Books About Unusual Professions Or Hobbies
Some people work in offices. Others chase storms, translate ancient manuscripts, or craft custom poisons for a living. The world is full of strange and fascinating professions, and some of the most memorable books delve into the lives of those who work in the unusual, the forgotten, and the downright bizarre.
If you love stories that take you inside hidden worlds—whether it’s a perfumer’s workshop, a library of deadly books, or an underground society of corpse dressers—then this list is for you. Here are 12 books featuring unusual professions and hobbies that will transport you to places you never knew existed.
1. The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro
🌸 The Art and Alchemy of Scent
Set in the 1920s and 1950s, this lush historical novel follows a woman who inherits a mysterious fortune from a legendary perfumer. As she unravels the secrets behind a series of rare, intoxicating fragrances, she discovers the power of scent to hold memories, shape identity, and tell stories.
📖 Read if you love: Glamorous historical settings, sensory storytelling, and enigmatic mentors.
2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
📚 A Girl Who Steals Words in a Time of War
Liesel Meminger doesn’t have an ordinary hobby—she steals books in Nazi Germany, finding solace in words during a time of terror. Narrated by Death himself, this novel paints an unforgettable portrait of a girl who collects and shares stories in a world where they are being burned.
📖 Read if you love: Historical fiction, poetic storytelling, and books about books.
3. The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
🧪 A Secret Shop for Poisoned Revenge
Hidden in the back alleys of 18th-century London is an apothecary that doesn’t just sell medicine—it helps women escape abusive men through carefully crafted poisons. But when a modern-day historian stumbles upon a forgotten vial, past and present intertwine in a tale of vengeance and sisterhood.
📖 Read if you love: Dual-timeline mysteries, feminist historical fiction, and dark secrets.
4. The City of Dreaming Books by Walter Moers
📖 A World Where Books Are Alive (and Deadly)
In the city of Bookholm, books are more than just stories—they can be weapons, treasures, or even monsters. This whimsical, wildly imaginative fantasy follows a writer on a quest to uncover a lost manuscript, encountering literary assassins, mechanical booklings, and labyrinthine libraries along the way.
📖 Read if you love: Bookish adventures, fantastical world-building, and quirky humor.
5. The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
🕵️♀️ A Spy Ring of Extraordinary Women
During World War I, a secret network of female spies worked undercover in occupied France. This historical novel weaves the true story of the Alice Network into a gripping tale of espionage, betrayal, and courage.
📖 Read if you love: Historical thrillers, powerful female leads, and wartime intrigue.
6. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
📚 A Librarian of Forgotten Books
A young boy stumbles upon an obscure novel in a hidden library—only to learn that someone is systematically destroying every copy ever printed. As he investigates the mystery, he uncovers a world of lost manuscripts, forbidden love, and literary obsession.
📖 Read if you love: Gothic mysteries, atmospheric settings, and bookish intrigue.
7. The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
🔥 A Clay-Born Woman and a Fire-Born Man
In 19th-century New York, a woman made of clay and a djinni born of fire cross paths. One was created to serve, the other to be free, yet both struggle to carve out lives among immigrants, bakers, tinsmiths, and fortune-tellers in the bustling city.
📖 Read if you love: Mythic folklore, historical fantasy, and slow-burn friendships.
8. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
⏳ A Librarian Between Life and Death
Somewhere between life and death, there is a library where every book contains a different version of your life—if you had made different choices. When Nora Seed enters this library, she explores the paths she never took, from Olympic swimming to Arctic exploration.
📖 Read if you love: Thought-provoking fiction, parallel lives, and second chances.
9. The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman
🎪 A Curator of Wonders and Oddities
Coralie, the daughter of a collector of human oddities, has spent her life as a living mermaid in his Coney Island museum. But when she meets a runaway photographer documenting the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, she begins to question her father’s dark secrets.
📖 Read if you love: Magical realism, historical romance, and eerie curiosities.
10. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
❄️ A Guardian of Russian Folktales
Vasilisa has an unusual gift—she can see the spirits that protect her home from the dangers of winter. But when a new priest forbids the old ways, darkness begins to creep in. To save her family, she must embrace the power of the unseen.
📖 Read if you love: Mythic fantasy, atmospheric folklore, and fierce heroines.
11. Sourdough by Robin Sloan
🍞 A Baker’s Magical Starter
A software engineer turned accidental baker discovers that the sourdough starter left in her care has a life of its own—it hums, glows, and creates the most extraordinary bread. As she dives into the underground world of experimental food culture, she learns that baking might be more magical than she ever imagined.
📖 Read if you love: Quirky fiction, foodie adventures, and a touch of whimsy.
12. Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
🏪 A Woman Who Finds Solace in a Store
Keiko has never quite fit in—except at the convenience store where she has worked for 18 years. She understands its rhythms, its rules, and its rituals, but when societal pressure urges her to leave, she struggles with the idea of being “normal.”
📖 Read if you love: Literary fiction, outsider protagonists, and thought-provoking social commentary.
Step Into the Unusual
From poison apothecaries to whispering libraries, these books take us inside lives that are anything but ordinary. Whether you’re drawn to the hidden magic in everyday work or the high-stakes worlds of secret professions, there’s a story here to spark your curiosity.
Which of these unusual jobs or hobbies intrigues you the most? Or do you have a favorite book about an unconventional profession? Let me know! ✨📚
