i really enjoy books that devote a lot of time to description of the physical details and processes of making things, doing material tasks or solving problems. could be the character executing a skill they’ve already perfected, whether it’s unique or a daily chore, described step-by-step; or the character devising a brand new solution to whatever challenge they’re facing.
good examples i have loved all my life would be the Little House on the Prairie series, the Clan of the Cave Bear series, or most of Neal Stephenson’s books. recently i enjoyed The Martian.
it’s an easy overlap with stories about survival, exploration, resourcefulness, which i also like.
by drindrun
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Circe by Madeline Miller
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Have you tried Butter by Yuzuki? In-depth descriptions of preparing & learning about food
An old but good one is Theodore Sturgeon’s “Killdozer.” A crew of construction workers are left on a Pacific island during WW2 to construct runways, but one of their machines is possessed by something mysterious.
The technical detail is wonderful, and the scenes of mighty machines battling like dinosaurs are riveting.
Random but [Snow Road Station by Elizabeth Hay](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61608224-snow-road-station) has a whole section that describes the process of making maple syrup. The book really isn’t about that, but it’s an interesting part.
This is a kids book but My Side of the Mountain is great on this.
Julie of the Wolves also stands out in my memory for the description of finding and preparing lichen.
Ammonite is a great mash up of sci-fi and survival.
Barbara Kingsolver’s books like Bean Trees and Animal Dreams and Poisonwood Bible have some great scenes about crafts and chores (harvesting black walnuts, developing photos, gardening)
The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich I think would fit this description too, and I think is part of a whole series.
The Secret Garden