With the new year well underway, we compiled some of our favourite non-fiction books to help you discover a new hobby in 2025.
Published 29 January 2025
The Beginner's Guide To Hand Building : Functional And Sculptural Projects For The Home Potter
by Sunshine Cobb
If you've ever wanted to try hand-building with clay, or if you have ever taken a class and walked away wishing you knew more, The Beginner's Guide to Hand Building offers expert instruction on how to create your own hand-built pottery.
Learn To Crochet : 25 Quick And Easy Crochet Projects To Get You Started
by Nicki Trench
Learn to Crochet starts with a step-by-step techniques section to teach you all the basic stitches and skills. Practice makes perfect, and with 25 patterns to choose from, you'll soon be able to crochet with confidence.
Learn Drawing Quickly
by Sharon Finmark
This practical, concise book begins with simple exercises to encourage you to start drawing. Learning to draw is quicker and easier than you might think and by the end of this little book you should be able to draw with confidence and have fun with it!
How To Play Ukulele : A Complete Guide For Beginners
by Dan Scanlan
Whether you’re looking to impress your friends with spontaneous sing-alongs, or just want to strum solo, How to Play Ukulele is the perfect entryway to the wonderful world of ukulele. With just this book and your ukulele in hand, you’ll learn basic music skills, how to care for your instrument, and how to play some simple tunes.
Practical Photography : How To Shoot Like A Pro
by Ben Hawkins
Featuring friendly, jargon-free tuition on getting to know your way around your camera, understanding essential settings and editing your images, this book delivers a unique photography course for all levels of ability and interests.
Beginner's Step-By-Step Coding Course: Learn Computer Programming The Easy Way
With this visual guide to computer programming for beginners, it has never been easier to learn how to code. Featuring short, easy-to-follow steps to show you, piece by piece, how to build a complete program.
Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess
by Bobby Fischer
Learn how to play chess the Bobby Fischer way with the fastest, most efficient and most enjoyable method ever devised. Whether you’re just learning the game or looking for more complex strategies, these practice problems and exercises will help you master the art of the checkmate.
The Complete Beginner's Guide To Watercolours
by Carolyn McHugh
The Complete Beginner's Guide to Watercolours delves into everything you need to know to get started with painting in watercolour, from the different types of paint out there and what brushes to add to your arsenal, to how to create unique blending effects and capture accurate texture.
First Time Jewelry Making : The Absolute Beginner's Guide
by Tammy Powley
First Time Jewelry Making is a concise introduction to the craft of jewellery making, with easy tutorials and projects for a variety of popular mediums. Featuring easy step-by-step instructions, you'll soon be creating your own jewellery designs with confidence.
Beginner's Guide To Kirigami : 24 Skill-Building Projects Using Origami & Papercrafting Skills
by Ghylenn Descamps
With this introduction to kirigami, a Japanese art that combines origami and papercutting, work through the 24 intricate designs that are accessible and easy to master for any crafter at any level. With beautiful photography, helpful diagrams, and step-by-step instructions for folding and cutting, this is sure to become your newest favourite hobby.