Wool Goddess

There’s something magical about getting lost in a good story. One minute you’re curled up on the sofa with your crochet hook in hand, and the next you’re wandering through windswept moors with handsome Heathcliff or falling in love with strange characters you never thought you needed, such as Cash the Cowboy (delicious-sounding man). For me, these people feel more real than the people on the evening news. Books have always had that power; the ability to whisk me away from everyday life for a little while. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was my first encounter with this magic as a child, loving Narnia and Mr Tumnus.

These days, though, I rarely sit down with a physical book for hours at a time, as I am always locked into granny squares. Instead, I’ve fallen completely in love with audiobooks. For me, the perfect evening looks like a growing pile of crochet stitches, an engrossing audiobook in my ears, and a mug of Yorkshire tea beside me. It’s comforting, creative, and wonderfully cosy, the kind of simple joy that makes my mind slow down for a bit.

Hopefully, nobody will dare darken my blog with physical book snobbery. I’ll never understand audiobook snobbery. Listening to a story is still experiencing a story. Whether the words are read with your eyes or poured into your ears by a brilliant narrator, the magic is exactly the same. Stories are meant to be enjoyed, however they fit into our lives, and if audiobooks let me crochet another blanket while devouring another novel, then that sounds perfect to me.

Here is a month-by-month catalogue of my books so far for 2026:

January:

My favourite this month was The Way Home by Mark Boyle
A reflective memoir about stepping away from modern consumer culture and reconnecting with nature, community, and a slower, more self-sufficient way of living. Boyle shares his experiences living simply in rural Ireland and explores themes of belonging, sustainability, and what it truly means to feel “at home.”

February:

My favourite this month was A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
Set in India during the political turmoil of the 1970s Emergency, the novel follows four strangers from very different backgrounds whose lives become deeply intertwined. Through friendship, hardship, and survival, the story explores poverty, caste discrimination, political oppression, and human resilience.

March:

My favourite this month was The Baby Plan by Emma Bennett
A contemporary romance/drama about a woman whose carefully organised plan for motherhood and relationships begins to unravel. The story explores love, family expectations, fertility, and learning that life rarely follows a perfect schedule.

April:

My favourite this month was What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo
A deeply personal memoir about the experience of living with complex PTSD after a childhood marked by abuse and abandonment. Combining personal storytelling with research into trauma and healing, the book examines mental health, family history, and the long process of recovery and self-understanding.

May:

My favourite this month was Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
A satirical and speculative novel about a glamorous social media “tradwife” influencer who suddenly finds herself living in the harsh realities of 1855 pioneer life. The book critiques online perfection, traditional gender roles, and the gap between fantasy and reality.

Hope you enjoy this section of my blog. I adore audiobooks as I crochet; it really does help me to unwind.

Love & healing hugs