Get a Hobby: 365 Things to Do for Fun

by Jasmine Cho

Get your mind off work, make friends, and de-stress with this fascinating collection of potential hobbies!

Picking up a hobby is one of the best ways to eliminate stress, improve any mood, and make a network of new friends. Whether it's a physical activity like pickleball or martial arts; a creative pursuit like knitting or painting; or a skill to challenge the mind like sudoku or learning a language, a hobby can improve your life in so many ways. Jasmine Cho, a devoted baker whose off-the-clock passion took her from the kitchen to Food Network and beyond, presents this compendium of stuff you can do for fun in an easy-to-peruse graphic reference guide. From more familiar hobbies like quilting and bird-watching to fascinating new areas to explore like K-pop dance, extreme ironing, geocaching, and even vexillology (that's the study of flags!), it's impossible to stay bored when a copy of Get a Hobby is on hand. 

 

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help

384 pages, Hardcover

Published November 5, 2024

Reviews

[Tamara Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Get a Hobby: 365 things to Dop for Fun (Not Work!” is a nonfiction book focusing on introducing the reader to a variety of hobbies to pursue involving art, collecting, dance, education, food, music nature, games, physical fitness, fashion, tech, toys, and volunteering.

The book begins with an introduction by author Jasmine Cho in which she highlights how various hobbies helped her at various times in her life. Cho informs the reader that the purpose of her book is to briefly introduce the reader to a variety of hobby possibilities with the book format consists of a quote from someone who does the highlighted hobby, type of hobby, cost, summary of hobby and tips on how to get started. Although Cho highlights 365 hobbies in the books, she invites the reader to contact her via email if there is a hobby which is missing from the book.

Each of the three hundred and sixty-five hobbies profiled in alphabetical order with the exception of 3D printing and are written in a way that is educational, informative, and encouraging for readers interested in learning a new hobby for relaxation or stress relief or resuming a past hobby.

As I read each of the hobbies highlighted, I was pleasantly surprised by how many hobbies I currently do were highlighted in the books (such as being a foodie, blogging, reading, and running) as well as being inspired to try new hobbies such as hitting mung or doing nothing and staring out into space, learning a language, jumping rope, and thrifting.

Following the end of the hobbies being highlighted, Cho provides two separate indexes, one with the highlighted hobbies list in alphabetical order and second with hobbies listed by topic.

Overall, this was a great and timely read for me since January is national hobbies month and my only annoyance about the book is that I wish there was a list of online resources to help the reader learn more information about the highlighted hobby (e.g. becoming a film extra, hobbyhorsing, etc.)

[Cindy Davis- Cindy's Book Corner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was at the library when I saw Get a Hobby on the new Nonfiction shelf. I immediately grabbed it because of its pretty cover and the topic.

I am sure you have done, or do, more hobbies than you are aware of. That is what I learned from reading Get a Hobby. I lost count of how many times I realized I had tried, or currently do, something that I wouldn't necessarily count as a hobby. A few of them are: board games, book club, card games, and coffee shops (as in visiting them).

I also found some hobbies listed to have stretched the bounds of what I would consider a hobby: driving, jump roping, mooing (yes, I am serious), stair climbing, and more. Overall, I guess anything can be considered a hobby.

What I appreciated most about the book (besides a wide variety of hobbies) is that after listing the hobby, the author explained how it is a hobby, and in some cases, the origins of the hobby. Finally, she listed ways you could get started with the hobby.

If you are interested in starting a new hobby, but don't know where to start, I highly recommend checking out this book.

[Bec · Rating 3 out of 5]

Neat! It’s got a cute aesthetic/color scene, and definitely stretches the imagination for what qualifies as a hobby. I learned a lot, but I found the structure a little... lacking?

Each hobby has a category assigned to it, like “Art” or “Collecting”, but they’re listed in alphabetical order, which leaves similar hobbies (even ones that overlap) to fall nowhere near one another. Like: “Reading” and “Book Club” being listed under ‘R’ and ‘B’ (not the music genre - LOL). Yes, they are separate hobbies, but in my opinion, participating in a book club could be mentioned under a broader hobby of Reading).

This also goes to show: not all hobbies are equal - one “hobby” might include another or several others! Separating them out does make for an easier / more digestible format (especially for someone just starting out / learning) but to go more specific excludes similar but different hobbies that fall under the same category. For example, “Card Games” and “Card Trading and Collecting” was a great start but more than halfway through the alphabet we hit “Magic: The Gathering” - why is Magic: The Gathering not included as a subsection of the Card Games and/or Trading and Collecting? By listing just Magic: The Gathering, I’m now left wondering why other card games like Pokémon (cards) or Yu-Gi-Oh aren’t also hobbies.. Or another example would be “Poetry” and “Fanfiction Writing” - why are only these forms of writing listed as hobbies? I would’ve preferred just ‘Writing’ to be its own hobby and those two listed as examples.

Along the same lines, each hobby has an accompanying quote from someone who participates in that hobby (and their career/occupation), but some of these quotes… don’t seem to support the hobby at all? Under “Fanfiction Writing”, a reporter wrote, “Looking back on my teen years, I realize I loved fanfiction because I love writing. Through this creative expression, I discovered I can enjoy writing and use it as a skill in my adult life.” To me, that seems to support a hobby of writing in general, not specifically fanfiction. (Which, as a reporter, is now also her job! Which by definition makes it not a hobby anymore!!) And for “Cheese Making”, the quote says “I probably wouldn’t be doing it if I wasn’t milking my own cow” … does she not enjoy making cheese as a hobby?

Honestly, it just felt like a reach for 365 different hobbies, when it would’ve made a lot more sense to go into more depth about less. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Still an interesting read though!

[Diane Ropelewski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just happened to see this book at the library. There are 365 hobbies to choose from in this book. There is a brief description of the hobby and then tips on how to get started. Some of the hobbies are well known, but there are others that are new and interesting.

If you are interested in trying a new hobby I'm sure you will find at least one, but probably more in this book.

[Patricia in New Mexico · Rating 3 out of 5]

*** Get a Hobby: 365 Things to Do for Fun by Jasmine Cho was an introduction to hobbies - even ones I didn't know were hobbies. I found the information a bit scant, but there was just enough to let me know if I was interested or not. If you're looking to get a brief, general information about hobbies, this would be the book for you.

[Sylvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun little book filled with many hobby ideas, most of which you will be familiar with. However, there were a few that I had never heard of, which were both accessible and doable by a novice. Very basic introduction to the hobby is listed as well as what you need to get started. I'm not sure this is a book worth buying, but if your library has it, you might want to check it out.

[Nick Salenga · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book in compendium of fun & fulfillment will provide all inspiration you need to pass time with engaging & absorbing hobby that is uniquely & allowing you to step away from stress of everyday life when even if just for moment each day.

[Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the inclusion of "weirder" hobbies is quite fun. Everybody knows about crosswords and knitting; I want to read about something I never considered! Some of the cost estimates for the hobbies didn't seem right to me, but that's a minor nitpick.

[Beckie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chock-full of many mainstream and unique ideas!

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nicely put together guide if you are looking to start a new hobby or just learn of other unique hobbies out there that you many never knew of before.

[Mikki Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many great ideas and validation that my hobbies are in fact hobbies and "just a waste of time!"