Why is it that knitting and reading seem to go hand-in-hand? Whatever the reason, knitters are a reliable source of fantastic book and podcast recommendations. A few weeks ago, I asked for some suggestions to keep me occupied on the drive from Utah to New York, and our Nomadic Knits community came through in a BIG way!
Below is a list of recommendations from your fellow knitters and me.
The suggestions are separated by horizontal lines to make it easier to discern one recommendation from the next. You'll notice that the first suggestion is a conversation between Athina and me. She provided some AMAZING personalized recommendations, and honestly, I'm still feeling a bit spoiled (in the best possible way!) by it. Living on the road has left me feeling disconnected from my home library, so this was a wonderful treat! Hopefully, it helps us all remember what a magical source of information librarians are.✨
I use Goodreads to organize my book world. If you're unfamiliar with Goodreads, it is a platform to organize your books into different categories - Read, Currently Reading, and Want To Read. You can also add your own "bookshelves," which I've done to keep track of your recommendations. If you'd like to see them in one list, you can view the bookshelf here. Having a place to keep track of my books is a neverending source of nerdy joy! I also use it to see what my friends have read and what they thought about it.
I didn't link to the podcasts because of the variety of platform choices. I use Spotify for my podcasts and music, so if that's your platform of choice and you would like links, just let me know, and I'll add them!
Hi!
The City We Became by NK Jemisin is a *fantastic* audiobook. Bonus points for it being about the spirit/essence of New York. The narrator does a beautiful job bringing voice to the burrows.
-Athina
Oooohhh - that sounds great! Thank you so much for the recommendation :)
*runs off to search for it at the library*
-Becky
If you have genre favorites, just let me know. Librarian powers at your service :D
- Athina
Oh my goodness - you may have just opened a can of worms! In my mind, librarians are akin to the best magicians.✨
My taste is all over the map - I enjoy a good murder mystery and anything by Alice Hoffman. I recently read the Legacy of Orisha series by Tomi Adeyemi and loved it. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and The Dictionary of Lost Words are recent favorites, and I always try to keep one non-fiction book at the ready.
I'm not sure if that paints any kind of coherent picture, but if you have suggestions along those lines, I'm all ears!
Thanks so much!
- Becky
So I'm seeing those books and thinking you like thoughtful fantasy and wacky/quirky true stories (because the history of the Oxford English Dictionary is delightfully odd).
So, some fantasy that makes you think a bit:
- She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
- Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki
- Into the Mist by P. C. Cast
- Last Exit by Max Gladstone
- Book of Night by Holly Black
- In a Garden Burning Gold by Rory Power
- Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen (comes out August 30)
- Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
Fascinating, quirky non-fiction:
- Index, A History of the by Dennis Duncan
- Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow-Lives of Plants by Fez Inkwright
- Eating to Extinction: The World's Rarest Foods and Why We Need to Save Them by Dan Saladino
All of these are great books (as were the books you said you liked). I am the exact dork who will talk books and sock patterns for ages! (Lattice socks from issue 11 are up next.) And feel free to share as much as you'd like. Book recommendations are probably one of the most entertaining things I get to do.
-Athina (librarian/magician/book angel)<<< My words, not hers😂 - Becky
Podcasts!
I really like: the British history podcast, Sawbones, Noble Blood, The Exploress, and History of Rome(long since completed but very good)
Safe travels!
-Lindsey
Clan of the Cave Bear series by Jane Auel
When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O'Neal
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
- Melissa (of Melissa K Designs!)
Audiobook recommendations!!
It may sound silly, but it's an amazing series: The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place. There are several books, and all of them are impeccable with both story, reader, and the amount of amazing things you will learn (think long-lost classical education! Latin, Greek, artists, poetry, it's all crammed in there!)
The kicker is the reader is an amazing woman who was battling cancer and was able to read all but the last audiobook out loud for Audible. She was able to read the last story herself and give her blessing for the project to continue without her. We finished the last book as a family when we were driving back to SLC from Moab, with a side trip to Farmington to see family. So I thought it was fitting I recommend it to you for your Utah to East coast adventure.
If that doesn't float your boat or you ever want to drive from Alaska to Texas with eight kids, I recommend The Neverending Story followed by the complete collection of Sherlock Holmes, read by Stephen Fry.
Cheers and happy knitting! (Not behind the wheel is probably best)
- Meg
Here are a few suggestions for you...
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine / Gail Honeyman (There are references to abuse and a fire, but it is an uplifting story. The person reading the book is excellent.)
I read the print version of these two, but there is an audio version as well.
The bookshop of the broken hearted/ Robert Hillman
The giver of stars / Jojo Moyes
Will you be traveling through Colorado or Wyoming? I could suggest a few yarn shops as well as some beautiful places to visit. 
Safe travels!
- Lynda
Hi Becky! I can very highly recommend two audiobooks, both of which are read by the author. You may have already read "Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer as it has been out a few years, but to have the author read it to you is so beautiful. Her voice is gentle and grounded, and I loved all of it.
The second is "How the Word is Passed" by Clint Smith. It's about the legacy of slavery embodied in physical places, and it too is narrated by the author. It's heartbreaking and beautiful and thought-provoking.
If you haven't listened to the Make Good Podcast from fellow knitters and shop owners Karen and Jessica from Scratch Supply Co, then you definitely should.
I've been doing lots of traveling between Michigan and our new home in Vermont (the land of Sheep and Wool!), so I await others' recommendations too!
Safe Travels!!
Shelly from Ann Arbor (and soon VT)
Safe travels. Two recommendations for Audio Books: The Cork O'Conner series by William Kent Krueger. The series covers the Ojibwa culture, northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, and northern Michigan, and if you haven't read Harry Potter, the British voice makes a drive go so fast!
Beth Lewis
Madison, WI
Hello!
I'm recommending the audiobook Left on Tenth by Delia Ephron.
It will change your life.
It did mine. I feel so lucky to be a healthy person. Life is precious, and some of us have to fight very hard to hold on to it. Delia is a very brave woman. She will make you laugh, and she will bring you to tears.
Happy travels!
Janet
I would definitely recommend the audiobook version of "Braiding Sweetgrass," especially since you are headed to NY. The author reads her beautifully written book.
Eileen M
Annapolis, MD
I have a couple of podcasts I have really liked lately.
- Bad Women: The Ripper Story Retold. It is the history of the women who were victims of "Jack the Ripper." Super interesting!
- Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford. Stories of awful human error, tragic catastrophes & hilarious fiascos.
- Stuff you Missed in History Class. Crazy things I should have learned….
I live in Utah and one of my favorite places is Springdale outside of Zion National Park. It is such a fun community! Also, if you are down that way, Tuacahn theater has a Saturday market that is really cool.
Have a safe drive! Roxanne T
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Susan
The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood is a great audiobook — Ann wrote it after her five-year-old daughter died unexpectedly — it’s fiction, but it deals with the role knitting and knitting friends can play in helping us navigating through a period of grief. (other Ann Hood books are great audiobooks, too.)
Sheila
This book was very good- fantasy/eerie/ and a twist
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/41539.The_Good_House
The Good House by Tananarive Due
Alexandra Woods
What a great uplifting read this morning. I need this vibe. Looking forward to Bad Women listening and Braiding Sweetgrass. Audio book. Thanks, am knitting but unable to do your Knitmas at this time.