourself or curling up with tales of magical spinning wheels and mysterious yarn shops. We've woven together a collection that spans practical guides to enchanting stories. From step-by-step projects to murder mysteries unraveled stitch by stitch, these picks will spark your crafting imagination, even if you prefer to keep your hands ink-stained with pages rather than paint.

Threads of Life: A History of the World through the Eye of a Needle by Clare Hunter, 2019. (DB121730)

For the mothers of the disappeared in 1970s Argentina, protest was difficult. Every Thursday they marched in front of government buildings wearing headscarves embroidered with the names of their lost children. Through sewing, they found a way to campaign. In Tudor England Mary, Queen of Scots was under house arrest and her letters were censored, so she sewed secret treason into her needlework to communicate with the world outside. From the political propaganda of the Bayeux Tapestry and First World War soldiers with PTSD, to the maps sewn by schoolgirls in the New World, Threads of life stretches from medieval France to contemporary Mexico, from a POW camp in Singapore to a family attic in Scotland. It is a chronicle of identity, protest, memory, power and politics told through the stories of the men and women, over centuries and across continents, who have used the language of sewing to make their voices heard, even in the most desperate of circumstances.

Homemade perfume: create exquisite, naturally scented products to fill your life with botanical aromas by Anya McCoy, 2018. (DB121097)

This comprehensive guide from renowned perfumer Anya McCoy is an inspiring resource for anyone interested in creating artisanal perfume at home. Discover simple step-by-step methods for making perfume without harsh chemicals. Jump right in, using local plants and common household ingredients. Soon you’ll be building your own scent collection and creating unforgettable gifts for friends and family.

Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim, 2019 (DB096074)

On the fringes of the Great Spice Road, Maia Tamarin works as a seamstress in the shop of her father, once a tailor of renown. She dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father to court, Maia poses as his son and travels to the Summer Palace in his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she'll take that risk to save her family from ruin and achieve her dream of becoming the imperial tailor. There's just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job. The competition is cutthroat, and Maia's job is further complicated by the unwelcome attention of the court enchanter, Edan, who seems to see straight through her disguise. But nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three gowns so dangerously beautiful, it will take a quest to the ends of the earth to complete them. Book 1 in the Blood of Stars duology.

Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier, 1999 (BR013360, DB050258)

Girl with a Pearl Earring centers on Vermeer's prosperous Delft household during the 1660s. When Griet, the novel's quietly perceptive heroine, is hired as a servant, turmoil follows. First, the 16-year-old narrator becomes increasingly intimate with her master. Then Vermeer employs her as his assistant—and ultimately has Griet sit for him as a model.

First Time Sewing: The Absolute Beginner's Guide by The Editors of Creative Publishing International, 2014 (DB106097)

An introductory guide for the beginning sewer. Topics include the parts of a typical sewing machine, sewing tools, the basics of fabric, how to work with patterns, sewing a seam, hand stitching, and more. There are also projects designed for a novice sewer. Learning to sew can be a challenge, but the experts at Creative Publishing guide you from your first nervous stitches to confident sewing. Each project in the book will introduce you to new concepts and skills.

Woodworking Projects for the Garden: 40 fun & useful things for folks who garden by Richard Freudenberger, 1994 (DB046629)

A woodworker's guide for constructing useful garden accessories. Describes techniques, materials, and the necessary tools. Presents scale drawings, plans, and procedures for forty building projects.

The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs, 2007 (DB065750)

Single mother Georgia Walker runs a Manhattan yarn shop where knitters gather regularly to work on projects and share stories. Aging widow Anita, pre-law student Peri, and secretive Lucie join the club as unexpected events--including the return of Georgia's ex--unravel their lives. Book 1 in the Friday Night Knitting Club series.

Stitch 'n Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook by Debbie Stoler, 2003 (BR016637, DB058586)

Cofounder of trendy New York City knitting circle gives a brief history of this needle craft. Presents the basics: how to cast on, bind off, and knit. Explains advanced stitching and repair techniques and provides details for over thirty projects, including Pippi Kneestockings, Sparkle Hat, and Under the Hoodie.

Crewel World by Monica Ferris, 1999 (DB096611)

When Betsy Devonshire arrives in Excelsior, Minnesota, all she wants is to visit her sister Margot and get her life in order. She never dreamed her sister would give her a place to stay and a job at her needlecraft shop. Things have never looked so good--until Margot is murdered. Book 1 in the Needlecraft Mystery series.

One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia by Miranda Paul, 2015 (DB084585)

Plastic bags are cheap and easy to use. But what happens when a bag breaks or is no longer needed? In Njau, Gambia, people simply dropped the bags and went on their way. One plastic bag became two. Then ten. Then a hundred. The bags accumulated in ugly heaps alongside roads. Water pooled in them, bringing mosquitoes and disease. Some bags were burned, leaving behind a terrible smell. Some were buried, but they strangled gardens. They killed livestock that tried to eat them. Something had to change. Isatou Ceesay was that change. She found a way to recycle the bags and transform her community. This inspirational true story shows how one person's actions really can make a difference in our world. For grades K-3.

Craeft: an inquiry into the origins and true meaning of traditional crafts by Alex Langlands, 2017 (DB090367)

Archaeologist examines the meaning of the Old English word "craeft," which denoted a sense of knowledge, wisdom, and resourcefulness through the history of production of goods made by human hands. Topics include making hay, sticks and stones, beekeeping, textiles, homebuilding, agriculture, and more.

Last Wool and Testament by Molly MacRae, 2012 (DB091656)

TGIF—Thank Goodness It’s Fiber--is the name of the spunky group of fiber and needlework artists founded by Ivy McClellan, Kath’s beloved grandmother. Though Ivy has recently passed on, the members still meet regularly at her fiber and fabric shop, The Weaver’s Cat, which Kath has now inherited. But that’s only the first in a series of surprises when Kath returns to the small town of Blue Plum, Tennessee, to settle her grandmother’s affairs. There’s been a murder, and it turns out her grandmother was the prime suspect. Before she can begin to clear Ivy’s name, Kath encounters a looming presence in the form of a gloomy ghost. It turns out the specter has just as much interest in solving the murder as Kath. So, with a little help from the members of TGIF—and a stubborn spirit from beyond—she sets out to unravel the clues and hook the real killer. Book 1 in the Haunted Yarn Shop series.

Washington Talking Book & Braille Library