January is the fresh start of a brand new year and their is no better way to kick of the year than by learning a new hobby. Not sure where to start? Look no further than the “Learn A New Hobby” display that is located in the back by the adult services area. Their are plenty of choices for everyone all around. If you are looking into wellness and fitness you may be interested in some of the titles regarding meditation, running, or yoga. Maybe you just want to kick off the new year by winding down from the holidays by learning and sharing some new hobbies with your family. We’ve got you covered. Learning new card games, cooking, and crafting are all great ways to bond together and our hobby display might just have the perfect book you need to bring you and your loved ones together. January can be a great time to be introspective and focus on personal goals we’d like to implement into the new year. Some great books on display that highlight this include books on writing, journaling, hand lettering, and astrology. My personal favorites are some of the hands on hobbies on display. Some of these books focus on gardening, photography, and being creative.
No matter what you are seeking for 2026, starting a new hobby or getting back into an old one is a great way not just to learn, but to have tons of fun in the process. Who doesn’t want to have tons of fun while also learning new things? I certainly do! You can also check out more titles celebrating National Hobby Month on Hoopla. You can check out some hobby related titles in the Westlake Porter Public library catalog. The following titles are books available at Westlake Library with the descriptions taken from the catalog.
Pickleball Fundamentals by USA Pickleball Association with Mary Littlewood
Fast, fun, and competitive: Simply step onto the court and it will be clear why pickleball is booming in popularity. Pickleball Fundamentals is the first book written and endorsed by the USA Pickleball Association. It will teach you the basics of the sport so that you can join the fun on the court right away. Learn proper execution of the sport’s essential skills and tactics. All the shots–groundstroke, serve and return, volley, dink, lob, overhead smash, and drop–provide a base for solid technique. More than 40 drills and gamelike activities will speed your learning while improving performance. You’ll also find competitive tactics for various scenarios and strategies for both singles and doubles play. So whether you are new to the sport or one of the growing number of pickleball fanatics, Pickleball Fundamentals is the best way to master the basics and compete with confidence.
Hand Lettering Step by Step: Techniques and Projects to Express Yourself Creatively by Kathy Glynn
Lettering is a timeless art form that is more popular than ever. It encourages you to slow down, be still, and connect with your creativity. In Hand Lettering, artist Kathy Glynn shows how to create lettering that is expressive, beautiful, and unique. After explaining the basics of the modern calligraphy, brush lettering, faux calligraphy, and other hand-lettering styles, Kathy demonstrates how to create your own style, add embellishments, and even digitize lettering for a variety of uses. Twenty-two inventive projects explore creative ways to incorporate lettering into art and craft designs, including watercolor, embossing, gold foil, paper cutting, metal etching, and lettering on wood and stone.
American Sign Language For Dummies by Adan R. Penilla II
American Sign Language For Dummies offers an easy-to-access introduction so you can get your hands wet with ASL, whether you’re new to the language or looking for a great refresher. Used predominantly in the United States, ASL provides the Deaf community with the ability to acquire and develop language and communication skills by utilizing facial expressions and body movements to convey and process linguistic information. With American Sign Language For Dummies, the complex visual-spatial and linguistic principles that form the basis for ASL are broken down, making this a great resource for friends, colleagues, students, education personnel, and parents of Deaf children.
In every family someone ends up with Mom’s and Dad’s “stuff” – a lifetime’s worth of old family photos, papers, and memorabilia packed into boxes, trunks, and suitcases. This inheritance can be as much a burden as it is a blessing. How do you organize your loved one’s estate in a way that honors your loved one, keeps the peace in your family and doesn’t take over your home or life? How to Archive Family Keepsakes gives you step-by-step advice for how to organize, distribute and preserve family heirlooms.
The First-Time Gardener: How To Plan, Plant & Enjoy Your Garden by Frances Tophill
Although excited by the prospect of moving into their own home for the first time, many people are mystified by the prospect of what to do with their outdoor space. This fuss-free, practical guide shows you how to create a space outside your own back door that’s designed by you, built by you and enjoyed by you. Beginning with advice on getting to know your garden – what type of soil you have, what the drainage and light is like – then on getting to know yourself as a gardener – do you want a vegetable patch, an abundance of flowers or simply an extension of your indoor living space? – and then moving on to the practical design, including hard and soft landscaping and building materials and guidance, Frances guides you through different types of plants and how to source and plant them.
