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Audiobook Picks

June 19, 2013 1 Comment

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I really do love the sound system in my Kia. Audiobooks are my favorite thing to pass the time with on my commute (and they’re great to craft along to, by the way). Not only do I love audiobooks as a personal pastime, part of my job as a Librarian is selecting which audiobooks my library will carry. Here is a list of this librarian/audiobook lover’s favorite titles to listen to in the car:

Audiobook Picks at HandsOccupied.com

  • World War Z by Max Brooks is my favorite audiobook. Inspired by Studs Terkel’s The Good War, WWZ shares first person accounts outlining the events of The Zombie War, from the initial outbreak of the zombie epidemic to international panic to humanity’s near-extinction and recovery efforts. Only recently released for the first time in unabridged form, the audiobook features multiple narrators performing each first person account of the war. Performers include the likes of Alan Alda, Kal Penn, Simon Pegg, Maz Jobrani, Common, Mark Hammil, and Martin Scorsese. (A movie based on the book comes out this week coincidentally.)
  • If you enjoy traditional storytelling, The Round House by Louise Erdrich might be a good choice for you. TRH won the 2012 National Book Award for fiction, highlighting legal and social issues surrounding the rape of Native women on reservations. The book is set in my home state of North Dakota, and Erdrich has long been  one of my favorite authors (probably no coincidence there). The audiobook is voiced by Gary Farmer, a Canadian First Nations member and actor. His performance of the story, told from the perspective of the rape victim’s teenage son, is really moving. This audiobook is on my go-to recommendation list for the same reason as World War Z: the casting is so spot on for the story being told. That becomes important to those of us who listen to a lot of audiobooks.
  • Each audiobook in the Game of Thrones series is excellent. With each book clocking in at around 30-40 hours apiece, they make for a great road trip companion. Now, with the HBO show in existence and quite popular, I don’t think I’ll waste your time describing the crazy plot. Let me instead regale you with how awesome Roy Dotrice, the narrator of all five audiobooks is. SO AWESOME. GoT has roughly a zillion unique characters, each in need of his own voice, and Dotrice delivers. Fun fact: Dotrice even has a spot in the Guiness Book of World Records for his voicing of 224 unique characters in the first GoT audiobook. You can also catch the 90-year-old’s work on screen in the GoT TV series playing Grand Maester Pycelle. PS: Please, please, please don’t die before George R.R. Martin gets around to finishing the GoT series, Mr. Dotrice. I‘m begging you. 

So those are my top 3 picks. I had originally thought about sharing a longer list, but those three books are far and away my favorite audiobooks. My runners up for this list, in case you’re hungry for more, were: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, Room by Emma Donoghue, Life After Death by Damien Echols, and Gabby by Gabrielle Giffords, Mark Kelly & Jeffrey Zaslow. Betcha didn’t know how excited I get about audiobooks, did you?

This post is sponsored by Kia.

Filed Under: Giveaways, Reviews & Sponsored Tagged With: audiobooks, car, game of thrones, kia, librarian, picks, sponsored, the round house, world war z

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is a craft book author, designer & creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé. Her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now.

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Comments

  1. Lauren A.

    June 19, 2013 at 1:47 pm

    Dang it, Heidi! I wish I’d read this earlier in the day because I spent my entire lunch break searching for a new audiobook. I’m totally bookmarking this for after I’m done with the ones that I checked out. I’m finishing “The Stand” on audiobook and I highly recommend that. It’s huge, though. Great for my 1-ish hour commute though.

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi (she/her/hers), a craft book author & pattern designer specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. Really anything with yarn! ❤️  My work combines vintage and modern design elements, featuring bold colors and graphic motifs.

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handsoccupied

Craft book author, designer & creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé
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Nobody panic. This is just the back of an (admitte Nobody panic. This is just the back of an (admittedly insane) intarsia project. One day, this will be a seamed sweater, but today is not that day. 🧶 
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Have a good weekend, everyone! 
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Yarn: @universal_yarn’s Fibra Natura Cobblestone in Antarctica & Dragon’s Breath 
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Here’s how to work a Norwegian purl stitch for e Here’s how to work a Norwegian purl stitch for easier continental style knitting. With this purling method, the working yarn says tensioned (held) at the back of your knitting at all times. For many knitters, always holding the yarn at the back helps with tension issues, as well as feeling a little more comfortable. 
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Have you ever encountered this style of purling before? If you’ve tried it, have you found it helps with your purl tension and knitting speed? I’m curious.
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For a written tutorial, visit handsoccupied-dot-com. For video, you guessed it, You2be. Both of these platforms allow for longer, more in-depth versions of this tutorial, including full transcripts, alt text & the ability to pause, slow down or speed up at will. (Like if you really want to learn this, I recommend using a platform that doesn’t keep your hands occupied. Thinking of putting this in all my captions these days tbh - shout out to you if you made it this far. 🙌🏻😂)
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Have you ever tried this style of purl? . All thi Have you ever tried this style of purl? 
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All this recent talk about throwing vs. continental style knitting made it clear many people struggle with purling in continental knitting. Turns out that Norway may have the answer! In Norwegian purling, the working yarn stays tensioned at the back at all times, helping with speed and tension. 🤯
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Head to the bl0g (🔗 in bi0) for a more in-depth look at how to work a Norwegian purl stitch, including a photo tutorial with animated GIF & a video tutorial. Wrapping your mind around how to work a stitch you’re familiar with in a totally new way can be confusing, so I tried to give a few options for clarity. 🤙🏻 Video is also on You2be. 
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#handsoccupied #norwegianpurl #norwegianknitting #norwegianpurling #continentalknitting #howtoknit #learntoknit #knitterofinstagram #knitters
It’s been a hot second since I showed my face or It’s been a hot second since I showed my face or reintroduced myself, so here goes! I’m Heidi Gustad, a craft book author, pattern designer, and tutorial creator who specializes in yarn crafts. Lately, I’ve been focused on releasing quality knitting videos and related blog posts to help teach things like the difference between provisional cast ons and how to fix common knitting mistakes. Next week I’m shooting requested crochet and latch hook videos, so h👀kers, your time is coming! And if you ever have tutorial requests, please let me know. ☺️
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TLDR: I’m Heidi. I design & teach yarn crafts. You can find tutorials on my blog (est. 2010) & You2be. I also have several knitting & crochet patterns + a book about latch hook available. / All of these can be found on my website, the 🔗 is where you’d think. 
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Are you a picker or a thrower? Do you knit Contine Are you a picker or a thrower? Do you knit Continental or English Style? Here’s a quick overview of the differences between the two most common knitting styles, including a side by side comparison. (A good one to save for future reference. 👍🏻) 
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There’s more on the differences between picking and throwing in my latest blog post & You 2ube video - the l1nk is where you’d think!
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